Split Second by Kasie West

Synopsis taken from Goodreads:
Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Christina's Review: I loved the first book Pivot Point. I was so excited to hear that a sequel was being written. . . and I WAS NOT disappointed!! I loved this book. It was awesome, amazing, just great! It was clean, entertaining, intriguing, captivating and more. It was a great book! The characters are great. The storyline was intriguing. The book picks up after Addie lives out the path she chose after her search. I was hooked from page 1 and read it through in a day! Read Pivot Point and Split Second and you will be a big fan of Kasie West!!

Summer at Paradise Ranch by R. Barri Flowers

Four months shy of turning sixteen, Lexi Montoya was still trying to come to terms with her parents’ divorce and her mom's marriage to a man she met online, relocating to Maui, Hawaii.

Choosing to remain with her dad in Seattle, Lexi had planned to spend her first summer since the divorce hanging out with her boyfriend, Matt, and her best friend, Robin. But her dad had other plans, insisting she spend the summer visiting her mom and stepdad at his ranch called Paradise Ranch in Wailuku, in west Maui.

Lexi goes there with an attitude. Then she meet a cute Hawaiian guy named Mitsuo, is thrown into a love triangle, becomes friends with a teen girl named April who lives on a ranch next door; rides her first horse--an Arabian mare named Poppy--learns to hula dance and surf, and finds herself embroiled in a dangerous rescue mission when Poppy and another horse named Casper are stolen from her stepfather’s ranch.

By the time her tropical summer adventure comes to an end, Lexi hates to leave Maui and say goodbye to Mitsuo. But can she stay when Matt is waiting for her back at home to pick up where they left off? Or will he lose her to a summer romance?

Excerpt:

The notion of being an ocean way from Matt for an entire summer annoyed Lexi. But she had no choice in the matter.

It didn't set well with Matt either. "That sucks!" he complained as she broke the news to him, gazing down at her with deep blue eyes.

"I know, right," Lexi told him, flipping her long brown hair over her shoulder.

"What am I going to do without my best friend?" Robin complained, her forehead creasing above thin brows.

Dirk rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't want to go to Hawaii for an all-expense paid trip to paradise?"

"Uh me," Lexi said. "Especially when my life is right here."

"And it'll be here when you get back," he said. "But going to Maui...wow. Maybe my mom should try to hook up with someone there. My dad probably wouldn't care too much, since she's always complaining that he never pays attention to her anyway."

Robin frowned. "That's not very nice."

Dirk shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying."

"Maybe I should give you the ticket then," Lexi suggested. "You can go in my place and I'll stay at your house, with my dad totally clueless."

Dirk laughed. "I think Matt would probably have a problem with that."

Matt ran a hand through his thick brown hair. "I'd have more of a problem if she met some surfer dude in Hawaii and decided to kick me to the curb and never come back."

Lexi met his eyes in earnest. "That's not going to happen," she promised. "No surfer dude could ever take your place with me."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive. I'll just be going through the motions and putting up with my mom until the summer ends and then I'm back here where I belong."

That seemed to pacify him. "Cool," he said, grinning, before giving her a kiss.

Lexi was only too happy to kiss him back, loving the feel of his lips on hers. Besides, she wanted the kiss to be enough for both of them to last through the entire summer.

"Get a room," Robin joked.

Blushing, Lexi broke the lip lock. "We'll pick it up later," she promised Matt.

"Sounds good to me," he said.

"I just hope that in between all that fun in the sun you find the time to text your best friend and boyfriend—like every day!" Robin said.

"Definitely," Lexi promised, even though the last thing she expected was much fun while on the island, where she was headed against her wishes.

 Summer at Paradise Ranch is available at Amazon.

R. Barri Flowers is an award winning, bestselling author of mystery, thriller, suspense, young adult, and romance novels, along with true crime and criminology books.
Thrillers by the author include MURDER IN MAUI, MURDER IN HONOLULU, DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL, STATE'S EVIDENCE, JUSTICE SERVED, and PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE. Flowers is the editor of several anthologies, including MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME, and mysteries, MURDER HERE, MURDER THERE and MURDER PAST, MURDER PRESENT.
Bestselling young adult fiction includes GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY and DANGER IN TIME.
As an award winning criminologist, the author's latest true crime and criminology books include THE DYNAMICS OF MURDER, THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS, SERIAL KILLER COUPLES, PROSTITUTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE.
Under the pseudonym, Devon Vaughn Archer, the author has also penned several bestselling mainstream and romance novels, including FOREVER SWEETHEARTS, ALOHA FANTASY, THE SECRETS OF PARADISE BAY, CHRISTMAS HEAT, and THE HITMAN'S WOMAN.
Visit R. Barri's websites at:
http://www.rbarriflowers.com

Author of Screaming Divas visiting the blog today

Welcome to the Screaming Divas blog tour. For this stop on the tour, we have Suzanne Kamata here to guest blog for us. Awesome, right? I got to ask Suzanne this question:

"I really like books that have a theme other than to entertain. What does Screaming Divas teach girls about growing up? What do you want readers to take from it?"

So take it away, Suzanne!

When I wrote Screaming Divas, I set out to entertain myself -- and future readers down the road. On the surface, Trudy, Harumi, Cassie, and Esther are not great role models. Trudy sets fire to a guy’s bedroom after he dumps her; Harumi lies to her parent; Cassie experiments with drugs and sex; and Esther has a hard time standing up for herself. They do a lot of things that I wouldn’t want my daughter to do, but I wouldn’t mind her reading about those things and understanding what the results of certain kinds of behavior might be.

Maybe the bigger takeaway here is that if you want to something to happen, you have to be proactive. The spirit of D-I-Y is all through this book, as well as my previous novel Gadget Girl, in which my main character creates a manga series and builds a following for it. In Screaming Divas, Trudy wants to make her life better and pursue her dreams of rock-and-roll fame, so she starts a band from scratch. They write their own songs, they get gigs, they make it all happen themselves. That was pretty much the whole idea behind the Riot Grrrl Movement, which inspired this book. So, yeah -- Girl Power! Girls can do anything. They just have to believe in themselves, and not give up.

Find Screaming Divas at
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A Soul's Kiss by Debra Chapoton

Synopsis from Goodreads:
When a tragic accident leaves Jessica comatose, her spirit escapes her body. Navigating a supernatural realm is tough, but being half dead has its advantages.

Like getting into people’s thoughts.

Like taking over someone’s body.

Like experiencing romance on a whole new plane - literally.

Jessica learns an amazing truth as she struggles to return to her body before the doctors pull the plug, only she can’t do it alone. Now the only two people willing to help Jessica’s splintered soul are the two she’s hurt the most. They must find a way to guide her soul back to her body ... before it’s too late.


Christina's Review:
I received an ARC of A Soul's Kiss to review and I read it in one day. I really enjoyed A Soul's Kiss. It was interesting  and had a good plot. It took a few pages for me to be hooked but once I was I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen! It is written from several different perspectives. Each chapter is from a different character's point of view. This made it even more interesting and intriguing. It was a cute storyline and I think it ended really well. The book  was clean which is very important to me when reading a YA book. BUT there is some mention of partying, drugs and sex. . . not descriptive but just a mention. I would have liked it better without that but it wasn't terrible and still clean. The mentions didn't make me uncomfortable like some books I have read. I hope you read A Soul's Kiss. I loved how seeing things from different points of view helps change Jessica's perspective and helps her improve and grow. It was a really cute story!!

Cover Reveal! Sacrifice by Jennifer Quintenz

For fans of Braedyn Murphy, the wait is almost over. “Sacrifice,” the third book in the Daughters of Lilith series, will be released on January 31, 2014.

"Sacrifice" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3)

Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in the little town, and when Cassie gets tangled up its intrigue, Braedyn realizes she might have to chose between protecting her friends and stopping Lilith from reclaiming this earth. With her duties to the Guard wearing on her, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. Together they wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have. Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. Braedyn knew this fight could be brutal—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world?

Check out the previous books in the series: Praise for "Thrall" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 1) "Before you even start this review, put down anything you are doing and go read Thrall. It's AMAZING! BREATHTAKING! Engaging and smart, Thrall leaves you speechless!" - Savannah, Books With Bite

"The writing style is so smooth, yet gripping. Add some good characters, well-paced story and you have something that I like. No, not like. Love... No surprise that “Thrall” gets full five stars and the highest recommendations I can give." - Linda, The Fantasy Librarian

"How do I even begin to put all the crazy, gushy, ramblings in my brain about this book onto paper?!? Where to even begin?....This book is a MUST read!" - Hooked In A Book review on Amazon Praise for “Incubus” (Daughters of Lilith: Book 2)

"If you like gutsy fantasy of the urban variety this should definitely be on your 'must read' list. Don't let the YA label put you off either, like all the best YA fiction, this can be enjoyed by adults as well. I give it an unreserved 5 stars." - Tahlia, Awesome Indies, http://awesomeindies.net/2013/10/01/hard-book-put-review-incubus-jennifer-quintenz/

"This is one of those books that I have been looking forward to since June of last year... I loved this book and I'm so happy I finally got to read it. I recommend the entire series for the fully developed characters, the impressive mythology, and the fight scenes. I am dreading waiting for the next book." - David, David-Reviews.com

"Great reading. LOVE IT. Jennifer Quintenz is a special writer who can be very riveting... Spent several sleepless nights in a crazy rush to see how it ends. Can't wait for the next books." - Terri, review on Amazon

About the author: Jennifer Quintenz is an award-winning film and television writer, author, and graphic novelist. She has written for Twentieth Television, Intrepid Pictures, and Archaia Studios Press. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.
JenniferQuintenz.com
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Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp

Reagan West has a perfect life. She’s at the top of the high school food chain as co-captain of the cheerleading squad and she’s best friends with the most evil girl in Albany, Tawny Perez, which means she’s never on the receiving end of her wrath. The only trouble in Reagan’s perfect life comes from the constant threat of her dirty little secret leaking to her fellow classmates and casting her into a lifetime of ridicule.

Reagan West is a closet gamer and hates her role as the evil cheerleader.

But, as any well versed teenager knows, it’s better to suppress your own nerdy tendencies than to submit to a lifetime of being shoved into lockers, so Reagan bravely soldiers through life as a reluctant bully… until a boy from her guild moves to her school and becomes Tawny’s next target. The newcomer threatens to reveal Reagan’s nerdy little secret and force her to come to terms with who she truly is. Now Reagan has to decide if she’s going to defend her fellow geeks, or if she’ll continue to be a total troll.

Misty's Review:

Pwned. I still don't know what that means, but this was a delightful read with messages about bullying and standing up for yourself and others.

Raegan is a high school senior who hides her nerdy love of gaming behind her cool cheerleader persona. But when fellow guild member, Parker, moves to her town and the other cheerleaders decide to make him the target of their next prank, Raegan has some tough decisions to make. Should she go along with the crowd, or stop what is happening to her best online friend? The answer seems obvious, but knowing and doing are sometimes two different things. To complicate matters, Parker is kind of cute, well, really cute, and he sees something in the real life Raegan that makes her wonder why she's been hiding who she really is.

Raegan shows the amount of character growth I expect in a YA protagonist, and I really liked that she had parents who expected her to live up to a standard of responsibility (absent in many YA reads). I also found much to admire in Parker's character--his bravery a clear contrast to Raegan's cowardice.

I really liked that Pwned offers a cute, clean, relevant story for teens and adults who may face similar problems, when so many young adult books these days are going for sensationalism to get readers. Camp proves you don't need violence, sex, and gore to develop a good story. I recommend this to readers of all ages who enjoy a cute romance with a moral.

And P.S. This cover is adorable.

Here is a link if you want to check it out on Amazon.

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

 

 

Jolene Perry's THE SUMMER I FOUND YOU, about a teenage girl trying to cope with her new diagnosis of type one diabetes and a teenage male veteran who is learning how to embrace his new life after losing an arm, who come together by using each other as an escape, only to discover through love and struggle that your life is what you make of it.

Misty's Reviews:

I haven't been finishing a lot of books lately, but I love Jolene's books, so I let myself get lost for a few afternoons in this one.

Kate thought she knew what (who) she wanted, but apparently he doesn't want her anymore. Kate's longtime boyfriend has just broken up with her, and she is still dealing (not very well) with a new diagnosis of Diabetes. She feels out of control of her own life, and it sucks.

She meets Aiden, a guy who is going through the same thing. Wounded in Afghanistan, his life is no longer going in the direction he planned. When he meets Kate, it's just another complication in his screwed up life.

Somehow they each work it out and get back in control of their own business. I would have liked to see Kate and Aiden help each other more through their respective problems, as it seemed like they each worked out their own stuff by themselves. But there's a lot to be said for dealing with your own crap yourself and not depending on someone else to help you be happy. All in all, just a great coming of age book I loved reading.

Content: Non LDS standards (the characters have sex, but it is not described)

Descendant by Nicole Giles

This is quite possibly one of my all-time favorite book covers. Is it not beautiful? They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I totally do. I can't help it. I just like pretty things.

Today Six Mixed is part of the Book Blitz for Descendant by Nichole Giles, and though I am dying to, I have not read Descendant yet. But if you have read it, I'd love to know what you think. We'd all like to know! Leave a comment below and tell us what you thought.

In conjunction with the Book Blitz, Nicole is hosting a giveaway. If you'd like to enter, scroll to the form below. Nichole will add another $20 gift card to the giveaway list, and after 50 more, another one, and so on for every 50 entries thereafter. 

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Goodreads 

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About the Author:

Nichole Giles had early career plans that included becoming an actress or a rockstar, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer.

She was born in Nevada, the oldest of seven—a number which increased to eleven with the addition of four step brothers—and has lived in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and South Texas. 

Her future aspirations include owning a home on a tropical island, even if it's just a vacation home. For now, she plans to travel to as many tropical locations as possible, scouting for her future paradise.

Currently, she lives with her husband, one of her two sons (the other is in college), two daughters, two golden retrievers, and one lucky bunny rabbit.

Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her family, travel to exotic destinations, drive in the rain with her convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.    

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United We Spy by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever. (taken from goodreads)                    

 

Christina's Review: I am a big fan of Ally Carter and of her Gallagher Girls series. I am sad to see the series end! I started on the road with Cammie in book one where she was starting her first semester of  her sophomore year. Each book is a semester of her training at spy school. I loved it. I loved the whole series. It is a Young Adult book but I have recommended it to all of my friends whether they are young women or adult women. When asked about a series to read this is the first one I recommend. Some series get can get really old by the time you get to the last book but not this one. This series has you hooked from page one of book one. You will want to read all 6 to follow the Gallagher girls through their spy school training. It is clean and captivating. There is never a dull moment. It is a real page turner.

Ally Carter ties up everything nicely to finish it all off. Fabulous read!

 

I won't give any spoilers because this is a brand new release but it was excellent!

 

 

 

And My Beloved is Mine by Kate Nash

Kaycee, thinks she's got everything figured out. Graduate from high school, get out of the small town that she's from, get into Art School, and move to New York with her best friend. She has plans.

Logan didn't even want to move to the tiny town with his family. He has his own plans for his life, plans that don't include a brown eyed girl in a small town.

Can Kaycee come to understand and accept the kind of love that Logan offers? Will their different plans tear both of them apart? Will they find the kind of love that so many spend their entire lives searching for, and so few find?

Christina's Review: After reviewing Fight For You on amazon I was approached by this author to read and review her book, And My Beloved is Mine. I am not the type of reader/reviewer that looks at a book and critiques writing style or technique. I want to read a book that is entertaining and clean. If a book doesn't catch me from the first few pages then I don't want to keep reading. This book had me hooked from page one. I did not want to stop reading. In fact I read it in one day! There were some editing errors but my eyes just catch those. The errors did not deter from the story and the few errors didn't keep me from reading on. The love story was sweet and sappy and clean. . . reading it was just like watching a happy chick flick. I love books like that. A happy love story. An escape from the stresses we face in reality. The characters were good and the storyline was cute and entertaining. The Williams family was really sweet and loving. It would have been easier to endure high school with a sweet handsome boy like Logan. It is a good book and one that I would recommend. I look forward to reading more by Kate Nash!

Stolen Kiss by Cindy M Hogan

Episode #2 of Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips

With my VL card gone, my flickering light of hope lay with Ryker, someone else who'd caught my eye. Only he could erase the memory of Luke, the boy who lip-raped me. Unfortunately, Luke was determined to keep me, or at the very least, ruin me.

Christina's Review: Episode 2 was just as good and entertaining and the first one. I was stuck from page one. I couldn't stop. I wanted to continue Brooklyn's story. It ended too fast. I immediately went searching to see if #3 had been released yet. These are cute episodes. I hope Cindy M Hogan keeps them coming!

First Kiss by Cindy Hogan

VL. Virgin Lips. You may not have heard of it, but where I live, it's a thing with a card, even if it is a figurative card. I was Brooklyn Hamlin, certified virgin lips, and I planned on clinging to that figurative card with all I had--while dating as many of the hottest guys at school as I could.
Maybe that's a bit strange. I mean, what teenage girl isn't interested in kissing? Locking lips definitely interested me, but the drama that came with it didn't. No kissing, no drama. Simple.
But on my sixteenth birthday, on my first real date even, the drama found me. His name was Luke Graham--cute, funny, and bad news for the whole female race.

Christina's Review: I thought this book was hilarious. It reminded me of being young and becoming of age to date. It was cute, entertaining and fun to read. It was a quick read but it had me smiling and laughing throughout the story. I look forward to more episodes being published.

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

From Goodreads.com:

"The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before....

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear."

Jennifer's Review:

Well, I hate to say it but; the last book of a series tends to disappoint me. The story was creative and the newest characters were still well written. Maria is a great author.

I just found myself getting bored with how much repetition there was. Being that I had read both the first and second books, I knew everything that was repeated. I expect some repetition so that we can be up to speed in case it has been a while or a couple books since reading the beginning of the series. However, it almost felt like half the book was taken up with "getting us up to speed". There was even stuff from the beginning of the book that was explained later in the book...?

The romance was perfect, I thought, in all three books but this one was, well, perfect. LOL The ending made me smile and even feel like the ending didn't leave me wanting more. I can't remember another series that has done that for me.

I give Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder 3 1/2 stars.

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Taken from Goodreads.com:

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Christina's Review: Can I just tell you that I judged this book by the cover? When I saw this cover on Deseret Book's website I wanted to read it. Then I read the synopsis and definitely wanted to read it. The book did not fail. It was an awesome book. Awesome!!! I could not put it down! I cannot wait for #2 to come out. The book goes back and forth between Addie's life if she stays with her mom or if she goes with her dad. You read the same moment in time but in different worlds. It is pretty great. It is interesting and captivating. The majority of the novel is Addies' search. You hold your breath and wonder as bad things happen in both worlds which one will she choose?? What will she do? Will knowing what happens in the future change how she deals with it or will she choose to erase the memory and let things happen on their own? So many what ifs? Great read. Great characters. Sucks you in from the beginning and holds you until the very end and leaves you wanting more!!!

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

From Goodreads.com:

"YOU KNOW YOUR LIFE IS BAD WHEN YOU MISS YOUR DAYS AS A POISON TASTER...

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better....

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training—especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies...."

Jennifer's Review:

Well, I gave five stars to the first book in this series. Magic Study also had me turning pages. Love the new characters Maria created in this story and the strength of Yelena keeps building. It did take me two days to finish instead of the one of Poison Study.

I kept wondering what was going on in Yelena's brother's mind, why he was so angry. Loved that she brought in people from Ixia to keep the story "together" with the first. I usually have a hard time when an author goes from one character in a book and then book two is about a character in the first book instead of keeping the same main character. Does that make sense? In short, I love this series and can't wait to pick up the third... my family isn't near as excited!

I  give Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder four and a half stars.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

From Goodread.com:

"About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear..."

Jennifer's Review:

I hadn't ready any other of Maria V. Snyder's books before picking this one up. I couldn't put it down. You can ask my family. They were quite annoyed that I had to finish it in one day.

I just really liked the main character, Yelena, and how much she was able to handle. She is strong willed...kind of like me. The twists in the story made it impossible to put down. I kept guessing what would happen next and was never quite right about any of it. Definitely prefer to not be able to guess every step in a book.

Will be checking out and reading the next two in the series and let you know what I think.

My almost fourteen year old started reading the first couple of pages and couldn't wait for me to finish so she could read it too. A book that gets you from the beginning.

I give Poison Study five stars!

Defying Mars by Cidney Swanson

Jessamyn has escaped Earth with food for her starving world, but her troubles are just beginning. She must rebuild her life without Pavel, the Terran boy whose kiss haunts her. Her success is further tainted by the loss of her beloved brother. Ethan disabled the deadly lasers orbiting Mars, but this has created a fervor to re-open trade with Earth which Jess knows would be disastrous. Add into the mix a secret which could launch an interplanetary war, and Jess finds herself at the center of an intrigue where, in order to save the world she loves, she must defy it.

My review:

Not normally the type of book I would pick up, but by the time I got to the second half of the first book, Saving Mars, I was racing through the pages to see what happened. And by the end, I was DYING to read Defying Mars, the second book in the trilogy.

I love that Jess has faults. Some of them she overcomes, but mainly she just uses them to save the her world. Someone who was strictly obedient to official commands wouldn't have been able to do what Jess does. They wouldn't even dream of it. I love that by the second book, a bit of her naivety has worn off and she's not so raring to fly to Earth. But she does it anyway. She uses more reason to make her decisions, and basically we get to watch her grow up, which is TOTALLY what you want to see happen in a YA novel.

Imaginative, insightful writing make for a great second addition to Swanson's Saving Mars series.

Fields of Elysium by A. B. Whelan

How can love mend a heart full of hate?

Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers.

While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly’s life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings.

Fields of Elysium is a suspenseful, romantic tale full of forbidden secrets, unimaginable danger, deception, and the never-ending fight for true love.

My review:
The Elysiam field is the concept of the afterlife for humans who were related to gods in Greek mythology. I had to look that up, to know more about it, but it totally made this book make sense in a different way for me, and I just loved the way it was used to create the story in this book.

While the teens in this book were a smidge unbelievable to me--something about the way they use language makes me think of an adult trying to sound like a teen--the writing was good, the characters were developed, and the overall experience was great. Definitely recommend to my YA readers.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 5:

“Earth?” A shock wave rippled across Weston’s face. He spun on his heels to view the majestic landscape of our grand city. His hands flew to his head and cupped his temples. “I don’t think I’m allowed to do this. The Almighty sees everything.”

“The Almighty? What are you talking about?”

“We’re prohibited from coming back. We don’t belong here.” Backing up, he tripped over a tumbleweed and landed on his butt. I squatted beside him, offering him my arm.

“I don’t understand you,” I said desperately.

With his face troubled, he looked at me, seized my arm and started to shake it. “I can’t be here! My father will kill me if he finds out about this.”

“Why? What do you know about Earth? Have you been here before?”

“Going back to Earth and mixing with earthlings is forbidden. I can lose everything just by being here.”

“Going back to Earth? Are you guys from here originally? Oh, no …” I trailed off, chewing on a nail as an idea started to develop. “It can’t be. Or maybe it can … are you living in the afterlife? I read it somewhere. I think it was in a book about ancient Greeks or something. Yeah, that’s it. The Fields of Elysium. The heaven for heroes. … Are you dead?”

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

On the back cover:

"Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything."

Jennifer's Review:

Great story! Love the adventure and romance of it. I knew this was being made into a movie so I picked it up at the book store on Monday. Had it read by Tuesday night. Nice, quick read. Had me turning pages. At one point my daughter asked me what I was reading because my eyes were big. LOL

The twist, I felt, is that it is written from Ethan's perspective. Usually it is the girl that does all of the talking- at least in all the books I have read. I was interesting but I could tell it was written by a girl ( or girls in this case) because some of Ethan's thoughts were a little too... Well, they sounded like they were what a girl would think a boy would say or think. Does that make any sense?

I really loved the magic and intrigue. I will definitely be picking up the second in this series!!

I give Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl 4 1/2 stars.