The Collector Review and Giveaway

The Collector (Dante Walker #1) by Victoria Scott
★★★★★
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Age: Mature YA
Genre: Paranormal, Demons, Hell, Soul, Death, Supernatural, Angels, Heaven, Bad Boy
Format: ebook
Source: Publisher for review
Buy it: Amazon US | B&N | Amazon UK

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

This book is brilliantly cocky. Even from the synopsis we know we're in store for some impressive moves, but Victoria Scott takes bad boy to a whole new level. I wasn't sure that I could handle Dante, but I found myself completely impressed. His attitude did annoy me at first, but eventually we break down his shell and see the real man behind the mask. Dante's ego is massive and it adds this sarcastic and witty feel to the story Victoria's overall tone and voice of the book was set perfectly. When Charlie enters the mix we see the dynamic of good versus evil in a whole new way. For paranormal fans especially those who loved Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick this book is a must read!

This story is about Dante and his swagger. No lie. Dante is hot stuff and he is the ultimate bad boy sealing souls for hell; but he meets his match in little plain and ordinary Charlie. And, this my good people is how you make a good story great. Victoria Scott introduces Charlie and Dante is all, oh pulease I'll have this soul in minutes. But oh no, there's more to Charlie than he first sees. She is this great person and her charm and love begins to rub off on our bad boy Dante. And boom. I was HOOKED. I read every single word until the very end, start to finish (no small feat) but I couldn't stop. I love this bad boy and his struggles at becoming something more. I also loved the shape the story took as their relationship grew.

My favorite part of the book is Dante and his problem with labeling things as he sees them. From the beginning he thinks nothing but mean things about those around him, even Charlie. He looks down on himself as well and while I think he wants to be better, he sees his fate as sealed as well. But, he changes a lot throughout the story. He finds it in himself to become a better person with redeeming qualities and he stops at nothing to protect those he loves. His world is flipped upside down and he sacrifices everything for something greater.

I'm a huge paranormal romance fan and Victoria Scott has created one of the best books I've ever read, over any genre actually. It really is an epic journey that I will definitely be following throughout the series. The overall story is just awesome. I honestly have no other words, nothing I say will do it justice. It's a story everyone must experience for themselves.

I've read some great books this year so far, but THE COLLECTOR took me away and I have yet to land on my feet. It is currently number 1 of 2013! It really stuck with me and shocked me with its heart warming tale of love and sacrifice, I never saw the story turning into such an emotional ride, I was surprised and elated with the turnout. Victoria's writing is excellent and this book is a new take on the afterlife, a very creative story through the end. It's emotional and fast paced, it's constantly moving and changing and evolving. I loved it. Loved it. and I love it. Check this book out and also don't miss the sequel THE LIBERATOR out in September!

GIVEAWAY

I want to pass this book onto a new reader, it is sure to be a favorite for many!
I am giving away 1 ebook copy of The Collector by Victoria Scott gifted from Amazon or BN.

Open Internationally. Must be 13 or older to enter.

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Blog Tour: Ephemeral Review

 

Ephemeral (The Countenance #1) by Addison Moore
★★★★★
Release Date: September 2012
Age: YA, Mature
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Angels, Death, Romance, Zombies, Friendship, Supernatural Abilities
Format Reviewed: ebook
Source: SupaGurl Tours
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords
Other books by Addison: Ethereal (Celestra #1), Tremble (Celestra #2), Burn (Celestra #3) and more in the series!

The last thing Laken Stewart remembers is the oncoming car, then bursting through the windshield.

Two months dissolve without her knowledge and she finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings with strangers who not only profess to know her but insist she’s someone else entirely.

Laken discovers her long dead boyfriend, Wesley, has been thrown into this alternate world as well. He is quick to inform her she suffered a horrible fall and that her memory hasn’t fully returned. According to Wesley the other life she had—her name, her family, they were simply a side effect of her brain trauma.

In her quest for answers she meets Cooper Flanders, the son of her psychiatrist who readily believes every word she says.

Laken Stewart knows she died on that hot July afternoon, but now she’s alive—or is she?

This book is just about one of the greatest things I've read! Addison Moore's ability to create a fantastical story and make it seem real is thrilling and exciting, Countenance is quickly becoming my new favorite series! Book 2 can't get here fast enough!

Laken knows she was in a car accident, she knows her parents are not really her parents, she knows her brother and exboyfriend are dead, but no one else knows these things. Spoon fed lies that she just can't believe Laken sets out to figure out exactly what's going on.

In Ephemeral, a boarding school (we all know I LOVE boarding school set books!) for some very different people, Laken is told how her life is and was but it's getting harder and harder to believe those around her. Unsure who to trust, and left wondering who is sending Spectators (ressurections gone wrong, think Zombies!) after her, Laken embarks on a journey to find the truths in this crazy place. Laken is determined to get home, but isn't this home?

Everything about this book bleeds greatness. Ok, not everything. There were only a handful of characters I liked. The rest were awful, which was definitely the point and held true to the "don't trust anyone" theme, but my goodness. Talk about catty girls and whorish boys. Laken is my favorite character in this book, she's tough and awesome. My favorite line of hers, which is really a thought was; "Like hell I'm going to run." Jen, Laken's not-so-sister was a hoot (maybe not to Laken though). Her 1950s beliefs and obsession with a boy who so obviously doesn't want her anymore, left me wondering what was up with her. Definitely something strange going on there.

Addison throws in a very complicated love story into the mix! When Laken enters Ephemeral she is saved from a creature in the woods by Cooper. sexy sweet and dependable Cooper. He's one dreamy-full-of-depth boy. After Cooper saves her she learns about her "new" life and stumbles upon Wes and Fletcher. Wes, her only love from back home in Kansas who drowned alongside her brother Fletcher shouldn't be here. But, he is. Only thing is that they're inside his mind and he doesn't remember the past life she does. This makes for a very interesting read! Addison Moore sets up one of the best love triangles, but I will say I love me some Cooper. Wes was her past and Cooper had better be her future! Hear that Addison? ;)

Apart from an excellent romance filled with frustration and heated kisses, well 2 romances, zombie like creatures, and a main character who is either crazy or completely lucid, this book has an addictive paranormal story line that is sure to weave multiple questions into any readers mind. Oh, and did I mention how hot Cooper is. Well, he's pretty great. If for that reason alone, READ THIS BOOK!

This series is going to ROCK! Addison Moore congratulations you have successfully sucked me into your books and I will definitely be beginning your Celestra series soon; which book 1, Ethereal, is free right now on Amazon folks!

Funniest line: "No spinning." Fletch digs a finger into his chest before walking away. "No freaking spinning, dude."

About the Author

Addison Moore is the author of young adult fiction and romance. She has worked as therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for almost a decade. She is the mother of four wonderful children. She resides on the West Coast with her family and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

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Hallowed by Cynthia Hand Review

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
★★★★☆
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Age: YA
Genre: Angels, Romance, Drama, Fallen Angels, High School,
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Let's start with Unearthly, because I think that is a fabulous place to start. About a year in a half ago I read this fantastic book about angels. One of the first I had come across that was an original and healthy take on a paranormal genre about a human and part angel falling in love. The book will keep your attention and is simply a great read.

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Fast forward to now. I bought Hallowed, book 2 in the Unearthly series as soon as it came out, in January. But, I haven't been in the mood to get back into that story (I'm not sure why, but it just wasn't something I wanted to read). It sat on my nightstand for a few months and finally Saturday I picked it up. And well folks, it's Sunday and I'm posting the review. I should have dove in when I first got it, it's just overall a wonderful series.

As mentioned, Hallowed is a book 2, Unearthly being the first book in the series. If you're looking for a fresh and beautiful take on celestial beings look no further.

The story continues to follow Clara (who I forever want to call Clary, but that's not her name) and her search to fulfill her purpose. After the shocking revelations in book 1, the story takes flight in book two with never ending drama, suspense, and more romance. With a wonderfully crafted love-triangle this book is hands down my favorite angel story.

I will say that I am team Christian all the way :)

To celebrate this series I have created a photo album on the blog face book page The Life of Fiction, called If You Like Books About Angels... that features some great YA Angel books and their info. There are also 3 other photo albums; 2012 Releases, If You Liked The Hunger Games.. and Other Dystopian Novels, and If You Like Sarah Dessen... and other Contemporary Romance. So, make sure to check those out for some sweet recommendations.

And, look at the beautiful cover for book 3, Boundless, due out in January of 2013!

Such a pretty series.

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Beloved Purgatory by Katherine Pine Review & Freebie

Beloved Purgatory (Fallen Angels #2) by Katherine Pine
★★★★☆
Release Date: December 25, 2011
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Angels, Demons, Devils, Paranormal Romance, Purgatory, Heaven
Format: e-book
Source: Author
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

Sometimes God has a good reason for breaking your heart.

Devi always feared God took her brother because there was something horrible about her. She’s about to find out she was right.

Since Beloved Purgatory is a sequel to After Eden, the first book in the Fallen Angels Series, I recommend reading After Eden before this review as it may have spoilers. I try not to spoil anything, but with sequels that can be hard.

Beloved Purgatory was a wonderful continuation of the unearthly drama featured in After Eden. I am absolutely in love with this series and the characters, especially Oz, that Katherine has created. As this story progresses so does the drama and disaster. I feel like Devi is venturing deeper into darkness for the ones she loves.

In Beloved Purgatory Devi discovers a lot of truths about herself and her purpose. She also meets some new and interesting characters, but those characters from book 1 join in on the fun as well. The relationship between Devi and Camael, her guardian angel, while still a bit tense at times grows a lot in this book and I just know he's not as emotionless and void as Devi thinks he is. He has some surprises up his sleeve I'm sure. Oz is still cat loving Oz and his love for Devi, no matter what she's capable of, is beautiful.

I do find some of the scenes between Jasmine and Devi kind of awkward. You'd have to read the book to understand. It's not enough to make me crazy, but just enough to make me think of it when expressing my thoughts on the story. Overall it's no biggie, but when reading it I could see others agreeing.

One of the many things I love about Katherine's story is while it's a book about God and Angels, and how Devi fits in. I never feel like I'm being swayed into believing anything. It's a story, an amazing story, and I said the same thing about After Eden it's not a preachy book.

This author is great at pacing her books, the story starts off at full speed, slows for a little, then picks right back up. Katherine successfully traps the readers into the story and keeps them involved and interested. Never a dull moment for Devi.

I love this book, I love this series and was so excited when Katherine asked me to review this book! If you have read this one and the previous book check out Katherine's blog post about book 3, I can't wait! If you enjoy paranormal romance, especially angel books, this series is definitely for you! Thank you to the awesome author for the chance to read and review Beloved Purgatory!

__________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Katherine I have 2 e-book gifts for everyone!

The first is a coupon for After Eden by Katherine Pine FREE on Smashwords!
Coupon: MZ43H

The second is a coupon for 50% off Beloved Purgatory by Katherine Pine on Smashwords making it only $1.50!

Coupon: XU95R

Both expire March 17, 2012 so get a move on it! 
Now there's no excuse for not checking out this great series! Enjoy! 

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