Book Review: Black Ice (ARC) by Becca Fitzpatrick

16059938This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy of the novel obtained through snail mail at the permission of Simon and Schuster. This is in no way had an effect on the integrity of my review. Please note that published novel will differ from this ARC.

Genre: 

Young Adult, stomach Contemporary, Romantic Thriller

Pages: 

392

Part of a Series?:

Standalone Novel

Release Date: 

October 7th, 2014

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Author Website

GoodReads Summary: 

Sometimes danger is hard to see… until it’s too late. 

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there… and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? 

My Review:

This book has been floating around on my radar for quite some time now. I tried to get my hands on it at ALA but I had failed, and I’ve been avoiding getting ARCs on Edelweiss or NetGalley unless I really want them, so I just thought, well, if I’d like to, I’ll buy it in October. I’ve admittedly never read anything by Becca before so I wasn’t in any rush. I was pretty excited actually when I received it in the mail and it seemed to be just the thing I needed to get through an epic reading slump.

What I loved about this book is that it unexpected in every way. The thriller part of the description is completely true. From the moment that we met the two men, Mason and Shaun, I’m terrified. These kinds of things…they are more true to life than any fantasy or science fiction that I read. Girls get kidnapped, assaulted, raped, all sorts of things all the time so it was terrifying, especially after the initial encounter we have with one of the boys earlier in the novel. It was incredibly surprising. I finished it so quickly because I had no idea what was going to happen next, what twists and turns it would make, and where I would end up. It was incredibly gripping and it kept me turning the pages, easily. In the middle of a book slump, as well. Well done, Becca, for taking me out of that, finally!

I also loved the romance! It came from such a random spot and the ending that it took was just…so random. But I loved it. The whole novel I wasn’t quite sure who to root for, who the good guy was or who the bad guy was. It was so confusing and made scenes with different boys seems so incredibly complicated. Another reason for me to keep reading. I had to know what was going to happen next, how it was going to end. Its a complete page turner. That always seems to be a mark of a good book, the ability to keep you addicted the entire time, where you keep turning the pages, just one more chapter, just one more chapter, because you can’t stand not knowing what is going to happen next. That is completely accomplished in that novel.

Plus, I’m really interested in survival lately. I write a lot of survival scenes in my novel so when I see characters attempting to survive, making a perilous journey, I immediately get sucked in. As soon as it starts to snow, I knew that things were about to go down. Not only are we dealing with kidnappers, possible murderers, possible love interests, and all that sort of thing, but we’re also dealing with the elements. There are literally so many things against Britt in this novel, its unreal! But watching as she faces them all, including all the survival stuff, is just fun. I think this book would actually make a really great movie.

I’m excited for this to be released this book so I can pick up a finished copy and Becca will be doing an event here soon so I’ll be able to meet her and talk to her about this super great book. I’m feeling a little bit more open to reading her previous novels now so let’s see how it goes! Don’t forget to pick up Black Ice this week!

Rating: 

4 out of 5 stars

September Book Wrap Up!

Books Pledged to Read in 2014:

150 Books

Am I On Track: 

No :( 6 books behind. I’m VERY slumpy right now

Books Read So Far: 

106

Total Books For September: 

6 (OHMYGOD, this web I’m so disappointed in myself….)

Remember, as always, to click the book title in order to read the review!

What I Thought Was True

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Re-Read)

5

Vampire Academy (Re-Read)

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Frostbite (Re-Read)

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As Long As You Love Me

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All Broke Down

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October YA and Middle Grade Events

Some of you may have noticed that I no longer do Book Events Listings for the entire country. I used to but it just honestly got to be way too much work for me. I know it was really cool for you guys but it really was a ton of work. If any of you need help on finding book events in your area, viagra I will be more than happy to help, pilule but for now, I will be sticking with California (mostly Southern) events!

If there are any events missing, please inform me so I can keep this list as updated as possible!

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October 2nd, 2014

Lauren Oliver and Jandy Nelson

Kepler’s Bookstore

Menlo Park, CA

7 pm

Two great talents with fabulous new books come together for this one-off powerhouse conversation.

October 3rd, 2014 

Lauren Oliver

Vroman’s Bookstore

Pasadena

7 pm

October 5th, 2014

Melissa Marr

Mysterious Galaxy

San Diego

2 pm

Melissa Marr is the author of the bestselling Wicked Lovely series as well as the adult fantasy novels Graveminder and The Arrivals. When not writing, editing, or traveling, Melissa is buried under a plethora of books, dogs, and children in Virginia.

October 8th, 2014

Becca Fitzpatrick and Christina Lauren

Barnes and Noble

Huntington Beach

7 pm

Not Wristbanded

Becca Fitzpatrick, bestselling author of the Hush, Hush Saga will discuss and sign her new book, Black Ice. She will be joined by bestselling writing duo Christina Lauren, for a discussion and signing of their book, Sublime.

October 12th, 2014

Becca Fitzpatrick, Kiersten White and Christina Lauren

Kepler’s Bookstore

Menlo Park, CA

3 pm

Looking for new reads? Then join us to hear three awesome new reads: Black Ice, Sublime, and Illusions of Fate. 

October 13th, 2014

S.S. Taylor

Kepler’s Bookstore

Menlo Park, CA

6:30 pm

We are happy to welcome back S. S. Taylor with the second volume in her fabulous Expeditioners series. If you love steampunk, nifty gadgets, maps, and adventure then The Expeditioners is for you.

October 14th, 2014

Rick Riordan

Hosted by Barnes and Noble, Ventura

Buena High School

6 pm

Wristband handout will begin at the Barnes and Noble location at 9 am. They are expecting quite a bit of people, so get there early. You may purchase a presigned book at this time. Those with wristbands will be able to find seats at the high school between 5:15 and 5:45. If you are not there by 5:45, your seat will be given away to those in a stand-by line. After the presentation, you will be able to pick up your book, or purchase one, if you haven’t already.

October 16th, 2014

YA Blizzard Tour

Kiersten White, Kathryn Rose, and Sarah Raasch

Mysterious Galaxy

San Diego

2 pm

Join the blizzard when Kiersten White signs The Chaos of Stars, Kathryn Rose Camelot Burning, and Sara Raasch Snow Like Ashes in San Diego.

October 23rd, 2014

Garth Nix and Michael Grant

Kepler’s Bookstore

Menlo Park, CA

7 pm

Fantasy readers and action junkies rejoice! Garth Nix, one of the most beloved names in fantasy, is back with the long-awaited fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom series.

And he will be chatting with Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone Series. Two store favorites, two huge talents, two great new books. Don’t miss this conversation between fan favorites.

October 25th, 2014 

Marie Lu

Pages Bookstore

Manhattan Beach, CA

4 pm

This is a ticketed event in that you must purchase The Young Elites book from {pages} to attend. You can purchase the book online or in the store in advance, just save the receipt, as we will be requiring it to get in. Call 310-318-0900 or email us at info@pagesabookstore.com. Or just buy the book online and note that you will be attending the event.

October 27th, 2014

Garth Nix

Mysterious Galaxy

San Diego

7 pm

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. A full-time writer since 2001, he previously worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. He lives in a Sydney beach suburb with his wife and two children.

October 27th, 2014

Sarah Raasch, Kasie West and Corinne Jackson

Kepler’s Bookstore

Menlo Park, CA

7 pm

October 28th, 2014

Lauren Kate

Barnes and Noble

Santa Monica, CA

7 pm

More Info to Come

Coming in November…

November 1st – Marie Lu

November 1st – Lauren Kate

November 3rd – Shannon Messenger

November 6th – Jessica Brody

 

Book Event: Matthew Thomas and Misha Collins!

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be writing about a super fun event that I attended yesterday at the Barnes and Noble, approved The Grove location.

A few weeks ago, more about I was at the Josephine Angelini event, talking with the event coordinator, Lita. Lita is SUCH a rock star, I always enjoy all the events I attend of hers and she was talking about the events that were coming up at the store. She asked me if I knew who Misha Collins was, and if I would attend an event with him.

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Of course I know Misha! I immediately got the barest of details about the event, told my friend Alena that she just had to get the day off, and immediately started making plans.

Now as more details about the event came out, it turned out that the event would be centered around debut author, Matthew Thomas, whose freshman novel, We Are Not Ourselves, is making some serious waves all over the country and parts of the world as well. As I learned last night, its been translated into 14 languages and counting.

Well, Misha got his hands on an advanced copy, from Matthew, whom he went to college with. He picked it up and absolutely loved it, and is now doing everything he can, taking time out of his own busy schedule, to spread the world about this book.

And I thought…okay, that’s seriously badass. And while I do definitely want to meet Misha, I think that if he loves this author and this book so much, I should be there. And I decided to go.

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My friend Alena and I headed down the Grove a few hours before the event. I had friends that had been in line since midnight, but luckily, I already had my wristband situation figured out. We picked up our wristbands, bought our books and grabbed some iced teas from Starbucks. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the farmer’s market (where my friend had never been, so it was totally fun to watch her eyes get all wide), and then we headed back to the store.

We managed to score two front row seats (a nerd girl never reveals her secrets), and got ready for the event to start. The excitement was palpable and I was really nervous that people were so excited about Misha that they wouldn’t give the proper attention to the actual author.

But more on that later.

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One of the security guys, George, decided to read us part of Marlene, Marlene, Queen of Mean, by Jane Lynch, to keep us entertained while we were waiting for the start of the event.

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Then one of the booksellers got up and read to us from the book “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. See, the crayons are threatening to quit. They’re feeling overworked or not worked at all! Barnes and Nobles, The Grove is hosting the author on Tuesday and you were able to write a letter to the crayons, asking them not to quit (more on that later). We find out tomorrow if they quit! Its actually a totally adorable children’s book and I bought myself a copy because it was SO cute!

And yes, that’s me holding the book!

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They brought Matthew and Misha and for some reason, they brought out the Cat in the Hat. I like this picture because they both look so awkward haha. Like, why am I posing with a person in a cat suit…BUT Misha did get a bit excited about seeing it and called someone up and they brought his son, West, up to meet him and I captured a pretty adorable moment.

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Seriously. How freakin cute is this? Literally this is right in front of my face. I actually had to lean back a bit to get the picture.

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Then began the book discussion. Misha talked about how he knew Matthew, how he came to the book and how he honestly fell in love with it so much that he wants as many people to read it as possible. Matthew thanked Misha for being there, and for bringing all the people (there were a TON of people there), and all that. Matthew’s book is about an Irish-Catholic family, focused on the main character of Eileen, and her relationship with her father, who eventually goes through Alzheimer’s, and her relationship with the world in general. It sounds absolutely fantastic, and two different readings were done from the book, and I honestly can’t wait to dive into this book, even as a mostly YA book reader.

Matthew read a part in the novel that was a letter from Ed, the father, and it took a lot of effort not to cry. It was touching, and it was telling to the fact that their relationship was a huge central point of the novel. Misha also talked about some of his favorite parts, getting choked up himself. Seeing people get emotional or passionate about a particular book always gives me the desire to read it even more. Seeing people get worked up about books is exactly the way I feel sometimes and I pay attention to that.

But what really impressed me about all of this was…I was massively worried about the audience. I would say 99.9% of the audience was there because of Misha, myself included. I would not even had heard of this signing if it had not been for Misha’s name on it. That being said, I was there not only to meet Misha, but to celebrate an author, as a fellow hopefully soon to be published one day author. I was worried that the other fans would ignore the author in favor for Misha and I was so pleasantly surprised when they asked questions, deep, specific, thought provoking questions, about the novel. I truly enjoyed that. I know that majority of the attendees were there for Misha BUT a ton of books were sold and I hope a good percentage of those sold books will be read as well.

The signing started, and unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture with Matthew :( Oh well. But I did have a moment to talk to him and I asked him what his advice is for those getting a bunch of “no”s in response to query letters, and he told me “Just keep going, don’t give up.” I love hearing that.

Now, while Misha wasn’t signing (which I think is a GOOD idea), but he was willing to take pictures with us. Because I’m such a nifty selfie taker, I managed to get two pretty cute selfies with Misha, which I’m massively happy about it.

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I also made sure to get my hands on a letter to write to the crayons, asking them not to quit! I can’t wait to find out tomorrow what happens next ;)

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All in all, I had a wonderful time, picked up two new books, had fun hanging out with a friend, and met two incredible men, and just went home happy and satisfied. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again and again and again but I always love going to events at this location. Its not close to me, and I usually have to leave really early in order to avoid the traffic that ensues around Los Angeles, and the actual Grove can be chaotic and parking can get expensive but its always, always, always worth it. I always have an amazing time and that’s due to Lita and her amazing team.

Besides, I’ll be back there tomorrow for The Day the Crayons Quit and Kami Garcia’s second novel! And we’ll have much more fun again :)

Book Review: As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre

20945758This review is based a review copy given to me by Ann Aguirre and her publicity team. This is no way had any influence on this honest, viagra spoiler free review 

Genre: 

New Adult, physician Romance

Pages: 

352

Part of a Series?:

Second Book in the 2B series

Release Date: 

September 30th, 2014

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Author Website

GoodReads Summary:

Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. There are the justifications she gives to everyone else—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. And then there’s the reason Lauren can’t admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend’s older brother.

Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He can’t pinpoint exactly what’s missing until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her. But he’s the guy that women love and leave—not the one who makes them think of forever.

Though she’s terrified of opening up, Lauren’s ready to take that chance. Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.

My Review:

While there will be no spoilers for this novel in this review, there will be spoilers for the first novel, I Want It That Way. You can check out the review for that novel here. 

I had absolutely loved the first installment of this series, featuring Nadia and Ty, and I knew that I wanted to read the rest of the series, definitely. Ann posted that she needed reviewers for her books and I immediately signed up in the hopes of getting this book, and I was successful. YES.

Now, I’m not going to say that this book is bad. Because that is definitely not the truth. There are a LOT of things that I highly enjoyed about this book and I’m going to talk about that first.

First off, I really loved Lauren, the main character. When we get to know her in I Want It That Way, we learn that she’s having a tough time, that college just isn’t working for her and that she wants to go home, back to the place that she’s comfortable with. Nadia, the MC of that novel, is frustrated and has a hard time but I immediately felt a kinship with her and this increased tenfold in this novel, where Lauren gets her own story. She has a lot of the same issues that I have struggled with myself, the shyness that people don’t see because you’re so good at hiding it. The anxiety. The insecurities. The anxiety. Lauren was a character I could connect with so much because of the anxieties she had and hid so well, and her aversion to change.

I also liked just the general story of it. You never know where you’re going to find love and I think Lauren finding it with her best friend’s brother, the boy she’s had a crush on for most of her life…I think that’s not only super cute, but its fun. Its expected but not. Its like…a fantasy of your own school girl crush coming to life and I really liked it. It was really sweet more than anything else. Rob and Lauren had a sweet story and watching them fall in love was addicting and fun, and I loved the unpredictability of it. What happens later in the story, that rocks their relationship off its course, really came unexpectedly to me. I knew something would happen but what happened completely blew me away and I like being surprised in romance novels. That makes me happy.

Plus, whew, those steamy scenes. I was in love with both of them so much after each sexy scene. Rob and Lauren spend a lot of time building up their physical romance and they had ME panting for them to do more which caused for some sexy anticipation that kept me turning the pages.

The only thing that really didn’t give me the full five stars vibe was that it seemed to take awhile to really get to what a conflict would be. It seemed like the first 3 quarters of the novel was spent with their romance, which was great but I couldn’t really figure out if anything was actually going to happen, to stir things up. It took a while to get to that, and so it was kind of a struggle to keep turning the pages. I was waiting for the drama to unfold, like it does with most romances, and it seemed to take awhile. It was only my love of the first novel that really kept me from shutting the book and I’m glad I stuck with it. But if you don’t have the resolve, it might be hard to get past the big chunk of romance to get to the conflict of the actual novel.

Other than that though, another winning romance new adult book by Ann. I’m eagerly awaiting for the third one (which I just requested an early copy on NetGalley, eek!), especially since its about two characters that I think are going to be SUPER fun to read about. If you haven’t read the first one, definitely head out to a bookstore and pick it up and pick up THIS particular novel tomorrow when it releases!

Rating:

3.75 out of 5 Stars

Cover Reveal: The Prophecy by Erin Rhew

Yay! Time for a cover reveal, information pills which I am SO SO SO excited for. I don’t do a lot of cover reveals but I do them for authors that I get very excited about and Erin Rhew is definitely one to get excited about.

Before I show off the pretty cover to The Prophecy, health I’m going to introduce you a bit to Erin (who is a total rockstar, by the way), talk about the book itself, and all that sort of good stuff :) Let’s get started!

About Erin

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Twitter / Facebook / Website / GoodReads

Erin Rhew is an author and fitness trainer.  Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word.  She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the “Grammar Police.”  In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing.

About The Fulfillment Series

Book #1: The Prophecy

Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she’s abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He’s grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear…not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he’s no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction—for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.

When Nash’s secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.

Now, The Prophecy released last year, but is re-releasing this October 1st with a new cover, the cover I shall be revealing in just a moment. This is awesome, and I’m massively in love with the new cover and its JUST in time for the release of the second novel, The Outlanders, on October 21st. But more about book two later!

Now its time for the cover reveal…here it is!

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GORGEOUS right? I can’t wait for this new book to come out and for the sequel later in October as well!

To get you guys all excited too, here’s a blurb from the novel!

Even though she had no chance to escape now, Layla shoved the Elder with all her might. The blow sent him flying into the baker’s door, which splintered under the force, and she darted forward. The Vanguard soldiers moved to block her.

            “We are all Vanguards,” she pleaded. “Please let me go.”

            For a moment, they hesitated. Layla used the opening to slip around them. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, but they proved to be too slow. Within moments, the soldiers leapt upon her, knocking her to the ground. Wrenching Layla up by her hair, they dragged her back to the Elder, whose face now bled from his encounter with the baker’s door.

            “I see you’re going to be trouble.” He brushed the dirt off his robes. “You can’t escape your destiny, girl.”

*****

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Prophecy by clicking the links above to connect with Erin, and keep an eye for the sequel on October 21st, with a special guest appearance from Erin herself here at What A Nerd Girl Says!