November Wrap Up 2016

This month was...'okay'. I read mostly ARCs that I'd been sent because I was a bit behind (still severely behind) and after reading Flawed, I had a massive book hangover because it was so good and I needed the sequel (that doesn't come out until April 2017).

Theta (Omega #2)- Lizzy Ford 
**
I was sent this ARC via Netgalley and....I didn't particularly like it. I had a few issues with it and personally wouldn't recommend it. I do have a full Book Talk for it so, if you'd like to know more about what the book is about, check it out here.






Weregirl- C.D. Bell
***
I was sent this book by the publisher and it was good. I had pretty low expectations so was super surprised with what I got. This book is unique despite the worn-out subject of werewolves and it gripped me nicely. This book follows Nessa who, when going running in the woods one day, gets bitten by a wolf and (shock horror!!) turns into a werewolf. I like how this book didn't solely focus on this aspect though as they were greater plot lines to draw the attention. I have a Book Talk for this book also, which you can check out here for all the book details, synopsis, etc.

November Book Haul 2016

Not many books this month but.... quality not quantity, right? Plus, I need to save something for Christmas!

Empire of Storms- Sarah J. Maas (Beautiful American Edition)

Recently, I went on holiday to New York (I live in the UK). It was such an amazing trip and, of course, I had to visit Barnes and Noble to compare it to my own local Waterstones. The edition I originally own of Empire of Storms is the British paperback version so...as it's one of my favourite books, I couldn't resist buying an gorgeous hardback copy of the American edition. But that's not it.... I bought a Barnes and Noble special edition that includes an extra short story and fan art of the characters!!! It's so stunning, I can't even! 

Empire of Storms is the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series that I would very much recommend. I also have a BOOK TALK for this book which I'll link here for you to check out!

The Bad Boy Bargain- Kendra C. Highley BOOK TOUR REVIEW

***

I was sent a digital ARC of this book from Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

If you need a cute, funny, angsty romance read to warm you up over winter- The Bad Boy Bargain is definitely a contender. 

It was a quick and easy read- very simple to follow along with and a lot of fun to read. It was as smooth as butter and (if you'll excuse the lousy metaphor), it was just all too easy to melt right into. 

The romantic relationship was all sorts of sweet- if a bit frustrating at times. At points, you kind of get the urge to strangle the two protagonists for being so ignorant of the obvious but... we'll let that one slide for love, right?

When going into this book, I was expecting a lot of sass and witty comebacks (because, let's face it- all of our fictional crushes have a high level of sass) but I didn't get as much as I wanted. I let the 'Bad Boy' part of the title blind me and- without divulging too much spoilery information- it wasn't really like that. 

I would compare this book with To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han because they both have the sort of premise that a fake relationship 'deal' can grow into something more... and yes, I kept that as vague as I possibly could. 

This book was such a nice read and I'd certainly recommend it for all you romance lovers out there. 

All the book links, author links and synopsis will be below my review for you to check out the book!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

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One thing I will say about this book...Kyle Sawyer working shirtless in the back garden? Such a nice image in my head for the majority of this book. So thank you, Kendra, for that one. 

Flawed- Cecelia Ahern BOOK TALK

*****
This book was amazing! It was perfect. Ironically, it was flawless.
This is exactly the type of book I like to read. Ahern has written one of my favourite books (Where Rainbows End) and I think that this book is even better! I have a personal obsession with the social hierarchy and the social norms, influences and consequences of our society- this book delivered on this unique and fascinating subject.
I'm not usually into 'politically inclined' reads but this one completely grabbed me because it didn't feel too political- it was just fascinating.
I will also say (no spoilers) that while this book had a very very small 'romance', I can definitely see it heating it up in the sequel and seeing a certain two characters grow their relationship (I'm so excited!).
The premise of this book sort of reminded me of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld but...let's just say it's executed much much better.
Flawed is about a society where perfection is paramount and mistakes are punished. If you make a moral or ethical mistake, you are branded Flawed and segregated from the rest of society- forced to follow curfew, basic diets, no luxuries, limited employment etc.
Celestine has no idea how she can be branded as Flawed- to her, what she did was common sense- it was simple compassion. But that's not the verdict she's given. When she's branded Flawed she needs to learn how to live with this sentence- or she can fight back.
I would definitely recommend this book and I can't wait for the sequel/finale to come out next year! This book has given me such a major hangover!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

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I don't agree with the society but I find it fascinating! It's a serious version of what our own society could become and I love how Cecelia has created this alternate world. 

I respected Celestine so much. She stood by her beliefs- a human being despite him being flawed! She has a way with words and she's very strong- willed which I love.

ACOTAR 3 TITLE REVEAL!!!!

In case you didn't already know, Sarah J. Maas has revealed the title for the third book in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Firstly, the initials were revealed ACOWAR and the internet was free to go wild with guesses! My guesses were either A Court of War and Ruin or A Court of Wrath and Ruin but obviously.... my guesses were wrong (still pretty close though). 

The next ACOTAR title is........

A Court of Wings and Ruin!!!!!!!!!!! 

I'm so freaking excited for this book! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts of the title and what you guessed it would be!! Comment below! 

Thanks for reading! Stay amazing! 

Chloe

TVD 8x04 'An Eternity of Misery' TV TALK

Spot on, Georgie...Spot on.

'An Eternity of Misery'... Certainly fitting.
This episode has to be my favourite of the series so far! It had flashbacks, action and many surprises! Was it a coincidence that Bonnie wasn't in the episode? Of course not...
'An eternity of misery' is yet another quote from the one and only Damon Salvatore and, considering what we learnt this episode, it is very relevant!
We've had 'the other side' hell, 'prison world' hell, 'phoenix stone' hell and now... well, now we have literal hell.

TVD 8x01 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x02 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x03 TV TALK

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We had a lot of sass this episode which is probably the reason why I loved it so much, The previous episodes have been pretty depressing (no one having any hope and all) so the comic relief was much needed!
Exhibit A:
'The all powerful siren imprisoned by a fork.'- Stefan 
'Says the man who can be killed with a stick.'- Sybil 
(A personal favourite exchange of mine).

Theta (Omega #2)- Lizzy Ford BOOK TALK

**
I was sent this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Much to my dismay, not all the books I review on this blog are going to be overly positive (though I wish they were). Before you start getting very negative views on this book, it wasn't bad. It was okay and there are many great things about this book that I'll probably forget to mention because I'll be mainly focusing on my issues with it.
Disclaimer: Do not (and I repeat; do not) take my opinion as your own. You may love this book and this series so don't take my word as law.
My Non-spoiler BOOK TALK for the first book Omega will be linked here for you to take a look at.
This story wasn't disappointing in any way- mainly because I didn't have high expectations. The first book was 'meh' and the second book followed suit. The general plot tends to get a bit confusing as there are so many different characters and secret agendas and the romance (can I even call it a romance?) is very slow- to the point of not existing. If you like Greek God books, I'd suggest giving it a try- you may absolutely love it.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

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So, basically, we're at book two.....and I still have no idea what's going on. I thought we'd be past this by now.

Weregirl- C.D. Bell BOOK TOUR REVIEW

***
I was kindly sent this book by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. 
Yes, yes, wolf books are far from cliché at the moment. I know, I know but...honestly? It's nice to have a bit cheese every now and then! It's nice to relax, sit back, and sink into a well-written, easy read. If it happens to be about a well-loved subject of werewolves? So, what?! It was a beautiful, unique, read and I desperately enjoyed it.
It wasn't your general werewolf story. Yes, the main character was bitten and turned but it wasn't the main focus of the story. There was so much depth and intertwining plot-lines that the fact that the heroine could turn into a wolf...it was just a given! And I liked that. There wasn't a major drama about the struggle to turn and I was so relieved about that.
There was a tiny bit of romance included... if I can say that definitively. Yes, it was small but it was there! It's the thought that counts.
I would definitely recommend this book for lovers of  supernatural and sci-fi mainly but, as with any book, there are so many different genre and topic layers on top of those.
All the book links, author info and synopsis are below this Book Talk if you'd like to check the book out!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

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This book was so beautifully easy to read. Seeing as though I read it over an eight-hour plane journey...it sunk into my system pretty quickly. And I think that makes it even better! It managed to hold my attention all through a long and tiring plane journey! Hats off to you, C. D. Bell.

Iniquity (Ascent #1)- Melody Winter BOOK TOUR REVIEW

***
I received this ARC from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a honest review. 
I don't know what I was expecting from this book but... it wasn't that. 
This book had such a unique and intriguing world and it makes me so excited for the next book. I think there's so much more to come from this series and I'm excited to see how it pans out.
The characters were, in general, lovable and the plot was executed at a nice pace. When first starting this book, I pretty much thought that I knew where the plot was going but it took a surprising turn that I appreciated and loved.
The book synopsis, links and author info are below this Book Talk in case you want to check the book out!

GOODREADS

AMAZON

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Athena was a great character (and not just because of her cool name). She was a strong-willed woman with a sturdy back-bone and I loved that about her. She had morals, principles and she stood by them. She has this determination to bring back the light and she doesn't let anyone warp that dream in her. I respected her a lot and I think that books are so much easier to read when you have a character you love.

TVD 8x03 'You Decided That I Was Worth Saving.' TV TALK

THE JUNE WEDDING!!!!

'You Decided That I Was Worth Saving' is a classic Damon Salvatore quote (how many of these titles are going to be Delena lines) which was said on the good ol' Gilbert house porch way back when. And we got a Delena kiss!!! Only, it wasn't, because it was Katherine popping up as Elena... sorry, Damon. Side note: Who misses the heck out of Katherine?

3 episodes in and things are heating up and I'm so excited! Chaos is brewing! Picking sides, old characters returning (for a while) and, no spoilers but... apple sauce penguin. 

TVD 8x01 TV TALK | TVD 8x02 TV TALK

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Important things first: Is Bonnie a freaking ninja? She somehow managed to decorate Caroline's room with balloons while she slept? Newsflash: Carebear's a vampire with super-hearing. I'm impressed, Bon-Bon,  
Another side note: why does Caroline and co. still stay in the university dorms? Do they actually still go to class? I'm horrified.

Heartless- Marissa Meyer BOOK TALK

****
Where to start with this book!? It was much more darker than I was expecting but it was written so well! Heartless is primarily the origin story of the infamous Queen of Hearts. It tells the story of how she came to power, why she became so cruel and...heartless and even shows the first time she says her well-known catchphrase 'off with his head'.
This story was genius. The real grip for this story is that, even though you know exactly how the story will end, there is no clear direction of how we're going get there. It's tragic and heart-breaking knowing what's going to happen to this lovely set of characters. The plot was executed perfectly and I can't imagine a better version of this story.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

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I loved this book from the very beginning. It was gripping, entertaining and a perfect story for how the Queen of Hearts came to be. Now though, I feel very sorry for her and kind of think that she has a right to be like she is- it's not exactly her fault. It's heart-breaking to know that the reason she doesn't have a heart is because she asked for it to be taken away from her- simply because it hurt to imagine living without Jest...

TVD 8x02 'Today Will Be Different' TV TALK

This series is getting super exciting!!! The title 'Today Will Be Different' was originally an Elena Gilbert Journal quote and, even though the poor girl's no longer here, the quote is certainly relevant to our current situation...

TVD 8x01 TV TALK

Ps. Look at how cute Steroline are!!!


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Jumping straight into it... Bon Bon was annoying me this episode. Enzo's trying to protect you and you're frustrated that he's not giving you enough attention? He's trying to save your life not spite you! Bonnie's all 'if you don't stay with me, you don't love me'- oblivious to the fact that he could actually be ignoring her to keep her safe and keep her away from Sybil! Grow up, Bonnie and use your brain.
Talking of Sybil... I love to hate this chick! The whole siren thing excites me (I love Greek mythology) and she's so freaking classy! She has this really cool swagger which really shouldn't surprise me because all TVD villains are as sassy as hell!