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Maryse's Book Blog

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Liz Schulte – The Guardian Trilogy Reading Order

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Christy just brought this one to my attention:

Christy: Maryse have you read of heard of the Guardian series by Liz Shulte? First book is Secrets. My girlfriend said its driving her crazy right now!! “Let’s just say Holden gives Bones & Barrons a run for their money!!”.

Maryse’s Book Blog: I haven’t but i feel that I must after that description!!!

and then when I posted about another paranormal trilogy that I loved Christy alerted her friend about it saying:

Christy: Stephanie this looks good!

Stephanie: Stop Christy, just stop. Read the Guardian Triology first! Or or…or….just-you better

LOL!!! That had me giggling, and this does… look right up my alley.

About book #1:

While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn’t know and sometimes what you don’t know can kill you.

  • Sweet Little Lies as found in the Cupid Painted Blind Anthology (this one seems to be a short story from the series “world” but I don’t think it has to be read within the order listed above).

      

Samantha Young – The Fire Spirits Series Reading Order

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Ohhhh a paranormal series from the author of one of my favorite books (On Dublin Street)!! Christina just brought this to my attention —> For a short time only (as per the day of this post) the author is giving away the first two books in this series, free!! She says:

It’s been an absolutely wonderful year for me in writing and I owe it all to my awesome readers. In thanks, and as a Merry Christmas, a couple of my kindle books are now free to download for the next few days!

About book #1:

FEAR THE HEAT…

When eighteen year old Ari Johnson is transported from her bedroom into the chilling realm of Mount Qaf – home to the terrifying and mercurial Jinn – she learns a truth that rocks her very world. Suddenly her anxiety over college and her broken friendship with Charlie seem like small change compared to the war she now finds herself stuck in the middle of. Her unease isn’t lessened any by the hot guardian, Jai, who won’t stop following her around everywhere – a Jinn whose loyalty Ari hates to question but must. She has no idea who she can trust.

When the truth burns through her life in its determination to turn it to ashes, Ari will have to battle with ancient deadly creatures, epic family drama and heart-wrenching romantic entanglements.

  

 

On The 19th Day of Christmas… (25 Days of Christmas Giveway!!)

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WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!! Congratulations to Shawna who has responded to her winner notification and will be receiving this gift!

Tonight’s Christmas gift giveaway is for, essentially my favorite series of the year!! And one of my top favorite series over-all. Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series. I can’t help going on and on about it, how much I love it, how addictive it is, and best of all, the extremely intense romantic tension between the two main characters… and then the intense…. *ahem*. I won’t say anymore. Let’s just say, this series put soooo many of us in an absolute frenzy and we just can’t get enough of Dex. *swoooooooon*

From a crush to angsty pining, to serious flirtation, to… NO. WAY! ARGH!!!! And then…. oh right. 😉 I said I wouldn’t say anymore, and here I am… saying more. *smirk*

What about the “fear-factor” in this series? Oh yes, it’s there, of course, (very exciting!!) but don’t let that “paranormal/horror” genre fool you. I caught Karina Halle herself admitting the obvious:

“…it’s no secret that these books have always been about Dex and Perry and their relationship first. The scares are second.”

Yep! The most exciting adrenaline rushes come from Dex and Perry’s push and pull. And I couldn’t be happier about that! This series will suck you in, tease you like crazy, and wring you dry, but you’ll come out the other end of it in a deliriously Dex-addicted haze and you’ll join our “anxiously awaiting the next one” club. And what a fun club it is!

So here is almost the ENTIRE set in print, (minus a couple of in-between short e-novellas, and the latest full length e-book (Into the Hollow) that was just released a few weeks ago). But no worries. If you have never read this series, I would be happy to “gift” you the remaining ebooks missing from this lot.

PLUS, another one of Karina’s latest novels “The Devil’s Metal” (it’s a rock star book!!) is included in tonight’s gift, and even though it is a standalone (apart from The Experiment in Terror) it… does… sort of… tie in. Read it after the Experiment in Terror series, and maybe you’ll see what I mean.

OH!!! And did I mention? The first book in this series (Dark House) is SIGNED by Karina Halle!!!

Now lemme tell you. As much as I LOVE this series, and sort of… worship the ground it walks on, I want to run like the wind with this shiny set under my arm, and you know… do the whole “my precioouuusssss” thing. 😉 But I mustn’t. After all. Karina Halle sent these books for one of YOU!

Am I exaggerating about how much I love this series? About how much SO MANY of us love this series? Nope. I kid you not. In fact, just LOOK at all the blog posts I’ve dedicated to it. This should give you a good idea. 🙂

How to enter for a chance to win this set? Just leave a comment below (or better yet, tell us your absolute favorite series so far – any genre), and tomorrow night (Thursday December 20th, 2012) by 10pm EST, I will randomly select one winner.

The winner will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond with a mailing address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. I will send you this set, and if you don’t already have the series in e-book format, I’ll “gift” you these missing Experiment in Terror books from this print set (in e-book format).

And while you’re here, if you haven’t already joined me (actually “us”, ’cause we’re a big group now) on Facebook and Twitter, whatcha waiting’ for?!

:arrow:  OH AND!!! —-> Many of you have been asking how to receive a notice each time my blog is updated. Just use this link right here:

“Subscribe to my blog and be updated everytime I post: https://ma.ryse.me/emailmeblogupdates“

 

On The 18th Day of Christmas… (25 Days of Christmas Giveway!!)

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WINNER ANNOUNCEMENTS: Congratulations to Sarah, Marsha, Alicia, Carol, and Ella!!! They have all responded to their email notifications and will be receiving this gift.

So guess what that is ——>

That’s Colleen Hoover’s book, “Hopeless“. Right there. In print!! Well… hehe. In “homemade” print. She printed the book out in it’s entirety and displayed it’s pages proudly on Facebook, saying:

“400 pages…114,000 words (The length of SLAMMED and POR put together, mind you) Over half a million characters…two reams of printer paper and two ink cartridges later…I now have a completed manuscript to hold in my hands. It’s really, really heavy. I can’t wait for all of you to meet Sky and Holder!!! ♥ ♥ ♥”

I must say, that is quite an impressive looking book! And I will say that it IS an impressive book, as I have read it. Here is my review, in case you missed it down there.

And guess what? Colleen Hoover has five SIGNED copies to give away to five lucky commenters on this blog. Errr… well… let me clarify. 😉 She is giving away THE REAL print books that are still in production as we speak. The gorgeous ones, with the shiny cover, that we can display on our shelves, and stare at… lovingly. All pretty and “book-like”.

Want one? Maybe you’ll get one!

How to enter for a chance to win one? Just leave a comment below (or better yet, since we’re in that mad Christmas shopping rush, if you’ve ever had a crazy shopping experience, tell that story!), and tomorrow night (Wednesday December 19th, 2012) by 10pm EST, I will randomly select five winners.

The winners will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond with a mailing address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. The books will be sent directly from the author as soon as she has them on hand (remember, the actual print books are still in production). This giveaway is open to EVERYBODY who comments – international too! YAY!!!

And while you’re here, if you haven’t already joined me (actually “us”, ’cause we’re a big group now) on Facebook and Twitter, whatcha waiting’ for?!

:arrow:  OH AND!!! —-> Many of you have been asking how to receive a notice each time my blog is updated. Just use this link right here:

“Subscribe to my blog and be updated everytime I post: https://ma.ryse.me/emailmeblogupdates“

 

Book Review – Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

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Hopeless
This is one intense book. INTENSE I tell you! Intense subject matter, emotionally intense, romantically intense, and intensely stunning. Gut-wrenching, dark, and even occasionally panic-inducing. I found myself trembling as the revelations were slowly coming to light.

But that dark intensity blends harmoniously with the lighthearted moments of laughter and silly-sweet banter.

He’s quiet for a minute, then grins again.  “I can’t believe you think I’m hot.”
“Shut up.”
“You probably faked passing out the other day, just so you could be carried in my hot, sweaty, manly arms.”
“Shut up.”
“I’ll bet you fantasize about me at night, right here in this bed.”
“Shut up, Holder.”
“You probably even…”
I reach over and clamp my hand over his mouth.  “You’re way hotter when you aren’t speaking,” I say.

That part made me grin, and there is a lot of that.

It is loaded in “light” despite the dark aura that surrounds it, relieving a lot of that pressure. Allowing it’s beauty and warmth to shine through. And it’s deep. Building on a new friendship, learning to connect and actually feel. Something that the heroine never thought she’d be capable of. Plagued by nightmares, and somewhat… numb. She can’t cry. She’s not even sure she can love. She’s never let anyone in. She’s never felt like letting anyone in.

Why? I’ll let you find out.

So what’s it about? Here’s a little taste of the beginning…

After years of homeschooling, “Sky” is finishing her last year of high school at a real one. Having only ever had one friend (her neighbor) she’s socially reserved, and not that concerned about the mean girls, no matter how insistent they are in getting under her skin. They’re wasting their time. She couldn’t care less. But she makes one friend. Loved him!!!

And then she made two friends. Loved the second one even more!

“Dean Holder?  Messy brown hair?  Smoldering blue eyes?  A temper straight out of Fight Club?”
I shrug.  “Dowds sike dim,” I say, my words barely audible thanks to the grip she still has on my face.

She releases her hold and I repeat what I said.  “Sounds like him,” I say, massaging my cheeks.  “You know him?”

She stands up and throws her hands up in the air.  “Why Sky?  Of all the guys you could be attracted to, why the hell is it Dean Holder?”

But then… I wasn’t so sure I was supposed to love him. It started off one way, went in another direction, and then pulled me right back to that… initial feeling of “crazy”. I was nervous. And so was she. But while she’s hearing warning bells, she can’t help how she feels around him. Wait. What? Feels? Yep!

I hate it.  I absolutely, positively hate this beautiful, magical feeling.

She’s feeling. Intensely. And no matter how many kisses and make-out sessions she’s had in her past, this guy is holding all of the cards. She wants his kiss like she’s never wanted anything before. But he knows she has… issues, and he wants to be sure she’s 100% there with him when it happens.

“Let me inform you of something,” he whispers.  “The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you’ve never felt anything when someone’s kissed you, then no one’s ever really kissed you.  Not the way I plan on kissing you

And may I just proclaim that the “first kiss” in this story is the  most gratifying, incredible, OMG experience of my book-kissing life? Just you wait. 😉

But don’t think we’re all good after that. This one’ll keep you guessing. I guessed and guessed, and had some things… close, and some WAY off.

What’s her deal?

His eyebrows draw apart and he frowns, cupping my cheeks.  “Where’d you go, Sky?”

What’s his deal?

I hate that there are so many sides to him that I don’t understand, and I don’t know if I even want to keep trying to understand them.  There are parts of him I love, and parts of him I hate, and parts that terrify me and parts that amaze me.

Of course they’ve both got a hidden past making them who they are today, and as they feel their way in the dark to each other, the fun (or the un-fun ;)) is in the reveal. Like I mentioned to a friend who was also “taste-testing” this one before it’s release:

Maryse: Oh you have a ride ahead of you. I swear I guessed like 5 different things before I got it right. It’s like the author waves her hand in one area and says “Hey you! Pay attention to this… and then you’re all oooh I know!!! And then *poof* you didn’t know at all. Now zipping myself back up. LOL! hehehe. I can’t say anymore.

BFF: you know I love you but sometimes you suck.

Maryse: LOL!!!!!!!!

BFF: Stinker.

HEA? I can’t say. Just know I died a little as I read this. And I came to life a few times, too.

“You can’t get mad at a real ending. Some of them are ugly. It’s the fake happy ever afters that should piss you off.”

4.5 stars!

➔➔➔  Looking for more of my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star and 4 star reviews. 😀

➔➔➔ Love this author? Check out more of my Colleen Hoover features and reviews on my blog!

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