Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Publication Date: July 19, 2011
Version: paperback, kindle

Summary (from goodreads):
She's writing about him. He's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines...


For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter...so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?


Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter...except this story could come true.

This is my favorite Jennifer Echols book so far--it seems that whenever she comes out with a new novel, it ends up on the top of my "favorite" list. Love Story starts out with Erin in a creative writing class in college. She has written a romance short story about "Hunter", a stable boy, who she knew when she was younger. But when the class is switching stories, Hunter walks in and he ends up reading Erin's story. He knows it's about him. And then Hunter's stories start to revolve around Erin. Together they drive each other crazy with their seductive words. But Can Erin ever forgive Hunter for taking away her inheritance?

I really enjoyed this book. It had a love/hate relationship as well as a "friends starting to fall for each other" theme. And since those are two of my favorite relationship statuses-it was a definite favorite. Hunter is a great character. He's cute and treats Erin so well, even though she doesn't notice it. But, when I first picked up this novel and Hunter walks into class and reads Erin's story which he's in--I almost died. I was so embarrassed for Erin.

Will I reread it?
Absolutely. I recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed Jennifer Echol's previous novels.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (ARC)
Publication Date: September 5, 2011
Versions: hardcover, kindle

Summary (from goodreads):
Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.


Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

Let me just say that Shut Out is even better than The Duff. For 1.) this was such a surprise because I love The Duff by Kody Keplinger and didn't think anything could top it and 2.) it was such a joy to read. Lissa and Randy have been going out for a year and he still puts the school's rivalry before her. Lissa has had enough, so she gets all the athlete's girlfriends together to make a pact to not have sex until the rivalry ends. Eventually it actually works, and Lissa discovers something about Randy that she never would have if not for the pact. But then there's Cash, who works at the library with Lissa. There's so much sexual tension between them that Lissa starts getting a little unsure about being able to keep her promise.

Lissa is a great character and had many similarities with Bianca, from The Duff. But I'de have to say that Cash is my favorite character in Shut Out. He's so caring and understands Lissa more than she knows. They had a little "past" together which left  Lissa very confused. But together they are perfect and it was so fun reading about them progressing. Randy, on the other hand, is a jerk.

Will I reread it?
Yes, I definitely will. Just like The Duff, this one will stay on my shelf for some time!

Tempest on ARC Tour

Hello, everyone. I just wanted to let you know that an ARC of Tempest by Julie Cross is available through Smitten With Books ARC Tours.

So if you want to join the tour, go HERE

And if you would like to donate an ARC to the tours, please email me here: smittenwithbooksarctours (at) hotmail (dot) com

Border's Closing Sale Haul (Vlog)

Border's is closing soon so starting today (Friday, July 22nd) Border's is having a closing sale. Everything in their store is 10%-40% off the list price. So today I picked up a few books and wanted to share them with you.

Here is my vlog (I hope you enjoy it):

Smitten With Books ARC Tours

Smitten With Books ARC Tours has re-opened! I retired the ARC tour site last year (when I was having some family issues and otherwise very busy). But now that it is re-open, it will stay that way.

Here are the books that are on tour right now:

1. Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
2. Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
3. Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
4. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

If you want to join any of the tours, go to the tour site HERE

And if you would like to donate and ARC to Smitten With Books ARC Tours, email me here: smittenwithbooksarctours (at) hotmail (dot) com

Thank you!

Giveaway!

I have made a beautiful collage of eight different Young Adult novels that will be coming out soon. I have taken a bit of each book cover and numbered them below. I got this idea from Enna Isilee at Squeaky Books. All you have to do is fill out the form with your guesses to which book is featured. This one is going to be pretty easy! 

RULES

1.) Each guess that is correct equals one entry so if you get all of them right, you will receive eight entries total

2.) This giveaway is open international 

3.) The last day to enter is August 15th

Good Luck!

What you can win:

There will be (1) winner for this giveaway

If the winner lives in the USA, they will win: Between by Jessica Warman (ARC)

If the winner is INTERNATIONAL, they will win: $10 Amazon Gift Card

LAST DAY TO ENTER: AUGUST 5TH

Author Post: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Today we have a very special guest. Lauren Baratz-Logsted has generously agreed to create a guest post for my blog, Smitten With Books. I hope you enjoy it:

MY UNLIKELY CAREER AS A YA AUTHOR

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

I never set out to be a YA author – not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s just that when I initially left my day job of 11 years back in 1994 to start writing seriously, the YA market was nowhere near the vibrant field we have today, plus I’d set my sights on writing the Great American Novel. Well, that didn’t work out so good, since my first efforts were all comedies and if the Great American Novel is anything, it’s never a comedy. But eventually I did start selling some books. In 2002, I sold the sixth of seven novels I’d written, a dark comedy called The Thin Pink Line, about a woman who fakes an entire pregnancy. Before long, I’d sold a total of five adult comedies.

Then in 2005, I got an idea for a new book. It was a serious book about a teen on the fast track for Yale who, on the eve of her senior year in high school and in an act she doesn’t even clearly remember afterward, loses her virginity and winds up pregnant all in one go. The book would be in diary format, mirroring the 40 weeks of a pregnancy, and would be about the character coming to terms with what has happened and trying to make the choice that is right for her. I was sure that it was another novel for the adult market, those being the only kinds of books I’d ever written, perhaps a coming-of-age story this time. But by the time I reached the 100-page mark, I realized something strange was going on. Previously, I’d always written in past tense but without even thinking about it, I was writing this book in present tense. The story, as a result, was so immediate. This wasn’t an adult reflecting back on something that had happened to her in the past. This was an authentic teen voice telling her story in real time. It was a YA novel, it was called Angel’s Choice, and it was published as a YA novel by Simon & Schuster in 2006.

There’s some current publishing wisdom that goes along the lines of that you shouldn’t try to sell meat in your fish market. The idea is that everyone should establish a brand and that you should give readers a steady diet of more of the same so they know what to expect. If I’d followed that wisdom, then if I wanted to firmly establish myself in the YA market, I should have followed Angel’s Choice with another earnest novel, right? There’s just one problem: I seem to be genetically incapable of writing books just because it’s the career-expedient thing to do. Rather, ideas come to me that excite me and I follow those ideas. So the next YA novel I wrote after Angel’s Choice was not a logical follow-up. Instead, it was a serio-comedic sort-of mystery called Secrets of My Suburban Life about a teen who, after her novelist mother is crushed to death by a stack of Harry Potter books, becomes involved in catching an online sexual predator. Did I follow that with another serio-comedic sort-of mystery? I did not.

In fact, no two of my YA novels are alike. I’ve done a contemporary re-visioning of the fairy-tale classic Beauty & the Beast called Crazy Beautiful, told in he-said/she-said fashion about a boy with hooks for hands and a gorgeous girl who meet on their first day at a new school; a serio-comedic novel, The Education of Bet, about a 16-year-old orphan girl in Victorian England who decides to impersonate a boy in order to get the exclusive education she desperately desires; and a dark suspense novel, The Twin’s Daughter, also set in Victorian England, about a teen who discovers that her gorgeous society mother has an identical twin who was raised in the poorhouse – murder and romance ensue.

Oh, and for my next meat-in-my-fish-market feat?

On November 8, Little Women and Me will be published. It’s about a contemporary teen, Emily March, who time travels into the 1860s opening of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women. Once there she discovers herself to be the fifth March sister, her age placing her right at the center of the other four March sisters in terms of birth order. Before long, Emily realizes that her purpose there is to do one of two things: keep Beth from dying or change the romantic outcome of the story so that the boy next door finally ends up with the right March sister.

I originally got the idea for Little Women and Me about a year and a half ago when my then 10-year-old daughter and her best friend were reading the original Alcott book for the first time. We were all talking about how sad it is when Beth dies and how crazy-making it is that Laurie winds up with Amy instead of Jo. That’s when the thought occurred to me: Hmm…what would happen if…? And that’s how Little Women and Me was born. I’m very excited about this book and I hope you will be too.

And now I’m off to work on another book that probably doesn’t make sense career-wise but that I will love writing and hopefully at least a few of you will love reading.

Thanks for having me, Morgan!      

Thank you so much Lauren for the wonderful guest post. 

You can view and buy Lauren Baratz-Logsted's books on Amazon.com HERE 

   

Tempest by Julie Cross

Tempest by Julie Cross (ARC)
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Versions: hardcover

Summary (from goodreads):
Jackson thought he had all the time in the world with Holly. Until time took him away from her...


Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy...who just happens to be able to travel through time. It's all just harmless fun until the day Jackson witnesses his girlfriend, Holly, get fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years, but it's not long before the people who shot Holly come looking for him. And these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing to recruit (or kill) this powerful young time-traveler. Jackson must decide how far he is willing to go to save Holly...and the entire world.

What can I say about this book...It was utterly heartbreaking and memorable. Jackson discovered two years ago that he can jump to a different time. Now him and his friend, Adam, are trying to figure out the dynamics and how it happens.  But one night while at his girlfriend's, Holly's, house he witnesses her being shot. He accidentally jumps two years in the past and becomes stuck in 2007. While there he will meet Holly and Adam in the past and even see his sister, Courtney who died from cancer. But Jackson will also start discovering out what his father has worked so hard to hide. And it could mean life or death.

I loved this book. It will stick with you even after days of finishing it. The ending is sort of a"cliff hanger" and right now all I want to do is to find out what happens to Jackson and Holly. Jackson is a great character. Holly is a great character. And together they're purely a work of art. Their relationship is so unique but sad at the same time. I cried so many times while reading this book because the plot line is so heartbreaking.

Will I reread it?
Yes. It is probably one of the best books I have read since "The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins". I highly recommend it and am sure it will remain on my best reads of 2011 list. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Verity by Claire Farrell

Verity by Claire Farrell
Publication Date: April 24, 2011
Versions: kindle

Summary (from amazon.com):
Sixteen year old Perdita Rivers has spent her entire sheltered life being told what to do. Lately, she's felt ready for a change, and the universe seems to agree. Her new best friend's brother is the boy of Perdita's dreams. Literally. Even though he plays hot and cold, she's sure there's more to it, but she's kind of distracted by the sense she's being followed-not to mention the rumors of wild animal sightings that seem to mean more to her new crush's family than they should. Perdy's on a mission to find the truth, but maybe the truth is the danger she should hide from, after all.

I really enjoyed this book. Perdita is sick of her dad and grandmother telling her how to dress and what to do. So to her surprise, when she confronts them about it-they give in and let her have more freedom. At school, Perdita only has two good friends and usually keeps to herself. But when the "mean girls" start making fun of the new girl, Perdita stands up to them. Amelia and Perdita soon become good friends, even though Amelia's brother acts weird around her. But even if he acts strange, she can't help but feel a connection between them. But when Perdita finds out what he's hiding, her whole world may change.

Perdita is a really great character. She's not cliche and not annoying, which is very refreshing. On the other hand, Perdita's best friend is annoying and does some stupid things. But the writing is amazing and the ending has an unforgettable cliff hanger that will have you pining for the sequel.

Will I reread it?
Yes. I will probably get to it very soon. I love "werewolf" stories and this is no different. I definitely recommend it to fans of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer.

400 Follower Giveaway!!!

I have officially reached 400 followers. But I didn't get there by myself. I want to thank every single person who has taken some time out of their busy lives to follow, comment, and support my blog, Smitten With Books-so thank you!!!

USA Only Portion
For this giveaway, there will be two different portions. One is for USA only (because it's really expensive to mail right now). And one will be for International only (people who live in the USA cannot enter)





One person will win:
 As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (ARC)
After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel (ARC)
Fracture by Megan Miranda (ARC)

To enter: Fill Out The Form Below






International Only Portion

One person will win:
$20 Amazon.com Gift Card

To enter: Fill Out The Form Below



You will receive one entry for filling out the form, but you can also receive more entries by doing the following:

+2   Follow My Blog, Smitten With Books
+5   Create a blog post to spread the word about the giveaway
+3   Tweet about the giveaway
+10  Add the 400 followers giveaway button to your sidebar and link it back to the giveaway

Ends August 4th

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
Publication Date: January 1, 2008
Versions: paperback, kindle

Summary (from goodreads):
The worst thing about having it all is having to deal with it all-th good, the bad, and the just plain weird. Like seeing more of my dad when he's on the cover of Business Week than I do in person. Like the surgeon whose schedule was too jammed with professional ballplayers to deal with my busted up knee...until he heard who my parents were and miraculously his calendar was wide open. Like the pseudo boyfriend who was more in love with my last name than with me.


Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything any kid could possibly desire, right down to a waterfront mansion, jet plane, and custom-designed snowboards. But most of what glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate her, her best friend Adrian's girlfriend is ruining their friendship, and her own so-called boyfriend is after her for her father's name. Where her broken heart results in a snowboarding accident that exiles her from the mountains-the one place where she feels free and accepted for who she is, not what she has-Syrah must rehab both her busted-up knee, and her broken heart, and learn that she's worth her weight in real gold.

I really enjoyed this book. It makes you realize what you want in life and how sometimes you have to go against your parents wishes to make it happen. Syrah and Age are really good friends who both have passion for snowboarding. Syrah has always wanted to be a professional snowboarder but when she gets into a snowboarding accident-her parents cut her off and are no longer supportive of her love. When Age and Syrah start growing apart-Syrah will do anything to gain back her friendship even if it means breaking up with her boyfriend who she believes is dating her because of her parents and her money.

I've previously read Justina Chen Headley's other novel, North of Beautiful. Justina has really beautiful writing that she weaves into an interesting and life learning novel. I liked how Syrah cares about other people so much and wants to do better things in life. Age was also a really great character. And I love the whole premise of snowboarding-which usually doesn't take a main role in young adult novels.

Will I reread it?
I will probably pick this one up again. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who has read and liked Justina's previous novel, North of Beautiful.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Updates

MINI CHALLENGE #3 hosted by Nikki at Wicked Awesome Book

For this mini challenge, you have to pick two characters from separate books that would be a good match. Here is what I came up with:

• John from Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols and Eddie from Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers

I think this couple would be perfect because they both have a lot of issues that they are dealing with. Eddie with her dad's suicide and John with "the bridge"-together they can support each other.

Day 2 Recap

I had a few errands to run so I didn't read as much as I wanted to. But I did finish another book. Here is the book I read on the second day:

• Highland Captive by Hannah Howell

Day 1 Recap

So I didn't do as well as I would have liked and I didn't even read the books that were on my to-be-read list. But I read one! Here is the book I read on the first day:

• Highland Barbarian by Hannah Howell

MINI CHALLENGE #2 hosted by Amber at The Musings of Almybnenr

participated directly at Amber's blog-very fun!

MINI CHALLENGE #1 hosted by Bailey at IB Book Blogging

• Mini Challenge Question 1: What is your favorite type of myth (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, etc)?

Answer: I really like Roman mythology. It's always been interesting to me especially during school.

• Mini Challenge Question 2: What is your favorite book with some type of mythology in it?

Answer: My favorite mythology book would have to be: Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines

STARTING POST

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon has started (well it actually started seven hours ago) and I'm a little late with reading. I haven't read anything yet but I am hoping to read five books over the course of the next two days.

Here are the books I'm planning on reading:

1.) When Lightening Strikes by Meg Cabot
2.) Code Name Cassandra by Meg Cabot
3.) Safe House by Meg Cabot
4.) Sanctuary by Meg Cabot
5.) Missing You by Meg Cabot

I'm hoping to get through the whole (1-800 where are you) series by Meg Cabot. But we'll see...

Book Bloggers With Book Deals!

I know many fellow book bloggers who want/are trying to publish their own novels (including myself). Publishing novels is not an easy task but recently I have come across a few bloggers whose books are coming out. This is truly exciting and I want to congratulate them for all the hard work they have put into their novels.

DJ from DJ's Life In Fiction
DJ has published his novel with Pendrell Publishing and is dated to be released on August 9, 2011. Here is some information about it:

Hunted by DJ DeSmyter
Publication Date: August 9, 2011

Summary (from the publisher's website):
Seventeen-year-old Lily Atwater has always kept to herself, living a lonely life with her workaholic dad. Not the most thrilling life, but it's quiet and ordinary, two things she's come to expect from living in Victor Hills, Michigan.


When kind and mysterious Alex takes refuge in her home, she is suddenly thrown into his world of werewolves, a world he wants to keep her safe from. But while the two of them grow closer, a relentless hunter continues his search, stalking the woods with hopes of catching the wolf that got away...




Lenore from Presenting Lenore
Lenore has published her novel with Simon and Schuster and is dated to be released in the fall of 2012. Here's some more information (taken from Lenore's blog):

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has acquired a YA novel called Level Two by Lenore Appelhans, in a joint acquisition with CBS Films. According to S&S, this is the first time the company has coordinated a deal so that an author received a simultaneous book and film offer. In Level Two, the liminal place between our world (Level One) and heaven, Felicia spends her days reliving her memories from the security of her pod—until she gets broken out by Julian, a boy she met on Earth. Appelhans writes the popular YA blog Presenting Lenore. Level Two will be published in either fall 2012 or spring 2013, with a 200,000-copy first printing.



I want to congratulate these two wonderful bloggers! I wish you the best of luck

What do you thing about Selling/Trading ARCs

This has been something that many people have different opinions on. I see many bloggers around the blog-o-sphere trading arcs (advance readers copies) and have also seen some bloggers sell the arcs (gasp!) I can say that I have traded ARCs on my own blog (I am not being hypocritical). Here is what I think about the issue:

Do you think it is ethical to trade ARCs (advance readers copies)?
Yes I actually think this is okay. ARCs are pined for on every blog and I know many, many bloggers want to read them. But since there aren't a lot of them around-many book bloggers don't get the chance to read certain books until the publication date. And I'm not saying it's unfair to have to wait for the publication date-because it is fair. But trading ARCs gives other bloggers the opportunity to read their "waiting on wednesday" reads. And by shipping the book off to other people, they will most likely review the book on their own blog and spread the word even more. This will then publicize the book that much more.

Do you think it is ethical to sell ARCs (advance readers copies)?
No, I do not think it is right to sell the ARCs. I have an ARC of The Duff by Kody Keplinger and an ARC of Forget You by Jennifer Echols in my hands right now. On the cover of The Duff there is a circle sticker that says NOT FOR SALE. On the cover of Forget You (in very small letters) it states (in exact words): This advance uncorrected reader's proof is the property of Simon and Schuster. It is being loaned for promotional purposes and review by the recipient and may not be used for any other purpose or transferred to any third party. Simon and Schuster reserves the right to cancel the loan and recall possession of the proof at any time. Any duplication, sale or distribution to the public is a violation of law.

Yes that sounds very serious and I'm sure they are not happy about the selling of ARCs.

Do you think the trading/selling of ARCs makes the author's sales go down?
No, I do not. Personally whenever I read an ARC that I absolutely love-I go and buy a finished copy when it is available. I do this because the covers are usually different and I want a copy that doesn't have any mistakes or what not. An example of this is: Forget You by Jennifer Echols. The cover on the ARC is plain light blue but the cover on the paperback copy is gorgeous so I had to have it!

UPDATE Because of Trisha's Book Blog post, I have been looking through EBAY at what people are selling for ARCs. Selling them are bad enough but some of the prices are ridiculous!

• Forever by Maggie Stiefvater $45
• Crossed by Ally Condie $74.99
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater $45
• Lola and the Boy Next Door $74.99

What do you think about this topic? here are some other book blogs that have posted about this issue (you can click on the link and it will take you directly to their posts): Trisha's Book Blog and Confessions of a Bookaholic

Books in the Magazines (1)

Besides books, I also love to read magazines. Among my favorite are: Seventeen, Teen Vogue, Writers Digest, and OK Magazine. And sometimes while reading these magazines, there are ads for books (popular YA books that are going to come out). I think this is great because 1.) it inspires more teenagers to pick up books  2.) magazines are starting to broaden with more intellectual topics instead of just fashion and 3.) the ads are very pretty to look at.

So I'm going to do a weekly/biweekly meme where I will take a picture of the book ad from a magazine and paste it into a post. I will also state what magazine, and month it is from along with what book is being mentioned. Sound good? You can join, too. All you have to do is link back to my blog and leave a comment with the link to your own post.
   

Magazine: Seventeen

Month/Year: April 2010

Books: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
Publication Date: February 8, 2011
Versions: paperback, kindle

Summary (from goodreads):
Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City-shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was...


When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the live she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R. --before the recession--was as perfect as it seemed.

To tell you the truth, the main character really irritated me. Corrinne's a rich teenager who shops at all the designer stores and is planning to attend an expensive private boarding school with her best friend. But when her dad loses his job because of the recession, she finds out that she won't be attending her dream school and will be moving to Texas to live with her grandparents. Corrinne is not happy about the change, especially now that she's attending a public school. But through all the hard times, Corrinne meets a nice friend and a cute guy.

Like I said before, Corrinne really irritated me. She constantly acted better than everyone else, and said some of the stupidest things. But I see where she's coming from. Corrinne has lived the "rich" lifestyle her whole life so I can see why she acts so selfish when she no longer has money. The story line, even though very predictable, was also very interesting. I actually did enjoy the book even though I didn't like the main character.

Will I reread it?
No, probably not. I did enjoy it, but I don't think this will be on my "re-reading" shelf. But if you're looking for a fun book to read when your bored-it will entertain you for a few hours.

Mini Reviews: The MacLeods Book 1 + 2

I've seen mini reviews around the blog-o-sphere several times but never have done one on my own blog. I feel that books deserve to have their own reviews-and that's where I still stand. But I wanted to review two highlander romance novels (which I loved). But since my blog is for young adult books-I'm going to put these two adult books in the same post.

Charming the Shrew (The MacLeods Book 1) by Laurin Wittig
Publication Date: October 30, 2010
Versions: kindle

Summary (from amazon):
The story of the stormy MacLeods of Assynt begins...


From award-winning author Laurin Wittig comes a captivating story filled with the passion, intrigue and magic of historical Scotland--where Catriona MacLeod, a sharp-tongued beauty, meets her match in a disguised Tayg Munro, fabled warrior of the king, and the man who vows to tame her with the power of his love. Passion flames into a union to be tested again and again. As Cat and Tayg fight to thwart a scheme that could topple thrones and destroy their homeland, they discover a love that will take everything they have to give...

I loved this book! Catriona is such a great character-she's not one of those girls who are shy and stable. She's very interesting and doesn't care what other people think. The chemistry between her and Tayg is undeniable and I loved watching them grow together even though Tayg doesn't want to get married and Catriona thinks she's better than him. This is a must for any highlander romance lover.

Daring the Highlander (The MacLeods Book 2) by Laurin Wittig
Publication Date: November 18, 2010
Versions: kindle

Summary (from amazon):
The story of the stormy MacLeods of Assynt continues...


Ailig MacLeod must become the chief of his clan in order to prevent Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, from killing his traitorous oldor brothers and setting his clan to fire and sword. But his father refuses to step aside to make Ailig chief, and few in the clan believe that's a problem.


Morainn MacRailt vows never to marry again. One bad marriage to a clan warrior who never loved her was enough. But when Ailig returns home with an impossible task he convinces her to help him set the castle to rights. As she helps him maneuver the treacherous undercurrents, and open distrust, of the clan, she discovers he is nothing like the warriors she has known before. 


As they work together to save the castle and the clan, passion flares, but their love is put to the test by a dangerous and uncertain future...

Morainn was a very different character than Catriana. Morainn is a little shyer but very respectable and honest. Ailig is very strong and knows what he wants-and will go after it. Their connection is immediate from the start and watching their first kiss turn into true passion was amazing. I loved this second book as much as the first.