Showing posts with label Jessica Sorensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jessica Sorensen. Show all posts

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Favourite Romance Beach Reads


The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Gone with the Words and Love at First Page. As part of the challenge they are setting a different topic every month that participants can choose to join in with which I think is a brilliant idea so you can expect a post like this to appear at random most months throughout the year.

The June Prompt is:
Favourite Romance Beach Reads
(Links below will take you to my reviews)

I tried to pick books that have a summery feel to them so most of them have a beach or holiday setting but there are a couple that are just really fun and lighthearted so make the perfect poolside read when you're on holiday!

Young Adult:


  1. Pushing the Limits - Katie McGarry
  2. Better than Perfect - Simone Elkeles
  3. The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood
  4. Forever - Judy Blume
  5. Saint Anything - Sarah Dessen

New Adult:


  1. Inseverable - Cecy Robson
  2. Come Back to Me - Mila Gray
  3. Slammed - Colleen Hoover
  4. The Secret of Ella and Micha - Jessica Sorensen
  5. While it Lasts - Abbi Glines

Adult:


  1. Simply Irresistible - Jill Shalvis
  2. Roman Holiday - Ruthie Knox
  3. Hollywood Dirt - Alessandra Torre
  4. Sun Kissed - Amanda Abbott
  5. The Pact - Karina Halle

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Review: Breaking Nova - Jessica Sorensen

Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next ... until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life — too bad he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life ... but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

Nova Series:
Breaking Nova
Saving Quinton
Delilah: The Making of Red (Novella)
Nova and Quinton: No Regrets
Tristan: Finding Hope (Novella)
Wreck Me
Ruin Me

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Review:
Jessica Sorensen is one of my favourite NA authors, she always creates such realistic characters, ones who are deeply messed up and who don't always deal with their problems in the healthiest ways but that just makes them all the more compelling to read about. Breaking Nova is about two of these damaged people and about one of them learning to move forward with their life. It doesn't really end with a happily ever after but I'm kind of hopeful that these characters will sort themselves out eventually and I'm looking forward to following their journey.

Nova lost the love of her life when he committed suicide and she was traumatised when she found the body. Quinton survived the car crash that killed both his girlfriend and his cousin but because he was the driver he blames himself for what happened and suffers with survivors guilt. They're both in a bad way and have turned to drink and drugs as a way to make the pain stop. I definitely don't agree with a lot of the choices they make but it's easy to understand why they act the way they do. Their lives have been turned upside down and they've got to make the choice to get past what happened so they can find a way to move forward.

I think Breaking Nova was probably the darkest book I've read by Jessica Sorensen but I absolutely loved it. This isn't always an easy book to read, in fact at times it's downright depressing, but I enjoyed seeing Nova make such huge changes in her life. She has had it tough but she has come out on the other side stronger than ever and I was really proud of her. On the other hand Quinton is still heading towards rock bottom, I'm kind of scared to see how much harder things are going to get for him before he manages to pick himself back up but I have confidence that he can do it. What I really appreciated was that the romance between them doesn't automatically solve all their issues, they still have to find a way to deal with the past. Nova has some difficult decisions to make but I really felt like she did the right thing and it was good to see her put herself first for a change.

This was a heart wrenching story that really tugged at my emotions and I can't wait to see these characters continue to turn their lives around.

Source: Received from Sphere in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Saturday, 13 December 2014

Review: The Ever After of Ella and Micha - Jessica Sorensen

The day Ella has waited for is just around the corner. It's the day she'll marry Micha, the love of her life. It looks like it will be the perfect Christmas, until an unexpected package arrives with a harsh reminder of Ella's past. Can Ella really have a 'happily ever after' if she's never even seen one?

Micha will stand by Ella no matter what she's going through, though he worries that she might leave him standing at the alter again. When he's offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour with his favourite bands for three months, Micha knows he can't leave Ella behind. But can he ask her to uproot her life and join him on the road?

Now Ella and Micha must find a way to balance their fears, their dreams and their love . . . if they ever want to hear wedding bells.

The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha (Novella)
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always (Novella)
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always (Novella)

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Review:
I've been a huge fan of Jessica Sorensen ever since I first picked up The Secret of Ella and Micha and I have enjoyed every minute of this couple's journey. Ella and Micha have both been through so much and I was looking forward to seeing them finally find their happily ever after and get married. I hate to say it but I ended up being a little disappointed in The Ever After of Ella and Micha though. The book doesn't really seem to add much to Ella and Micha's story and I found it was pretty repetitive of events in the previous books which made it a slow and often boring read.

I was gutted when Ella left Micha standing at the alter at the end of The Temptation of Lila and Ethan, I know she had her reasons but my heart still broke for poor Micha and I really did start to wonder how much more he would put up with from her. They are such a great couple when things are going well but it can get a little frustrating seeing Ella constantly push him away and seeing her panicking every time she thinks about them having a future together. I really wanted to see her work through her issues and she does that to a point in this book but not before we see a lot of moping about and fretting on her part. I was expecting more to be made of her mother's journal too, I thought it might give us some more insight into Ella's background and her mother's emotional issues but the passages we got to see where just too similar to Ella's point of view and I couldn't really tell the difference.

The only things that really happen in this book are Ella freaking out, Micha trying to talk her down and the couple having sex about 300 times a day! You know there is a problem when I start skim reading the sex scenes and unfortunately that's what I was doing here. The book isn't all bad and I did really like seeing Ella finally get past her fear of marriage so she could move onto the next stage of her life with Micha but I think this would probably have worked better as a novella rather than a full length novel. I didn't feel like there was enough of a plot to justify the number of pages and sex was used as extra padding on pretty much every page. I have loved this series though and I'm sure anyone who has enjoyed previous books will want to see Ella and Micha take that next big step. There are a couple of extra novellas that I already have copies of so I will read them to see what happens but I think this series really has come to a natural end already (and could honestly have been wound up without this book) so I hope that the author doesn't continue to drag things out beyond that point.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Prelude of Ella and Micha - Jessica Sorensen

When Ella Daniels and Micha Scott are fourteen, they make a pact to leave the small town of Star Grove and create better lives for themselves. The pact was made as best friends, but over the next six years, their friendship begins to intensify. Feelings change. Grow. Veer towards love.

But one tragic night changes everything. Hearts get broken. And the future they had planned changes forever.

This novella takes place a little less than a year before The Secret of Ella and Micha. It contains glimpses of when Ella and Micha were younger, including a scene of when Micha first fell love with Ella.

The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha (Novella)
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always (Novella)
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always (Novella)

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Review:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha is set around a year before the start of The Secret of Ella and Micha but includes flashbacks throughout Ella and Micha's childhood and teenage years. They grew up together and have been best friends for as long as they can remember but although they are crazy about each other Ella is too scared to take the next step and Micha doesn't want to scare her off by pushing her. They have spent years dreaming of the day they'll both be 18 and can leave their home town behind them and make a fresh start somewhere far away, the plan has always been to leave together but after one terrible night things might be quite so simple after all.

Having already read the next few books in this series I had a pretty good idea about what would happen in this novella and if I'm honest I was a little nervous about reading it because I wasn't sure there would be enough new information to hold my interest. However I needn't have worried because knowing what was going to happen just made the story even more bitter sweet and heartbreaking.

I'm not going to go into details of the plot because I don't want to spoil the story for anyone who is new to the series but I do think that even if you haven't read any of the books you'll be able to enjoy this prequel and at such a bargain price it's probably a great way to try the series and meet the characters. I absolutely love Jessica Sorensen's writing, she creates incredibly realistic characters who are damaged but not beyond repair and she is brilliant at writing sexual tension between her leads and giving readers a romance that they can become invested in. This is one of my favourite new adult series and definitely one I'd happily recommend.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

Review: The Temptation of Lila and Ethan - Jessica Sorensen

Ella's best friend Lila has always been a good girl who likes pretty clothes and preppy boys. But ever since the first day she met Micha's best friend Ethan, she hasn't been able to stop thinking about him.

Girls have always flocked to Ethan -- but never princesses like Lila. And until Lila came into his life he never wanted them to. From the outside the two couldn't seem more different, but somehow they have a connection deeper and more intense than anyone could have imagined.

Can two people from such dramatically different worlds really have a love that lasts?

The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha (Novella)
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always (Novella)
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always (Novella)

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Review:
I love Jessica Sorensen's writing and am a huge fan of her Ella and Micha books so I was looking forward to finding out more about their friends Lila and Ethan. I have to admit I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to connect with Lila though, she has always come across as a bit of a spoiled, rich, party girl who doesn't have a care in the world but at the same time she has been a very supportive friend to Ella and she was obviously keeping secrets so I was hoping there would be a lot more to her character. I should have known that I can trust this author to give me wonderful, complex and three dimensional characters though and there is so much more to Lila than meets the eye! She may have been raised as a pampered princess and given everything that money can buy when it comes to possessions but her childhood was completely lacking of the warmth of a loving family. I tell you one thing right now I wouldn't swap all the money in the world for the love my parents have given me so I don't envy Lila one tiny little bit.

Lila's parents take the award for the most self-centred, nasty and despicable characters I've come across in a long time. My god I wanted to reach into the book and rip into them over the way they treated their daughters! All either of them cared about was money and appearances, as long as their social circle thought they looked like a perfect, happy family who had everything they didn't care what it cost Lila and her sister. Lila was more of a prize poodle - an accessory who had to be dressed to perfection - than a beloved daughter and it broke my heart that she had never been given the unconditional love we should all receive from our parents. As you learn more about Lila's upbringing you discover that she went through a horrific experience, one that would have any decent parent ready to commit murder on their daughter's behalf but that Lila's parents just blamed her for and used their money and influence to try and brush it under the carpet.

That event completely broke Lila and since then she has used alcohol and drugs to bury her pain and to help her forget. She is walking down a dangerous path but doesn't know any other way of coping. Ethan can see how close Lila is to the edge, he's been through it himself and he only just survived so he will do whatever it takes to help her. Ethan has a few secrets of his own and his childhood wasn't exactly the happiest one, he is wary of opening his heart to anyone but while he can't promise to love Lila he can promise to always be there as her friend. I loved that Ethan is protective of her but that he doesn't let her get away with anything. Lila has never had to do all the things that most people have to do to survive, her family had servants to do the housework and she's never even had to cook for herself let alone had to work for her money or live on a budget. Ethan is happy to show her the ropes but he isn't going to do everything for her and I think deep down Lila appreciates the fact that he treats her like a normal girl. Learning to survive gives Lila a sense of achievement that she's never really had before and it was great to see her start rebuilding her confidence.

I don't want to go into too much detail about their pasts but they are both messed up in different ways because of what they've been through. They both have insecurities and issues that will make a relationship difficult but at the same time they fit together surprisingly well. I'd picked up on the chemistry they have between them in the earlier books but it is off the charts here. No matter how attracted they are to each other they take things incredibly slowly and build a strong foundation of friendship before taking the next step. I grew to love both of these characters and I also really enjoyed the little glimpses we get into Ella and Micha's lives now. This is definitely one of my favourite NA series and I'm looking forward to reading more about both of these couples in the future.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Monday, 27 January 2014

Review: The Forever of Ella and Micha - Jessica Sorensen

Ella and Micha have been through tragedy, heartbreak and love. When they are together, anything seems possible, but now they are thousands of miles apart.

Micha spends the days touring the country with his band, but being away from Ella is harder than he thought. He wants her closer to him - needs her with him. But he won't ask her to leave college, just to be with him. The few moments they do spend together are fleeting and filled with passion. They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever?

The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha (Novella)
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always (Novella)
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always (Novella)

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed The Secret of Ella and Micha so I was looking forward to seeing how the couple are getting on in this sequel. Ella is now at college studying while Micha is on tour with his band so they aren't getting to spend as much time together as either of them would like but they're just as in love as ever. Being so far away from each other is hard but I loved the fact that they trust each other, there are no doubts about whether one of them is being unfaithful and neither of them ever considers asking the other to give up their dreams so they can be together immediately. It's so nice to read about a NA relationship that is so supportive!

Ella is still struggling to deal with her past, she is suffering with depression and is in a bad place mentally. Micha wants to be there to help her through but Ella is smart enough to realise that she can't let him be her crutch forever. She has to make changes within her own life if she wants to get better and she needs to take a step back from her relationship to do that. She loves Micha but needs to do this on her own if they're going to have a chance of making a success of their relationship in the future. I absolutely LOVE the fact that Ella makes this difficult decision and that Micha is there for her as a friend even though he wants them to be so much more than that. It is hard for him to understand her reasoning at first but he loves her enough to let her do what she needs to do and to support her in any way she'll let him.

It was hard to read about Ella's depression at times because Jessica Sorensen has written it so well but that just made seeing her work through things even more satisfying. With the help of her councillor she is able to work through a lot of her issues and she even starts to build some bridges with her family. Nothing improves instantly and she still has a way to go but you're left with a real sense of hope that she is finally putting the past behind her. Micha has his own issues to deal with and there were times I wanted to strangle his father for being such a self-centred ass. Micha copes much better than Ella does but he still finds it hard and it was good to see Ella taking her turn in supporting him through his pain.

I really do love reading about Ella and Micha, it is so nice to come across a realistic relationship - one that has it's ups and downs and that isn't perfect but that is overall a healthy and supportive one. I also enjoyed seeing more of their friends Lila and Ethan and am looking forward to getting to know them better in the next book. The Forever of Ella and Micha is a great follow up to the first book and one I'd highly recommend to fans of this couple.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Friday, 6 September 2013

Excerpt: Breaking Nova - Jessica Sorensen (+ your chance to win an iPad mini!!)


To celebrate the release of Jessica Sorensen's latest novel, Breaking Nova, I'm thrilled to share an excerpt and giveaway with you today. I'm a huge fan of Jessica Sorensen so I can't wait to read this book - just have a look at the excerpt below & I'm sure you'll see why! First let me give you a bit more information about the book:

Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next ... until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life — too bad he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life ... but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

Nova Series:
Breaking Nova
Further titles and release dates to be confirmed

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Author Bio:
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

Blog: http://jessicasorensensblog.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessFallenStar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Sorensen/165335743524509
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4601855.Jessica_Sorensen

Excerpt from Breaking Nova
(Posted with permission from Grand Central Publishing)

I get caught up in it all—in her—and suddenly I’m pressing my lips against hers. I’ve done this a lot before, as a way to distract myself from my life. But this isn’t the same. This means something, but I’m still trying to figure out what and if I want it or even deserve to get it.

At first she stiffens, but then she hooks her arms around the back of my neck and inches closer, opening her mouth to me as she spreads her legs open and my hands travel higher toward the bottom of her shorts. She tastes like beer and smells like pot. Tristan’s gone but he could come back at any moment. I should stop this. I should care enough to stop Tristan from seeing this, but my will to care about doing the right thing at this moment has died. My thoughts are blurred by the lingering high and the scent and feel of Nova. All I seem to care about is caressing her tongue with mine and feeling her skin because it’s soft and soothing and in another life I’d touch it all the time.

I’m about to pull away, because emotions are prickling inside me, when she swings her leg over me so she’s straddling my lap, then she grips the sides of my neck and pulls me closer. She kisses me fiercely, to the point where it feels like my lips are going to bruise, then she’s crushing her chest against mine as she gently rocks her hips. I dig my fingers into her waist, bringing her even closer, before I push her back, breaking the connection of our lips.

She’s panting, wild-eyed, her hair falling out of the braid. She glances to the side at Tristan’s empty chair and then looks back at me.

“We should stop,” I say, but it sounds like a lame attempt, my voice drifting off at the end.

“W-why?” She stutters a protest and I have to admit that it’s nice there are no tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to.”

I brush her hair back from her eyes and let my fingers linger on the bruise on her cheek. “You don’t even know me, Nova. I’m no good for you… you deserve so much better.” Please run away. Because I can’t seem to do it myself.

Her jaw tenses, like I struck a nerve. “I think I should get to decide that.”

“Whether I’m good enough for you?” I ask.

“Yeah, which I can only decide if I get to know you,” she says.

I motion my hand in front of myself, pressing the point. “This is pretty much it. What you see is what you get.”

“That’s never the case,” she disagrees, flattening her palms onto my bare chest right over the scar and my body goes rigid. “In fact, most of the time people hide who they really are.” Her throat bobs up and down as she swallows hard. “Most of the time you think you know someone, but you really have no clue.”

Giveaway:

Jessica Sorensen and Grand Central Publishing are giving one lucky person the chance to win an iPad mini. You can enter the giveaway using the rafflecopter form below. The winner will be contacted directly by Grand Central Publishing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Reads of 2013 So Far


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

This is the first time I'm taking part in the feature, it's one I've been seeing around the blogosphere for a long time now so I'm excited to finally join in! Today's topic is actually a freebie which means you can pick any theme you like. I've decided to go with my top reads of 2013 so far (this is actually a topic that everyone will be doing in a couple of weeks but I have a blog tour that day so won't be able to take part & thought I'd do it now instead). I'm finding it impossible to narrow it down to just 10 books so I decided I'd split this into 3 categories - YA, NA and adult - and I'm going to choose my favourite 5 books from each age range.

My Top 5 Young Adult reads of 2013 so far:


Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood (read my review here)


With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent (read my review here)


Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (read my review here)


Boundless by Cynthia Hand (read my review here)


Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder (read my review here)

My Top 5 New Adult reads of 2013 so far:


While it Lasts by Abbi Glines (read my review here)


Losing It by Cora Carmack (read my review here)


Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (read my review here)


Wait for you by J Lynn (read my review here)


The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen (read my review here)

My Top 5 Adult reads of 2013 so far:


Down London Road by Samantha Young (read my review here)


Night Blade by J.C. Daniels (read my review here)


Beyond Control by Kit Rocha (read my review here)


Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian (read my review here)


Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox (read my review here)

What are your favourite books of the year so far? Do you agree with any of my choices? What topic have you chosen for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday? Leave me a link in the comments & I'll come and visit your post :o)

Sunday, 21 April 2013

News: Cover Reveals, Signing Details, Movie Trailers & More

I absolutely loved Sarah J Maas's debut novel Throne of Glass (read my review here) and have been looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel Crown of Midnight ever since I finished the last page! Unfortunately we still have a little while to wait (the UK release date is the 15th of August) but the cover has now been revealed so I wanted to share it with you:


In case you haven't already seen it here is the blurb for Crown of Midnight:

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

Love or loathe Celaena, she will slice open your heart with her dagger and leave you bleeding long after the last page of the highly anticipated sequel in what is undeniably THE hottest new fantasy series.

What do you think of the cover? I LOVE it and I'm now even more excited to get my hands on the book! This goes so well with the UK cover of Throne of Glass (see left) but I think I love the bright reds even more than I liked the blues of the previous cover.

Here is a bit more information about the series in case you've not started reading it yet (links take you to my reviews)

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Novella)
The Assassin and the Desert (Novella)
The Assassin and the Underworld (Novella)
The Assassin and the Empire (Novella)
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight (August 2013)

Visit Sarah J Maas' website for more information

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Fans of Michael Grant will be pleased to know he is visiting the UK next week and will be making a number of public appearances. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend any of the events myself but I've included the details below in case anyone is interested:

Wednesday 24th April - Waterstones Piccadilly
6.30pm
In conversation with journalist Lucy Mangan

Saturday 27th April - signing at Muswell Hill bookshop
4pm- 5pm
72 Fortis Green Rd London, Greater London N10 3HN

Monday 29th April - Waterstones Plymouth (65-69 George Street, PL1 1RJ)
6.30 – 7.30pm
Talk

Thursday 2nd May - Eason O’Connell, Dublin
6pm
Talk and Q & A

Friday 3rd May - Eason Dundrum, Dublin
4pm
public signing

You can find out more about Michael Grant's books on his website

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I've been reading a lot of contemporary romance books recently but I have to admit that I have been absolutely devouring the huge range of New Adult books that are currently being published (read my NA reviews here). I know there is a lot of confusion over what makes a story New Adult rather than Young Adult or Adult so I thought I'd point you in the direction of this USA Today article which I think explains things really well. You can have a read through some of my NA reviews for some recommendations but my favourites include Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, Losing It by Cora Carmack, The Secrets of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen and Easy by Tammara Webber.


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Have you seen the latest trailer for the City of Bones movie? OMG it looks so good & I'm just dying to see it when it comes out!! For once they're releasing a film of a book that I've already read so I don't have any catching up to do (I still haven't managed to read or watch The Host or Beautiful Creatures so I'm falling really far behind LOL!).



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I can't write a news post without including the first teaser trailer for the Catching Fire movie! I loved the Hunger Games film so can't wait for this to hit the big screens (although I really should make sure I read the book before then LOL). I'm sure most of you have already seen this but just in case you haven't here it is:

 

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Last but by no means least did you see the fantastic video posted on the USA Today website revealing the title for the third and final book in Veronica Roth's Divergent series? I'm a huge fan of this series (Hooray for Team Candor UK) so I can't wait to get my hands on the last book! What do you think of the title Allegiant? According to Dictionary.com this is the definition of allegiant:


We already know that Tris is extremely loyal to her friends and the people she cares about but what do you think the title means for the end of the series? Do you think it gives us any clues about what is going to happen next? How do you think the title fits with the rest of the series (Divergent & Insurgent)? I'm a little disappointed that the new title doesn't end in ENT but when you actually say Allegiant out loud I think it fits and if you say all three titles one after the other it flows quite nicely.

Saturday, 13 April 2013

Review: The Secret of Ella and Micha - Jessica Sorensen

'The girl he thinks he loves needs to disappear. I don't want tonight to be irreversible, so I pull away, breathing him in one last time.'

Ella and Micha have been best friends since childhood, until one tragic night shatters their relationship and Ella decides to leave everything behind to start a new life at college, including Micha.

But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella's skin like no one else. And he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.

The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha (Novella)
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always (Novella)
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always (Novella)

Visit Jessica Sorensen's website for more information

Review:
Ella has been to hell and back in the last few years and it has left her emotionally vulnerable and struggling to cope. She thinks that the only way to deal with the past is to push it to the back of her memory and forget it ever happened and to help her do that she has walked away from everything and everyone she knows to start her life over again. Ella didn't just leave her family and friends when she started college though, she also tried to leave herself behind. She is no longer the feisty girl she was growing up, the adrenaline junkie with a smart mouth that often got her into trouble, now she is much quieter and keeps her head down trying to avoid spending much time with others. Having to return home for the summer Ella is forced to face Micha, her best friend, the boy she loved and the boy whose heart she broke when she left without a word. Can she keep her mask in place when she is confronted by everything she left behind?

This is the first book I've read by Jessica Sorensen but I'm definitely a new fan and I can't wait to start reading the rest of her work. She has a way of creating characters who you can relate to, ones who could be your best friend and that you can't help but route for. Ella has made mistakes but you can easily understand why she has behaved the way she did and it is obvious that she never meant to hurt anyone with her actions. She has been through so much that she just doesn't know how else to deal with the pain and I don't think many people would cope better in her situation. She has such strong feelings for Micha that they completely overwhelm her, she just can't deal with them on top of everything else she has going on which is why she walked away from him. It hasn't been easy for her to create a whole new persona and when she returns home it is even harder for her to keep it in place. She needs to learn how to accept the person she really is and understand that she shouldn't be ashamed of that or try to hide herself behind a false identity.

If anyone can get through to the girl hidden deep inside it is Micha, the person who has known her forever and who already knows all of her secrets. Micha never gave up looking for Ella, she is his best friend, the person he loves more than anything and it devastated him when she disappeared. He knew she was in a bad place but never would have guessed that she would walk away from him like that. Now that she is back in town he is determined to show her how good they could be together and make sure that she is never able to walk away from him again. I have to say I loved Micha, he has his own issues to deal with and my heart broke for both him and Ella but you just know that they can get through anything if they are together. They have such a strong bond of friendship and know each other inside out, there is no need for either of them to hide anything from the other because they will always be accepted for who they are.

The Secrets of Ella and Micha is a really sweet romance with the perfect amount of chemistry and sexual tension for the new adult market. This story will appeal to older teens as well as to adults and I'm sure most women will fall for sexy bad boy and future rock star Micha! I'm excited to know we have more to come from this couple and I'll definitely be looking forward to more from Jessica Sorensen in the future.

Source: Received from Sphere in exchange for an honest review

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