August - September

August was mostly a planning ahead month for me. I've mentioned a few times that I work for a major UK based company and summer is our busiest time of the year and we have mandatory overtime invoked in our contracts right now. I've been working crazy long shifts - some as long as 14 hours and so considering all of that i'm SO happy that I managed to read 4 books (at the time of writing - hoping for a 5th!) I also feel pretty successful that I didn't buy a single book either! Big thanks to Rock The Boat for not making it an entirely book free month ;) I've done a lot of planning for future reviews and I'm hoping for a jam-packed October on Loaded Shelves! Speaking of which, if anyone would like to be involved, please get in touch. Without further ado, here's my August wrap up!

What I Got (and where from)

Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (Rock The Boat)
The Return of the Young Prince by A.G.Roemmers (Rock The Boat)

What I Read
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider
Know Not Why by Hannah Johnson
Nothing Tastes As Good by Claire Hennessy
Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

What I Reviewed
Time To Say Goodbye by S.D.Robertson

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.

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.

Caragh Reviews // Head Over Heels (Geek Girl #5) by Holly Smale

Published - (Expected) 7th April 2016
Publisher - HarperCollins
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Harriet Manners knows almost every fact there is.
She knows duck-billed platypuses don’t have stomachs.
She knows that fourteen squirrels were once detained as spies.
She knows only one flag in the world features a building.
And for once, Harriet knows exactly how her life should go. She’s got it ALL planned out. So when love is in the air, Harriet is determined to Make Things Happen! If only everyone else would stick to the script…Has GEEK GIRL overstepped the mark, and is following the rules going to break hearts all over again?

Geek Girl! Harriet Manners! Holly Smale! <3
There are few things that get me as excited as the above three things. Since Day 1 I've been spreading the love for this series. It's so delightfully perfect and has the right amount of, well, everything! 

This time around, Harriet has a growing friendship group and I LOVED it. When I first started reading, I was a little bit worried that there wouldn't be enough Toby and that it would be a more widespread read rather than focused on Harriet but I was happily wrong, as always :)  Team JINTH has it's so lovingly referred to only made me love Harriet even more. I'll be the first to admit that whilst Harriet is highly intelligent, she's rather self absorbed. Harriet's rules, Harriet's plans...Harriet Harriet Harriet. But that's also one of the many reasons why I love her. In Head over Heels though, she learns a lot of lessons. She is growing up and taking responsibility for her actions....eventually anyway. 

Another of my absolutely favourite bits of the whole Geek Girl Series is of course the travelling. I'm not a big traveller, for various reasons, but in my heart I am seething with jealousy as I would love the opportunity. Through Harriet I get to experience a little bit of the world. This time it's no different and the scene is just beautiful - we get to see the real Harriet which is always a treat!

One more thing I wanted to comment on before I go, and that's Lion Boy. I really, truly, can't comment on what's going on during this book for fear of being lynched - but I will say that I am in the minority when it comes to this book! I absolutely adore him and always have. I've just got a feeling about one of the newer faces in this book and I can't say I wouldn't be happy.... ;)

Being the 5th book in the series, it's really difficult to find the words to write a lengthy review. I don't want to give anything away! Harriet has become such a big part of our lives, it would be as disastrous as a Modelling Shoot to spoil it. It is such a pleasure and a privilege to watch Harriet grow up and live her life. I'm really not sure what i'm going to do when her story has been told for good. Other than keep re-reading it of course :)

Brianna Reviews // Killing Floor by Lee Child

Published: 15^th September 2009 (Originally: 17^th March 1997)

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Format: Kindle

Synopsis:  Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He's just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in less than an hour, he's arrested for murder. Not much of a welcome. All Jack knows is that he didn't kill anybody. At least not here. Not lately. But he doesn't stand a chance of convincing anyone. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Not a chance in hell.

I was recommended this book by a friend after I had spent 10 minutes admiring the books on her bookshelf (I was a little surprised to find out we had similar tastes). She asked if I had read any of the Jack Reacher books, which I hadn’t, although I had seen the Jack Reacher film, which I enjoyed but it hadn’t made me want to read any. She assured me that the books were far better and that the film wasn’t even based off the best one. 

So Killing Floor literally starts with Reacher being arrested for murder. He’s in Margrave a small town in the middle of nowhere. Reacher is strangely calm about the whole thing, mostly helped by the fact that he knows he didn’t do it – although even if I knew I hadn’t done it I still don’t think I’d be that calm. Eventually and inevitably Reacher starts trying to solve the murder – especially once the victim is identified – and ends up solving more than just one murder.

I have to admit that it wasn’t what I had expected, not that I could explain what I had expect, I just know that it wasn’t it. Apologies that I don’t have too much to say about it and due to the ‘mystery’ angle of the book I don’t think I should say too much about the plot, I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone.

Overall I found Reacher likable; I think Lee Child did a good job in making Reacher a realistic and believable hero. He is just the right balance of honourable and complete ass. This is why I said that he is overall a likable character because there are a few times when I’m not sure I like the man but it all balances out.

The book it’s self was well balanced between introducing Reacher as character, the mystery of who did it and what was going on and of course the action. It flowed well between the three thing unlike some books where the mystery and action almost get put on hold while the author introduces the character or delves into the past, in Killing Floor the character development and history fit naturally in around and with both the mystery and the action. It’s also quite well paced, with little revelations and new clues.  I didn’t really guess who was involved (Part of it was obvious, but others not so) I had loads of theories but they all fell flat.

I really enjoyed Killing Floor and was hooked from the start. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes detective novels and a bit of action. and in case you were wondering, yes I picked the next one up as soon as I finished this one. Unlike Reacher, I can’t just walk away.

Caragh Reviews // The Island by Olivia Levez

Published - 3rd March 2016
Publisher - Oneworld Publications
Format - Paperback
Synopsis -  Frances is alone on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. She has to find water and food. She has to survive. And when she is there she also thinks about the past. The things that she did before. The things that made her a monster. Nothing is easy. Survival is hard and so is being honest about the past. Frances is a survivor however, and with the help of the only other crash survivor, she sees that the future is worth fighting for. The Island is a gripping and thoughtful story about a girl who didn’t ask to be the person she is but is also determined to make herself the person she wants to be.

 Truly thankful to Rock the Boat for sending me a copy of this to review!

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this. The main character is sixteen year old Fran, who has done something so terrible, she's being sent away. But that's all the information we're given straight away. It was such a difficult situation for me, because Fran is horribly unlikable right from the start. She is standoffish, judgemental, unkind and just downright bratty. However, I persevered and wow, that was the best decision I could have made.

The Island is beautifully written and engaging. There aren't 'chapters' as such; mini ramblings is more what I would call them. They pass from Fran's past to the present so often that you kind of have to speed read to really make sense of things. This worked really well for me though. As each 'section' was so short, I was propelled to keep going. Just one more little section. Oh go on then, i'll do another couple. And on it went until i'd read the entire thing within a couple of breaks at work and an accidental all-nighter.

As time goes on, we experience a lot of trauma and adventure through the eyes of Fran. We watch her risk her life over and over just to survive. Fran frequently refers to herself as 'medusa' or a 'rock' because she is emotionless and can withstand anything but the longer Fran is on the island, her cracks start expanding and she lets the reader in, to begin to understand her. She is not a regular teenager and although I wouldn't go as far as saying she is easily forgivable, I can certainly admit to sharing her emotions and feeling a lot of anger myself.

On the subject of anger though, WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THAT ENDING?
Obviously i'm not going to go into detail here, the books barely even been released. I can say though with my hand on my heart, that I have never been as angry with a book ending as I was with this one. I watched this girl struggle and face her traumatic past whilst she fought to stay alive in her traumatic present. I appreciated her, I went from detesting her to wanting to cuddle her. And yet THAT is my reward? I'm afraid not. I fully expect some kind of answer to be released one day and I will not give up hope.

Until then, if you don't like resolution, this one may need some consideration before reading. In all other respects though, a wonderful, enlightening book that will definitely do great things in the future.

Caragh Reviews // Match Me If You Can by Michele Gorman

Published - 14th January 2016
Publisher - Avon
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can recycle their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen.
Rachel's office romance James was a big fat mistake and she's more than happy to upcycle him… Or is she? Homebody Sarah hasn't had a date in years but when her transformation finds men falling at her newly-pedicured feet, will her popularity be worth the sacrifices she’s making? And Catherine falls asleep more often on her desk than on a man, so when she builds the perfect partner who ticks all her boxes, surely it's a recipe for love . . . not disaster? There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out for themselves . .

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but if not here's a quick...thing.
I'm usually an avid YA/Fantasy reader and very rarely step outside my nice and snug little box. However, this year I'm going to try and read some more 'older' reads and more books set in the 'real world'. I use those annoying ' __ ' because i'm a firm believer that books have no age limit...but I digress now.

Match Me If You Can had such a crazy premise that it wasn't really an option - I HAD to know what on earth would happen if you recycled your ex. Living vicariously through fiction, as always, I had a hell of a time.

It was a pretty quick read and I fit quite a chunk of it into breaks at work and it was actually a lot of fun. There were real issues going on between the covers but it never felt too heavy. The focus switches between the 3 friends with alternating chapters which kept things interesting. I thought it might break up the story too much but it really worked. I really connected with Sarah but as much as I looked forward to the focus being on her, Rachel and Catherine brought their own enjoyments for me. I would have liked more discussion regarding the actual dating website side of things, just because I find it such a hilarious prospect but that would have made the book last forever.

I know it's 2016 and we spend our lives on the internet, but I still find it so strange to come across a book that at it's core is based on technology and the way our lives have changed over the years. It was an enjoyable read and it made a refreshing change from my usual types.

If anyone has any recs for internet based books, please let me know!

BLOG TOUR! // The Woman Who Upped and Left by Fiona Gibson

Published - 25th February 2016
Publisher - Avon
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Forget about having it all. Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind. Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back – but she can’t possibly do that.
She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities…and a slothful teenage son’s pants to pick up. But no one likes being taken for granted – Audrey least of all – so the time has come for drastic action. And no one’s going to stand in her way…

Hello! Whether you're a regular here or just stopping by for the blog tour - welcome to Loaded Shelves :) Today we're celebrating the release of Fiona Gibson's latest book The Woman Who Upped and Left. It's been available for a week now so i'm sure you've heard lots about it. My copy of the book was sent by Avon, so thanks for that!

Fiona Gibson has released a lot of books but strangely, she's an incredibly new-to-me author. I'd seen the online buzz associated with the new book and was so excited to be involved. I don't read an awful lot of 'chick lit' (please let me know a better term for this) but I'm really trying to delve into more 'real life' contemporary reads in 2016. So let's talk about the book, shall we?

What I love most about this book, and others like it, is how comfortable and easy the writing style is. As I said before, it's really down to earth and understandable and absolutely perfect for a relaxing post-work read in the evening. The main character, Audrey, has an awful lot going on in her life. She's been a dinner lady for ten years, has a side job as a carer and is practically single-handedly raising her layabout teenage son on very little funds. Audrey strikes it lucky when she wins the prize of a lifetime, and takes the opportunity to attend a French Cookery course in a Michelin star hotel/restaurant.

Yeah, okay... It did read a little predictable but it really felt like a journey that Audrey took us on. Throughout her various encounters and experiences, she begins to discover herself and what it is she wants from her life. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. I swallowed it up within 2 sittings and found it to be a real page turner as Audrey Pepper is a memorable woman. There were a few points that had me shaking my head though and I think the book would have faired better without them. 

Stevie is Audreys 'sort of' boyfriend. He calls, and Audrey goes running to overnight service stations for some rough 'n tumble and then...nothing. About half way through the book, there's an incident at Audrey's hotel that really had me thinking 'WHAT?! THAT IS NOT OKAY!'. I obviously won't go into detail, no spoilers here, but i'm really surprised at the way it was handled. It was an awful situation that was never really explored in the book. It made a passing comment and came off as though it was trying to be a joke, but to be honest I found it shocking and a huge deal. It should have been left out, or at least discussed to assure readers that this behaviour is really NOT okay.

In addition to this, I related to Audrey as a hard working woman who barely scraped by and enjoyed the smaller things in life. Audrey is portrayed this way throughout the book. I found it so interesting though that at various points Audrey is blindsided by the responsibility of money. At the end of the book, a debt that she has racked up is resolved but in the mean time, she goes out and gets her hair done professionally and intentionally delays the payment. A minor thing of course considering it is fiction after all, and didn't make that much difference to the book in general, but in terms of its 'realness' and relatability, it seemed irresponsible.

Got a bit heavy there didn't it? I apologise. The Woman Who Upped and Left was a fab read and I can imagine a LOT of excellent children buying a copy for Mother's Day at the weekend. Not gonna lie, i'm definitely passing my copy on to my own mum! Lots of important issues are raised and discussed throughout the book and it's great to see things being talked about in Women's Literature.

Brianna Reviews // Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Published: 3^rd July 2003

Publisher: Arrow Books

Format: Paperback

Synopsis:  During one of the hottest summers on record, Dr Temperance Brennan is haunted by a string of horrifying events. First, the bones of a newborn baby are discovered in a wood stove. The mother is nowhere to be found. Next, a plane flies into a rock face. The dead pilot and passenger are burned beyond recognition, and covered in an unknown substance. And then a store of bones is found in a remote corner of the county. What has happened, and who will be the next victim? The answers lie hidden deep within the bones - but Tempe must find them in time to stop further disaster.

Bare Bones gets off to a sort of promising start and even answers the question of who she went on holiday with (hint: I’m happy) but personally for me it starts to go downhill, in the nicest possible way (because I honestly don’t think it’s a bad book I did enjoy it, and I still gave it 4 stars on goodreads) I think this is the worst Brennan book so far.

So this time Brennan is at home, she never went on holiday, work got in the way. She has just discovered that the bones in the stove are as feared from a newborn baby, she’s working alongside a local cop to try and find the mother. And Ryan is coming down to stay with her. Oh and she discovers human remains at a BBQ – or Boyd does. Turns out most of the bones are actually bear bones. And she stumbles nicely into a hunting, animal parts smuggling operation.

It’s not the main crime or investigation in Bare Bones that made it a less enjoyable read although it wasn’t the most thrilling. No it was Brennan herself that made this not so fun to read. This is a long running series, you expect a bit of character progression, and we’ve had that, she’s loosened up a little on the prospect of dating etc. but you would think that after 5 books she would have made a connection between running off on her own without telling anyone and her being in life threatening danger… but it seems that she hasn’t learnt any such lesson, and it annoys me as I’m sure I have gone over before… as I feel like I might have mentioned this in the last 3 reviews, if not then I should have! And I think if I’m honest my view on this entire book story, plot, characters and all is tainted by my utter exasperation and weariness over her yet again running into a clearly dangerous situation without telling anyone. Or maybe it’s just because she has a complete disregard for her own safety  in general; she receives threats from someone in the form of photos of her and Katy taken through a scope of a rifle and a warning telling her to back off (she doesn’t know what as she is working more than one case). These photos rightly scare her and they also worry Ryan, yet despite this she still runs off into danger on her own.

It was quite nice to see Ryan making an appearance while off duty, and to see Brennan being nice to him as well, it’s all very civil, almost normal. Proof that she can change and learn stuff. It’s a nice reward after so many books of them irrationally making it difficult (mostly Brennan).

So in summary, it wasn’t bad the case was actually okay, it’s just the damsel in distress thing is running thin -  I will of course continue reading the series but I hope she learns something sharpish.

2015 In Books

As you may remember (I'm trying to forget), I failed my Goodreads challenge last year of 100 books and so for 2015 I decided to go back to basics and try again from 50. As you can see from my list, I read a fair few graphic novels and as I'm a firm believer that anything goes, they deserve to be on this list. I'm quite impressed with how I've done actually. I work ridiculous hours, I've had two surgeries, I've moved house and just in general it's been one of the busiest years of my life.

1. Bleach Vol.3
2. Bleach Vol.4
3. Undone by Cat Clarke
4. Death Note Vol.11
5. Onepiece Vol.2
6. Mind Games by Teri Terry
7. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
8. The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond
9. I Was Here by Gayle Foreman
10. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
11. The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Russell Brand
12. The Flash Vol 1
13. All That Glitters (Geek Girl 4) by Holly Smale
14. The Son of Neptune by Rick RIordan
15. Enchantment Lake by Margi Preus
16. Monster by C.J.Skuse
17. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
18. Conquering Chaos by Catelynn Lowell & Tyler Baltierra
19. Talon by Julie Kagawa
20. Rogue by Julie Kagawa
21. Butter by Erin Jade Lange
22. Harley Quinn Vol.1
23. Death Note Vol.12
24. Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall
25. Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
26. Bleach Vol.5
27. Grave Matters by Jana Oliver
28. Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz
29. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
30. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
31. Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
32. Teen Angst?...Nah by Ned Vizzini 
33. Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson
34. Juvie by Steve Watkins
35. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
36. When I Was Me by Hilary Freeman
37. Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell
38. The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth
39. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
40. The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting by Holly Bourne
41. What We Left Behind by Robin Talley
42. Simon Vs The Homosapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli
43. Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe
44. Harley Quinn Vol.2
45. Letting You Go by Anouska Knight
46. Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer
47. Civil War by Mark Millar
48. Punisher War Zone 1
49. Punisher War Zone 2
50. Punisher War Zone 3 
51. Punisher War Zone 4
52. Punisher War Zone 5
53. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
54. Believarexic by J.J.Johnson
55. Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner
56. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
57. Night Owls by Jenn Bennett
58. This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
59. Pride Over Pity by Kailyn Lowry
60. All Wrapped Up by Holly Smale
61. Cloud 9 by Alex Campbell
62. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
63. Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff
64. A Pug's Guide to Dating by Gemma Correll
65. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
66. Politically Correct Holiday Stories by James Finn Garner 
67. Dangerous Games by Teri Terry

Books Read: 67/50

Of Which Were Graphic Novels/Manga:  15

Of Which Were Digital: 44

Of Which Were Festive:2

Caragh Reviews // This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Published - Expected release date: 22nd December 2015
Publisher - HMH
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Can the best thing happen at the worst time? Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she's about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend's brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure's soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.

I was auto approved for this one and the arrival of the first illumicrate box (details to come!) inspired me to delve into it sooner rather than later. This almost never happens - i'm reviewing a book way before it actually needs to be done!

So let's get to it. There are quite a few reviews up on GR already and they seem to be from people who either loved it or hated it...which is always a sign for success in my opinion. I'm kind of in agreement too. It took me just a few hours to read because I was so drawn in but honestly? I'm not sure why.

The biggest thing that stood out for me was how strong Lucille is. The way that she takes charge and does whatever is necessary to take care of Wren was really emotional and inspiring to me. There are so many strong female characters in YA now but i'm honestly still happy whenever I come across one! It was also beautiful to see how many people came to her side to support and help Lucille and Wren. On the opposite end of the scale, there were a few things that stood out to me for the wrong reasons too.

Firstly, Eden. She is Lucille's best friend, ballerina and all time pain in my ass! Not at any point does Eden actually present herself as a friend to Lucille. Her quirks and personality honestly just grated on me and I felt actual relief whenever she wasn't around. Of course, I still felt bad towards the end but to me, Eden was toxic to Lucille and they were better off apart.

Secondly, Digby. Eden's twin brother and Lucille's love interest. I'm not going to lie, Digby has so much potential to be a massive book crush but I just don't understand him. It's made very clear at the beginning of the book that Digby is in a serious, long-term relationship. He's beautiful, charming and one of the only people to stand by Lucille in her serious hour of need and I can totally sense the tension and feelings between them. However it really pisses me off that no matter how many times Elaine is mentioned, it doesn't stop the two of them from acting on their feelings without her knowledge. I really hate that. Anyway...

It was an emotional book full of courage, bravery, strength and community and I think it's going to be a massive hit so make sure you keep an eye out for it over Christmas!

Caragh Reviews // Believarexic by J.J.Johnson

Published - 6th October 2015
Publisher - Peachtree
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Jennifer can’t go on like this—binging, purging, starving, all while trying to appear like she’s got it all together. But when she finally confesses her secret to her parents and is hospitalized at the Samuel Tuke Center, her journey is only beginning. As Jennifer progresses through her treatment, she learns to recognize her relationships with food, friends, and family—and how each relationship is healthy or unhealthy. She has to learn to trust herself and her own instincts, but that’s easier than it sounds. She has to believe—after many years of being a believarexic. Using her trademark dark humor and powerful emotion, J. J. Johnson tells an inspiring story that is based on her own experience of being hospitalized for an eating disorder as a teenager. The innovative format—which tells Jennifer’s story through blank verse and prose, with changes in tense and voice, and uses forms, workbooks, and journal entries—mirrors the protagonist’s progress toward a healthy body and mind.

My review for this one is going to be pretty short. Partly because i'm swamped right now but mostly because I don't think it's really fair and i'm not sure how ethical it is to review someones semi-biographical book. Particularly on a subject like this.

The writing style for Believarexic took a little while for me to get used to. Sometimes Jennifer is talking about Jennifer and sometimes she's talking about 'me' if that makes sense. There seemed to be a lot of switching of views. It makes perfect sense when you think a lot of this book was taken from J.J.Johnson's real life personal diary that she wrote when she was an in-patient for Bulimia and Anorexia.

I don't suffer from an eating disorder but I still felt inspired by the patients within the book. The strength and courage that I can only imagine about was exhausting to read, never mind live through. Each voice on the pages was an individual and it really felt like that. You know how sometimes you read a book and without names, you wouldn't be able to tell one character from another? In Believarexic I think you'd be able to tell. It's a wonderful journey to read about, and an insanely good success story. It's definitely not a quick light read but if this is something that you enjoy reading about or feel like something new, i'd definitely recommend.

Caragh Reviews // The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Published - 2nd July 2015
Publisher - Corgi
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst – and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

I honestly do not even know where to begin with this book.
If anybody remembers my review of Jim Butcher's Storm Front, you'll also remember how I was not really interested in reading it but Boyfriend forced me into it and it actually ended up being a pretty incredible read? Well guess what? I never did learn my lesson....!

We bought the Iron Trial a few weeks back because it was in Waterstones' 'Buy 1 get 1 half price' deals and I was buying Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I've had mixed reviews for both Black and Clare in the past and so I was going to skip over it and just let Boyfriend read it. He loved it so much that he immediately ordered the second book for next day delivery. After much protesting, I gave him and started it. And read it. I read it with every spare minute I had until it was done.

Finishing this book was like being punched repeatedly in the stomach and realising that everything you've ever read just....wasn't this book. In the best way possible.

Let's just get this out of the way okay?
Yes, there are similarities to HP - in the same way that every single book post-HP that references smart kids going to magic school and facing challenges and bad guys will *always* remind us of HP. It's time to get over it and move on. Besides which, it reminded me of Percy Jackson WAY more and that's totally okay with me.

The characters in The Iron Trial are young and therefore there wasn't any romance which was kind of strange really but I absolutely adored it. The book jumped in straight away with intrigue and character development and I honestly just couldn't get enough. I love how the world outside the Magisterium is aware of magic and there's this whole initiation process. It was pretty cool.
The Iron Trial is one of those books that totally frustrates you but in the way that actually, you kind of love. There are so many secrets and mysteries and quite honestly, nothing really gets resolved either. I'm lead to believe that this is a 5 book series, so it's a good job that I love the excitement of waiting and wondering.

Speaking of the characters again, there are rather a lot of them. Luckily, each are separately recognisable and I get the impression that character development and backstory for minor characters will become more prominant as the series progresses. My personal favourite character is Rufus - purely because I know next to nothing about him despite him featuring in pretty much every chapter. I think big things are in store for him! The biggest and best thing about The Iron Trial?

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ENDING?!

Every book i've read (or at least in current memory) tells me that the Good Guy is the Good Guy. But no. Oh no! It turns out that the Good Guy can also be the Bad Guy and there's not a chance in hell that you're going to be able to understand your own feelings about it.
I just.... I can't.... What even....

I literally have no freaking idea what is going to happen, or even how. Black and Clare are the first people in a VERY long time to have left me feeling like this after a book. It's been a week now since I finished it and i'm still bringing it up in conversations whenever I can. I'm still finding myself wondering how that can even happen and what that means for the future of multiple characters. I'm trying very hard not to just call in sick, give up on my current reads and read The Copper Gauntlet just so that I can have a little bit more insight as to where this is all heading.

I can honestly end this review and say that my mind is blown away by this book.

Brianna Reviews // Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin

Published: 1^st September 2005 (first published: 1994)

Publisher: Orion

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: In Edinburgh you're never far from a peaceful spot, or from a hellish one either. Now, in the heart of summer, in the midst of a nationalist festival, Inspector John Rebus is on the murder case of a young man left hanging in a spot where his screams would never be heard. To find the victim's identity--and his killer--Rebus searches from Edinburgh's most violent neighborhood to Belfast, Northern Ireland--amongst petty thugs, gunrunners, and heavyweight criminals. But before Rebus can get to the truth, he's bloodied by the dream of society's madmen--and staring into the glint of a killer's eyes.

Firstly apologies for there being no review for The Black Book (No. 5 in the series) I read it mid-2014 and didn’t review it at the time and I don’t think I could adequately review it now from memory. I did enjoy it, though the lack of review is not a reflection on the quality of the story or writing.

Now onto Mortal Causes, I got stuck in a rut of reading the through the same series (Kathy Reichs), and if I can tear myself away from it I like to mix them up because I find I enjoy and remember the individual books more so enjoying the crime genre I thought it about time I pay Rebus a visit.

As far as I can remember this is the first book that has coincided with the Edinburgh Festival, but that doesn’t make Mortal Causes light or fluffy, Rebus contributes a little black humour though as he always does. A body has been found in Mary King’s Close a buried street which at the time of writing wasn’t open to the public (but is now a tourist attraction), the style of murder screams IRA to Rebus. The victim is the son or ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty a gangster that Rebus arrested and put in prison in The Black Book and on top of that a friend asks Rebus to look into a Youth Club in Edinburgh’s roughest estate. 

I don’t know if it a lack of memory of The Black Book but when I picked up Mortal Causes I felt like I’d missed something, so much so that I picked up The Black Book and skimmed through the last chapter. No I definitely didn’t miss anything, last I read Rebus and Patience Aitken were not together, yet at the start of Mortal Causes they are together, as if nothing happened, okay so it isn’t perfect and they are on the rocks a bit but this is Rebus, perfect harmony was never going to happen.  I do regret a little that I didn’t read this sooner after The Black Book because I really struggled to remember Big Ger, I eventually did… sort of… he killed some people and covered it up by burning down a hotel? That may not be factual but that sadly is the extent of what I remember of him, which is a shame because I really like the fact that he was brought into this book, Rebus lives and works in Edinburgh so you would expect that from time to time events would have something to do with someone Rebus has dealt with previously. Big Ger presents Rebus with a bit of a moral dilemma, not that rebus needs help with moral dilemma as he is frequently treading the line between right and wrong, however I think Rebus manages to stay on the right side of his moral line… just.

On the subject of series continuity Matthew Vanderhyde makes another appearance, I find that I really like him as a character, he makes me smile, I'm not entirely sure why.

I have to admit that the politics of Mortal Causes left me a little bit lost, maybe it’s an age thing I was 3 at the time it was published, which means it’s most likely set a year or two before that or maybe it’s because I have never really understood the Catholic / Protestant divide.

Even though the politics lost me a bit I enjoyed the book, it felt comfortable, by this point I’m well acquainted with Rebus, his colleagues, Brian Holmes, Siobhan Clarke, Farmer, Lauderdale and Flowers are all familiar, even his rocky relationship with Patience is comfortable. Meaning that his temporary assignment to Special Branch and the accompanying new faces doesn't really affect the familiarity of the book.

I admire the way that Ian Rankin makes the way Rebus's favour for the priest and the murder case tie together feel like a natural connection.  Although I do think the plot with the woman from the courts (I can’t remember her name) was a little bit unnecessary, although she did lead rebus onto the right track with Sword and Shields, but surely thing could have been done without her because to me I didn’t feel like she added anything to the story.

Brianna Reviews // Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Published: 2003

Publisher: Arrow Books

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: In the searing heat of Guatemala, Dr Temperance Brennan excavates the remains of an infant from a site believed to contain the bodies of twenty-three women and children. Shaken by the discovery, Tempe tries to harden herself against these horrors. And then four young girls go missing from Guatemala City. When a skeleton is found at the back of a rundown hotel, only someone with Tempe's expertise can deduce the identity and cause of death. But her path is blocked at every turn. It is clear that some people would prefer that Guatemala's 'disappeared' stay buried. And others will stop at nothing to ensure the missing girls are kept the same way.

So I finally decided it was time to return to Tempe Brennan, partly thanks to a friend’s book clear out which also provided me with the next few as well. I have to admit that since it has been a while my memory of exactly where we left all the characters is a little fuzzy, but maybe that was a good thing.

This time we have left North America for Central America, I have to admit that I found the start of this book very slow, even Brennan’s colleagues getting shot didn’t really speed it up. Detective Galiano’s entrance is where the book first had me properly interested; I think the book would have worked just as well if it had started a page or two before that.

At first I thought that Galiano was a little too much like Ryan, a bit like Reichs had got Ryan and made him Guatemalan, however as Ryan and Galiano conveniently went to college together I think I can perhaps forgive the similarity. This coincidence is stretched a little further with the connection to the Canadian Ambassador, and a perfectly timed desk restriction for Ryan, makes him the ideal Cop to send from Canada to help the investigation in Guatemala, oh and Ryan can speak Spanish! (all a little bit too convenient for my liking).
As for the competing love interests, I wasn’t a fan, but then maybe the fact that I felt strongly about it isn’t a bad thing. And let’s just not talk about the ambiguous ending, who does she go on holiday with??

The case itself I think could have been better, it wasn’t terrible but combined with the slow start and the very stretched coincidences let it down.

I am increasingly getting fed up of Brennan’s ‘I’m just going to run off towards this potentially dangerous situation without telling a single person where I’m going’ attitude, she is for the most part an intelligent woman and I admire her independent character, but somewhere along the line common sense should come into it and telling somewhere where you are going doesn’t make you any less independent. And after four books where this attitude of hers has got her into trouble the scientist in her should probably see the pattern. But no… yet again she rushes off and is inexplicably found.

Overall it wasn’t a bad book and I did enjoy it but Kathy Reichs can do better and I hope the standard picks up again in the next book… And who did she go on holiday with??

Caragh Reviews // When I Was Me by Hilary Freeman

Published - 3rd September 2015
Publisher - Hot Key Books
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - One girl, two lives. Which is real? When Ella wakes up one Monday morning, she discovers that she is not herself and that her life is not her own. She looks different, her friends are no longer her friends and her existence has been erased from the internet. Even worse, years of her history appear to have been rewritten overnight. And yet, nobody else thinks that anything weird has happened. A tense and dark psychological thriller full of unexpected twists and turns about the random events and decisions that make us who we are. If you can't trust your own memories, then who can you trust?

Shout out to Holly @ The Art Shelf for being the most incredibly and loveliest person and VERY kindly letting me read her copy of When I Was Me that she got from YALC in July - before she'd even read it herself! 

The blurb for this book kind of took my breath away a little bit. On average, I read around 60/70 books a year so i'm sure you can appreciate that finding a book with a subject matter that i've not already seen elsewhere is incredibly rare - but Hilary Freeman managed it! At first it seems as though something very sci-fi is going on and is actually quite chilling. As the book progresses, I found myself getting really anxious and actually had to put it down for 5 minutes whilst I calmed down!

It was quite surprising to me to feel like that, especially as it's not a particularly fast paced book. There's not a great deal of 'plot' going on - which considering the subject matter seems quite strange! A lot of the book focuses on Ella trying to discover who she is, not even because she seems to be in some kind of different world, but in general as a seventeen year old girl. It was actually quite a tense reading experience and raises a lot of psychological questions for the reader.

The blurb mentions something along the lines of 'twists and turns' which I didn't particularly find to be the case until very near to the end. It was an excellent read though and I got through it very quickly because I couldn't wait to find out the answers to the mystery! I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending but that's okay. It worked for me! 
 
The only thing that I really wasn't sure about was Ella and her friends' attitude towards boys and their opinions! For example, whilst talking together about Dom, the girls make a comments that really kind of left my mouth open afterwards. "Boys are never that keen unless they're into you" - this was in response to the girls talking about Dom being attentive, friendly and perceptive towards one of Ella's friends and their surprise that this didn't mean he was romantically attracted to her. I'm probably thinking on it a little too much but it seemed to me like Freeman could have taken this opportunity to be positive about the friendships between boys and girls rather than turn it into questioning the motives of boys.

I'd definitely recommend this book though and as is always the case with Hot Key Books - the cover is absolutely gorgeous! :)

Brianna Reviews // Dare You To by Katie McGarry #2

Published:  22^nd May 2013

Publisher: MIRA Ink

Format: Kindle

Synopsis: Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.... Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

I have to admit my first thought when picking this book up to read was “urgh a whole book about Beth”, as Beth was definitely not my favourite character in Pushing the Limits. So I guess the question is why did I read it, and the answer is that I loved Pushing the Limits and Katie McGarry’s writing so much that despite Beth being the main character I was willing to give it a go – and I’m glad I did.

So this is a sequel to Pushing the Limits, but only in the sense that it takes place in the same ‘universe’, it takes place after pushing the limits and Noah, Isaiah, and Echo all appear; But Dare You To could be read stand alone.

It’s almost two stories in one, one is Beth’s story and the other is Ryan’s story it just happens that they are intertwined.

Beth has to leave Noah and Isaiah and move away to a new place away from everything she know, although not everything as she reconnects with an old friend, Lacy. Here she meets Ryan (technically she met him before moving) and he is unsurprisingly a typical Jock, or at least that is what she and many other see, but Ryan likes to write and he’s gifted at it. It’s a love story I’m sure you can figure the rest out.

The basics of the story line isn’t complicated, (but then there are only 7), girl meets boy, but again like Pushing the Limits, its everything else that Katie McGarry packs in around it. This is not really a love story, it more about working out who you are. 

Beth is trying to work out how she fits into the new life she finds herself in, she also has the opportunity to start again and reinvent herself, but will she? Beth is struggling against herself to work out who she is, and whether she can let people see who she is. Ryan on the other hand, is still trying to work out who he is but he is struggling against trying to be the person other people want him to be and the person he wants to be; He loves baseball, he’s great at it, and his dad approves, but he also loves writing, again he’s great, only this time his dad doesn’t agree. In the end they help each other to work out who they are.

I love that Noah, Isaiah, Echo and even Rico make reappearance in this, and it’s interesting to see them from Beth’s perspective. I have to say I love Scott, I think he’s the right mix or stern and laid back and most of all I love the way he tries with Beth, yes he doesn’t get it all right and he admits that but he tries which is the most important part. I also love Lacy and Chris for being so accepting of everyone and thing, they are the sort of friends you need in life.

I would definitely recommend this book, to anyone, to everyone.  Even though the end is somewhat predictable, while reading the end feels like anything but a sure thing. 

Understandably as its written half from Beth’s POV Dare You To gives an insight into Beth, and why she is the way she is, and it turns out that I don’t actually dislike Beth once I got to understand her, she’s still by far not my favourite.  And for anyone who is worried about Isaiah and his inevitable heartbreak at Beth leaving, he is third in line and meets someone he truly loves in the next book in the series: Crash into You

Brianna Reviews // 58 Minutes by Walter Wager

Published: 16^th February 2013 (originally: 31^st December 1987)

Publisher: Graymalkin Media

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: Basis for the blockbuster film Die Hard 2 starring Bruce Willis.

"58 Minutes" It is every traveler's secret nightmare. What if you are in an airplane during a violent snowstorm...What if your radar is destroyed...What if they can't get you down? It is 5:09 p.m. in New York City, and a man named Willi Staub is about to make sure the nightmare explodes into life. His goal: to bring the American government to its knees with the first major terrorist attack on the U.S. mainland. Staub, a ruthless and cunning man hunted by police forces in every major Western country, has led a carefully chosen team of revolutionaries from four continents to New York. Their plan: to hold as many people hostage as possible - in the skies above the city.

Can one policeman stop their foolproof plan?

So I only realised this book existed while I was typing up my review for Nothing Lasts Forever so naturally I bought it straight away.

It’s not a sequel to Nothing Lasts Forever, it’s not written by the same author or about the same character. It is purely the basis for Die Hard 2 and unlike Nothing Lasts Forever and Die Hard, 58 Minutes and Die Hard 2 are not closely related, it is after all only the basis. So what is 58 Minutes?

In 58 Minutes we follow NYPD Captain Frank Malone, who also happens to head an anti-terrorist unit, so in that respect Malone has more in common with Leland in Nothing Lasts Forever than he does with McClane. Frank is heading for JFK airport to pick up his young daughter who is arriving on a plane from California where she lives with her mother. Unfortunately as he is on his way to the airport Willi Staub is starting to put his plans in motion. To be honest it’s a pretty simple plot line, which between the synopsis and the connection to Die Hard 2, I’m sure you’ve got it. Terrorists take out the airports radar and radio equipment stranding the planes in the sky, the plane with the least fuel only has 58 minutes until it falls from the sky. Frank is coincidently invited up to the Air Traffic control room when the equipment fails. He calmly and competently takes control of the situation calling everyone from the NYPD to the FBI and Pentagon (this is the point where the film deviates from the book and never returns).  Because of this deviation I won’t and don’t feel the need to go in depth into how the book differs  from the film like the fact that Annie Green is replaced by a man as by this point they are pretty much separate entities.

58 Minutes jumps back and forth between multiple characters as well as frank; a handful of people on the planes, some of which are behaving very suspiciously; the pilots, of course; Several members of the terrorist group; Annie Green, the Supervisor of the control room and more. With so many POV’s you would imagine that it would get confusing or feel disjointed but it wasn’t the only thing I got confused about was which plane was which as I could remember which flight numbers, pilots and passengers belonged to each other.

I really enjoyed reading 58 Minutes even though it was somewhat predictable and very straight forward, but most novels are somewhat predictable, I mean it is obvious that Malone would ‘win’ but I still enjoyed reading.

I would say though that knowing the film was a disadvantage to reading the book because I read the whole thing expecting blanks (those familiar with the film will understand) but no blanks! In fact I think my imagination was constantly expecting something more complicated some extra double cross. So overall I’m a little unsure whether it was my expectations driving me to read it so quickly as there were times when I couldn’t put it down or if it was the book itself but I do know that I enjoyed the read and I would probably recommend it although if you are expecting a novel version of Die Hard 2 this is not your book – sorry.

Caragh Reviews // Rogue by Julie Kagawa

Published - 28th April 2015
Publisher - Harlequin/MIRA
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant. Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George. A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

Rogue is the sequel to Talon by Julie Kagawa. If you've read Talon then you'll know just how much I was excited to read this! Talon ended so amazingly and full of possibilities that I was itching to start reading it. Rogue picked up quickly and it felt seamless following on from Talon.

Rogue is told from the perspective of multiple characters. Usually I love this writing style but this time it kind of felt a little too much - at the beginning at least. There were multiple character POV's but it also switched between past and present. In hindsight, I loved it but at the time of reading it felt a little confusing. 

No review should ever really start with 'It wasn't a bad book but...' but that's what this was for me. It was enjoyable and had a lot of points where I was biting my lip because of the tension but it just didn't really give me what I was looking for. If i'm being totally honest, I can't tell you what the main focus of this book actually was. There was a little bit of everything going on but nothing that stands out majorly. When I started reading Rogue, I was hoping that I would find out more about the inside workings of Talon and St George. 

That's also the beauty of trilogies too I guess. Each book hints just that little bit further at what really matters, ready for the climax in the final book. It just makes me anxious that i'll invest so much time and never really get the answer that i'm looking for! There is so much potential with this series that I am genuinely looking forward to seeing where it's heading. 

As I mentioned in my review of Talon, the love triangle seems to be teetering on the edge now. Garrett makes a choice that forces Ember to think about what she really wants and who she wants to be. I don't think that it's done with yet and one of the biggest things i'm looking forward to is seeing it resolved. 

There's no release date (that i'm aware of) but keep an eye on Soldier, the third book in the series!

Maria V Snyder Blogger Event

Hey guys :)

As some of you now know, on Wednesday I got the pleasure of being invited to a blogger event to celebrate the release of Maria V Snyder's newly released book Shadow Study. The fabulous ladies at Harlequin/Mira Ink were so sweet and welcoming. We drove for a total of 11 hours in one evening and it was worth every minute! It was the first event that Brianna and I had attended but everyone was so friendly that it didn't take long before we were all chatting away and sharing our book related interests.

I've been to a few book signings before but they were pretty rigid and nerve-wracking. Perhaps rightly so, they more often than not focused around the author and left very little time to communicate with both other and other fans. I think there's a bit of stigma that book bloggers like us are cut-off and unsociable but I think we, as a group, definitely shot that down on Wednesday night.

The event was fully centered around us bloggers and the community. Mira and Maria Snyder herself were very interested in the community and asked a lot of questions which was lovely! All of the ladies I met were wonderful and I felt very privileged to share a space with them. I've been a long-time blog follower of Michelle from Fluttering Butterflies so it was great to get to say hi to her in the flesh! Big thanks to Michelle for the picture on the bottom of here too :)

We were the last ones to leave the event, armed with paper plates full of food! I had mentioned to Maria and the folks at Harlequin that my long-suffering boyfriend had been waiting outside for hours after driving us all the way there, and subsequently after we all agreed how he's the best boyfriend ever, got sent away with a signed book and food for him! ;)

I could talk about this event forever but as i'm sat at the kitchen counter at the above boyfriend's parents house to celebrate birthdays, i'm seriously swamped with life this week! Thanks to all the bloggers I met, thanks to Cara who organised the event and was a FABULOUS host! And thanks to Harlequin/Mira for having us :)