Monday, August 25, 2014

Nikki reviews: UNLIT STAR by Lindy Zart

Title: UNLIT STAR
Author: LINDY ZART


We are not guaranteed anything, not even this life.

Rivers Young is the popular guy untouchable by reality. He is like a star—bright, consuming, otherworldly. The thing about stars, though, is that they eventually fall, and he is no different.

He falls far and he falls hard.

Delilah Bana is the outcast enshrouded in all of life's ironies. Alone, in the dark, like dusk as it falls on the world. When Rivers hits the ground, she is the night that catches him. In the darkness, they meld into something beautiful that shines like the sun.

Only, the greater the star is, the shorter its lifespan.



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~REVIEW~

I’ve lived for 27 years, been a bookworm since I was in grade school hooked to Sweet Valley High. Can you tell that I was a sucker for romance since my age was only a single digit? You bet, I was.

I’ve read almost a thousand fiction books but, there are only a few in this world that had made me stop for a while to catch my breath, because if I didn’t, I would have lost it. And despite that momentarily pause, I lost it anyway. UNLIT STAR is one of those books.

When I read the blurb, I didn’t know what I brought myself into. Sure, the blurb is like a burst of pretty words, why not give it a try? And boy, did I give it a try.

And it killed me. It was like someone speared me straight into the heart and twisted it a million times. It was pretty painful I tell you. How can a single book literally put you in agony? I was a crying mess at five in the morning. I wasn’t prepared, I didn’t have tissues within arms reach. I had no choice but to wipe the river of tears on my fucking shirt while my breaths hitched. It was an ugly sight. Good thing was, the lights were out.

Honestly, I don’t know how to review this book without spoiling anything. But, one thing is certain: this book is beautifully written. If you think the blurb is something, wait until you are reading the actual story. Zart is a gifted bitch. Her words are just… extraordinarily woven into something that actually make you feel. Like you belong to the book; like you are there witnessing everything right in front of your very eyes. The emotions of the characters are so palpable it was like they are physically touching you. UNLIT STAR is a powerful experience. The story is not profound, or enlightening. It’s a relatable story and I think that’s what made it more engaging.

Rivers and Delilah… Ahhh, these two are match made in the night sky. Their love story is one of the most heart-warming stories I have ever read. They were young, yes. But they were each other’s destiny. Insta love? I’ve known people in the literary world who don’t dig this shit, but this shit right here is real; their shit endured; their shit was for keeps. They were each other’s night and day. They were two very different people from different worlds. But, I guess when your heart tells you that it’s in love, then you can’t really do anything even if you try to fight it. Delilah tried, but she failed. And I’m happy she did, because that failure was what really brought them together. Two broken souls that have met, and made each other whole.

~PLAYLIST~

Here's my UNLIT STAR playlist:
A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay
The One You Love - Passenger feat. Kate Miller Heidke
In Loving Memory - Alter Bridge
In the Shallows - Daughter


Did I tell you I loved this book? Oh, I didn’t. But, have you read what I wrote? If yes, then probably you get the idea. I was in a book funk for almost eight months now, only reading the ones that I’ve really been waiting for and not trying to find anything new. I haven't even reviewed a book for six months!!! But, I came across Unlit Star and I am glad I did. Because this book actually, is my best read this year. I’m not sure yet, but there’s this little fluttery feeling in my heart that tells me to acknowledge the thought that this may actually be my most favourite book now. I’ll let you know who wins the struggle: the loyalty to the author of the book sitting in my #1 spot, or UNLIT STAR that’s calling to my soul.

Rating:

DIAMOND RECORD



Connect with the Author

Basically she just likes to make stuff up and put it down on paper. I.E. She's an author.

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Saturday, August 23, 2014

Sy reviews: LEAD by Kylie Scott

Title: Lead
Series: Stage Dive #
Author: Kylie Scott


As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it's booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble.  

Lena's not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.


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~REVIEW~

Who would want to read a story about a bad boy? Who would want to read a story of a bad boy rock star? Now, who would want to read a story about how a bad boy rock star gets tamed? Me! Me! Me!

Nothing hurt quite like an unrequited love. And that's exactly how the story of Lena and Jimmy revolved in Lead.

Lena is like a breath of fresh air as a heroine. She has great wits, sense of humor, and I love how she is not perfect in height or in size but her uber great personality makes up for it and then some. Of course, you gotta admire her for taming the beast too.

James Dylan Ferris. Now that seemed like a name of person with heartbreak written all over him. Heck, he not only hurt Lena, he broke my heart too! I kid you not, I still feel my heart ache until now during that one particular scene. And believe me, as a self-declared masochist and sucker for all things "book heartaches", there are still very few authors who have made me feel like my heart is slowly being ripped into pieces. But Kylie did exactly that.

I'm not sure if it's wrong to say this but at some point while reading this book, I told myself rock star stories should not make me feel this much. It should not give me that feeling where I had to take a moment and take deep breaths because suddenly everything is just too much. Then I remembered feeling something similar in Lick. Then in Play. Then I realized that I guess Kylie Scott is a genius if she made me feel this much in three of her books already.

I love how Lead has shown me the uglies and the beauties of a rock star's life-how someone can get out of the gutter if he really put his mind to it. How the support of loved ones can make a person more determined. How hot Jimmy Ferris is and how crazier Mal has gotten. Haha!

~PLAYLIST~

Here's my Lead playlist:
Nine Days - Absolutely (Story of a Girl)
Coldplay - In My Place
John Legend - You and I (Nobody in the World
John Legend - This Time


I think John Legend's song is the perfect song for Jimmy to sing to Lena. The line "out of all the girls, you're my one and only girl ain't nobody in the world tonight" made me remember all the times he and Lena had tv nights and how they're like living in their own bubble in that place.
This Time is my Jimmy's song to woo Lena. I seriously think that he could've just sang this song to Lena and she would've forgiven her in a heartbeat. Well, maybe not but you know, this would've given him so much headway. ;)

Rating:

PLATINUM RECORD








About the Author

Kylie is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Contact her at kylie@kylie-scott.com
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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Sy reviews: UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover

Title: Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her. Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.



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~REVIEW~

I wonder why Colleen Hoover would put her readers through more than 60% of the time feeling frustrated and angry and hurt and heartbroken with this book. Did she stop with Maybe Someday? No. She has to write Ugly Love and torture us again. Sadist much?

I just read Ugly Love and I loved it. And I hated it. And then I loved it again. At first I love the dual POV in this story. But that didn't last long. I ended up just loving Tate's POV and found myself bracing for a world of pain and hurt reading Miles's POV.

Tate. I like Tate. I like how she was hopeful in the face of hopelessness. I love a heroine who knows when to fight for what she wants and when to stop.

Miles. God, Miles. I'm still torn about his character even if he redeemed himself in the end. Reading Miles's POV and past is like watching a train wreck. It's like watching closely a person make one bad decision right after another.

I was really conflicted with this book and whether I hate it or love it. I was so conflicted that it came to the point where I questioned myself if I should start basing my rating of a book on the number of times it made me swoon and fall in love with the characters, the number of times I highlight certain parts of the book or the life lessons it taught me. This book did not make me swoon and fall in love with the characters. This book never really taught me life lessons or words to live by. Hardly. I did highlight a lot of lines from this book though.

I decided to just simply rate the book based on what and how it made me feel. How strongly it made me feel throughout the whole time I was reading it. Sure, most of the time I had the urge to drink some hard liquor while reading this book just to help me get through all the heart ache that eats at me chapter after chapter of this book but I guess that's why I still loved it in the end. Because it made me hate it just as much as I love it.

And yes, this is a story about love. This is a story of how ugly love can become. How painful it can hurt. This is also a story of how love can be beautiful and how all the heart aches and pains are worth it because in the end, after everything people go through, when they find love those beautiful moments of love make up for all the uglies. So thank you, Colleen for reminding us of that. And thank you for still giving me an ending I loved. Even if the journey to that last page was a slow torture. Haha!

~PLAYLIST~

Here's my Ugly Love playlist:
Ed Sheeran - Photograph
Demi Lovato - Fix A Heart
Christina Aguilera - Hurt
James Morrison - You Make It Real
Ray LaMontagne - You Are The Best Thing
Paolo Nutini - Last Request


Rating:

PLATINUM RECORD








About the Author


She loves music. LOVE music. Namely The Avett Brothers, Lumineers, Pink, Eminem. She has eclectic taste? If you have any recommendations, send them her way! She's addicted to diet pepsi and could tell you in a taste-test which restaurant it came from. It's a serious addiction. She gets stoked whenever she gets a message from goodreads saying she has a new friend request... If you want to know when she has new books out or just want to be inundated by random, pointless blog posts, stalk her!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Sy reviews: BEFORE JAMAICA LANE by Samantha Young


Title: Before Jamaica Lane
Series: On Dublin Street #3
Author: Samantha Young

One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more…

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…

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~Review~

A certified manwhore and a girl with insecurities. Put them together and you got a recipe for a sweet love story with just enough heart ache.

I have started to read this series last year but only got to pick up Before Jamaica Lane today to get me out of a book slump. I almost forgot how in love I have been with this series and reading Before Jamaica Lane and being reunited with these characters reminded me of that.

Lately, I have been dreaming (okay fine fantasizing) about book characters with alpha male badassery attitude. And believe me, I always find that hot. Now Nate, he may not be the alpha male I've been reading lately but boy that man still managed to sweep me off my feet with his wits and charm and well, his handsome and hotness glory. There's just something about his character that makes you want to cheer for him even if he's a manwhore. I guess it's because he's also sweet and kind when it matters.

Olivia, I guess every girl can relate to her. I think at one point in every girl's life she struggles with insecurities to the point of almost breaking her. And I think Olivia is also every girl's hero. I admire how she's brave enough to do something about battling these insecurities and I think girls would pick up a thing or two from her.

Before Jamaica Lane is that kind of love story that slowly builds up and blooms in the end. It's not even just the story of the main characters. I love how every story from these series have all these great sideline stories excellently and strongly written to prepare you for the next one.

~Playlist~

Here's my Knight playlist:
Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly
Ed Sheeran - I'm A Mess
Casey James - Don't

Rating:

DIAMOND RECORD








About the Author


Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller ON DUBLIN STREET. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in twenty-seven countries.

For more info on Samantha's adult fiction visit http://www.ondublinstreet.com. For info on her young adult fiction visit www.samanthayoungbooks.com

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