The Eve by Keary Taylor

Summary

Now that Eve had tasted the bits of her past, there's no stopping her from taking it all in. Being an experiment that started the cause of the end of the world is nothing compared to knowing she has a sister out there, alive and maybe alone. 

As she meet the creator of TorBane, Dr. Evans gave them something that she could not turn down. Hope. A hope to end it all, the hope to kill all the Banes in the world, and Eve will be the key to it. It's time for Eve to save the world.

My Review

I've been so blessed to have the opportunity to have an ARC copy of the wonderful book. Actually, I got the whole trilogy like this. I didn't expect to have this and I'm just waiting for it to be released that it was so exhilarating to find the package lying in my email for 4 days! I never hated myself so much for not checking my email everyday! I am very thankful to Ms. Keary Taylor for trusting me to review her book.

So here it goes:

The first chapter explained almost everything. I was expecting that Ms. Taylor would kill me slowly by giving bits of revelations per chapter until the end..but no... she gave it all at once. All my waiting after book 2 are worth it.The story on what really happened before Eve lost her memory answered all my questions. So when the said chapter is done, I was like "so what's next?!" I'm already satisfied in what I know after reading just the first chapter. But there's a bigger story after it that glued me in my seat and the book never leaving my hands. 

 Now that they have the means to save the world, everything is so fine. All is going according to plan and I'm getting agitated from paranoia just like Eve. As Eve and Avian had said, it's like a calm before the storm. I am expecting a tragedy to happen every time I flip the page.  But more than the excitement that I feel that the end of the story is near, there are other heavy emotions that this book brought to me. Too many were lost in the last book that every character that's lost brings heavy emotions to me, and when Morgan asked Eve to do whatever t takes to save her baby, the dam broke for me!

It's nice to see the trio back again. Avian, West and Eve as a group is so refreshing. Without the tension between the three after everything has been cleared up, they became the best team their world has ever had. The books has been consistent all throughout the trilogy. Action-packed, adrenaline is all over the place and Eve is the hero!

Near the end of the story, I can't explain what  I feel without spoiling something. But all I can say is that this book for me gets the best ending award!!!

Divergent 3 ~ Allegiant by Veronica Roth

My Review 

This book is definitely worth the wait! The conclusion of Veronica Roth's Divergent Trilogy finally came, and now that I knew how Tris and Four's story ended, I wish for more. I almost forgot Ms. Roth's gift in putting up an absolutely great and complicated story in simple words. I never had a hard time remembering what happened in the past books, never had difficulties in imagining how is the world inside the story. The writing made it easy for me to capture all the characters' feelings and thoughts in just a few words, no further explanations needed.

The story started where the second book left off. Now that Tris' group knows that there's a world out there, possibly a world where there won't be any factions, they venture to find that world.  Living the world they grew up to to look for the unknown. As long as there's the hope that the world would be a greater place, of course Tris won't let that pass. However, it seems that no matter where they go, the government tends to classify people and find scientific explanations on how they are. Again, Tris and Four found themselves in the middle of another society where one group believes they are genetically better than the other. Not much revelation in this book that I didn't expect, but I guess that's how the final book should be. All mysteries in the past books were answered clearly leaving no questions at all for the readers.

Tris' dauntless character is back this time. I was frustrated on how stupidly heroic she was in book 2, but now, I guess Tris learned her lesson. She became the careful one, the one who think things through. However, I feel like Four lost his touch. He became so lost because of what's happening between him and his parents and it seems like he can't adapt on the new world they found. Tris became the pillar of the group, she became the stronger one, the real hero their world needs. On the side of Tris and Four's relationship, not much since the story is focused on how to make the world a better place. But as the story progresses, you could see how mature their relationship has become. It's not about the butterflies in their stomach anymore nor how Four is so handsome (I guess that's meant for me :p) but it's about how these two people surpassed all the hardships in their relationship that they know for sure that they two belong to each other. :)

SPOILER ALERT! (Stop if you haven't read the book yet)

So many characters were lost in book 2 that I thought I couldn't handle anymore. But this is war, so I guess I should expect more deaths. But to realize that death comes to those characters I learned to be familiar with, oh my... It's like I lost my own. So when Tris died... (yes, she did. I told you not to go here if you haven't finished the book yet!) I was hoping that this is just a fake death like what they did to Four's mom. I was hoping until the end that Tris will pop out of nowhere and kiss the life out of Four. But no! That's when I started to cry! :(( I could count the books that made me cry and I never expected this book to add to it. It was so unexpected. That's why I couldn't tell if this book ended happily or not. Tris life was not wasted as they achieved a place where there would be no factions or classification of who's damaged and who's not. It's a very nice place to start anew. But I still remember Four and how devastated he is, I find the story sad. After everything that they did to be free, Four and Tris did not lived happily ever after.

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

Summary from Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of My Sister’s Keeper,Lone Wolf, and the forthcoming The Storyteller, Harvesting the Heart is written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, and recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Kristin Hannah. Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother, who left when she was five. Now, having left her father behind in Chicago for dreams of art school and marriage to an ambitious young doctor, she finds herself with a child of her own. But her mother's absence, and shameful memories of her past, make her doubt both her maternal ability and her sense of self worth. Out of Paige's struggle to find wholeness,

Jodi Picoult crafts an absorbing novel peopled by richly drawn characters and explores issues and emotions readers can relate to.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10908.Harvesting_the_Heart

My Review

It's sad to read a love story when you it won't end well. That's how I felt while reading this book. It's quite thick for a normal book and I can't imagine how will I endure the long story of Paige and Nicholas knowing Paige will end up sleeping in the porch. :( But this prologue also is the thing that keeps me going. How these two, so in love ended up in that stage.

I admin, I got bored in the end. You'll see it in the way I count the pages until the next chapter, how much pages will I still have to read to end this. But something in this story caught my interest that kept me going. But when I reached the second part of the story, I guess the story grew on me and I can't keep the book down. I was wondering at the beginning where will the story goes, and the second part answered all my questions and got me more intrigued.

At first, all I could see is Paige, a girl so lost. And when Nicholas came, I thought Paige had already found herself. But I was wrong. It only made her more lost. She lost her remaining self to Nicholas. She never found herself and she believes that the only way to find her way back to herself is by finding her mother who left her when she was young. I love the natural way the story goes. It's like I was there, helping Paige search for herself because I too don't know what's exactly she's searching for. We realized at the same time what's really the problem and I went with her as she goes back to where she really belongs to.

 

I started fearing the ending knowing Paige and Nicholas are not ok near the end. I wanted them so bad to be together that as I came near the end, I was wishing new pages will sprout to make the story longer. So opposite of what I'm feeling at the beginning of the book! haha!

I also wonder if this is a paranormal story or what. Paige's gift of drawing not just the person but also her past kept me wondering all throughout the st book. What is it's relation to story.To think that Paige always run away from her past and at the same tie long for it, does it makes sense that she sees other's past in her drawings?

I love how this book tackled how some person lost themselves in a relationship. Completely forgetting their own wants and needs for the satisfaction of their partner. It showed how important it is to be an individual person to stand on their own. That it is possible to love someone with all of you but still keeps who you really are.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Summary by Goodreads

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want--husband, country home, successful career--but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. 

 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19501.Eat_Pray_Love

My Review

The book that inspired me in every possible way! Ms. Gilbert made me wear her shoes as she travel to Italy, India, and Indonesia just by reading her words. It made me want to travel, to eat, to pray, to write, and to find myself as well.

I have watched this movie a long time ago. I got interested in the movie that made me want to read the book. But there's this fear that the book will not be much as interesting as the movie or the other way around. Either ways, I'll get disappointed. That's why it took me years before reading this. So when an opportunity came and someone lent me the book, I started reading. 

It's an easy read actually. For a travel and inspirational book, I did not had a hard time understanding each words. Ms. Gilbert has this way of writing the story in its simplest form, despite of all the complications. 

I guess the only hard part for me here is the "eat: part. I'm not that much familiar with the foods but I always loved Italy so I don't mind it at all. It's like I've been travelling with Ms. Gilbert all throughout the book. It's like I'm the one experiencing it and not her. And at some point, there are words that I'll read that would reach to the deepest of my heart. I started feeling that each words she's telling in this book are somehow made just for me.

It's a perfect book. It's like my soul was cleansed and I became mature a little after reading the book. I've learned lots of things just by reading this one. And as a frustrated traveler, I know that what we could experience as we travel is something that we could keep for the rest of our lives.

Real by Katy Evans

Summary from Goodreads

A fallen boxer.

A woman with a broken dream.

A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17617277-real

My Review

When I saw Remington's name in the final list of the 3rd Annual YA Crush Tournament, I was really curious who the is this Remington is. i have heard most of the names in the final list, so how come I don't know who he is. i heard he is a fighter and he is super sweet. So, I have to know which book he came from.., so tahda! I'm done reading Real by Katy Evans.

M first impression was this is so much like Beautiful Disaster. Brooke first met Remington during Remy's fight, where he is "quite" popular. "Quite" is an understatement actually. Which is so much like he first scenes of Beautiful Disaster. But though there are lot of similarities from the two books, Real still has it's own uniqueness. Even though I find Remy's character a cliche, Brooke is a new character to me. She never mentioned herself as someone everybody admired, nor every guys love to have. She was a former star who lost the only thing she aimed for, but never stopped doing what could make her happy. I just wish I find the back story there. I never heard her cry over her Olympic dreams. I guess the story started at the time where Brooke has already moved on from her tragedy. 

What I love about this story is the combination of drama, action and music in the story. There's also sports but I'm not that much familiar with the double punch and everything. And to be honest, I did not feel much on the intensity of the fights since It's on Brooke's POV and all I can hear about is how much she's being turned on by Remy's fights. Hes, Remy is superduper sweet, I now understand why he's a finalist. and Brooke is an extraordinary woman and their love story is worth writing about but for me, it lacks the it factor, compared to other YA stories. 

All in all, I find the story direct and simple, you-get-what-you-read kind of book.

One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy

Summary from Goodreads

Temporary. That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least.

But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…

Me.

I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17202452-one-week-girlfriend

My Review

A cliche story, but not really. Looking in the plot, I was like... "here I go again with this type of story." But I honestly love this kind of stories, maybe because of the extreme sweetness of the male character and me being a frustrated romantic. :p

What makes this different from other stories? This is not love at first sight. The girl is not sweet, actually she's known tobe a slut who smokes. The guys is freakingly gorgeous and famous but hates to hooks up with girls. As we go on to the story, I might say this is an unusual story with an unusual lead characters which you'll only realize if you're almost done reading the whole book. To start, Drew is the jock, a famous one but doesn't like hooking up with girls much. That's why she ended up asking Fable, the famous slut to pretend as her girlfriend for one week, thus the title. Right from the start, a lot of familiar scenarios are being presented, but I guess the saving grace of this book is that it downright admitted how cliche the story is. Then, the story became very confusing, with all Drew's dark mystery I can't decipher and I'm finding too much drama... The reason for all of these better be butterflying reasonable. The gradual development of the story made me impatient to know what's really going on, but I guess it's really good, because even though the story seems to be just a simple love story, it turned out to tackle a very serious matter. 

The alternating POV suits perfectly well with the story, with all the secrets Drew is hiding and Fable's unusual character, hearing both their minds really helped to develop the story deeper than the story itself. I also love the quotes at the beginning of every chapter, it helped me in guessing on what to expect in that chapter. Simple words were use that made the whole story easy to understand, not that much detail but enough for reader to envision what's going on inside the story.

Dirty Little Secrets by Jennifer Echols

Summary from Goodreads

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. 

But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16058488-dirty-little-secret

My Review 

I could never put fiddle and love story in one sentence. That is until I've read this book. I wasn't expecting much from this story since I'm not that good with music, let alone play a fiddle. Honestly speaking, I'm not familiar with this string instrument, until google helped me out. All I wanted is a feel good story that will save my boredom for the day. This book had successfully done that, and more than that. I was entertained beyond my expectation and quite enjoy the complicated, annoying but adorable love story of Sam and Bailey.

It's all about music for this two, and family troubles in the sideline. At times, it feels like Bailey's problem is too shallow for the story. There are also a lot of background stories that they were not much elaborated. Though the background stories tells a lot about the characters, I didn't get enough emotional investment from them.

I was a bit disappointed since I prefer the story to focus on their family problems rather than their big dream, which is so wrong of me since this a music book. (That's what I'm calling it) Another disappointment for me is that I wasn't able to have a glimpse of any of Bailey's composition.It would be so much better if I did, then maybe the emotions Bailey is trying to say for her family and Sam would reach to me.

But what I love most in this story is when they introduced Dancin' away with my heart" by Lady Antebellum. I must admit that I don't know all of the songs mentioned in this book, except that one. Which is one of my favorite, thus this book notched up in my list. :)

The Human by Keary Taylor

Summary from the Book

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn't mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine. 

My Review

First, I would like to thank Ms. Keary Taylor for the ARC copy of the book. After reading book 1, I immediately added the series in my to-read list. I was anticipating June for the book 2 release when I received an email giving me the opportunity to have an ARC copy. Of course, being the bookworm I am, I won't let this pass. So, here I am, done with the book in just one night. :D

Right form the first word of this book, you could feel the tension. Of course I was expecting it. Even if they now have the means to keep the Banes away from them, it doesn't mean all Eve's problems are gone. Like the Bane, Eve's problems are always there, though unreachable, they are there. West has woken up, not yet completely healed from the Bane infection, and obviously not healed from the heartache after Eve chose Avian over him. There's also the mystery of Eve's past that she still can't remember, the turning off of her emotional blocker that makes her depress often. Along with these problems, a new group of human seeks safety in the New Eden, but these groups are suspicious, with lots of questions and are not willing to answer any questions. So when worse came to worst, Eve found herself being experimented once again. With these came the memories flooding back about her past and more secrets revealed.

The book is not that much dependent on the first book. Though it's still necessary to  read the first book to relate on some parts, the story itself is a new one. Book 2 is like an introduction of something bigger that will come up on the third book. Some mysteries from book one were revealed, but not that much. More mysteries are introduced that readers will surely anticipate for the third book. Though I prefer the excitement and thrill I got on book one, book two made me excited to read book three. Also, the story has been consistent since book one and reading all the characters once again makes me lighthearted. Surely, I'll wait for book three! :D

About the Author

Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, EDEN, and WHAT I DIDN'T SAY. To learn more about Keary and her writing process, please visitwww.KearyTaylor.com.

Book Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIHFvtnvKU4

The Rebound Girl by Tamara Morgan

Summary from Goodreads

Plastic surgeon Whitney Vidra knows all about getting over a cheating ex. She followed her boyfriend halfway around the world before she found out about his infidelity. Now she's focusing on her career and her friends, and using men just for single-serving, no-strings fun. Until she meets charming Matt Fuller.

Newly single Matt is captivated by the vibrant Whitney, in every way the opposite of his cheating ex-wife. When he confesses to Whitney that he hasn't had sex since his divorce, she volunteers to be his rebound girl. But Matt's not a no-commitment kind of guy—he's either all in, or all out.

Whitney is determined to remain attachment-free, but Matt is equally determined to prove to her that what they have is more than just a rebound fling.

My Review

A typical story of two persons moving on with their lives from a heart-breaking past and found each other. It's easy to find out where the story is going with the two main characters. But what made me continue reading is the chemistry of the two characters. Matt and Whitney are two persons you shouldn't put together, but with the story and set up, the author had successfully created a very adorable love team. Though adorable should be the last word that should describe them, I can't help myself. But before adorable, we could put hot, irresistible and entertaining. But I'll stand up on my adorable description. A conservative teacher and a liberated plastic surgeon's love story is something I cannot pass on hearing.

Though I know where would the story ends even before I open the book, this book intrigued me on how they will end up together. The humor, sexiness, and depth of this story is really entertaining. In this book, it's not the "how they met" or "how the book ended" what's important. It's what's in between. On how these two found forgiveness and acceptance when they found love together.

Ink by Amanda Sun

Summary from Goodreads

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

My Review

It's nice to have a breathe of fresh air. And a story with Japan settings is something new for me.  At first, it's really confusing what the story is all about and how all the characters fit in. But as the story goes, everything is coming to its perfect place. I just find myself enjoying the love story between Katie and Tomo.  

The mystery surrounding Tomo is really intriguing that I almost got frustrated how Tomo denies everything when the truth is so obvious, but the story behind the truth is quite hard to get.  I'm not familiar with Kami or any other Japanese legends, so I was hoping that the story would give more details on it. Even how Tomo and Katie got involved in this legend was not elaborately explained, which I'm hoping would be shared in the next book. I guess it would explain a lot.

I also love how American and Japanese culture was mixed so naturally. I didn't even feel confused everytime Japanese words are uttered even though I have no idea what the words are, but as I said, it's quite entertaining to read something different.

What I also loved about this, other than the supernaturals, is how Katie found her home in a foreign place. At first, Katie is lost, a stranger in a foreign land, but as the story goes, Katie comes to love the place and found her place in a place she never thought she could find.  It makes me realize, that sometimes, changes are good. We just have to be open about it.

The After Girls by Leah Konen

Summary from Goodreads

Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls' worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this--to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn't they have seen this coming? Couldn't they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid's dark secrets. The answers to those questions--questions they never dreamed of asking--will change their lives forever. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2568999292484262172#overviewstats

My Review

When their friend Astrid committed suicide, Sidney and Ella are left to pick up the pieces. Pieces of guilt, what ifs and memories of their friendship. Both tried to handle their grief in their own ways. Sydney was the one who wanted to let it go, move forward and just forget everything. I understand her, at least that way, she never have to be reminded of all the opportunities she could have in helping Astrid, and maybe, Astrid would not kill herself. In parties and drinking, Sydney could pretend everything is fine, and even for just a moment, she could forget that one of her best friend died. 

Ella on the other hand wanted to solve the mystery of Astrid's death. They thought everything is fine with Astrid, that all of them have planned the future together. Ella could not accept the fact that Astrid gave up and left them, that Astrid chose to end her life than choose to ask their help in whatever she's going through. She believes Astrid is telling her something, that her ghost is possible reaching out to her ,telling her a message, and he won't stop until she finds out all the mysteries behind their friend's death.

It shows two ways of moving on, one is Sydney's way-- forget everything and move on, and the other is Ella's, that is face all the feelings and facts before moving on. Both are effective I guess, it's the individual's character on how to cope up with the hurt of losing someone. Just one thing remains, both are hurting really bad. :(

It's a little bit confusing where the story is going. Is this a paranormal story or just a simple story of friendship, life and death. But in the end, it doesn't matter. What the books wanted to tell has successfully been expressed by the story regardless if ghosts are real or not. It's that in life, we lose some, we gain some. Losing someone would hurt a lot, it comes with regrets of things we could have done to save them, to stop them from leaving, but when it comes in the end, all we have to do is accept the fact the they're gone, but we still have our lives, to live it and move on and let ourselves be healed. 

Forbidden to Love by Debbie Davies

Summary

Acacia is the third Erosian. She was created by Prometheus to become Eros' lover. However, Eros' only wanted his true love, Psyche. Allana was created first, but Eros rejected her, then Amora. Acacia was created when Eros rejected Amora as well. But same as her two older sisters, she was rejected as well. But because of Eros' anger form losing his love, she cursed these women to only love him, and was forbidden to love other else.

But when Acacia met Josh, an auraless high school student and found him different from others, Acacia can't help but fall in love with him. But being forbidden to love, loving Josh and Josh loving her could only mean two things -- death for Josh and banishment to Tartarus for Acacia.

My Review

Mythology meets high school drama! An intriguing plot and a very nice cover made this book a hit. During the first words there were confusion on how the story will go, but as soon as I got familiar with the setting, the story consumed me. The characters of Allanna, Amora and Acacia is unique, then add the twist about the love of God who's forbidding everyone to love. The politics and battle between gods were maintained but at the same time, Ms. Davies has perfectly mixed it with modern YA story that made the story really exciting. I totally love how myth and YA harmoniously combined, but it didn't seem cliche even for a second. Every page, a familiar new character would be revealed, but you won't expect their role until the story decides it to be revealed.

The story flows naturally, I already thought it would be plottable but this book took me by surprise midway. I thought it would we a simple forbidden love until they conquered everything, but this is more than that. I couldn't say more! :p

Fragments by Dan Wells

Summary from Goodreads

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence--it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of post-apocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means--and even more important, a reason--for our survival. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13170596-fragments

My Review

A lot happened on the first book, but there are still unanswered questions. The second book is all bout these. Kira's journey to find out who she really is and if she would able to make a way to save the world again.

I thought everything would be ok after Kira found out the cure in the first book. But Kira only found how to cure the RM (which I still don't know what means) but no means how to get it. It's weird really, that after finding the cure, Kira seems to forget everything about it and the town forgot everything about her and letting her leave alone without questions asked. 

But now, Kira has different goals for leaving, and also, she's going to do it all alone. She needs to find out how she became a partial, whats Nandita's connection in all of these, and find a way to stop the expiration date of the partials. It just seem like Kira wanted to save everyone. She's a typical hero who wants to save everyone without sacrificing anyone. Hers was an ideal way, there's a problem and she'll find a way that's best for everyone, and she won't stop to get it.

Her journey was long, it came to a point that it got boring because it seems she's going nowhere. It was an endless travel, searching blindly for answers. I know, I'm starting to sound Heron, but who could blame her? Everyone is dying and they're going to something they're not sure of. But what I admired was Kira's faith that she'll find a way.

Though there's a lot of going on, I can't help but think of the love triangle that's happening between Marcus, Kira and Samm. I know the story was not that focused in this issue, but I hoped it did. It could keep the story interesting, especially when all I could read is the endless travel Kira is doing.

The story is quite "technical" with all the medical terms, paragen terms and partial and human. But I honestly had fun reading it. Though there are times that I have no idea what they're talking about, I could easily get the point where the story is going as I continue to read. The story was scattered all over Kira, Marcus, Sato and Ariel was even added to the list. It feels to big for a simple story, but it keeps me expecting how good it would end. If the series will end the same way as it ended on book 1,I don;t care how many rivers or acid rains I would read. :p

a goodbye to a brother

Goodbye Charlie... you've been with us for so long. You've been part of the family  and we'll forever treasure the memories with you.

Thanks for being the best pet ever! It seems like you always know when to come near me and make lambing... Love you Charlie.. I know you're in good hands now. Happy and Healthy. Hope you're having lots of pandesal there. :)

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Summary from Goodreads

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745950-walking-disaster

My Review

First of all, I would like to thanks Netgalley and Atria for giving me the opportunity to have the ARC of Walking Disaster. Eversince I have heard about Walking Disaster, I'm already counting the days. I was so excited that it's already March and few more days before it will be released, and guess luck is on my side for this month for having the copy even before it was released :D

I was so excited reading it that I can't take off the smile in my face while reading it. Who wouldn't? I'm about to meet Travis again, and not just hear it from Abby... but to hear Travis' thoughts directly from him. Ever since I have read beautiful disaster, Travis' thoughts have been a mystery. He's the emotional one, the more vocal when it comes to his feelings and emotions are everywhere when he's around, so a book in his POV is not just a bonus, it's like a Christmas gift in March wrapped in the best cover ever! :D

The whole book was entertaining to read. You know you know the story, but hearing it straight from Travis "Mad Dog" Maddox, it's like a whole new story to a different level. Though I believe a reader won't enjoy much of the story without reading Beautiful Disaster first. All the questions I had when I read Beautiful Disaster were answered directly here.

It's nice to hear how was Travis was during the time when Abby was dating Parker and how is he everytime he and Abby broke up! And the jealousy? haha! Exactly the "other" side of the story. Beautiful Disaster has been a perfect story form me, until walking Disaster came along. Though I find the story fast-paced, and there are parts from BD that were skipped that I was looking forward to, it complements the first books perfectly. It made Abby and Travis' more perfect, if that is even possible.

The Practice Proposal by Tracy March

Summary from Goodreads

Liza Sutherland isn’t looking for love. Not from a charity-auction date she didn’t even bid on and especially not with Nationals first baseman Cole Collins, the guy she obsessed over as an awkward teenager. She won’t get involved with a notorious player, no matter how attractive Cole is. 

Cole Collins is up for contract renegotiation, but after too many late-night parties, he’ll need some positive publicity before he can make the roster. His agent, Frank, pitches Liza as the perfect prop…only Cole didn’t account for Liza no longer being just a teenager with a crush. She’s gorgeous and smart and he’s instantly hooked. 

When Frank makes Liza a deal she can’t refuse—a bet she will fall in love with Cole or a cool half mil goes to charity—the game is on. But neither bet on the real feelings that surface. Could a fake fling turn into an official forever? http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17562073-the-practice-proposal

My Review

I love the combination of this two. Daughter of the owner of one of the baseball team and star of the opposing team. Such a star couple. Cole was Liza's puppy love, she was a fan even before Cole is in the center of the spotlight. And Liza was the only friend Cole has back then. The only person who knows him better than others. 

So when they met again, and Liza is now the hot lady and Cole is the superstar, it's a match made in heaven. Though started for personal gain and lies, I can't help but root for the two. They have the chemistry, that I can't help smiling when I imagine them together. However, it seems like everything is going well in their surroundings. No one's against it that it feels too good to be true. Though it compensates all the lies the couple has, it still lack some excitement. But I'll let it go, the cute couple compensates for everything.

Then when it came near the end, I forgot everything I'm talking about the lack of excitement. The drama is all over, but the love and sweetness just can't get away. The story is so good and easy to read that I'm surprised that I'm almost at the end. It's also enjoyable that I don't actually want it to end, but I'm looking forward to the ending. contradicting huh? 

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Summary from Goodreads

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13477883-gameboard-of-the-gods

My Review

Unique and very intriguing story. This is one of the story that won't let you stop until the end. At first, it's confusing where Mae and Justin fits in the story. But as the story goes, I realized that they do not just fit in the story, but it actually revolves around them, being the pieces in the gameboard of the gods.

The story is really big, from the lives in the Runa, to the lives in the province such as in Panama, to Mae's character, to Justin's history and to Tessa's future. This story is everywhere but it definitely did not lose my interest. It started really exciting when the mystery why Justin became exile is starting to be revealed. That's when everything is getting clear and how Mae is connected in all of it. 

It's hard to do something that is against on what you're starting to believe. This is Mae and Justin's problem. How could they stop the religious sects going on in the country, serving gods they know if in truth, there's a hidden god that's making both believe that they should be fighting on their side. Justin's job is to not to believe in any gods, but how could he when there are two ravens in his head talking form hin in years, encouraging him to fulfill his destiny in serving their god. And there's Mae, whom all her life is obligated to not believe in them, but how could she deny the darkness that's controlling her at times and the past she learned about Justin. 

It's hard to imagine a futuristic world, where there are churches with no gods, military with implants to be strong and many others the author have introduced in the story, but in the way the story was written, it became easy to understand and after few pages, you'll be swallowed wholly by the book.