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Tuesday 31 May 2016

Caragh Reviews // Unrivalled by Alyson Noel

Published - 10th May 2016
Publisher - Mira Ink
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Everyone wants to be someone. Layla Harrison wants to leave her beach-bum days for digs behind a reporter’s desk. Aster Amirpour wants to scream at the next casting director who tells her “we need ethnic but not your kind of ethnic.” Tommy Phillips dreams of buying a twelve-string guitar and using it to shred his way back into his famous absentee dad’s life. But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her bitch a long time ago. She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she did to become the name on everyone’s lips are merely a stain on the pavement, ground beneath her Louboutin heel. That is, until Layla, Aster, and Tommy find themselves with a VIP invite to the glamorous and gritty world of Los Angeles’s nightlife and lured into a high-stakes competition where Madison Brooks is the target. Just as their hopes begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing. . . . And all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies.

The lovely Cara from Harlequin/Mira Ink offered me this and I snapped it up. I honestly didn't really know what to expect going in to it. I'd only read the Immortal Series by Alyson Noel before and that was a long, long time ago now. I'd heard great things though and it really is quite a gorgeous cover!

I attempted the Buddy Readathon Challenge at the beginning of the month (and epically failed, if you're wondering!) and this was the first book I chose to read. I'm not even exaggerating now - the whole thing took about 3 hours and I devoured it from cover to cover. It is such an easy and relaxing read that you can't help yourself and keep pushing on.

There were of course, things I was a little disappointed with. It had been pitched as being similar to 'Pretty Little Liars' and a mystery type book but I really didn't get either of those things from it. Of course, things happen and i'm left reeling and wondering WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?! But really the mystery aspect was so small. To me, it was competitive and the challenges within the book were it's biggest asset.

The characters were well written and easily likeable, even the ones you're probably not supposed to like that much which i'm coming to believe is just Alyson Noel's golden touch - fantastic characters with real depth and emotion. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with this series. I have a feeling that things are going to get darker, and a lot more complicated.

Monday 30 May 2016

Caragh Review // Book of Lies by Teri Terry

Published - 24th March 2016
Publisher - Orchard Books
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - They are trapped, frozen. Waiting. Straining against the wood that holds them. The unwary catch a glimpse now and then - feel their desperate hunger, see a glint of red eyes - and scurry out of the shadows of the wood, back to the light. She's coming; it will be soon. They will run free on the moors again. The Hunt will return. And the ground will run with blood. An ancient curse placed on a family of witches foretells that twins will be born - one good, one evil; and one will destroy the other. But who can be trusted when no one is as they seem?

I am a HUGE fan of Teri Terry. Her Slated series still remains one of my favourite series of all time and I cannot express the excitement I felt when I was approved for this book (thanks Netgalley!).

I'm a little late getting this review up (OK! A LOT) due to...reasons (read: extreme busyness) but I actually read it within 2 sittings. Almost immediately I felt drawn to the story, and in particular, Quinn. Despite being twins, I definitely felt the difference between the sisters within minutes.

Book of Lies is a mysterious, supernatural(?) story. It features false identities, family secrets, intrigue and magic - literally everything I love in a good book! A lot of the time with books like this, it can be pretty easy to figure out where the plot is going from early on in the story. However, Book of Lies kept me guessing right until the end. I honestly hadn't read anything like this before. The plot was fresh and new to me and the characters felt well considered and portrayed. Even though the girls were similar, they were unique and had completely singular voices within the story.

Strangely, since reading Book of Lies, i've actually come across the idea of 'The Hunt' again. It's definitely something i'll need to look into! I've always been incredibly put off by 'wolfish' tales - to which Brianna can attest and I'm not entirely sure why. Book of Lies was a great adventure and i'm glad I spent a couple of hours getting to know Terry's newest creation and characters - which is always a joy.

Sunday 29 May 2016

May - June

Another wrap up from me. Only slightly ashamed that I got WAY more books than I read & reviewed VERY little. May was kind of insane though as I was fortunate enough to attend City of Heroes 2 which is a huge convention held by Rogue Events. Whilst there, the lovely Carole Barrowman signed my Hollow Earth books too as a nice little bookish treat to my nerdy weekend :) Well, the rest speaks for itself I think. Apologies for the formatting as I'm posting this on my phone, from my bed, after a VERY long and tiring week at work. I'm going camping in the morning! Weeeee :D

What I Got (and where from)
Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden
Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman
The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain (Friend from work)
When We Collided by Emery Lord (Illumicrate)
Remix by Non Pratt (Holly @ The Arts Shelf)
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Holly @ The Arts Shelf)
The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Holly @ The Arts Shelf)
The Trials of Apollo - The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (Netgalley)
The Crown Game by Evelyn Skye (Balzer & Bray/Harper 360)

What I Read
Unrivaled by Alyson Noel
Time to Say Goodbye by S.D.Robertson
City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

April - May

Yes, yes - i'm well aware of the fact that this is insanely late. No excuses either. I've sat down a handful of times over the past 2 months to write reviews etc and just had no motivation or willing to settle on anything. All I can do is apologise and try harder! So here's the low down on what I got/read in April.

What I Got
Return To Bluebell Hill by Rebecca Pugh
Harley Quinn Vol 3 by Amanda Conner
How To Repair A Mechanical Heart by J.C.Lillis
Know Not Why by Hannah Johnson

What I Read
Book of Lies by Teri Terry
Very British Problems by Rob Temple
Harley Quinn Vol 3 by Amanda Conner
How To Repair A Mechanical Heart by J.C.Lillis
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

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