Caged Moon

by Rachel Deagan
260 pages
Original Release Date: January 18, 2012
2nd Edition Release Date: May 8, 2012
*Second Edition containing full edits and additional updates on the Caged Moon Trilogy*Source: Review Copy
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Haunted by an animal attack, seventeen year old Charlotte feels she is being followed. When she runs into a mysterious boy while camping, she’s afraid. Nothing seems right about him. Despite trying to stay away, there is an unmistakable draw to be near him. Even his scent smells familiar. But the closer she gets, the faster the secrets begin to unravel. Not only is he not human, he may have a link to her past. When Charlotte finds out someone wants her dead, she is torn between love and fear. Can she trust him to keep her safe.

Undertow

by Callie Kingston
230 pages
Release Date: February 17, 2012
Publisher: Carolwood Press
Source: Review Copy
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Reality is slipping away as Marissa sinks deeper into an abyss. Only truth and love can bring her back from the edge.
While she slept on a desolate beach on the wild Oregon coast, a rogue wave pulled her out to sea. Now Marissa dreams each night of a merman who rescued her. Obsessed, she risks her life once again in the frigid ocean. Will Marissa recover or remain forever lost in the eddies inside her mind?
Sometimes, the deadliest dangers lie within.

Excerpt

Marissa thrust the image from the morning away, fighting back the pain. She felt like
vomiting. If she could, she would have puked up every broken promise she’d swallowed over the
years. All those promises: her mother’s . . . her father’s . . . Drake’s. Lies, lies, lies. All lies. The
memories swarmed over her. One deception after another, in brilliant colors, like each scene was
painted with unearthly crayons, her mind shuffling through them like a deck of cards. And at the
bottom, the face of a little girl.
She traced the outline of the tattoo on her calf, brushing the sand away from the mermaid’s
hair and turquoise tail. Underneath, the tattoo artist had inked her sister’s name: Bethany. It was
her first tattoo, and the only one her mother didn’t hate.
The tide changed; each hour, the water reclaimed more of the sand. She hardly noticed.
Staring toward the horizon where the ocean dropped off the curve of the earth and disappeared,
she wished she could too. She envied the whales, swimming through the abyss with nothing to
stress about—no school, no mom, no jerk of a boyfriend. Exhausted, she let the warmth of the
afternoon sun and the steady swooshing of the tide lull her to sleep.
A rogue wave surged toward the cliff and soaked Marissa, startling her awake. She
scrambled to escape. The water lifted the tree beside her into the surf where it bobbed like a cork.
Chest deep in the frigid water, she panicked and flailed, desperate to escape.
The surf pushed the log forward, knocking her to the ground and pinning her there, face
down in the wet sand. There was a searing pain in her head. Like a mantra the prayer played in
an endless loop: please don’t let me die, please don’t let me die. She held her breath. When the
ocean withdrew it carved out the sand from beneath her and left her encapsulated like a human
clam near the water’s edge.
Another torrent of icy water swept over her; the wave recoiled and yanked Marissa and the
log past the breakers into the sea.

Trailer

Book Review

I was very pleased when I found out that this will be yet another Mermaid/Merman book I’d be reading this year, but I was not prepared to be so enthralled with this particular story. While reading Undertow I felt like I was speaking to a normal girl, with real problems and frustrations. Unhappy with her life, parents that don’t understand her, and the seemingly perfect boyfriend that ended up cheating on her, Marissa takes an unexpected trip to the beach where she is swept away by a rogue wave and dragged out to sea. Convinced that she is surely to die Marissa doesn’t remember how she actually manage to survive and ended up back at home a few days later, hair matted and full of sand.

In order to get back into some kind of normalcy and to forget her cheating ex-boyfriend, Marissa moves away to college in Portland. Little by little Marissa starts to remember little things about the incident at the beach and starts to realize that what saved her was a mysterious merman. Marissa becomes convinced that her savior is real and that she will one day go back to the sea to be with him forever. Is Marissa’s merman-savior real, or is Marissa losing touch with reality?

Callie Kingston does a great job of keeping you guessing the entire time what is real and what is not real. As a likable main character, I tended to side with Callie and believe that there had to be a real fantasy merman out there that saved her. This fact kept me passionately reading to find out if Callie was right or if she was just imagining the entire incident. I loved that about that book. This was a very fast read and a great book for those that like the mystery. 4 stars.

About The Author

Book Review

First, let’s talk about how gorgeous this cover is. I love everything about it, including the halo the girl is holding in her hands. I can be very picky when it comes to books about angels and demons, so when I started reading Angel Eyes I had very high expectations. I was not disappointed but I can’t say either that I was blown away. The novel was well written and the plot was interesting. I did find some of it to be quite predictable and cliché, but the characters were interesting nonetheless.

Brielle, the main character, is dealing with the subject of grief over the death of her best friend, and in the process struggling to hold on to her faith. She moves back to her old hometown after this tragedy that has completely changed her and turned her into a self-loathing, depressed, person. Upon her return, she meets Jake who takes a liking to her and who Brielle immediately notices something different about. Warm to the touch, Jake is the sweet guy who makes Brielle see that there just might be light at the end of the tunnel after all. Brielle’s spiritual doubts also makes her the target to some dark forces who zero in on her. They see her as one that can be easily enveloped and whose soul can be taken. I definitely have to say that the MC was my favorite character, even more than the love interest, which is usually my pick for most books.

I enjoyed the religious parts of the book since I am personally a fan of angels but I can see how it might be viewed that the religious aspects of this book border on a bit excessive. Not to say that it makes the book any more or less great, just that it is a matter of preference and not everyone’s cup of tea. All in all I enjoyed this book and I think that those that enjoy reading about angels and don’t mind some religion will enjoy it as well. 3 stars.

Giveaway

Want to win an eBook copy of Angel Eyes? Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway open to all (U.S. and International). Open through Midnight on 6/11.

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Book Review

**Disclaimer: Although most of the titles I review on this blog are YA, this book is not in the YA genre. It deals with mature situations and subject matter. To read my review on the first book in this series, Gabriel’s Inferno, click here.


The professor has done it again. He has managed to capture my heart and long for him again. After reading Gabriel’s Inferno I was absolutely captivated with Professor Emerson, so much that I was pretty much pining after the sequel. It’s finally here after months of waiting and I couldn’t be happier. Sylvain Reynard has once again written a story that hit me on so many levels, it’s hard to put into words, but I will at least try.

The sequel picks up right where the first book ended, with Julia and Gabriel in Italy right after they make love. Julia is no longer a virgin and she has fulfilled her dream of making Gabriel her first. Trouble is never far behind though when Julia’s troubled past starts to catch up to her and she once again fears that her beloved professor will leave her, like he did once before long ago. Gabriel, being the seducer that he is, resolves to show Julia that will never happen in his own way. Gabriel’s way. The sexy way if you get my meaning.
All is paradise until they return to Canada and the university, where trouble finds them once again as word gets out that Julia and Gabriel are in a relationship and an investigation ensues trying to prove that they were in such a relationship while Gabriel was Julia’s professor. As a reader of the first book, I know how much care Gabriel took to not jeopardize either of their careers, so it greatly hurt me to see them go through so much to defend their love.

Julia’s conflicted emotions, still being the shy little girl but also wanted to break out of her shell made me feel so much compassion for her. Gabriel’s undying love for Julia is one that will make your heart melt. It was so refreshing to see how much Gabriel’s love for Julia changed him in every way. The way he cared for her and how protective he was just made me melt inside. This is truly a love story for the ages and a book I would highly recommend to anyone who can handle a book with deep emotion, romance, and eroticism mixed in. A 5-star read for sure.

1

Twilight (the entire series) by Stephenie Meyer

2

Water for Elephants  by Sara Gruen

3

The Hunger Games (the entire series)  by Suzanne Collins

4

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (the entire series)  by Stieg Larsson

5

Atonement  by Ian McEwan

6

Eat, Pray, Love  by Elizabeth Gilbert

7

The Lightning Thief (the entire series)  by Rick Riordan

8

Harry Potter (the entire series)  by J.K. Rowling

9

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao  by Junot Díaz

10

Dead Until Dark (the entire Sookie Stackhouse series)  by Charlaine Harris

What were your top ten picks? 🙂

Book Review

I love reading books about self discovery, food, and romance. The Summer My Life Began combines all three subjects in a very fun and entertaining way. I fell in love with many of the characters in this book, especially Em (the main character) whose journey to find herself in the midst of her father’s controlling hand hit a very personal nerve. Em dreams of being a chef but her very serious father disapproves of anything that goes against his plans for his daughter, to go to Harvard and become a lawyer for his firm.

Desperate to escape her father’s tight grip, Em takes advantage of an opportunity to visit a long lost aunt, her Aunt Tilly, at her island home. There she meets the people that will change her life forever, such as her aunt, her cousin Frederick, and Cade, the boy she never thought she would fall for. No longer being held back by her family, Em begins to explore life in the way she never had before, taking risks and just simply living it to the fullest. Trouble is of course not far behind as her father’s strong disapproval of her new life choices haunt her.

The Summer My Life Began meets the criteria for a light, fluffy, summer read. However, it is much more than that. I felt that Em had a lot of issues to work through but was satisfied with the choices she made in the end. Aunt Tilly was the kind of aunt I wish I had, that free loving spirit who just lives now and asks questions later. It is often by throwing caution to the wind that we find what are real passions are, and that’s what I felt with this book. It was a very fast read that I was able to get through in between breaks and found hard to put it down. I highly recommend this book, especially now with summer around the corner. A perfect book to pick up and take with you to the beach or the park this long weekend. 4-Stars.

Author Bio

Raine Thomas is the author of a bestselling series of YA fantasy romance novels about the Estilorian plane, including the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy and the upcoming Firstborn trilogy. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of America and is a contributing blogger to The Writer’s Voice. When she isn’t planning weddings, writing or glued to social networking sites, she can usually be
found on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches with her husband and daughter
or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Website | Blog

Defy Playlist by Raine Thomas

(In the order of the story)

1. If I Die Young by The Band Perry: I listened to this song while writing the opening chapters of
Defy. It initially led me to write several chapters detailing the experiences endured by those left
behind when Tate is unexpectedly taken from their lives. Those chapters were later cut, but
I’ll always remember the emotions I experienced while listening to this song and writing about
Tate’s tragedy.

2. What Doesn’t Kill You by Kelly Clarkson: This song is definitely a logical follow-up to the first
song in the playlist. It sets the tone for Tate’s adventure and the challenges ahead.

3. Dreams by The Cranberries: Most of the interactions between the main characters, Tate and
Zachariah, occur through dreams.

4. Secrets by One Republic: There are secrets maintained on both sides of Tate and Zachariah’s
relationship, ratcheting up the tension in the story.

You with the sad eyes,
Don’t be discouraged,
Oh, I realize
It’s hard to take courage.
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all,
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small.

But I see your true colors
Shining through.
I see your true colors…
And that’s why I love you.

6. Better than I Know Myself by Adam Lambert: Similar to True Colors, this song really captures the relationship between Tate and Zachariah, but more from his perspective than hers. I started listening to this song toward the end of writing the book, and it resonated with me. These lyrics, in particular, capture the essence of their connection:

I know it gets hard sometimes,
But I could never

Leave your side
No matter what I say.

Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now,
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge.
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now,
But you’re the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself.

All along
I tried to pretend it didn’t matter
If I was alone,
But deep down I know
If you were gone
For even a day I wouldn’t know which way to turn
Cause I’m lost without you.

7. I Run to You by Lady Antebellum: I love that this song is a duet between a man and a woman.
Between that and the below lyrics, this song was a big inspiration for Defy…

I run my life
Or is it running me?
Run from my past,
I run too fast
Or too slow it seems.
When lies become the truth
That’s when I run to you.

This world keeps spinning faster
Into a new disaster, so I run to you.
I run to you, baby.
And when it all starts coming undone,
Baby you’re the only one I run to;
I run to you.

8. The Reason by Hoobastank: Tate is Zachariah’s reason. Enough said.

Giveaway

Want to win an eBook copy of Defy? Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway open to all (U.S. & International). Open through Midnight on 5/14.

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Grand Prize

Raine Thomas is giving away a grand prize of signed paperbacks of Defy, Becoming, Central, and Foretold, plus a custom hair decoration valued at $100, plus swag!

To enter the grand prize giveaway, VISIT THE TOUR PAGE

Book Excerpt

At a stoplight Leo turned to his brother. “Jase, can I ask you a question
and you promise not to get angry?”

“That sounds like a giant setup.” Jason looked over. “What is it?”

“I…I want to make one last stop before we head north. Maybe
you could turn left at the next light?”

Looking ahead to the next street, Jason’s face hardened. “No. I’m
not taking you to see Constipated Stool-sample.”

“Please, Jase? I promised him I’d say goodbye.”

“You’re talking to Dad again?” Jason’s voice rose.

“You said you wouldn’t get mad!”

“And you set me up.” The light changed, and Jason edged the car
forward. “Mom would be ticked off if she found out I took you to
see Cat’s Sandbox.”

Leo couldn’t help but laugh.

Jason also snorted as he turned left onto their old street. He
pulled the car to the curb a half mile from their home and turned it
off. He stared straight ahead with his hands squeezing the steering
wheel. An air of indecisiveness filled the car.

“I know you think I’m stupid for wanting to see him,” Leo said.
Jason sighed. “You’re anything but stupid. I just don’t understand
why you’re taking his side.”

“I’m not taking anybody’s side! Why do I have to choose Mom
or Dad? Can’t I have them both?”

What were your top ten picks? 🙂

What’s Happening

JJ iReads Post Recap

• I interviewed Kailin Gow and reviewed her new book “Saving You Saving Me“
• For Top Ten Tuesday I discuss the top ten books I’d like to see made into movies.
• For Waiting on Wednesday I feature City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare.
• I review Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
• For TGIF/Follow Friday I discuss my dream literary vacation and the things I say to my favorite authors.
• In honor of Jen Calonita’s Belles tour of the south, Jen is giving away through this blog a finished copy of Belles and a special lipgloss.

Books I Started This Week

Books I’ll Be Starting Next Week

Epicness Found In Blogs I Love

• The Apocalypsies posted a cool article featuring different authors’ work spaces. It was interesting to see what an author’s work space looks like and how they all differ from each other.
• For Zombie book lovers, Rachel at Parajunkee posted her audiobook review of Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry. I haven’t read this book yet and I’m so glad Rachel liked the audiobook so much, because I trust her reviews, and my TBR pile is out of control, so an audiobook purchase might be in order.
• Book Soulmates is celebrating 3 amazing years of blogging awesomeness. Happy Blogoversary girls!
• Parajunkee and Alison Can Read are changing the rules a bit when it comes to Follow Friday. Check the link for the new rules to become a FF feature.

Search Terms

gabriel’s inferno sequel release date – Very soon I hope.
divergent four and tris – The hottest Dauntless couple everrrrr
pure julianna baggott – You mean this book?
story siren plagiarism – I shared my views on this HERE
the unbecoming of mara dyer – ohhh one of my favorite books from last year. Reviewed it here. Pining for the sequel.

Books I Received / Purchased

Tour Schedule

Book Review

Enchanted is a fairytale retelling of several fairytales we know from childhood all rolled into one. Seven daughters and three sons. Each daughter named after a name of the week in the order that they were born, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sunday is the seventh daughter, daughter of Seven, as her mother is also a seventh daughter and names in succession by number. This makes Sunday a seventh daugher of a seventh daughter, which makes a very powerful combination if you have fey blood in you.

The story centers mainly around Sunday, who has a knack for writing stories. Only problem is that when Sunday writes things that haven’t happened, they usually come true, only not exactly the way she pictures it. To avoid complications, Sunday sticks to writing things that have already happened, since the past is past and cannot change. One day Sunday runs into a frog who speaks to her and tells her he wants to hear her stories. Sunday knows that a talking frog is actually a man under an enchantment, probably being punished by a faerie for something he did. So as not to complicate things by telling stories that might come true later, Sunday pleases the man turned frog who she now considers her friend by telling him stories from the past. So the frog learns everything there is to know about Sunday and her family. Sunday ends up falling for the frog, who won’t turn back into a man despite the fact that she kissed him, only to find that he disappears shortly after. Worried about her friend the frog, Sunday goes frantically looking, only her frog cannot be found because he is no longer a frog, but the prince her family detests.

Sunday’s mother was seemingly harsh and stern, but in reality she was kind, but guarded because she’d lost so much. There is a lot of treachery in the story, people being turned into animals just because, faeries with deep dark secrets, and long lost family members. The writing is a little confusing, but at he same time beautiful. There are also very likable characters, such as Sunday’s half brother who is completely fey, and completely random. I found this to be a short enjoyable story to those who like a good old retelling of those fairy tale classics. 3 Stars.

1. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare: I know that the wheels are already turning to make this a reality. I just want it to get here already!
2. Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick: Patch without a shirt on? Do I need to elaborate on this?
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan: Okay, I know what you’re thinking. That this was already made into a movie. What I’m talking about is a complete do-over, done right this time, and not missing key characters like Clarisse and Ares.
4. Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire: Wouldn’t it be great to have the movie so we don’t have to wait until “Wicked” came to our town?
5. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen: I wasn’t crazy about the books but I think that visually these would make a good movie. I love the concept of the wardrobe they would need.
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth: *whimpers* I want this so badly.
7. If I Stay by Gayle Forman: This movie should be rated S, for “Sobbing is sure to happen”. I thought I read somewhere that Catherine Hardwicke was on this project. Wonder what’s going on with that…
8. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand: The book was so good, I can only pray that the movie (if made) does it justice. CGI angels look good right?
9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: A black and white circus. I think this would look great on film. This would call for a lot of special effects for the special magic tents and I would love to see how they would pull that off.
10. The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman: Are you kidding? Prague? A Davinci Code-like mystery to solve? Sign me up! 

What were your top ten picks? 🙂