Harry Potter Spells Book Tag!!

I'm such a huge Harry Potter fan and so I was super excited when Jessica from Lovin' los libros tagged me in this Harry Potter Spells Book Tag! The tag was created by Kimberlyfayereads and BookNerd Betsy.

This was so much harder than I thought it was going to be! I mean we're talking years worth of books read and coming up with one answer but I feel good about the books I picked. I mean, a couple of them I probably could've come up with better answers if I dug a whole lot deeper but I'm sticking with what I came up with and I had tons of fun doing it. Let's get to it shall we?

1. An upcoming release you wish you could get your hands on right now

I feel like this book is going to be so much fun. Getting sucked into a new world through a picture in a book? Magic? I'm ready for January!

2. Favorite Series Starter

This will always be one of my most favorite series and I especially loved how it all started!

3. A book that gave you all the warm fuzzies

The sweetness of this book was just too much. I actually want to go read it again right now!

4. A book that made you ugly cry

The ugly, ugly cries were very real.

5. Bookish hero or heroine you want around to protect you in real life

Either Rose or Dimitri. Or both!! I think I'd seek out danger just to see them in action haha!

6. A book you intentionally spoiled for yourself

I racked my brain and I couldn't come up with a single book that I spoiled for myself. I've spoiled movies for myself or books for other people upon request...but none for myself.

7. A book you wish you could make everyone read because you loved it so much

Oh man I loved this book so much. It made me feel all the things. I wish everyone had read it so that I could just bask in all the glorious things with them... :)

8. A book or series you wish never ended

I will always and forever want more Adrian Ivashkov.

9. A book with an uplifting ending or message

Very good "be yourself" and "don't change for anyone but yourself" types of messages in this book. Plus Rachel Harris is just full of awesome!

10. A book you wish you could forget you ever read

This was a perfect example of how very much series enders are horrible to me. I wish I could forget this one. The entire series up to this book was filled...filled with action and danger and explosions and death at the turn of every page. Then the end was just wrapped up in a neat little bow with zero intensity of the rest of the series. Major, major disappointment.

11. An author whose books always get you out of a slump

Even if I've read them all a hundred times, and most of them I'm sure I'm pretty dang close, I will always be picked up and feel that reading zest after finishing any Julia Quinn book. The woman is amazing!

12. A swoon-worthy hero or heroine

Aiden St. Delphi. Sigh. Funny thing is I was not the biggest Aiden fan at the start of this series but about halfway through I finally discovered what everyone else was swooning about and yeah...Aiden is amazing.

13. A book that caused you to stop all other things until you finished it

I couldn't have put this one down if I tried once I started it. It had me desperately turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

14. A book that was painful to read (for whatever reason) or broke you

I had started to put Hopeless here, which was freaking painful and broke me as well, but this one was actually worse for me. It really hit me hard. I probably could have even slipped this one into the ugly cry spot as well!

15. A book that had you laughing out loud

Oh my word this book was not only sexy and frustrating but it was laugh out loud hilarious at times.

16. A book that made you want to send it (or your e-reader) flying

I'm surprised my book is still in one piece. No joke. If you've read I'm sure you can figure out why, if not...spoilers so...sorry. I would say read it and find out but I wouldn't subject anyone to that.

17. Bookish world you wish you could visit

I have this obsession with England and all things British and what I wouldn't give to visit the Bridgertons in Regency England. 

18. A book with a shocking twist or ending

I mean what? Are you kidding me with that ending? I was so tempted to put this one down as a "wish I could forget I read it" but meh I already had it in two spots so I'll ease up on Allegiant. Even though it doesn't deserve it!! I'm okay. I'm okay...

19. A character death that destroyed you

Wow. Okay so this book is told in 2 parts. Before and After. Well I never made it to the after. At least not yet. After the death in the before section I had to put the book down I just couldn't take it. I mean I knew it was coming. Everything was building up for it to happen. Still I held on to a tiny shred of denial. I really want to finish this some day though because the writing was just beautiful.

20. Best series conclusion

It is very rare that I am happy with how a series ends. Most of the time they turn my world upside down and I was so freaking scared to read this book because of that. However, JLA did an amazing job bringing the Lux series to an end and I was so, so happy!!

Okay that was tons of fun! And since Jess has already tagged anyone I think would be into doing this...well I'm just gonna say if this looks like you'd enjoy it then I tag YOU! And stop back by and leave me a link so I can see what you came up with! And don't forget to visit the creators and the person who tagged me. All their links are at the top of the page :)

I guess all that's left to say now is...

Mischief Managed!

Weekly Haul #69

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's basically a way in which we get to show off the lovely new goodies we got over the past week/month however you decide to do it.

So I made this little vow to myself a couple weeks ago after pushing through a huge stack of ARCs that I was cutting myself off. Well unless, of course, it was a series I was already in the middle of or an author that I adored and couldn't live without. Hence there being no new STS post for me last week. 

I know. It felt weird for me too....

Anyway.

Of course this week there ended up being 3 books of series that I had previously enjoyed so I couldn't exactly pass up the temptation. I feel like 3 is pretty good for my junky self though yanno?

Well without further ramblings let's see what I've added to my shelves this week!

Falling for Her Enemy (Still Harbor #2) by Victoria James

The Moonshadow's Daughter (Wolfe Creek #3) by Kaylie Newell

His Pirate Seductress (Love on the High Seas #3) by Tamara Hughes

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for these 3 ARCs!

One Night of Scandal (After Hours #2) by Elle Kennedy

Resisting the Hero (Accidentally in Love #3) by Cindi Madsen

I haven't started either of these series yet but I love both of these author's writing!

Her Temporary Hero (Once a Marine #2) by Jennifer Apodaca

The first book was SO good and I can't wait to see where else this series goes!

Tempting the Cowboy (Paint River Ranch #1) by Elizabeth Otto

*Points* Cowboy. COWBOY! Yee-haw?

Fallen Crest High (Fallen Crest High #1) by Tijan

The Proposition (The Plus One Chronicles #1) by Jennifer Lyon

All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully

written and read by Carrie Hope Fletcher

So I've discovered something about myself. As desperately as I want to be an audiobook person, I seem to get ADD types of tendencies with them when I listen and my mind wanders. No matter how much I'm liking the book. And I keep having to rewind and listen to things over and over again. BUT. Give me a memoir type of a book, especially read by the person who wrote it and I am fascinated and hanging on every word. Go figure! Anyway. I adore Carrie Hope Fletcher and I can't wait to get into this one!!!

So that's it for me this week. What have you added to your shelves? :) Have a great week lovelies!! 

ARC REVIEW: Her Unexpected Detour (Checkerberry Inn #1) by Kyra Jacobs

Title: Her Unexpected Detour
Series: Checkerberry Inn #1
Author: Kyra Jacobs
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Published: September 15th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 206
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars

Kyra Jacobs | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sometimes it's not the destination, but the detour...

Kayla has the perfect strategy for a broken heart: work, work, and more work. Then a storm sends her car skidding off the road, stranding her in Mount Pleasant. Fortunately, rescue comes in the form of the incredibly handsome but gruff Brent Masterson. And he's hot enough to tempt Kayla into doing something she never thought she could do... 

Brent Masterson swore he would never give into the fierce attraction that's been sizzling between him and Kayla since they first met. He has his own demons, and he won't risk his heart again. Not even for someone as gorgeous and amazing as Kayla. So...how exactly did he end up in Kayla's bed last night?

But sometimes all it takes is an ice storm to show two broken hearts the way home… 

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

This book was so cute and so much fun to read. Well at least up to the ending. Why insta-love? Why? I'm starting to feel like a broken record in saying so. And if this weren't the 4th or 5th book within the last month alone where I encountered it, I probably wouldn't be feeling the frustration so deeply because I was completely adoring this book up to the end. But I'm at the point where I just need to say...enough is enough.

The thing is, I was instantly sucked in by the lovable characters, the quaint setting and the wonderful writing. This book had everything going for it. I just can't take something seriously like expecting me to believe and understand that two people can say "I love you" after a week. A week. Had that not happened I could've probably gone 4.5 stars, it was honestly that endearing and heartwarming. But enough about my huge frustration. Let's get into the good stuff.

The storyline sounded like it was going to be so much fun that I couldn't resist putting in the request for this book. And it definitely was. I'd love to get stranded somewhere like Mount Pleasant at the Checkerberry Inn. Especially with two distractions like the Masterson cousins!

I loved the entire cast of characters in this book. Brent, Kayla and both of their family members that we meet. They were all just so much fun. Most especially Brent's grandmother Ruby, who owns the Checkerberry Inn and always had matchmaking stars glinting in her eyes. She was so completely adorable I wanted her to be real!

I feel like Brent and Kayla, having both experienced great loss in their lives, were able to find something in each other they didn't even know they needed. And could understand and relate to one another on a level that others couldn't. Watching them develop their feelings was both frustrating and extremely sweet. I was rooting for them from the very start and so every time they would find a way to push the other one away or there was a miscommunication I could feel the frustration bubbling within me. Once they stop fighting though it makes everything worth it.

I'm not sure what else to say about this one. I'm just still so distracted by that ending. And I was falling so hard for this book before hand too. That's the only reason I kept my rating up to 3 stars. I feel like I'd definitely give a Kyra Jacobs book another chance in the future. Hopefully the "I love yous" will hold off for more than a week or two.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

ARC REVIEW: Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru (Creative HeArts #1) by Tera Lynn Childs

Title: Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru
Series: Creative HeArts #1
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: Entangled Crush
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 245
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Tera Lynn Childs | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

When life gives you a blank canvas, make art.

Sloane Whitaker hates everything about moving to Texas. She hates leaving behind her friends and half her family in New York, starting over senior year at Austin’s NextGen Academy, and having to say she lives in Texas. Most of all, she hates that it’s all her fault. If she wants to earn her way back to the Big Apple, she has to prove she can still be the perfect daughter.

Which means no vandalism art, no trouble at school, and absolutely no Tru Dorsey, her serial screw-up neighbor, who loves nothing more than pushing her buttons.

But from the moment he vaults onto the roof outside her bedroom, there is something about him that makes her want to break every rule. Suddenly it’s not the ten things she hates about Tru that are at the top of her list. It’s the ten reasons she doesn’t want to be without him.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

This is the second Young Adult Contemporary, in as many weeks, to take my expectations of mediocrity and smack me across the face with them and then completely blow me away. I always keep my expectations as low as possible for YA Contemps to try and avoid disappointment. I love being taken completely by surprise like this. My heart is so full of feelings for Sloane and Tru right now that it's almost overwhelming. The writing was beautiful, the characters were beautiful, the storyline was beautiful.

I'm absolutely in love with both Tru and Sloane. They were far from ordinary and written beautifully. And I think what really sets them apart from most teenage characters for me was the uniqueness to their voices. For the most part they are your typical teenagers full of angst and a bit of rebellion and all of that. But I feel like with how artistic they both are and the fact that they go specifically to an art school for high school has added this new flavor, this new depth to their personalities.

I was so happy that we got bits of Tru's point of view in here. You realize right away from that first dip inside Tru that any outward appearance of family perfection is nothing but a huge illusion. Though the depths to which the illusion is crafted doesn't immediately make itself known and my heart splinters into a thousand pieces when you first witness Tru's nightmare of a reality. Tru was such an amazing character. He hides his pain behind his charm and his bad boy, delinquent reputation.

I wasn't expecting this book to be as heavy as it was at times, that's for sure. So I was pretty grateful for Tru at times. He's got like this restless energy that you can feel coming through the pages. Never still, always moving or bouncing off of things, literally. So even though his story brings with it some pain, he's always there with a charming smile and doing something to give you one of your own.

I also really loved the setting, not necessarily Austin but the NextGen school since that's where a huge chunk of the book takes place. It brings with it an interesting set of characters as well. From other students to  some pretty cool and fun teachers. I feel like if I had had an opportunity to go to a place like this way back when I was in school I'd have done a lot better.

Sure I'd say a few things were pretty predictable. Like there was a person sabotaging fellow classmates and even though they leave it open to a couple suspects it wasn't hard to figure out who was guilty. A person I didn't trust from the moment I met them. But even that bit of predictability didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of this book. It was more like a "Ha! I knew it!" type of a moment if anything.

As if it isn't obvious by now, I freaking loved this book. Young Adult Contemporaries are always such a hit or miss and thankfully this one was a huge hit for me. I can't wait for the next book in this series. To the very depths of my soul I want it to be a continuation of Tru and Sloane's story. Things were left pretty up in the air and open to interpretation I guess. But I'm hoping it was left open on purpose to lead to the next book. Regardless though I'm still excited to see what will come next. If it's anything like this one was I'll be over the moon!

A huge thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

ARC REVIEW: One Night with the Billionaire (Men of the Zodiac #9) by Sarah Ballance

Title: One Night with the Billionaire
Series: Men of the Zodiac #9
Author: Sarah Ballance
Publisher: Entangled Indulgence
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 151
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Sarah Ballance | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sign: Sagittarius

He's the perfect kind of trouble...

Zoe Davenport is on her way to a perfect, idyllic, private resort, where there's no ex-fiancé and definitely no public scandal involving said ex-fiancé. But one look at the exceptionally sexy resort owner, and Zoe wonders if she's escaped scandal just long enough to land herself in even hotter water...

Except that Ryder Nash isn't exactly a stranger. He and Zoe used to live next door to each other. She was the sweet little temptation who couldn't stand him-the bad boy with a loud car and a new girl every weekend. What Zoe doesn't know is that all those years ago, her father paid Ryder off...to keep him away from her.

And if Ryder gives into the fiery attraction that rages between them-even for a moment-he'll lose everything all over again...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

So this series really hasn't spent much time on my radar. However, last month I picked up the previous book since it was by one of my favorite authors. So when this one came up not long after I finished that one and I happened to notice it was centered around "my sign" I figured why the heck not. I had also read my first book by Sarah Ballance and adored it mostly so it just furthered my decision to read this. The good news after finishing, I really liked it. Well, once again, mostly. The bad news? The ending has left me, well disappointed if I'm being honest.

See, I'm sensing a pattern. And not in a good way. Sarah Ballance writes wonderful characters that you can easily and very quickly get attached to. Her storytelling is absolutely lovely. Both good things. The bad is that you have a couple who meet for the first time, and yes basically Ryder and Zoe count because even though he was the bad boy next door...they never spoke or interacted, except maybe to stare at each other from the other side of the fence. They knew nothing about the other one. In both books I've read, things get intense and heat up really fast. Which is perfectly fine, I always feel the strong connection and sparks within the pairing. But from the point they meet you get like, 2 weeks worth of mostly sex or lusting after each other and very little of the "getting to know you" phase. Then by the end of the book, once again 2 weeks later, L bombs are dropped.

I had been hoping it was just a fluke with the first book I read, but now with this other one...I'm guessing that's not the case. Insta-love is such a bummer. I truly feel this would be my only complaint in both cases. But that's a big one.

The characters were so much fun though. Ryder was very much the gruff alpha male type. Oh my word and he had the most delicious dirty mouth. I swear when he would get all up in Zoe's personal space and start whispering all the naughty things he wanted to do to her...I had the urge to start yelling at my Kindle for him to start acting on those things. Sigh. His intensity was all kinds of sexy. I think I should kind of take back what I said earlier because I do have one complaint about Ryder. He had a pretty rough childhood that was mentioned but it felt somewhat pointless, except maybe to explain his drive and acceptance of Zoe's dad's payoff. I wish it would have added more depth to his character though and maybe be more of an issue in the present.

Zoe was pretty awesome herself. I appreciated the fact that she wasn't completely spineless. Her dad has basically controlled her entire life and all of her decisions since she was little. So I was expecting her to be more of a pushover, but she was far from weak. I loved watching her grow even stronger than she first appears and really stand up for herself. See that fire inside her when she takes control of her own life. She was a really great character.

Insta-love aside, there is a lot to love within this book. Like  I said the characters are all completely lovable. Even the side characters, I love Sarah Ballance's writing style, and the setting was total paradise. Like I want to go stay on Ryder's resort island and never leave! However, as desperate as I was to want to continue with the Chase Brothers series of hers that  I fell in love with...doubts are sinking in. I feel like I'm willing to take one more shot and keep my fingers crossed the relationship doesn't develop at warp speed. There's only so much of the early I love yous a person can take.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

ARC REVIEW: Finding Perfect by Kendra C. Highley

Title: Finding Perfect
Author: Kendra C. Highley
Publisher: Entangled Crush
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 199
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Kendra C. Highley | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

How far will you go for perfection? 

For “Perfect Paige” Westfield, today is “D” Day. As in, she just got one on her calculus test. With her dreams of Stanford, her reputation, and her parents’ expectations at stake, Paige needs to find a way to save face before everything she’s worked for goes up in flames.

Ben Franklin (yes, he’s related) is from the wrong side of town, with the wrong clothes and the wrong kind of life. He also knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he’ll be happy to tutor Paige—if she makes him into the kind of guy her best friend, the hottest girl in school, will date.

It’s the perfect arrangement. And Paige is determined not even the inconvenient—and utterly imperfect—attraction simmering between her and Ben will ruin it…

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

I am so unbelievably happy that this book found it's way into my life. After finishing Finding Perfect, I realize I've done just that...found perfection. It has been a very, very, very long time since a book has captured my heart so completely that I'm left desperately wanting to find a way to tack more stars to the end of my rating. Especially a Young Adult novel! This book has done just that. I devoured it. Devoured! And now I sit here with the early symptoms of the dreaded book hangover settling in and wishing I had slowed down and truly savored it more. I'm in love. What can I say? It was flawless.

I am such a character driven person. All of the characters in this book were just brilliant and full of depth and I absolutely loved them. Even Paige's mom, whom I completely, to the depths of my soul, despised up until the last few pages, I loved the fact that she inspired all of those feelings and emotions from me. She inspired just as many feelings as the rest of them did. I love when an author can do that to me. Make me hate someone, yet at the same time love the fact that I do. Well done, Kendra C. Highley!

Paige was simply amazing. I wish I had had even 1/8th of her drive when I had been her age. She would strive so hard for perfection and put so much pressure on herself to live up to everyone's expectations and she did such an amazing job, but at the cost of an incredible amount of stress that no seventeen-year-old should have. Ever. Of course it doesn't help all the added pressures and expectations from her mother. I mean the girl is 4th in her graduating class but her mother acts as if she's not trying hard enough to be number 1. I hated it. I hated seeing what it was doing to her. I'm surprised Paige didn't have ulcers. It was brilliant, though, watching her grow and finding the courage to start living up to her own expectations and desires. She totally kicks major butt and is worthy of girl crush status.

Ben was just a cupcake. I loved how smart and compassionate he was. How he took the time to look past "Perfect Paige" and dig a little deeper. Plus my heart melted at his relationship with his mother. They had such a sweet and inspirational type of dynamic. Ben has such a huge heart and he's the perfect person to have in your corner, cheering you on. I adore him. No. I more than adore him. There are just no words.

And don't even get me started on the others, like Ben's mom who works her behind off for both her and Ben and was so encouraging and just a warm and happy person. To Paige's dad who, even though it took him a while, really stood up for his daughter and he was pretty freaking funny to boot. But also the person I was afraid I wouldn't like, Zoey. The gorgeous and popular best friend of Paige. But I loved her just as much as I did Ben and Paige as well. She is so awesome and I cannot wait to read her book because that teaser of an epilogue has me dying already!

As I said in the beginning this book was just flawless. From beginning to end. It was sweet, emotional and full of angst. Oh the most delicious angst. The romance was so incredibly sweet and heartwarming. 

I feel like all I'm doing is spinning around and around in circles saying "I'm in loooove!" And I swore I was going to try and do this review justice instead of gushing and swooning all over the place. I think I'm failing. So I think that's my queue to stop.

I loved this book. I can't wait for more. I need more!

A huge thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!