Unlovely by Celeste Conway Review and Giveaway!!

Published: January 2nd 2015 by Merrit Press

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22456995-unlovely

Pages: 256

SUMMARY

Accidents happen. But they happen more often when the beautiful ballet dancers return each summer to the island. When he hears the ruthless way that the loveliest dancer talks about boys getting what they deserve when they break girls' hearts, Harley, home for the summer after his first year of college, wonders if he's losing his mind. He knows for sure that he's losing his heart to this girl...But then, strange incidents start happening all over the island and Harley is caught between desire and fear: could he also be in danger of losing his life? 

REVIEW

This was a very quick enjoyable one sitting read for me. I was intrigued at what was going to happen and when, and when it did, I didn't really see it coming.

Harley is home for the summer living on his Dad's boat with him again, he is a freshman at college, something not a lot of people get to say from the small town that he grew up in. Most times people just stay in the town and work where they can. Harley is determined to make more of himself.

Everything is fine until one day the girls from the local ballet school come down for their regular once a week trip in to town. Harley sees a new girl has joined the group, and something about her is very interesting to him. 

His Dad does some repairs at the ballet school, so one day Harley went with him, and it was the first time that he met Cassandra, and he was head over heels instantly. She seemed interested too, so they finally after a little while of flirtation make a date so he can take her out sailing on his boat. 

There is a little complication though, namely his ex-girlfriend Mairin. Things are maybe not as over as Harley had thought when she got married and is pregnant with someone else's child. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would give it a 4/5!

GIVEAWAY

Bethany at Merrit Press has been kind enough to offer up 2 copies of this book for anyone in the US or Canada! All you have to do is follow the blog and lave a comment thanking Bethany and Merrit Press! All entries will be entered to win via random.org on April 3rd.

Unexpected Eden (Eden #1) by Rhenna Morgan

Published: December 29 2014 by Lyrical Press

Pages: 259

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23269158-unexpected-eden?ac=1

SUMMARY

Paradise, love, power…and a prophecy with a price. 

Most people believe Eden no longer exists. Lexi Merrill’s about to learn they’re wrong. A hard-working bartender with a self-sufficient backbone and a wary nature, she knows pickup lines like a second language. So, when Eryx Shantos barges into her world with too-smooth words and a body to back it up, she locks up her libido and vows to keep her distance. 

Eryx has other ideas. As king of the Myren race, Eryx is duty-bound to enforce the laws preventing exposure of their existence to humans. Yet The Fates have led him through his dreams to Lexi, a temptation he doesn’t want to resist. The question--is she Myren, or human, which makes her forbidden fruit?

When Eryx’s nemesis tags Lexi as his next target, Eryx insists on taking her home where he can keep her safe. Lexi had no idea “home” would mean the one-and-only land of creation…or that she’d trigger a prophecy that could doom her newfound race.

REVIEW

Let me just start off by saying that I LOVE the world that Rhenna has created in this novel!

We start off the novel with Lexi at work as a bartender, and little does she know that her entire world is going to be flipped on its side in the next 24 hours. We first meet Eryx when he goes in to Lexi's work and pays off the other bartender on duty so that she will serve him, it does not turn out the way he wanted, so he waits for her after work and persuades her to have breakfast with him, everything takes off from there and does not stop right up until the last page of the novel.

No one believes that Eden exists anymore, however, Lexi is about to learn that it still does, and she has more of a connection to it then she could possibly imagine. The only person that she seems to have a connection to in the real world is Ian, a retired police officer that now does private investigations, we learn more about her history as the story goes on, however, there is still so much that is not explained and I am eager to know, and I like that Rhenna did not give everything away in the first installment, it gives us readers something to look forward to.

Eryx may just be one of my favourite book boyfriends! He is handsome, strong, and romantic. He also happens to be the King of the Myren, something he fails to tell Lexi when he brings her to Eden. He also has a twin brother and a sister whom Lexi meets within her first day of being there, and everyone accepts her as family right away as Eryx has been dreaming about finding her for years, and everyone feels like they know her already. 

I want to live in Eden, I want to have what Lexi has, Rhenna has created a fantastic world and I cannot wait to read the next installment! Nothing is confusing about getting to know the world with her world building, and the names that she gives everything like in some other novels. I marvel at Rhenna's imagination, and how she thought up all the names she gives everything.

I absolutely give this novel a 5/5 and if you are looking for a great paranormal romance, this one is for you! I have already messaged Rhenna and begged about when the next installment is coming out lol!

The Perfect Mother

Published November 24 2014 by Plume

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893341-the-perfect-mother?ac=1

SUMMARY

When an American exchange student is accused of murder, her mother will stop at nothing to save her.

A midnight phone call shatters Jennifer Lewis’s carefully orchestrated life. Her daughter, Emma, who’s studying abroad in Spain, has been arrested after the brutal murder of another student. Jennifer rushes to her side, certain the arrest is a terrible mistake and determined to do whatever is necessary to bring Emma home. But as she begins to investigate the crime, she starts to wonder whether she ever really knew her daughter. The police charge Emma, and the press leaps on the story, exaggerating every sordid detail. One by one, Emma’s defense team, her father, and finally even Jennifer begin to have doubts.
 A novel of harrowing emotional suspense, The Perfect Mother probes the dark side of parenthood and the complicated bond between mothers and daughters.

REVIEW

I won this book as part of the Goodreads first reads program, I didn't know what to expect from it, except I was hoping that it would keep me on the edge of my seat with what was going to happen next, and it did not disappoint!

I liked most of the characters, however, I did not like Emma, she came off as a spoiled rotten little brat, it was not till the end of the book that I started to feel differently about her. She did not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation that she was in, and just seemed to wrapped up in her own head to want to try and help herself at all.

Jennifer was a dutiful mother who only wanted to help her daughter get out of a very serious situation, even when her daughter did not want to help at all. I can understand the reasons for her actions throughout the novel, and I think that I would do the same thing if I was in her shoes. Mark  was strong through the whole thing, even though he could not be there for Emma as much as he wanted to.

I think my favourite character was Roberto, he was the manager of the case for Jennifer, and he had his own side line story that I would like to see turned in to a follow up from this book, don't know if that is going to happen.

I liked how the author gave instances of where the criminal justice system was different in Spain than it was in the US, you could tell she did her homework there. The police had their own theory on what happened, and with all the facts that Emma was giving them, I believed them over her, and as much as Jennifer did not want to, there was a point in the novel where she could not put those doubts aside anymore. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I will be looking up the authors other work as well, I give this book a 4/5!