Ten Books I Read Because of the Book Cover

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Ten Books I Read Because of the Book Cover.

Most of these books ended up being 3 Stars or less. But a few turned out to be gold nuggets. I've since learned more about my reading preferences and to look deeper than a pretty cover.

1. The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater's Daughter, # 1) by Melinda Salisbury
2. A Thousand Nights by EK Johnston
3. The Selection (The Selection, # 1) by Kiera Cass
4. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, # 1) by Marissa Meyer
5. Need (Need, # 1) by Carrie Jones
6. Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, # 1) by Melissa Marr
7. Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, # 1) by Maggie Stiefvater
8. Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods, # 1) by Melissa de la Cruz
9. Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, # 1) by Becca Fitzpatrick
10. Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Which books have you read based only on their covers? Which ones turned out to be great picks? And which ones were a waste of time? Let me know!

Havoc - Review

Havoc (Mayhem, # 4)

By: Jamie Shaw

Published: February 21st 2017 by Avon Impulse

384 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--When Hailey Harper left her family farm to enroll in veterinary school, she had a plan: keep her head down, ace her classes, and most importantly… don’t upset the uncle paying her tuition. Translation? Don’t piss off his dramatic, self-absorbed daughter, Danica, even if she’s a nightmare to live with.

Falling in love with her cousin’s rock star ex-boyfriend was definitely not part of the plan.

As the drummer of a now-famous rock band, Mike Madden could have any girl he wants. He’s sweet, funny, romantic, talented—and the only guy that’s ever made Hailey’s heart do cartwheels in her chest. The more she gets to know him, the harder she falls, but Hailey knows they can never be more than friends… because Danica wants him back, and she’ll fight dirty to win.

Mike is falling for Hailey too, but Danica’s threats and his rock star life—music video shoots, international tours, obsessed fans—could tear them apart before they’ve even begun. Hailey isn’t sure she’s the one for him, but Mike’s waited years for a girl like her… and he’ll do anything to prove it.

Ok so Mike Madden is the guy from the band that I was most looking forward to reading about. He's not like the other guys. He's never been one to hop from chick to chick like the others. He had his heart broken in high school, and he's not quite recovered. Even still, he never wanted to hook up with random people. He's wanted a relationship, commitment, from the beginning. So he spends his time playing video games instead of sleeping with strangers. I respect that. I mean...to me...that's hot. That's attractive. Not the guy who will sleep with anything that moves. So imagine how Mike feels when the girl who broke his heart shows up wanting a second chance.

Hailey happens to be Danica's (Mike's high school sweetheart) cousin. Hailey grew up on a farm, whereas Danica grew up a spoiled princess. Where Hailey developed a love for animals and family, Danica developed a love for getting her way at whatever cost. These two couldn't be more different. Danica's only interest in Mike because his band, The Last Ones to Know, has recently signed a record contract and is blowing up. Yet Hailey comes to know Mike playing online video games together. They talk and she knows that Danica isn't worthy of his love.

I read Havoc quickly and was impressed with the overall lack of physical scenes. The latter half of the book has a few scenes, but nothing like some of the previous books in the series. Language was still pretty present with f-bombs throughout the book.

Sometimes I find that contemporary romance books have conflict that just makes me roll my eyes. This tends to be especially present in new adult books. And well that's kind of the case with Havoc. I felt like Hailey's issues were so simple. Had she been willing to have a conversation with her uncle up front might have prevented her from having a lot of stress. Also, I totally understand her struggle with the groupies that Mike's inundated with night after night while he's on tour. I would be the same way in real life I'm sure. But it was more of a struggle for me reading this book because I know that Mike's never been interested in groupies, and if he was going to seek them out he would have done it before getting into a serious relationship, not after. These conflicts and issues definitely left me rolling my eyes more than once.

I still like Mike the best of the guys in the band, I think. But I don't know that this was my favorite story in the series or not. Issues and all, I read Havoc really quickly and I'd give it 3.5 Stars. Have you read Havoc? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 236 & Stacking the Shelves - 169

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday Husband was home from work sick. AND he passed it BACK to me. Boo!!! But thankfully this isn't the worst cold I've ever had. Just a stuffy nose, runny at times, and a small cough. Thankfully Little Girl seems to have avoided getting it again. I pray that we're able to keep it from her. I'm so ready to be over all of this sickness. I had a hair appointment on Thursday. Just a trim, but it feels good. Friday we ran to the grocery store. I know that's not really anything special, but it's nice to get out of the house. Little Girl also spent the night with my parents Friday night. Husband and I took it easy. It's always hard to decide what you're going to do with very limited child-free time.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Chaos (Mayhem, # 3) by Jamie Shaw (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Ten Books I Loved More than I Expected
Wednesday: Waiting on Genuine Fraud by E Lockhart
Saturday: 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - February Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Havoc (Mayhem, # 4) by Jamie Shaw
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday is on a hiatus...I haven't decided if I'll do a freebie topic (I have a few ideas for topics) or if I'll try something different for a change. Thoughts?
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: February 2017 EOM Wrap Up

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2017 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

I'm also participating in Kimba's March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge. I know I won't get to all of these, but I like having as many options as possible. Here's my list:

1. Significance (Significance, # 1) by Shelly Crane
2. Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, # 2) by Richelle Mead
3. The Last Star (The 5th Wave, # 3) by Rick Yancey
4. Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells
5. Ruin & Rising (The Grisha, # 3) by Leigh Bardugo
6. Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, # 1) by Rebecca Ethington
7. Sempre: Redemption (Sempre, # 2) by JM Darhower
8. End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days, # 3) by Susan Ee
9. The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson
10. The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, # 2) by Wendy Higgins
11. The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court, # 1) by Richelle Mead
12. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, # 1) by Cassandra Clare
13. Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, # 1) by Kendare Blake

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

The Bird and the Sword

By: Amy Harmon

Published: May 11th 2016 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a bird?

Windfall

By: Jennifer E Smith

Expected Publication: May 2nd 2017 by Delacorte Press

432 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - February Wrap Up

Time for our second Monthly Wrap Up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Since the January Wrap Up, Sandy finished three series enders: Long Way Home (Thunder Road, # 3) by Katie McGarry, Havoc (Mayhem, # 4) by Jamie Shaw, & Raven King (The Raven Cycle, # 4) by Maggie Stiefvater. Holly didn't finish any series enders this month.

Which series enders did you finish? Link the up below. Don't forget to include the title, your name, & your blog name (Ex: Requiem - Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know) Also, the February giveaway runs from February 25th - March 25th. On March 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Waiting on Genuine Fraud

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

Genuine Fraud

By: E Lockhart

Expected Publication: September 5th 2017 by Delacorte Press

272 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the author of the unforgettable New York Times bestseller We Were Liars comes a masterful new psychological suspense novel—the story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

I've been wanting to read more E Lockhart since We Were Liars. I hope this one is just as good. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Ten Books I Loved More Than I Expected

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I Loved More Than I Expected.

1. Making Faces by Amy Harmon - My sister-in-law recommended Amy Harmon to me in the past (a different book), but I did not expect this book to be so layered and deep and beautiful and sad and happy. It has all the good things.
2. Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life's Storms by Tim Tebow - I'm not a football fan, but this book is one of the few non-fiction books that I've read in a day.
3. The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep - This particular time in history isn't my favorite to read about, but something about arranged marriages just seem to hook me.
4. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles - I wasn't sure I'd like a story where the main male character was in a gang, but turns out I did.
5. Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens - I'd read a different book by Courtney C Stevens before this one and it was just okay for me so I wasn't sure I wanted to read more by her, but that book had a chapter from Faking Normal at the end of it and I was hooked that quickly.
6. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West - Kasie West is one of my favorite authors, but this one just seemed to have a little something extra.
7. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - I saw a ton of bloggers who loved this book when it first released. I was late to the game, but I expected it to be good. Yet somehow it was even better than I expected.
8. Unbreakable by Rebecca Shea - Colleen Hoover recommended this one on Facebook a couple of years ago. And come on...it's CoHo. She ought to know a good book when she reads on. Yet since I'd never heard of this author, I wasn't sure.
9. Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks, # 1) by Miranda Kenneally - I wasn't sure I would like a book about a girl who plays football, but I really really did.
10. Red Rising (Red Rising, # 1) by Pierce Brown - The description of this one didn't really hook me at all, but I kept seeing bloggers give it 5 Stars, so I thought maybe this book was more than meets the eye. And turns out that it's now one of my favorite series.

What about you guys? Which books did you expect to like more or less than you did? Let me know!

Chaos - Review

Chaos (Mayhem, # 3)

By: Jamie Shaw

Published: July 21st 2015 by Avon Impulse

432 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the moment she saw Shawn Scarlett perform at a school talent show, Kit Larson has loved two things: the guitar, and the gorgeous, green-eyed boy who inspired her to play. But one careless night in high school shatters her hope of ever being more than a notch on his bedpost.

Six years, two bands, and one mostly-mended heart later, Kit’s about to make her rock star dreams a reality as the new guitarist for Shawn’s band, The Last Ones to Know. He may not remember their reckless night together, but Kit has never forgotten… and she’s determined to make him eat his heart out.

The release of their new album means a month cooped up on a tour bus, sleeping inches away from the ridiculously sexy musician she’s never quite gotten over. And as Kit gets to know the real Shawn—not Shawn Scarlett, the rock god, the player—their attraction becomes too hot to resist. But the past is paved with secrets, and when they finally surface, Kit could lose everything: the band, the music, her dreams… and Shawn.

Shawn has been one of my favorite characters of the Mayhem series from the beginning so I was excited to finally get to read his book. (Although I'm probably most interested in Mike's story.) I enjoyed how Riot really set up things for Shawn and Kit. We're introduced to Kit in Riot and we even find out about how she and Shawn shared a night back in high school. Yet I feel like Riot and the description of Chaos made it seem like Kit had some plan to win Shawn's affections only to make him "eat his heart out" by revealing that she was only in it for revenge, but that's just not how things go.

As the description says, Kit did basically fall in love with Shawn when she was fifteen, but in that obsessive, love-you-from-a-distance kind of way you do at that age. She started playing the guitar because of him also, but he broke her heart. She thinks she's moved on, but the pull she feels toward him is even more genuine the more she gets to know the real Shawn.

Shawn's been around over the last two books, but it was nice to see that he didn't take that same approach once Kit appeared on the scene. I'm not entirely sure if that's because he was attracted to her from the beginning or because he was trying to be respectful of having a girl in the band, but either way, it was nice to see him control himself. We learn a good bit more about him with seeing how much he organizes things for the band. It's almost like he's the manager as well as a member of the band. Plus he writes songs as much as Adam. Very attractive. And I have to give him props for not rushing things with Kit even when there were a couple of times that he probably could have.

From a logistical standpoint, Chaos has a lot of f-bombs. They are a rock band. And Kit is surrounded by older, domineering brothers. So be aware of that. Although, I did feel like the physical scenes were toned down from what I expected. Or maybe just coming off Joel and Dee it felt like Shawn and Kit's story didn't revolve around the physical as much. I will say that although I liked Kit's twin relationship with Kale and even her relationship with all of her brothers, I wish we didn't have to delve so much into what was going on with Kale.

The only quotes I highlighted were about Mike, but I'll share my absolute favorite one:

-"Look...when I meet my wife, I don't want to have to explain to her why I slept with a hundred chicks before I met her, okay?"

Amen, Mike! Amen! I can't wait to read his story.

I picked Chaos up when I did because I needed to follow up a more weighty book with something that I could read quickly without too much heaviness. Chaos fit the bill. It was exactly what I needed at the time. Chaos gets 4 Stars. Have you read Chaos? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 235

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This week flew by and was so slow all at the same time. Little Girl had her 15 month check up at the doctor's office on Monday. That went well. She's in the top 10% for her height and top 40% for weight. She's not a baby anymore! Valentine's Day was low-key for us. Husband bought us all chocolate and my mom sent us some homemade cookies. YUM! I don't know what happened Wednesday night, but she kept waking up every 3ish hours. Ugh it was like having a newborn all over again. And even though Little Girl and I are feeling much better from our colds, Husband seems to have gotten hit and is struggling through it all now. I'm doing all I can to keep myself and Little Girl from getting it from him again. Husband's sister and family were here visiting this week to celebrate her birthday.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Making Faces by Amy Harmon (5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Slow Building Relationships
Wednesday: Waiting on Lucky in Love by Kasie West

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Chaos (Mayhem, # 3) by Jamie Shaw
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2017 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Waiting on Lucky in Love

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

Lucky in Love

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: July 25th 2017 by Scholastic

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment -- She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

I love Kasie West. She's one of the most consistent authors that I've read. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Slow Building Relationships

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Romance Tropes/Types.

1. Fern & Ambrose - Making Faces by Amy Harmon
2. Georgia & Moses - The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon
3. Aelin & Rowan - Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas
4. Mustang & Darrow - Red Rising series by Pierce Brown
5. Alexi & Bodee - Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens
6. Juliette & Warner - Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi
7. Peeta & Katniss - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
8. Sydney & Adrian - Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead
9. Cole & Isabel - Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater
10. Rose & Dimitri - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Honorable Mentions
Eleanor & Samuel (The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep)
Kestrel & Arin (The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski)
Blue & Gansey (The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater)
Robin & Phoenix (Believe by Erin McCarthy)
Val & Kyle (V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram)
Peter & Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han)
Nova & Quinton (Nova by Jessica Sorensen)
Cal & Nyelle - What If by Rebecca Donovan

What do you guys think? Who are your favorite slow building couples? Let me know!

PS Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you all have a day full of love and happiness!