Review: "Passenger" (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken


Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.


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                         And don't miss the second and final book of the series! re-order now!








REVIEW

This review has been long overdue. I had the copy bought on February yet I was able to finish the book in May! And knowing Alexandra Bracken's style from her debut series, I was very pleased with the story!

Etta is a violin prodigy. Living with her mother and her mother's best friend, she knows little about her mother's past and mostly she is focused on her playing. But when she is forcefully taken back into the 18th century and straight into the ship of Nicholas Carter. From there bothEtta and Nicholas will be thrust into and adventure through time and space in order to find what the Ironwoods are looking for and even discover more about the past of Etta's mother.

Now, the tricky part in writing a time travel novel is how well you can describe the time period you set your characters in and also how well you can make the readers feel as they read the scenes. I found no issue as I read the book and trust me both Etta and Nicholas travel a lot in this book.

Etta is a strong heroine. Not in the manner of being a bad ass but as a smart girl with wits and inner strength. She understands from the start that she is not in the 21st century anymore and she tries to learn more about the situation she is in.

Nicholas on the other hand, despite his need to escape the clutches of the Ironwoods, still falls for Etta. And the beauty of their romance is the diversity of it. Nicholas is, what would be called in the 18th century, biracial making his social status even more difficult. His upbringing demands not even to consider having romantic feelings for Etta and so it gives you a bittersweet feeling in their relationship.

I will definitely read the second book because after this cliffhanger-ish ending, I really am quite giddy of how this series will end! If you like time travel and a sweet romance like that then this is your book! ;)




                                                (If you get the gif you know what I mean!)


About the author:

I’m Alex. I write about telekinetic teens and floppy-haired wizards. I love Star Wars, classic rock, and 18th-century gentlemen. When I’m not up at 4 AM writing, you can find me running around the DC area, where I now live and write full time.

Release Day Blitz: "Veiled" by Karina Halle

  veiled available now




                                             Veiled AMAZON


From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lie and The Pact comes a new romance that will test your limits and leave you breathless.

 Death.

 It's something that Ada Palomino has always known so well, having grown up in a house of horrors, surrounded by a family plagued by ghosts and demons and things that go bump in the night. But after the sudden and tragic death of her mother two years ago, death has never felt so personal. Or so close. Now eighteen,

Ada is trying to move on with her life and the last month of summer holds nothing but sunshine and promises with her first year at a Portland design school just around the bend. That is until her increasingly violent and realistic dreams, dreams of other worlds, of portals and veils where her mother is tortured and souls bleed for mercy, start to blend into reality. Ada has to lean on her older sister, Perry, to try and make sense of it all but even then, she's never felt more alone.

 Then there's Jay. Tall, handsome and deeply mysterious, Jay would be just another stranger, a familiar face on the bus, if it wasn't for the fact that Ada has met him before. Every night. In every single dream. And the more that Ada is drawn to him in both worlds, the more she's in danger of losing everything. Including her heart. And her very soul.  



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                                         Veiled-now      


EXCREPT


Then, out of nowhere: “You looked beautiful tonight, by the way.” Oh jeez.
Be still my fucking heart. I try and swallow, his words, the sincerity in his voice rocking my world off-balance.
 “Which part? When the power went out or when Jacob went upstairs to fight a demon?” I joke. But I joke because I’m feeling this a little too much.
 “All of it. You know why I call you Princess?” he asks, his tone graver than before, like he’s letting me in on a very deep secret.
 “Because I’m a spoiled brat?”
 “Because you’re beautiful.” Well that shut me up. The sentence hangs in the air, larger than life. He clears his throat and goes on and I have to fight against the urge to roll over and face him.
“You have this way about you. You don’t see it. But I do. Like you’re born royalty. The way you hold yourself. Your walk. The face of an angel.” Butterflies take flight in my gut, spreading through my veins until my whole body feels like its floating.
“Why are you being so nice to me? Am I going to die?” He laughs softly. “I don’t know why I’m saying these things. Just seemed like the things to say. You’re destined for something great, Ada, I know this. And it’s an honor to help see you through it.” His words cascade down on me like ashes from a fire.
Where they land, I’m ignited. Jay thinks I’m beautiful. And more than that, he believes in me. Silence settles over us, stealing time. I hear him breathing in the dark, steady as a heartbeat. He might even be sleeping.
 But I can’t even begin to shut down. My entire body, from the top of my scalp, down to my toes, is buzzing with heat and electricity. It’s like everything I felt for him before, everything I try to ignore, is coming out in full force, responding to his words, to his body so close to mine. I can feel the warmth at my back, sinking into my spine, just from his presence only.
 I’m starting to have feelings for him. Not just in a he’s a giant hulking beast who’s here to protect me from the underworld way. But real feelings, slowly creeping into my heart, day by day. The thought is terrifying in the same way that demons are terrifying. They both might take possession of me. They both might ruin me. And I’m not sure how much of me I’ll have left.


                                         

QUESTIONS ABOUT VEILED

Q: Is this YA?

A: No. The main character is 18 and there is sex, crude language and violence in the book. It is recommended for mature teens or 18 and up.

Q: Is there a cliffhanger?

A: Nope! There's also no cheating and no love triangle (think I've covered the bases there!)

Q: Do I need to read the series (Experiment in Terror) that Veiled is a spinoff of first?

A: Absolutely not. Veiled stands alone. You do not need to have read the EIT series beforehand as this follows a different character (Ada Palomino) and a different storyline. However for those who have read EIT, all your favorites are in the book!

Q: Is it horror? Your other series was and I don't handle scary very well...

A: No, it's paranormal romance (though I promise you there are no vampires or werewolves), and while there are creepy elements to the story, it wouldn't be classified as horror. If you can read KMM's Fever Series or ANY urban fantasy, you'll be fine.




Halle Headshot      Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books. Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK. Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.


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Feature & Follow #21



THE FUTURE & FOLLOW IS HOSTED BY TWO HOSTS, PARAJUNKEE OF PARAJUNKEE'S VIEW AND ALISON OF ALISON CAN READ. EACH HOST WILL HAVE THEIR OWN FEATURE BLOG AND THIS WAY IT’LL ALLOW US TO SHOW OFF MORE NEW BLOGS.

HOW DOES THE #FF WORK?




  • The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followersYou create your own post using the post prompt. You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt. Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment. If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation. The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features) It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard. As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.



    Specific RULES
    Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

    Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

    If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followedFollow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

    Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”


    THE POST PROMPT: 

    What is your take on DNF books. Do you review them? Choose not to review them?


    MY ANSWER:


    Although this topic has concerned many bloggers, my answer to this question is simple.

    I do DNF books, BUT, they are either books that received too much hype and I followed the flow, or I read the summary from GoodReads, yet when I begin reading the book I become displeased with the plot or the characters.

    The main reason for me to DNF any book is the plot and character development. Insta-love, early love triangles, tropes and plot lines already seen before are some of the reasons that will make me stop reading.

    I will also not review the book, but simply leave my rating and the "DNF" indication on GoodReads. I understand that any book is part of a write's soul and I would never write a negative review or show my displeasure by mentioning every bit of the flaws I meet in the book. There are reviewers in GoodReads who find it nice to rate books lowly and review them down to every detail.

    What do you think?



    FOLLOW ME IN ANY WAY TO YOUR LEFT

     

    ARC Review: "The Seeker" (Mortal Beloved #3) by Pamela DuMond

    The Seeker: by Pamela DuMond
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    Summary from GoodReads

    USA Today Bestselling author, Pamela DuMond, pitched the real life ERIN BROCKOVICH story to 'Hollywood,' where it became the smash hit movie.  Now she brings readers THE SEEKER, the third book in The Messenger Mortal Beloved Series, "a gritty and gorgeous", time travel romantic thriller.
    Time Traveler. Seeker. Deceiver. Lies. 
    Madeline's a Messenger: time traveling across lifetimes and delivering messages that could change one life or many.
    She’s finally dating her true love, Samuel, in the present day, but when her new mentors send her on increasingly dangerous missions, the un-thinkable happens.
    Now Madeline must journey into the darkest corners of history seeking answers from the wisest Messengers and Hunters in the hope to reverse the consequences of her actions before Samuel, her mortal beloved, is lost for an eternity.
    But tearing time’s fabric reveals hidden secrets and lies, and Madeline discovers she is part of a conspiracy much greater than her wildest dreams.
    The Messenger was optioned for Film/TV. Watch The Messenger Mortal Beloved Trailer: https://youtu.be/0oN0vJjfcbE
    Grab. This. Book!


    BUY FROM


    And don't forget the other two books of the series!








    REVIEW

    I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

    I really liked the sequel. Madeline must travel yet again in the past in order to save Samuel and discover more secrets concerning her past and family. From Berlin of Cold War to the deserts of Palmyra Madeline explores through time the deepest meaning of love and family.

    The world building is amazing and the story flows quickly making the reader carve more. I realy hope this series will have more sequels because there are still secrets and past times to be explored!




    About the author:

    USA TODAY Bestselling Author Pamela DuMond discovered and pitched the Erin Brockovich story to 'Hollywood.' Her time travel romance, The Messenger, was optioned for Film/TV. 

    She writes stories with heart, romance, some tears and always giggles.

    The Mortal Beloved Time Travel Romance:
    The Messenger (#1)
    The Assassin (#2)
    The Seeker (#3)

    Ladies-in-Waiting Romantic Comedy:
    Part-time Princess (#1)
    Royally Wed (#2)

    The Story of You and Me (Driven, #1)

    The Annie Graceland Cozy Mysteries:

    Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys (#1) 
    Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails (#2) 
    Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys (#3)
    Cupcakes, Paws, and Bad Santa Claus (#4)
    Cupcakes, Diaries, and Rotten Inquiries (#5)
    Cupcakes, Bats and Scare-dy Cats (#6)
    Annie Graceland Cupcakes Cozy Mysteries: Boxed Set


    Self-help:

    Staying Young: Simple Techniques to Look and Feel Young.

    Pamela loves the beach, working out, TV, movies, animals, her family and friends. She belongs to RWA, and lives in Venice, California with her fur-babies. 

    Find more info and sign up for her newsletter at www.pameladumond.com

    Twitter


    Thanks!



    Cover Reveal+Giveaway: "Hear the Wolves" by Victoria Scott

    Welcome to the cover reveal of the upcoming book by Victoria Scott! It will release on March 2017 so make sure to add it on GoodReads as also enter the chance to win one of the ten ARC galleys provided by the publisher!





    BLURB

    It's survival of the strongest in a contemporary, girl-versus-wild middle-grade debut from Fire & Flood author Victoria Scott! 

    Sloan is a hunter.

    So she shouldn't be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it's been hard to talk to people, and near-impossible to go anywhere or do 

     anything without her dad or big sister within eyesight -- it makes her too scared to be on her own.

    When they leave her home alone for what should only be two nights, she's already panicked. Then the snow starts falling and doesn't stop. One of her neighbors is hurt in an accident. And the few people still left in Rusic need to make it to the river and the boat that's tied there -- their only way to get to a doctor from their isolated Alaska town.

    But the woods are icy cold, and the wolves are hungry. Sloan and her group are running out of food, out of energy, and out of time. That's when the wolves start hunting them . . .



    ADD IT ON GOODREADS


     About the author:

    Victoria Scott is the author of eight novels including TitansFire & Flood, Salt & Stone, the Dante Walker trilogy, Hear the Wolves (April 2017), and Violet Grenade (June 2017). She is published by Scholastic and Entangled Teen, and is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger Literary Agency.
    Victoria’s latest novel, Titans, received two starred reviews, and Fire & Flood was nominated as a YALSA Teens’ Top 10 book for 2015. Victoria’s novels have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets. The author currently resides in Dallas, and loves hearing from her readers.





     a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Feature & Follow #20



    THE FUTURE & FOLLOW IS HOSTED BY TWO HOSTS, PARAJUNKEE OF PARAJUNKEE'S VIEW AND ALISON OF ALISON CAN READ. EACH HOST WILL HAVE THEIR OWN FEATURE BLOG AND THIS WAY IT’LL ALLOW US TO SHOW OFF MORE NEW BLOGS.


    HOW DOES THE #FF WORK?




  • The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followersYou create your own post using the post prompt. You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt. Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment. If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation. The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features) It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard. As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.


    Specific RULES
    Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

    Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

    If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followedFollow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

    Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”


    THE POST PROMPT: 

    What are two of your favorite Book to Movie adaptations?


    MY ANSWER:


    This is a hard one because I am a strict critic concerning book to movie adaptations. So I will go with two of the top 10 I have in my personal book to movie list!



    This is one of the best ones! Unfortunately, I haven't read the book yet, since I can't find it in my country's market but I have heard that they stayed pretty close to the plot! Not to mention that each character is unique and funny!






    Now this movie! This movie is one of my most favorites! Back on 2003 (I was 11 years old) my Mom had bought me the DVD. Needless to say that Jeremy Sumpter was my crush. I admit it; just look at this face!





    I know for a fact that in this adaptation they stayed close to the book, in a similar way like the Disney movie. Another great Peter Pan related movie was Hook with the unforgettable Robin Williams as Peter Pan.




     What is your favorite adaptation?



    FOLLOW ME IN ANY WAY TO YOUR LEFT

     
                                                                                                              

    Blog Tour ARC Review: "Pennies" by Pepper Winters


    PENNIES_BOOK_TOUR.jpg



    “A beaten slave and a richly dressed thief. Money is what guided their separate fates. Money is what brought them together. And money is ultimately what destroys them.”

    Meet Elder in PENNIES,
    Pepper Winters’ newest Dark Romance Series!

    ONLY $0.99!

    Google Play: http://bit.ly/1Plgtvw

    PENNIES_LIVE.jpg
    Blurb
    “At 18 I had pennies, but money didn’t make me bold. At 19 I had dollars, but it didn’t dull the pain of being sold. At 20 I had hundreds, but then I met him and was found. At 21 I had thousands, but all I wanted was to be bound.”
    “At 23 I had dollars, but life changed and made me rich. At 25 I had hundreds, but it wasn’t enough to stop my killing itch. At 27 I had thousands, but my reputation didn’t set me free. At 29 I had millions, but I met her and could finally see.”
    Tasmin was killed on her 18th birthday. She had everything planned out. A psychology degree, a mother who pushed her to greatness, and a future anyone would die for. But then her murderer saved her life, only to sell her into a totally different existence.
    Elder went from penniless to stinking rich with one twist of fate. His lifetime of crime and shadows of thievery are behind him but no matter the power he now wields, it’s not enough. He has an agenda to fulfil and he won’t stop until it’s complete.
    But then they meet.
    A beaten slave and a richly dressed thief. Money is what guided their separate fates. Money is what brought them together. And money is ultimately what destroys them.
    She was poor.
    He was rich.
    Together…they were bankrupt.



    teaser 3.jpg
    Excerpt

    Fuck this.
    I stalked forward.
    My hand came up.
    The urge to soothe her catapulted my fingers to her cheek. My skin erupted from her delicate heat. I’d already had my single touch when I’d petted her hair. I wasn’t permitted a second.
    But it didn’t stop me.
    One second, she stood close, arching her chin at the door.
    The next, she was across the cage, flying into a stack of boxes that tumbled in a clatter of butcher knives, butter knives, and sharp forks.
    Her eyes turned luminous in the gloom, locking on mine with rage.
    Shit.
    I’d forgotten myself by feeling sorry for this beaten wraith, but she hadn’t forgotten her overwhelming hatred of men.
    I didn’t look away. But I didn’t explain myself, either.
    I’d borrowed her for the night. If I wanted to touch her, I could. The fact that she’d leapt away meant I could report her to her master and have her punished.
    Or you could punish her instead.
    The distance between us grew thicker as we breathed fast.
    I waited…wanting to know just how deep her education in pleasure flowed. Tearing her gaze from mine, she swallowed hard. Piece by piece, she hid her loathing, replacing it with reluctant acceptance.
    Inching closer, her toes nudged aside sharp blades as she made her way to me and fell to her knees on the cold concrete.
    Half of me jolted with insane lust. Most of me shied away with repulsion as her straggly hair covered her face but not before I saw the twisted disgust and echoing despair.
    “Get up,” I murmured. Even though my voice was low, the cavern of the garage amplified it, layering it with bite.
    Instantly, she swooped up. The crackle of her joints and misused cartilage in her bones sounded like tiny gunfire.
    “Don’t kneel. Not in here.”

    pennies c2.jpg



    REVIEW

    I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

    I don't ususally read dark romance like that but after reading "Unseen messages" by the same author I was surprised with the way the characters were developed. Tamsin was taken from her family and sold as slave. She has suffered but still she barely manages to hold on. When Elder appears and a series of events bring them together, a story of love, deceit and money will begin.

    This is dark romance but still quite intriguing. If you like a story like this one then this books is for you. I'll keep an eye on these two since the story is quite interesting.

    Pre-order the Entire Series HERE!
    Dollars (Book Two)
    Release date to be determined

    Hundreds (Book Three)
    Release date to be determined

    Thousands (Book Four)
    Release date to be determined

    Millions (Book Five)
    Release date to be determined


    About the Author
    Pepper.jpg
    Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex.
    She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.


    STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads


    THANK YOU!
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