Waiting on Wednesday: Fateful

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that bloggers are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Fateful by Claudia Gray
Publication Date: 29th March 2012
From Amazon UK
A tragic tale about falling in love on the world’s most infamous ill-fated sea voyage as heroine, Tess, discovers darker secrets that lie beneath the doomed crossing… and a hidden brotherhood that threaten to tear her lover from her forever.
The RMS Titanic is the most luxurious ship ever built, but for eighteen-year-old Tess Davies it’s a prison. Travelling as a maid for the family she has served for years, Tess is trapped in their employ amid painful memories and family secrets.
When she meets Alec, a handsome upper class passenger, Tess falls helplessly in love. But Alec has secrets of his own… and soon Tess is entangled in a dangerous game. A sinister brotherhood that will do anything to induct Alec into their mystical order has followed him onboard. And Tess is now their most powerful pawn.
Tess and Alec fight the dark forces threatening to tear them apart, never realising that they will have to face an even greater peril before the journey is over…

This Wednesday I’m waiting on this gorgeous sounding historical fiction/ paranormal romance. Lucky for my friends across the pond this book is hitting the shelves in the US later this month but for us Brits we’ve still got a bit of a wait with it not coming out until March next year. I think it will be well worth the wait though because I LOVE our stunning UK cover so much more than the US one. An epic paranormal love story set on the doomed ship that was the Titanic? Erm yes please!

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Review for The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Headline
Release Date: 5th January 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Contemporary, Chick-lit, Romance
Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
" Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Imagine if she hadn't forgotten the book. Or if there hadn't been traffic on the expressway. Or if she hadn't fumbled the coins for the toll. What if she'd run just that little bit faster and caught the flight she was supposed to be on. Would it have been something else - the weather over the Atlantic or a fault with the plane?

Hadley isn't sure if she believes in destiny or fate but, on what is potentially the worst day of each of their lives, it's the quirks of timing and chance events that mean Hadley meets Oliver...

Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. "

Review
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is the kind of book that sets the butterflies off in your stomach and makes you feel warm from head to toe. It’s romantic, funny, sharp, and ultimately uplifting. Set over a 24 hour period in a day of the life of our heroine Hadley except little does Hadley know that today is no ordinary day because in such a short amount of time her life is about to change forever.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a love story and not just Hadley and Oliver’s. This book gets to the heart of human relationships and gives an honest portrayal on the lives and loves of many different characters in this book not all of them necessarily the romantic kind. Hadley and Oliver’s whirlwind romance which is triggered by a series of mishaps and chance on a flight from New York to London shows how when we meet the right person at the right time it has the ability to change everything and turn what should be one of the worst days of our lives into one of the best all because of that one person who opens your eyes and makes you see things differently.

Despite this book being narrated by a teenage girl I believe it’s being pitched as a crossover novel and I can certainly see why! This book has the ability to charm any reader of any age reminding us of the innocence and recklessness of young love and that invincible feeling that comes along with it. Jennifer E. Smith captures what it’s like to be young and in love in its truest form and I read this book with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face I was that swept up in Hadley and Oliver’s story.

Hadley is the perfect leading lady. She’s naive, vulnerable and very easy to relate to. And then there’s Oliver who will charm the socks off any red blooded female who reads this book, he’s witty, thoughtful and the perfect romantic hero. Both characters are so easy to like and I was rooting for them both as a couple and with their own separate affairs.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is the best contemporary romance I’ve read all year and is the ultimate feel good read. I defy anyone not to fall in love with it. A book that will touch even the most reluctant romantics and will 100% make you believe in love at first sight.

Review for Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razor Bill
Release Date: 25th August 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Vampires
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Sydney protects vampire secrets - and human lives.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one . . ."

Review
Bloodlines is the first book in a new spin off series to Vampire Academy. Bloodlines follows on one month after the events in Last Sacrifice and mixes the old with the new making it readable whether you’ve read Vampire Academy or not. This book follows Sydney an alchemist whose job it is to protect humans from the secret vampire world. Sydney is still in trouble with her people after her part in helping Rose Hathaway and is sent on a new mission to redeem herself by keeping vampire Princess Jill hidden in the human world. Sydney, Jill and two familiar faces to Vampire Academy fans Adrian and Eddie must protect Jill at all costs but with humans sporting magical tattoos similar to those of the alchemists and Moroi (the good vampires) murdered in unusual circumstances the stakes are higher than ever.

I’m a HUGE fan of the Vampire Academy series and couldn’t wait for this spin off. I was a little worried that this book wouldn’t live up to my love for VA but I’m happy to say that it did! Richelle Mead’s writing is as fast paced and snappy as ever and Bloodlines has a good mix of the old to keep fans satisfied and the new to make it fresh and exciting so that it’s not just a copycat of its predecessor. Events from Last Sacrifice follow on in a natural, smooth way but Sydney and Co also unearth a lot of new problems and a whole new exciting plot Richelle Mead evolving this amazing world even further, delving more into the alchemist side of things but still keeping the plot intermingled with the Moroi (good vampires), Strigoi (bad vampires) and Dhampirs (half human, half vampire).

Fans of Vampire Academy are probably eager to know if there will be any appearances or talk of our old favourite characters, Rose, Dimitri, and Lissa and I’m happy to report that there is plenty of mention of them and even a special appearance from Rose early on in the book. It was really interesting to see Rose from Sydney’s point of view as Rose was our protagonist in Vampire Academy and I have to say that the last sentence of Bloodlines had me wiggling in my seat with excitement for book two- I won’t say anymore than that but if you’ve read the book you’ll know what I mean ;-)

That being said however nice that it was to catch up with old friends Bloodlines is very much about Sydney, Jill, Adrian and Eddie and I found myself not missing the old cast as much as I thought I would because I was so wrapped up in their story. Richelle Mead has also hinted at some potentially very interesting and exciting future love interests and I’m very excited to see where she goes with that.

Overall Bloodlines was a fantastic first novel to a brand new series that will enthral Vampire Academy fans and entice new readers. Richelle has set up an absorbing new plot that runs smoothly alongside past events, and characters old and new who are as strong and hugely likeable as the first cast. Bloodlines is a must read for anyone and I can’t wait to see where Richelle Mead takes us next.

Book of the Month! Featuring Spin Offs, Murder, and Love at 40,000 feet

Hi guys, welcome to August's book of the month and monthly round up! This is a feature to sum up for you my reading and recommendations for the past month and to share with you the exciting things that have been going on on the blog and books I’m looking forward to in the following month.

August's Book of the Month is...Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is not only my favourite book read in August but by far the best book I’ve read all year. I adored this breathtaking magical love story and can’t wait for it to come out later this month so you guys can finally see what all the fuss is about! To find out more about Daughter of Smoke and Bone and why I loved it so much stop by my review here. I predict that it’s going to be HUGE!

Best Plot: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best Writing: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best Cover: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Best Characters: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Best Ending: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best Romance: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Most un-put-down-able: Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance
Most Memorable: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best Moral: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Books read this month
50.) Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller (4*)
51.) Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur (4*)
52.) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (5*)
53.) Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance (4*)
54.) Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (4.5*)
55.) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (5*)

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Bloodlines

Bookish Highlights of the month
The most exciting thing for me had to be starting my new feature Readers Choice and discovering my favourite book of the year so far! The package I got from the lovely publishers at Headline for Statistical Probability was also lovely as it included some cute goodies (one being a very yummy heart shaped lolly!)

Bookish Lows of the month
writing my review for Forever I love that series so writing a bad review for the last book was hard.

Book’s I’m looking forward to in September
All my Christmas’s have come at once for September there are so many fantastic new books out that I’m looking forward to and this list could go on and on but here are a few of my must reads!

Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Heist Society by Ally Carter
An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson
The First Wife by Emily Barr

Yep, see what I mean?

So there you have it my August reading summed up for you guys. Have you read any of the books I’ve read this month? What were your thoughts on them? Leave me a comment and let me know and don’t forget to treat yourselves to Daughter of Smoke and Bone later this month! – You won’t regret it!

Review for Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Synopsis
"The murder of her parents has left Silla damaged and lost, and Silla's insistence that her father is not to blame only alienates her further from her friends and family. When a mysterious spell book arrives, Silla hopes it will lead to some answers about her parents' killer. In her first attempt at magic, in an old graveyard near her home, Nick, the new boy in town spies on her; he recognizes the magic that Silla is performing as the same magic his mother performed with him, before she went mad.


Before long, Silla and Nick connect, though Nick is unwilling to share his history with blood magic with Silla. When Silla's friends start showing signs of possession, Silla, Nick and Silla's brother, Reese, must contend with a deadly, immortal woman who will stop at nothing to take the book of spells from them."

Blood Magic is the kind of book that grabs your attention from the start and refuses to let go until the end. Despite Blood Magic being Tessa Gratton’s debut novel it certainly doesn’t read that way! Tessa already has established a strong, confident, voice that captures teen angst perfectly and woves around it a dark and delicious tale that will leave readers on the edge of their seat, Gratton’s writing is so deliciously creepy, gothic and suspenseful that the setting for the story becomes a character in itself, the magic, blood and murder hanging thick and heavy in the air.

Blood Magic is a fresh and original book with all of the blood, death and despair of the ever popular vampire genre without the cliché vampires. Instead Gratton spins a tale steeped in dark and dangerous magic and her use of blood, rituals and spells makes for some fascinating reading.

The book is told alternately between our main characters Silla and Nick. I really loved both of their personalities and found their growing attraction to be very believable. Silla is damaged and traumatized since finding her parents murdered and Nick is fiery, rebellious and angry after being brought up by his insane blood witch mother who would use him in her twisted spells. Both characters are realistic, broken and less than perfect and their romance is hot and passionate- just the way I like it!

Throughout the book there are mysterious passages from an old unfound journal belonging to a disturbed and powerful young witch called Josephine. At the start it isn’t really clear how her story connects with Silla’s but as you delve deeper into the book the more their lives become intertwined and I was really shocked and wonderfully thrilled by the conclusion.

Blood Magic has all the romance and darkness of a paranormal love story and all the intrigue and mystery of a thriller. This book is chilling, incredibly well written and unlike anything else out there. I really enjoyed it and was very impressed that this was a debut novel. I hope Tessa Gratton writes more books about Silla and Nick in the future and if you haven’t checked out Blood Magic yet I would highly recommend that you do!
My Rating 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis taken from Amazon

Thanks go to Random House for sending me this book for review