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Monday 30 July 2012

Cover Reveal; Colonization; Paradise Reclaimed + GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to the lovely Inkspell Publishers, I have the pleasure to reveal this gorgeous cover to you! Enjoy, read the 'blurb'-it's fab! and remember to enter the giveaway for the cutest prize!! 


Wow!!!! How Gorgeous is that for a cover!!

Book Description.
Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.
Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.
But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.
Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.
Can she save the colony and discover her true love?

Release Date; 7th November 2012

Author Bio:

Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in New England.

Please visit her website: www.authoraubrie.com
Twitter: @authoraubrie


Giveaway! – Open for US and UK only.

We have a very cool keyring as a giveaway. J
Gorgeous, i love it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday 29 July 2012

Review Copy Cleanup in August- Sign up



I have so many review books that i have decided to join this blog even, Review Copy Cleanup. i thought it would be a great way to get through them by dedicating my reading to these. (My reading has been dominating by review copies recently because i got behind, this will bring me upto date i am sure :) This event is hosted by Celine from Nyx Book Reviews and Vicky from Books, Biscuits and Tea because they had fun during the Review Copy Cleanup in March so decided to have another one.

What is the Review Copy Cleanup?

Celine & Vicky decided to make it all a bit more fun and are challenging everyonel to read your review copies with them! Clean up that big pile of books this August and join the Review Copy Cleanup. During the month of August they will host a number of Twitter parties and mini-readathons, to motivate them and other participants! So if your review pile is getting out of control: Come and join with me-the sign up link is on both of the hosts blogs.

Participation, guidelines

✦ The challenge runs from 1 to 31 August, 2012
✦ Sign-ups are open until 15 August 2012. After that the linky list will be closed and participation in the challenges and giveaways won’t be possible for anyone who hasn’t previously signed up.
✦ To sign up, just fill in the linky form below. Link to your sign up post directly, please! The linky is the same for both our blogs, so you only have to sign up once.
✦ When you post your sign up post on your blog, either include the challenge button with your post or link it back to this article so that people know where to sign up. Thank you!
✦ Every book you received for review counts towards the challenge, both ebooks and hardback/paperback copies, including all genres and lengths.
✦ You don’t need to follow the two hosts in order to be able to sign up for the event (although it’s appreciated)
✦ Feel free to use the #RCCleanup hashtag on Twitter for your comments and in the twitter party :)

So who is in? If you are participating then please link below :)



Saturday 28 July 2012

Stacking the shelves #14



This is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga Reviews and is to haul all the books we have got this week, whether bought physical or e-book, whether for review,from the library, won in a giveaway as a prize or even borrows from a friend. With this you can supply your link and then see what everyone else has bought.   This is the link for this weeks collection 'Stacking the Shelves 14'.  The meme starts on  a Saturday, but you can join all week.  So this is my haul;

This week, all i can say is that i went a little crazy with buying!!!! Opps! I decided to lift the buying ban since i broke it anyways. Saying that, all books were bargains, i say that all the t ime don't i? Oh dear! But still who could resist- amazon kindle sale!! Have a gander at my haul as it will be calming down, im just not reading like i should be at the mo.  I do have some events coming up soon on the blog so hopefully i can get through A LOT of books :)

Bought


Bought-On Kindle (During the Kindle Sale Marathon).




(Had to get has i'm a midwife :) )
BARGAINS!

FOR REVIEW.



Destined to Play by Indigo Bloome. (Pub date.11/09/12) 
(the new craze like 'fifty shades'?)
The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers. (Pub date.12/02/13)-no cover yet
Good Kids by Benjamin Nugent (Pub date.08/01/13).


What did everyone else get? Leave your links if you like :)

Friday 27 July 2012

An Announcement......or an heads up ;)

I have mentioned this briefly in the past but i have made a decision and i really hope that people won't think it is a bad idea *fingers crossed*-


So for the 'heads up'/announcements........
When i get to a 100 followers/subscribers on this blog, i will be doing an international GIVEAWAY! (as a way of saying thank you to you all) The prize will either be; 
                *a set amount of money towards a a book or 
                *for the winner to receive a book from a choice of a few. 

Oh and for those wondering.....i have 2 reviews which i need to get up onto the blog- so don't worry i am reading :)

Friday thoughts #3


This is so definitely me!! Anyone else the same?
I'm sure there is a few of us :)

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #8.


How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren.
This is my 8th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), 
therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post.
This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.



  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press (2 Oct 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1250013879
  • ISBN-13: 978-1250013873.

Set in a Colorado ski town, this remarkable breakout novel chronicles three people and their journey from loss to love; heartbreak to hope 
Jill Anthony spent her young adulthood in the ski town of Sparkle, Colorado.  But more than a decade has passed since she left when, only weeks after a very late miscarriage, she finds her husband in bed with another woman, she flees Austin, Texas for the town she knows:  Sparkle.  
Lisa Carlucci wakes up one morning after another night of meaningless sex, looks in the mirror and realizes that she no longer wants to treat her body like a Holiday Inn. She’s going to hold out for love.  The only problem is, love might come in the form of her ski bum best friend, who lives next door with his ski bum friends in a trailer known as “the Kennel.”  
Cassie Jones, at age ten, has lost her mother to cancer and no longer believes in anything anymore.  She knows her father is desperately worried about her, and she constantly looks for messages from her deceased mother through the heart-shaped rocks they once collected in the streams and hills of Sparkle. 
Three people at the crossroads of heartbreak and healing.  Three lives that will be changed one winter in Sparkle.  One tender, funny, tear-jerking novel you won’t soon forget. 

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I cannot wait to read this book! If comes out a day before my birthday, so i might ask for it as a pressie :)    Even though this is a story about heartbreak, healing and therefore a tear-jerker- (must remember to have tissues at the ready), I am interested in reading this.  What interests me the most is how heartbreak can be overcome and that the human body and spirirt can be healed in ways, it is about survivial, rather than physical these are more emotional.  I have a feeling that there will be a feel good factor in this book, which makes you smile and feel warm and tingly inside.  This will be more so if you become attached to any of the characters; with 3 of them and very different stories, i think there will be at least 1 character where this occurs.  I love the title about 'sparkling' again, and the link with the place name, snow-how it can be likened to 'sparkle'. The hand held out with the glove-multi-coloured, which is a lovely contract to the cold blue colour, the image alone makes you think of cold and snow.  I hope the actual cover has the snowflakes as a shiny, glittery or sparkly effect to add to the name and make the cover 'sparkle' more. I honestly think this will be a lovely read, even if difficult in places.

What is everyone else waiting for with their 'WoW' this week?

Stacking the Shelves (13)


This is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga Reviews and is to haul all the books we have got this week, whether bought physical or e-book, whether for review,from the library, won in a giveaway as a prize or even borrows from a friend. With this you can supply your link and then see what everyone else has bought.   This is the link for this weeks collection 'Stacking the Shelves 13'.  The meme starts on  a Saturday, but you can join all week.  So this is my haul;

This week OH my, what a week for books and i have totally broken my book buying ban this week :( so from now on i am lifting the ban because i am sick of breaking it and feel bad haha.  I have no idea when i will read the books i buy because my pile is massive and i have a lot of review books but i am working on  plan ;) This week, a lot of review books are included. I feel really happy with my lot this week :)


For Review.


*Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts (Pub. Date by 25th Sept 12)
*Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry (Pub. date by 7th Aug 12)
*Those We Love Most by Lee Woodriff (Pub. date 11th Sept 12)



*Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire (Pub. date 14th Aug 12)
*Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig (Pub. date US-28/08/12, UK- 06/09/12) 
I am SO excited and happy to receive this, i reviewed the 1st book and LOVED it.
Here is the review.

Choose your own ending! I am so interested!

Bought-Hardbacks/Paperbacks.




*The Captain's Daughter by Leah Fleming  (Paperback)


Phew!! what a week!! 
What has everyone else received? 

Tuesday 24 July 2012

High Summer Readathon update not wrap-up.....


Just an explanation post really for those who knew i was doing the #HSreadathon  
Unfortunately i wasn't able to fully participate in this readathon and around day 4-5 i decided that i wasn't going to be continuing with the readathon. I had read less than 40% of one book by then, which, for me, during a readathon was poor.  I didn't give it my all, and i didn't read when i could have, i just wasn't in the mood.  I knew people where giving it their all or at least trying their best and i know i wasn't.

I know what lead to the failure and it was a combination of several things.  Firstly, i had a busy week with hospital appts-ones which were hours long. I did think that when i went into hospital for my IV infusion, i could read for the 2hr duration, but i was so tired this week that i slept from 5minutes in!  I was ill on the monday to kick off and was exhausted for the rest of the week resulting in lots of sleeping.  I found that my heart wasn't into reading, the book i was reading was hard going and even though i was enjoying it, i was pressuring myself.  Once i decided, enough is enough and unfortunately this is a readathon i will have to bow out of, i felt such a relief.  I had opted in at the last minute, i hadn't planned for a readathon and had blog posts to wrote and comments to catch up for, all stuff i was getting behind on my blog.  I think to do a readathon properly, i need to gear myself up in advance and have a virtually clean sheet ahead, with no blogging plans.  I do feel like i have let myself down and that i have failed BUT onwards and upwards! I will do more readathons in the near future.
Sorry i felt like i needed to explain.

Friday 20 July 2012

Friday thoughts #2

So i'm doing this Friday thoughts, 'Funny' Friday, Photo Friday.  Just where I post images or things related to my book life.  People will more than likely not be interested but toodles, it's for me to smile at. :D




Wednesday 18 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #7


Flutter by Gina Linko.
This is my 7th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), 
therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post.
This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.



  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Random House Inc (23 Oct 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375869964
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375869969

All Emery Land wants is to be like any other 17-year-old--to go to school, hang out with her friends, and just be normal. But for as long as she can remember, she's suffered from seizures. And in recent years they've consumed her life. To Emery they're much more than seizures, she calls them loops--moments when she travels through wormholes back and forth in time and to a mysterious town. The loops are taking their toll on her physically. So she practically lives in the hospital where her scientist father and an ever-growing team of doctors monitor her every move. They're extremely interested in the data they collect when Emery seizes. It appears that she's tapping into parts of the brain typically left untouched by normal human beings. 
Escaping from the hospital, Emery travels to Esperanza, the town from her loops on the upper peninsula of Michigan, where she meets Asher Clarke. Ash's life is governed by his single-minded pursuit of performing good Samaritan acts to atone for the death of a loved one. His journey is very much entwined with Emery's loops. 
Drawn together they must unravel their complicated connection before it's too late.

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I cannot remember where i saw this book first or what drew me too it intially.  The cover is a little bit 'meh' but at the same time it is a little odd and therefore intriguing so i thought i'd read the 'blurb' to discover what it is about.  Once read, i'm hooked.  Right now, i am going through a 'time travel' obsession with books and i question how much time travelling is going to occur in the book but the link with Asher seems interesting.  Another twist on the time travel idea is that it occurs with seizures and that she is in hospital and her dad is a scientist (makes you think she is going to be a 'test piece' for research etc).  I am really perplexed by the brain and it's functions-we use only a tiny amount of it and i always wonder about the rest of the brain, the functions we don't know about, or how to use. Oh bit of science there, i love it.  Therefore in a novel with time travel, PERFECT!  Hope it lives up to the expectations i have for this book.  Looking forward to reading this.
Has anyone got this book to review?

What is everyone else waiting for with their 'WoW' this week?

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Review-One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf.


One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf.

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Mira (6 July 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1848451326
  • ISBN-13: 978-1848451322


Firstly, kind thanks to the publishers, for granting me the permission to review this book via Netgalley, for no charge, for an honest review.  This book was read on my kindle.

Book Description.

In her most emotionally charged novel to date, "New York Times" bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered. In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

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My Review.

Firstly, many thanks to the publishers for granting me access to review this book, for which it was kindly received via Netgalley. This was read on my Kindle.  I have to say that i was really interested by this book when i saw the cover and read the 'blurb', however, at the same time i was hesitant to read it as i didn't know if i could 'deal' with this content in a harrowing story.  I didn't know what was going to happen and as a parent, this is every parents' worst nightmare and for that i was debating whether to go ahead and read it.  I did read it and i am SO glad i did because i LOVED this story.  It was ABSOLUTELY UTTERLY THRILLING AND FANTASTIC.  I could not put it down, i was hooked and i would even re-read it now that i know the 'outcome'. One word=WOW!

Okay so enough of that!  The cover is quite striking in a subtle way that grabs your attention because it is cold, chilling and looks like a winter setting.  It does give you a chill and the child looks clearly unhappy.  It definitely relates to the story given the situation and the title- doesn't directly relate to the story, however, when you have read the story you realise it is giving you something to contemplate, a message.

I will not go into the plot too much as i don't want to risk any spoilers and i have included a book description.  For me, i hate reading a review that says no spoilers but actually tells you a lot about the plot and what happens with more detail than what is expected.  Everyone knows the basis of the storyline, about a gunman coming into a school in Broken Branch.  This place is actually a small town, which is a perfect setting for this story- in a way it makes it more of a catastrophic event as 'who would do this here?' the community are usually together, knitted with solidarity and thinking they know everything about everyone including their secrets,but this novel portrays that this is far from the truth.  Setting it in spring but with an unusual snowstorm for the time of year makes it unbelievably unfortunate as this messes with communication, this would have aided with the rescue of the hostage situation.

It is well written, has quick pacing, full of suspense, keeps you questioning about who the gunman is and hence has you struggling to put it down.  Gudenkauf's writing and how the story unfolded but then was brought together, reminded me of another author-Jodi Picoult, her fans are sure to adore this book just as much as they do hers.  Another aspect of Gudenkauf's writing that i really liked was the thorough character development and i enjoyed how the story was delivered.  It is told by 5 of the characters and is over an eight hour span, these characters are; a teacher in the room, a teenager, a mum who is miles away in hospital, a grandad from the town and a member of law enforcement.  Each person has they own section-there isn't overlapping bwteen these sections, some are as long as a chapter and as some are very short.  It keeps the story moving quickly, it also includes overlapping of time from different people, however this works perfectly for getting the different insights.  Even though there are 5 characters 'telling the story', it never becomes confusing-each section is clearly headed and none of the characters are similar. From these only one is told in the author's 'voice' and the others are in third person.  This is one of my favourite narrations as it tells the tale from each person's perspective which adds more depth and heart to the story.

This narration was perfect for this as you are given an insight into all aspects of the situation, including inside the school.  Through their thoughts, words and actions it gives their account of this harrowing day and shows how they all react during this terrible incident.  Every individual is different as their perspective is uniquely framed by their life-memories and experiences.  We learn about these throughout from their stories, it also gives us more information to think 'who is the gunmen?'.  It provides hints to several possibilities but in my opinion it is not obvious who the actual gunman is or his reasons for his actions. 

These life experiences/stories definitely gives heart to the story and emotions are evoked in the reader which means that connections start to form with the characters, they become human as such.  These stories deal with so many issues that it is unbelievable but it is handled so well and told so well that it isn't too much, There are issues exploring father-daughter relationships,mother-daughter relationships, siblings relationships, divorce, abandonment, affairs, life or death situations, bravery, sympathy, empathy, sacrifice, love and self-discovery.  It evoked so many emotions in me, i just could not believe how i felt towards the characters and how i put myself in that situation as a parent/grand parent and even as an individual with a loved one trapped inside.  

I am going to sum up here because i feel that this review is very long.  I cannot express anymore why i love this book, and why everyone should read it! I would re-read it as i said.  It lived with me for a long time after i put the book down, i couldn't stop thinking about it and trying to analyse it.  The title is so true in respect that, 'One Breath Away'  is all it takes to change your life forever.

Please Read it :) Without a doubt 5 out of 5!


Monday 16 July 2012

High Summer Readathon?!?!?

Am i stupid to join another readathon? It is a debatable answer.



But after much debilitation i have decided to join in the 'Season's of Reading: High Summer Readathon'

*I have decided to do this because it is a RELAXED readathon and right now i need that.  
*There is no linky for updates etc so it is up to you whether you want to do a post, you don't even after do a blog post, you can just go on twitter. 
 *There is no challenges to take you away from the reading, if someone hosts a mini-challenge, there is no obligation to complete it. You don't have to do the challenge!!!
* The focus is just on reading and i know i will get through more books this way than a normal week.  My TBR pile is massive, especially review piles.  I have so many books to review and i am getting behind.  This will get me through a few more.

I will do the whole week....upto fridsay maybe very slow but after then i have some free time.  I do not believe that i will do update posts, maybe just a wrap-up, i don't really want to blog about it all the time as it will start to annoy ppl to just read about readathons on a blog, so ignore this posts if it bothers you :)

to talk about the readathon etc and they will be doing some twitter parties.

I am really excited :) Bring it on woohoo.

Oh forgot to say, no pressure on myself of what and how much but secretly i am hoping to read 3 books :)

Sunday 15 July 2012

Stacking the Shelves(12) My 7th shelf


This is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga Reviews and is to haul all the books we have got this week, whether bought physical or e-book, whether for review,from the library, won in a giveaway as a prize or even borrows from a friend. With this you can supply your link and then see what everyone else has bought.   This is the link for this weeks collection 'Stacking the Shelves 12'.  The meme starts on  a Saturday, but you can join all week.  Because this is only my 6th haul recently, i'm calling it my 7shelf (kinda) lol. I know i'm odd and weird. So this is my haul;

This week i have stuck to my 'buying ban' kinda with 1 cheap exception at 99p...doesn't count! lol, and the books are just review books, BUT i kinda went a little bit crazy with requesting book that i wished to read i didn't really think about what i was desperate to read i just went cra#y :(.  The problem i have is that i seem to ONLY read review books, and that is fine because i love them, however, i have massive piles of books waiting to be read in my home and they are getting neglected.  I do not know what to do to try and balance everything.  I will show what i have got for review but i feel so stupid.  I am DETERMINED! From next week, i will only request books that i really want to read so that i can catch up on the TBR review bks i have and the TBR bks i have at home.

Kindle-From Netgalley for review.



*Swipe by Evan Angler. (Published; 1st May 2012) This is the 1st book to the book 'Sneak' which i included last week and couldn't wait to read!
*Last Chance Bride by Hope Ramsay (Published 4th Sept 2012)






Bought


Borrowed.
Not sure i will read these but i need to know what the hype.


Friday 13 July 2012

Friday thoughts

So i'm doing this Friday thoughts, 'Funny' Friday, Photo Friday.  Just where I post images or things related to my book life.  People will more than likely not be interested but toodles, it's for me to smile at. :D

So true lol!!

'Once Upon a Readathon' Day 3 UPDATE................

This update is LATE- sorry.

Books Read today; Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins
Books Completed so far; I have completed 2 books
Today's Progress; I completed 'Temptation' , i had from 16% to read, i cannot believe the book had almost 400pages.
Feelings/Comments; Wow, what a day, all i feel like i did was read and read and read lol.  Literally i did to be honest.  I cannot believe that the readathon is over with :( i only got to read 2 books as well!  However, it's way more that i would have done if i haven't done the readathon, so there's positives :) Plus i did enjoy it and got to chat with people on twitter etc.  I did not do as much chatting on twitter as i wanted or to check out other ppl's blogs or comment, or even read my own comments.  This post is so late because i have been super busy today playing catch up and it was my sons sports day x  Therefore i have not done the challenge :( but i did do the other challenges from previous days.  I really wish i would have chosen books with a smaller number of pages lol.


Reviews to do now but i need to catch up in the blogging world etc.  Bring on another readathon :)

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #6

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate.
This is my 6th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), 
therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post.


This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.


  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (2 Oct 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312583516
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312583514

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible. 

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

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I really like the sound of this book and hgave since i heard about it at BEA 2012.  The whole sci-fi dystopian has me hooked and with the hint of some wrong doing with genetics maybe. Yep sounds like an intense read!!  Don't get me started on the cover!! I LOVE IT!  An apple for 'Adam and Eve', looks like could be a bite out of it (original lol), with the jigsaw pieces as though putting together the story or as creating men? The lightening bolt, the look like the apple is metal and shiny, the odd font with the wrong way round letters BUT look at the shadow..they are the wrong way for how the words are 'written', wow, creative! lol.  Just wow. Did i say i love the cover?!?!  I really hope the story lives up to my high expectations of it! I desperately wanted it for review but didn't get granted with it :(

Review- One Moment by Kristina McBride.


One Moment by Kristina McBride.

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Egmontusa (26 Jun 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 160684086X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1606840863

Firstly, kind thanks to the publishers, for granting me the permission to review this book via Netgalley, for no charge, for an honest review.  This book was read on my kindle.

Book Description.

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie's life. Now it's the one she'd do anything to forget.

Maggie remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party. She remembers climbing the trail with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can't she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below-dead? 
As Maggie's memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding? 
The latest novel from the author of "The Tension of Opposites," "One Moment" is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

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My Review.
Firstly, many thanks to the publishers for granting me access to review this book for which it was kindly received via Netgalley. This was read on my Kindle. I was so happy to get this for review and wanted to read it for ages.  I was drawn in by the cover and the 'blurb' had me hooked!  Then after hearing great things about the book, i was just sooo excited and thought this is going to be one amazing read.  Sadly, for me, this was not the case.  I did not rate it as highly as a lot of people did, i liked it yes, and i enjoyed it even, but i didn't love it.  I will try and explain as i go through the review.  I am really worried that i have missed something here.

The cover drew me in because even something so simple can be immense.  The colours, the brightness on the foot as a focus with the reflection, the tipping the toe with the reflection ripple it makes, and as though they are unsure, testing the water, nervous about the water.  This is just some examples it brings to mind.  After reading the book you realise this is a perfect cover and it has got an eerie feel about it.

So, yes, i enjoyed the book, i am not going into the book description as it is mentioned above and i don't want to risk plot spoilers.  If i do, i apologise in advance but there shouldn't be any.  Throughout the book i was hooked, completey engrossed in the story and it was full of suspense (which went on for a long time!); i wanted to know what had happened at the gorge at the top of the rock, what was all the little whispers going on and what exactly had occured previously.  The book is done so that the 2 characters;Joey and Maggie (an item) go to the top of the gorge and are just about to jump.  From then it skips to after when something has happened, an accident.  It comes together with what had happened bit by bit BUT there is a big part missing which is in Maggie's memory, she cannot recall this.  Whilst having this suspense and bits of information added and then more 'whispers/secrets' becoming revealled, it is intense!  

It is also really sad and emotive, you really feel for Maggie and it feels so real, probably because it is narratored by her, therefore it is seen through her eyes as such and told with her words  The author has written this beautifully to evoke these feelings in a reader.  This has being done through having such descriptive writing, so that instead of telling the reader what to see, hear, feel and smell; she does it with descriptions so that your senses put the imagery together.  Through this, it enables human nature to be explored, to demonstrate how a friendship can be effected by a death.  In fact, the emotions and expressions portray this perfectly in my opinion. Very clever! and what really adds something too the book is how the information is revealed bit by bit and not just given all at once it keeps the reader guessing, yet, a lot of it is quite predictable to be fair. 
It all sounds great, however, the story didn't start coming together until around 60%, and that 1st part could have being condensed into much much less.  It honestly felt like the last part of the book was written as the book was meant to be and the 1st part had words added to them to make up a word count or something.  This was done in the descriptive parts because i honestly felt like it had been 'padded out', it was VERY descriptive in parts, as in over the top (OTT)- all fluffiness and colours.  An example is when they are at a party, and all the colours she mentiones in the sky and them mixing etc.  Just too much and not needed really.  Descriptive wrting, as i said in the above paragraph is fantastic, but there is a fine line between this and OTT and in parts, this book definitely was OTT .  It felt quite slow-paced and i just wanted to get on with it, once we got to that point then it was quite good paced.  Due to the slow pace, it gave the reader more time to put things together and ultimately it becomes quite predictable.  Another little issue i had was how it was told, each chapter was a jump between timeframes, some where before the jump,some the day of the jump and some after the jump and present day, it doesn't give any dates or say on the chapter which it was going to be.  I found it really confusing sometimes and it took me a bit to work it out.  That bit of guidance would have made a difference, because this way of 'telling a story' is actually much better as a novel as it gives a deeper understanding into issue and how the past can effect the present.  Shame really or maybe i am the only one who got confused.

There are several characters but the main ones in my opinions are Maggie (story narratored by) Joey, Adam and Shannon.  I didn't take to Maggie at all, i don't know why, i just didn't, i thought she was quite naive (you will understand when the book is read) and even though she was 'heartbroken' she quickly moved on with life!  I didn't take to Joey either, he made me angry!, i felt he loved himself and was big headed!  For some reason i didn't trust him from the beginning, however, i did mellow towards has the story unfolded and you get the truth of his life, i felt sorry for him in ways. Maggie forgave him and what she did near the end was quite sweet and i think this ending was to make the reader like him and forgive him too.  Shannon is another character i didn't trust, i felt she was the show off in the group. This is demonstrated when they are on the beach at the gorge, she is a big mouth! She is just a b!tch really, however, we are told that she is within the text, in the exact phase of calling her that name.  Therefore, as a reader, even though we are judging her character, this also leads us to not like her.  She is not a loyal friend, but she does have a heart, she just keeps it well hidden.  Adam is Joey's best friend, he struggles immensely after Joey's death and because he has so much information in his hands, he is in a real dilemma whereby he pushes his friends away.  Readers could dislike him because of this and all the unnecessary drama around him, however, i didn't, i felt sorry for him because he needed help, he was hurting, he didn't know what to do with all the secrets and information he has.  Thankfully, he deals with the situations and the end is quite fitting and sweet with him.  It feels like it was a quick move after Joey's death, but given what had occurred, it felt right.  

Finally, the story had a proper ending, it was closed and all the bits of the story where brought together with nothing left outstanding or any questions needing answers.  Like i said previously, i liked the story and enjoyed it.  However, i didn't love it and the issues i had with it is why i gave it a rating of 3 out of 5.  I feel like i am being stringent but it feels right.