Waiting on Wednesday #42: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige   
Expected Release: April 2014

Goodreads Synopsis
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

This sounds dark and intriguing!

What book are you looking forward to reading?

12 Days of Books Giveaway!

So, I have A LOT of books to give away and what better time than for Christmas. I wanted to go ahead and open up entries because 12 days before Christmas I will begin picking winners. Some winners may get to pick one book or two...just depends on the day. Anyhow, I will post the mystery books closer to when the drawing begins. This year it will be US/CAN only for the books being mailed but I have added an additional giveaway for my International followers ONLY, so pleas no US/CAN entrants in this one. Happy Holidays from me and my shelf elf. 

Here are the choices, I'm only going to list items that are no longer available.

Books NO LONGER AVAILABLE
The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney
Lies Beneath by Anne Brown
Pawn by Aimee Carter
Through the Zombie Glass by Gene Showalter
Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
September Girls by Bennett Madison
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
 Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
 Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Tempted by Trouble by Eric Jerome Dickey
Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Audiobooks

Hardcover

Arcs

Paperbacks

  a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt: Color of Hope by Julianne MacLean

By Julianne MacLean
"A box of tissues should be included in the purchase price of this book.... I finished THE COLOR OF HEAVEN in a matter of hours, but I've no doubt the read and the lessons imparted through Sophie's story will stay with me... probably forever. THE COLOR OF HEAVEN is an incredibly poignant and unbelievably gripping novel, deserving Romance Junkies' highest rating."  --FIVE BLUE RIBBONS - Chris at Romance Junkies

A deeply emotional tale about Sophie Duncan, a successful columnist whose world falls apart after her daughter’s unexpected illness and her husband’s shocking affair. When it seems nothing else could possibly go wrong, her car skids off an icy road and plunges into a frozen lake. There, in the cold dark depths of the water, a profound and extraordinary experience unlocks the surprising secrets from Sophie’s past, and teaches her what it means to truly live...and love.

Full of surprising twists and turns and a near-death experience that will leave you breathless, this story is not to be missed.

"A gripping, emotional tale you'll want to read in one sitting." - New York Times bestselling author, Julia London

"Brilliantly poignant mainstream tale." – 4 ½ starred review, Romantic Times

THE COLOR OF DESTINY
New from USA Today Bestselling author Julianne MacLean – An emotional tale of how love and destiny can intersect in ways we never imagine.

Eighteen years ago a teenage pregnancy changed Kate Worthington’s life forever.  Faced with many difficult decisions, she chose to follow her heart and embrace an uncertain future with the father of her baby and her devoted first love…

At the same time, in another part of the world, sixteen-year-old Ryan Hamilton makes his own share of mistakes, but learns important lessons along the way.  Twenty years later, Kate’s and Ryan’s paths cross in a way they never expected, which makes them question the possibility of destiny.  Even when all seems hopeless, could it be that everything happens for a reason, and we end up exactly where we are meant to be?

Includes Bonus Content: A Bookclub Discussion Guide

THE COLOR OF HOPE
Diana Moore has led a charmed life. She’s the daughter of a wealthy senator and living a glamorous city life, and is confident her handsome live-in boyfriend is about to propose.  But everything is turned upside down when she learns of a mysterious woman who works nearby – a woman who is her identical mirror image.

Diana is compelled to discover the truth about this woman’s identity, but the truth leads her down a path of secrets, betrayals, and shocking discoveries about her past. These discoveries follow her like a shadow.

Then she meets Dr. Jacob Peterson—a brilliant cardiac surgeon with an uncanny ability to heal those who are broken.  With his help, Diana embarks upon a journey to restore her belief in the human spirit, and recover a sense of hope - that happiness, and love, may still be within reach for those willing to believe in second chances.

Includes Bonus Content: A Bookclub Discussion Guide

Excerpt from Color of Hope

Chapter One

Nadia Carmichael

Have you ever done something you wish you could undo?
What am I saying? Of course you have. Everyone has regrets. Some are just more life changing than others, and some go beyond a single moment of carelessness. Some regrets are born out over a period of months, or even years of misbehavior, because you didn’t have enough self-awareness or life experience to recognize the error you were making at the time.
For me, the greatest mistake of my life resulted in a shock one autumn morning when I was twenty-seven years old and couldn’t hold down my breakfast.
“Are you all right in there?” Rick asked, pounding hard on the bathroom door. “I need to get in. I’m going to be late for work.”
I moved to the sink to splash water on my face and swig some Scope, which I swished around in my mouth from cheek to cheek. “I’m almost done,” I replied, wiping my mouth with a tissue I’d pulled from the gleaming – and no doubt expensive – silver-plated dispenser. “I’ll be right out.”
I paused to take a breath and calm the sickening sensation of panic that rose from my belly to my chest.
Or was it really panic? Maybe it was nervous excitement. If this wasn’t a flu bug or food poisoning, and I was actually pregnant – pregnant – what would it mean for my future?
By the time I collected myself and emerged from the bathroom, Rick had moved on. He was no longer pounding on the door.
I padded softly across the polished hardwood floor to the kitchen, where I found him with his back to me at the cappuccino maker.
“The bathroom’s free,” I mentioned as I slid onto one of the high stools at the kitchen bar.
“Thanks.” He picked up his coffee cup and disappeared down the hall.
I heard the sound of the bathroom door closing and the water running.
By the time he finished showering, I was dressed and heading out the door to work. “See you tonight,” I called out, and went straight to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test.


Chapter Two

That night, I picked up some groceries to cook dinner for Rick. Not that I had much of an appetite. I’d felt queasy all day, which wasn’t easy to cope with because I worked as a receptionist in a law firm in downtown LA, and my face was the first thing clients saw when they walked through the door. The pay wasn’t great, but at least I wasn’t cleaning toilets.
It was half past seven before Rick finally walked through the door. I turned on the stove and slid the wok – fully prepped with freshly chopped vegetables – onto the burner.
He entered the kitchen but didn’t look up from his iPhone. “I’m here,” he said. “What did you want to talk about?”
I faced him and wished he wasn’t so impossibly handsome. With that athletic build and thick, dark hair, he always looked like a dream come true in his tailored black business suits. He wore suits to work every day, which always turned me into an idiotic puddle of infatuation, despite my sincere efforts to keep my head.
How could one man be so difficult to resist? There was no point questioning now. It was too late, because I’d already lost every shred of integrity I possessed when I dove head first into this terrible disaster of a relationship five months ago.
Now here we were, facing each other in his kitchen, dealing with the fallout while I feared karma was about to bite me in the ass.
“Go take off your tie and pour yourself a drink.” I turned back to the stove and stirred the vegetables. “Then I’ll tell you all about it.”
*   *   *
I deserved what was about to come my way, I told myself as I spooned the stir fry onto two plates and carried them to the table. I knew, before I sat down, exactly how this was going to play out. Rick might be every woman’s romantic fantasy – because he was a drop-dead-gorgeous professional who earned millions, and when he looked at you, he made you feel like the most beautiful woman alive – but that’s where the dream ended. He had made it clear on countless occasions that he wasn’t the marrying kind. He wasn’t looking for a lifetime commitment. It’s part of the reason why we ended up together. He enjoyed the fact that I had plucked him out of a suffocating relationship, even though I had destroyed my own happiness in the process.
‘Thank God for you,’ he whispered in my ear one night on an elevator. ‘You’re the escape hatch I need.’
I am ashamed by how those words seduced me, and how happy I was to be anything at all to him.
After setting both plates down on the candlelit table, I poured myself a glass of sparkling water.
“You’re not having wine?” Rick asked as he stood up from the computer chair to join me.
“Not in the mood,” I replied, formulating how I was going to explain why.
I decided to eat first. I’d let him finish that glass of wine.
Then I would drop the bomb.


Chapter Three

“I beg your pardon?” Rick’s eyebrows lifted. He set his glass down, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and leaned back in his chair.
An ambulance siren wailed in the street below his luxury high rise condo, but I was not disconcerted by it, or by the fact that he was clearly shocked and displeased. There was a time I might have crumbled and wept over the loss of a man’s attentions and begged for a second chance – but after what I had done to reach this juncture in my life, I was astoundingly calm and firmly braced for the oncoming rejection. I expected it. Perhaps I even wanted it – because I needed to believe there was some justice in the world.
“I’m pregnant,” I said. I gave him a few seconds to digest my words before I continued. “I threw up this morning, in case you didn’t notice. So I took a test on my lunch hour.”
He stared at me with those spellbinding blue eyes. “I thought you were on the pill.”
“I was,” I explained. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t forget to take any.”
He frowned at me. “You must have. You were careless and forgot. Or you’re lying. Maybe you wanted this.”
“No,” I argued, dropping my fork with a noisy clank onto my plate. “I didn’t do this on purpose. Our relationship has enough bad blood in it to begin with. I wouldn’t dare add any more poison.”
His eyes narrowed. “How am I supposed to trust you? You?”
Rage, hot and brisk, flooded my bloodstream. How dare he suggest that I was the one who caused all the hurt, as if I were a wicked siren who seduced and lured him into this wreckage. I wiped my mouth with the linen napkin and threw it onto the table. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”
“Is it?” He shoved his chair back and rose to his feet. “I feel like a damned trout that was flipped around in a frying pan and tossed into the fire. And you know what I’m talking about.”
I picked up my plate and carried it to the sink. My chest was heaving, as if I’d just climbed ten flights of stairs.
I hate you. I wanted to say that and more as I ran the water and rinsed my plate, because I blamed him for everything – for the inconceivable magnitude of my disgrace. For the destruction and collapse of this new world that could have been so good for me. Five months ago, I’d been blessed with a miracle, but I threw it all away for the dream of being with a sophisticated man with money.
Why?
Was I that shallow? That much in need of security? That weak to temptation? That self-destructive? And if so, was it really my fault that I had turned out this way? How much bad luck could one woman take before losing touch with her soul?
Or maybe I was just shifting the blame. Maybe I had to accept the fact that I’d screwed up a lot of things recently, and this was my comeuppance.
“It doesn’t matter if I forgot to take the pill,” I said. “But I didn’t. All we can do is move on. We have to decide how we’re going to handle this.” I shut off the faucet, set my plate in the dishwasher, and made my way back to the table.
Rick sank back into his chair. “You’re sure?” he said. “Maybe you should go to the doctor to get it confirmed.”
I shook my head. “A positive test result is over ninety-five percent accurate. I’m pregnant, Rick. It’s a fact. I know it wasn’t something either of us planned, but this is where we are. So what are we going to do?”

About the Author
Julianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 15 historical romance novels, including her popular American Heiress series published by Avon/Harper Collins, and her recent Highlander Trilogy, published by St. Martin’s Press. She is a three-time RITA finalist with Romance Writers of America, a two-time winner of the Bookseller’s Best Award, and winner of a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for her novel LOVE ACCORDING TO LILY. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she is currently working on another book in the Color of Heaven Series.  

For more information about the author, visit her Website | Twitter | Facebook

Find her books on Amazon  Color of Heaven | Color of Destiny | Color of Hope

My Sunday Post #44

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
I'm also linking up to Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Review this week.

Last Week on the Blog

My Sunday Post #43
East of Eden by Lee Strauss ~ Blitz
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry~ Review
Waiting on Wednesday #41: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie H. Anderson
Broken by C.J. Lyons~ Review
Afterparty by Ann Stampler ~Chapter Reveal
Deadly to Promise by Mia Hodell~ Promo 
Book Blast and GIVEAWAY! Author Carolyn Meyer of Beauty's Daughter

Tenative Schedule for this week 

My Sunday Post #44
Pawn by Aimee Carter~Review
Waiting on Wednesday #42
Schedule this week is to be determined

Giveaways

New This Week 

Thanks to Pyr

Opening for entries this week!

Notes 

Well it's Thanksgiving week and what happens, I get sick....ugh. I have so much to do and this completely sucks. Anyway, I'm going to have to nip this in the bud quick because I actually want to taste all the goodies Thursday. Happy Reading.

Book Blast and GIVEAWAY! Author Carolyn Meyer of Beauty's Daughter

Carolyn Meyer is giving Thanks for her readers! 

BEAUTY'S DAUGHTER: 

What is it like to be the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the world?

Hermione knows . . . her mother is Helen of Troy, the famed beauty of Greek myth. Helen is not only beautiful but also impulsive, and when she falls in love with charming Prince Paris, she runs off with him to Troy, abandoning her distraught daughter. Determined to reclaim their enchanting queen, the Greek army sails for Troy. Hermione stows away in one of the thousand ships in the fleet and witnesses the start of the legendary Trojan War.     In the rough Greek encampment outside the walls of Troy, Hermione’s life is far from that of a pampered princess. Meanwhile, her mother basks in luxury in the royal palace inside the city. Hermione desperately wishes for the gods and goddesses to intervene and end the brutal war—and to bring her love. Will she end up with the handsome archer Orestes, or the formidable Pyrrhus, leader of a tribe of fierce warriors? And will she ever forgive her mother for bringing such chaos to her life and the lives of so many others?

Author bio:

Carolyn Meyer is the author of more than fifty books for children and young adults, and has no intention of quitting any time soon. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Story of Hermione and Helen of Troy: 

After years of writing about the young lives of fascinating women of power, from Cleopatra to Victoria, in BEAUTY'S DAUGHTER I've drawn on the myths of ancient Greece to tell the story of what it must have been like to be the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the world.

When Helen leaves her husband and daughter and runs off to Troy with handsome Paris, a thousand Greek ships sail for Troy to bring her back..and her daughter, Hermione, goes with them as a stowaway. Hermione's adventures on the Trojan beaches, her struggle for survival,, and her search for true love of her life drive this story.

Social media:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Victoria Rebels

Queen Victoria’s personal journals inform this captivating first-person account of one of history’s most prominent female leaders.

Queen Victoria most certainly left a legacy—under her rule as the longest reigning female monarch in history, the British Empire was greatly expanded and significant industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military changes occurred within the United Kingdom. To be a young woman in a time when few other females held positions of power was to lead in a remarkable age—and because Queen Victoria kept personal journals, this historical novel from award-winning author Carolyn Meyer shares authentic emotional insight along with accurate information, weaving a true story of intrigue and romance.

Cleopatra Confesses

It is the first century B.C. Cleopatra, the third of the pharaoh's six children, is the one that her father has chosen to be the next queen of Egypt. But when King Ptolemy is forced into exile, Cleopatra is left alone to fend for herself in a palace rife with intrigue and murder. Smart, courageous, ambitious and sensuously beautiful, she possesses the charm to cause two of history's most famous leaders to fall in love with her. But as her cruel sisters plot to steal the throne, Cleopatra realizes there is only one person on whom she can rely--herself.

In Cleopatra Confesses, award winning author Carolyn Meyer writes the story of the teenage girl who would become Egypt's most unforgettable queen, from her early years to her her ultimate destiny.

The Wild Queen

Mary Stuart was just five years old when she was sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. But when the frail young king dies, eighteen-year-old Mary is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone. Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, Mary returns to Scotland. Hopingthat a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, she marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, the fiery young queen finds herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable “sister queen,” Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.

Win the books above by entering below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deadly to Promise (Elemental Killers #2) by Mia Hoddell

Deadly to Promise (Elemental Killers #2) by Mia Hoddell
Genre: YA/Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy

Blurb:
A broken promise is all it takes.

Becoming an E.K isn’t a choice for Serena – it’s a necessity to survive. To destroy the Elementals she has to leave her old life behind. She has to train and follow a strict regime. But with time against her, she has only a few weeks to master the skills Kai spent his whole life perfecting.


The knowledge passed down from her ancestors is crucial to the Elementals demise and the success of their mission. However, the path they must follow is lined with riddles, each more confusing than the next. It doesn’t matter how close to succeeding they get, it’s never enough. The Elementals are one step ahead at every revelation and that can only mean one thing – the E.Ks have a traitor among them.

For one week only, both Deadly to Love and Deadly to Promise are 99c / 77p!

Buy Now: Amazon | Amazon.co.uk

Excerpt

“Have you ever been swimming here?” I asked moving my head to watch his reaction as I brought my feet up out of the water and folded them beside me.

“Yeah, most summers when I came here. We all used to use it as a way to cool off or just have some fun in between training.”

“How about skinny dipping?” I asked my grin growing due to the thoughts running through my head.

“Why? You want to try it?” he challenged.

“Only if you go first,” I laughed but stopped instantly when he removed his shirt and tossed it behind us. My eyes widened in surprise and I started to regret my words. “You’re not being serious are you?” I stuttered as he pulled off his shoes, throwing them over to where his shirt was crumpled.

“You can’t chicken out now Rea. It was your idea,” he said smiling as he removed each sock, teasing me as they ended up with the rest of his discarded garments.

I just stared at him, my lips moving but not making a sound as I tried to find an excuse.

He laughed at me. “Relax Rea, I’m just teasing you. Well unless you’ve changed your mind. In that case I’m being deadly serious.” He had a cheeky grin on his face as he spoke and I pushed him hard, toppling him into the water below.

There was a lot of splashing but Kai surfaced finally, taking a deep breath as he flicked the hair out of his eyes. I was clutching my stomach in fits of laughter as I bent over. The shock on his face was priceless.

“Oh you are so dead Rea, so, so dead,” he said, his voice ragged as the cold water and shock affected his half naked body. I just continued to laugh as he floated in front of me, his head bobbing up and down in a comical way.

Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)
by Mia Hoddell
Genre: YA/Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy
ASIN: B00BDQ3QGA
ISBN: 978-1-291-41025-9

Blurb

The world is dangerous – but love will kill you.Little did Serena Jackson know that one simple, flirty remark to an anonymous guy online would lead to her world being changed forever.

She doesn’t know him, but inexplicably, is drawn. She knows it is wrong but she agrees to meet.

His real name is Kai. He is beautiful. And immediately Serena feels herself blindly falling for him even though she senses a lie. She knows he is hiding something and it terrifies her.

What she doesn’t realise is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.

She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.

Buy Now: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Lulu

Praise:

“I couldn't put it down. So I finished it last night and all I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different.” Brianna (Book Blogger)

“I loved how the author took a different approach to writing a love story in modern times with the paranormal element present. I thought it was absolutely wonderful and refreshing. Marvelous!” Kathy H (Amazon Reviewer)

“In the end I had fallen in love with this story…completely untraditional it was a very original idea, not to mention modern. This story had such a good plot and the story structure was sound.” Kacii – The Kooky Bookworm (Book Blogger)

About the Author
Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and loves anything paranormal. Mia always had a love of writing but never reading. She was more interested in sports and hated sitting still - despite getting three poems published before the age of sixteen. Finally though, she found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of reading which is now one of her favourite hobbies.

Mia began with poems before moving on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series 'The Wanderer Trilogy' and from there other ideas have emerged. With a total of nine books planned at this moment, she is busy working on her second series 'Elemental Killers' before moving onto the next idea on her ever growing list.
Links: 
Blog |Twitter | Facebook Page |Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Deadly to Love

by Mia Hoddell

Giveaway ends December 06, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Chapter Reveal & Giveaway: Afterparty by @AnnStampler

About AFTERPARTY: 
A toxic friendship takes a dangerous turn in this riveting novel from the author of Where It Began.

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother—whose name her dad won’t even say out loud. That’s why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her…and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she’s everything Emma isn’t.

And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It’s more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, a bash where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

Buy Links:

Amazon | BN | Book Depository | Indiebound

About Ann Stampler: 
Ann Stampler was the mild mannered author of literary picture books when she broke out, tore off her tasteful string of pearls, and started writing edgy, contemporary young adult novels set in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and writer’s-helper rescue dog – without whose compelling distraction she would have no doubt penned dozens of novels by now. 
Social media links:
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest
The writing life blog | Novel in the Oven: Really Bad Writing Advice 

The LINK to the first three chapters of AFTERPARTY by Ann Stampler: http://www.scribd.com/doc/183272047/Afterparty-by-Ann-Redisch-Stampler-Excerpt

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Broken by C.J. Lyons

Author: C.J. Lyons
Title: Broken
Publication: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Netgalley for Blog Tour
Website | Facebook | Amazon

New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons makes her YA debut with a fast-paced thriller sure to keep readers guessing to the very last page

The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.

One week. That's exactly the time it takes for Scarlet's life to change. She's lived with her heart condition that's had her home bound for some time but now things have turned critical, she wants to experience being a normal teenager by going to school. Of course, her step-mother, a nurse at the school she will be attending wants any opportunity to snatch her away back into the safe bubble that is her home. She's extremely overbearing and fails to see how crippling her behavior is to her daughter. Scarlet is aware that her mother cares for her because she's the one who has been there at the critical moments of life and death but she needs her space and the chance to enjoy this little piece of normal as long as she can. One day will change it all... Scarlet will learn a truth that will blow her mind and she must learn to overcome her fears and be brave or someone will die. 

School life isn't what Scarlet expected and her condition makes acceptance difficult. She's bullied and called a freak, some of these students are unnecessarily cruel to her but through her support group that's supposed to aid in a smooth transition into the ways of high school. She begins to learn about true friendship outside her world of sickness and hospitals. Scarlet is a sweet, innocent character and she's very trusting but I found her determination to continue, despite the mean acts against her, a true mark of her bravery. She just wants to live and not fade away and this makes her journey easy to connect with as well as some of the other characters around. These characters may seem "broken" but they are fighters and when they uncover the horrifying truth, they don't back away out of fear. That said I didn't connect with all the characters but the writing builds nicely to the conclusion. Overall, I think this is a good read about bullying and friendship. 

Waiting on Wednesday #41: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
Expected Release: January 2014

Goodreads Synopsis
For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.


Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down.

I love this cover! 

What book are you looking forward to reading?

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry @HarlequinTeen

Author: Katie McGarry
Title: Crash Into You
Series: Pushing the Limits #3
Publication: November 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 474 pp.
Source: Publisher
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane 

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

What begins as a chance meeting turns into a thrill ride down the fast lane to love. 

Rachel is good at fitting the mold of the perfect daughter, though it costs her emotionally and physically. She's the replacement for the daughter her mother lost to leukemia. Her life isn't her own and she has to pretend because it makes her mom and her family happy. I don't like how the brothers treat her and guilt her into continuing the farce but a least she has her car and her need for speed leads her to Isaiah and tons of trouble with a little love along the way. Isaiah, the bad boy, has this persona that puts people off. He's a child of the system and he refuses to go back to live with his foster parents. He wants out now but his finances are practically none existent but he needs money fast and drag racing is the answer. Isaiah never expects to see the angel with the sweet ride or the way she makes him feel. I like how Rachel and Isaiah are together; they pull one another out of themselves and really see each other. It's nice to learn who Isaiah really is underneath that bad boy facade and that's he's just hurt from his life and the mother he feels abandoned him. 

This is my favorite book of all three. I think Isaiah and Rachel are adorable. He and Beth together would've been a train wreck, they were both so broken, yet Rachel matches him perfectly. I can relate to Rachel, I understand where she coming from as I have five brothers myself. Isaiah has had a hard life and it's sad to read all he went through in foster care. Overall, this story is well written and touching story about love and friendship that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys contemporary reads.