The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles, #0.5
Source: Bought
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: May 1, 2011

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined...

An ebook exclusive prequel to The Steampunk Chronicles.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is a fantastic prequel to The Steampunk Chronicles. It puts us in the perfect place to learn how Finley ended up in the first household, and to learn more about her parents and such.

I liked the little details that were dropped here and there, such as the colors of the gowns and how much Phoebe looked like Lord Vincent's late wife, etc. I enjoyed getting to know the characters bit by bit-- it appears that Phoebe wears a lot of plum. ;)

I also liked the steampunk elements. I'm a HUGE fan of steampunk, and it's not something that we see in a lot of YA stories, so I gobble it up. I just love the idea of steam powered horses and such. (:

Now we'll move on to the plot of this novella-- it was crazy out there. I never saw half of it coming, and I'm so proud of that. All in all, The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was an awesome start to this series.

-Megan

Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park

Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park
Series: Flat Out Love, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: March 25, 2013

Matt is a junior at MIT. He’s geeky, he's witty, he's brilliant.

And he’s also very, very stupid.

When beautiful, cool, insightful Julie moves in with Matt’s family, why (oh why!) does he pretend to be his absent brother Finn for her alleged benefit?

It seems harmless enough until her short-term stay becomes permanent. And until it snowballs into heart-squeezing insanity. And until he falls in love with Julie, and Julie falls in love with Finn.

But … Matt is the right one for her. If only he can make Julie see it. Without telling her the truth, without shattering them all. Particularly his fragile sister Celeste, who may need Julie the most.

You saw Matt through Julie’s eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt’s world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.

Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven Flat-Out Love chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.

Flat Out Matt was, in many ways, a good read. It helped me to better understand Julie and Matt's relationship, and it gave me whole new insight to Matt. But honestly, I wish that there had been more new content. The content that was new was absolutely fantastic-- the two prequel chapters that really make us see how loved and doted upon Finn was, and then the last chapter in Julie's point of view that tells an awesome story? They were the novella for me.

The in-between chapters were pretty much the same. The only time we get to see Matt is when he talks to Julie. Other than that, it's like he doesn't exist in down time of something like that. It's like I said in my review of Flat Out Love. Everything in Matt's story revolves around Julie, but nothing in Julie's story really revolves around him. He was just kind of there.

All in all, Flat Out Matt gave me new insight, but it really wasn't all that I was looking for in the novella category.

~Megan

Swoon Thursday (10)

YA Bound created a spicy meme where every week we’ll highlight what has made us swoon from a book we are currently reading or one we’ve just finished. Basically what got our heart pounding, skin tingling, and stomach fluttering.

Annie's Pick:

Lost and Found by: Nicole Williams

When his mouth covered mine again, it wasn’t so still and soft. It may have started out that way for the shortest moment, but before my eyes closed, Jesse’s lips polished and sucked at mine like nothing I’d yet experienced. In addition to his other forms of divinity, the man was a kissing God. His hand on my neck kneaded the muscles at the base of it as his thumb continued to skim lazy lines just under my collar.

What made y'all swoon this week?! 

Stacking the Shelves [16]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

What Angela got this week:

Bought:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Borrowed:

Thin Space by Jody Casella

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

In the mail:

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Thanks Jess @ Gone with the Words!

What did you get this week? (:

Stacking the Shelves [15]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

What Angela got this week:

Bought:

Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt

Borrowed:

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

I didn't get much this week. There's too much to catch up on. What did you get? (:

Buddy Reads VOTE - Nov 2013

So, every month the Ravens read one book together and we do a mini review on the blog and a spoilerific discussion and have a lot of fun! However, we can't always come up with what to read. So, on the first (or around the first) of each month we will schedule a post and ask for your help on which book should be our next Buddy Read! So, comment and vote please!

Voting starts on October 1st 2013 and ends October 26th 2013

Stacking the Shelves [14]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

What Angela got this week:

Bought:

Terrorscape by Nenia Campbell

Borrowed:

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

What did you get this week? (:

Top Ten Tuesday [23]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish.

Top Ten Best Sequels Ever

Angela's Picks:
1. Dare You To by Katie McGarry

2. Fire with Fire by Jenny Han

3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

4. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

5. Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky

6. Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

7. Where She Went by Gayle Forman

And that is my "ten." I don't usually find sequels I like.

Review: Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt

Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt
Series: Companion to Two-way Street
Source: Borrowed
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: July 9, 2013

Can a road trip repair a romance gone wrong? Find out in this standalone companion to Lauren Barnholdt’s Two-way Street.

Here are Peyton and Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This is the real deal.

Unless it isn’t. Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed to have the other person to lean on.

Here are Peyton and Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead…

This isn't Lauren Barnholdt's best, that's for sure.

I enjoyed Two-way Street so I was looking forward to reading this. But it wasn't as good as I hoped it to be. Right of Way is very predictable, and the story line is JUST like the one of the companion novel. And the first paragraph is almost exactly the same too. 

Peyton wasn't a great main character; more often than not, I found her to be extremely annoying. The same goes for Jace, although he's not as bad. I liked seeing Courtney, Jordan, B.J. (LOL), and Jocelyn again but it's really different reading them from a different point of view.

I didn't really understand the love between Peyton and Jace. They've only known each other for a short period, yet they're so attracted to each other. And nothing in their relationship really made much sense (like why they stopped talking, etc.).

And Jace, you're VALEDICTORIAN. Not that I understand how, but go make the stupid speech. Seriously.

The ending felt too abrupt. It ended without much being resolved and everything just left hanging. Peyton and Jace get back together. The end.

Overall, this was an okay read, nothing really special. The characters weren't likeable, the plot predictable, and everything illogical. It was enjoyable at times, but some parts bored me. This is a book I wouldn't recommend if you're looking for a good road trip book.

Stacking the Shelves [13]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

What Angela got this week:

Bought:

Horrorscape by Nenia Campbell
Cloak and Dagger by Nenia Campbell
Armed and Dangerous by Nenia Campbell

Borrowed:

United We Spy by Ally Carter

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick

What did you get this week? (:

Stacking the Shelves [12]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

What Angela got this week:

Bought:

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Borrowed:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

What did you get this week?

Buddy Reads VOTE - Oct 2013

So, every month the Ravens read one book together and we do a mini review on the blog and a spoilerific discussion and have a lot of fun! However, we can't always come up with what to read. So, on the first (or around the first) of each month we will schedule a post and ask for your help on which book should be our next Buddy Read! So, comment and vote please!

Voting starts on September 12th 2013 and ends September 28th 2013

Cover Reveal: Four Seconds To Lose by K.A. Tucker

I'm so excited to help with the cover reveal for K.A. Tucker’s upcoming release, Four Seconds To Lose! I'm currently reading Ten Tiny Breaths and I'm really enjoying it so far! 

Four Seconds To Lose

(Ten Tiny Breaths, #3)

Author: K. A. Tucker

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 4, 2013

Publisher: Atria Books

Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Other Retailers

ABOUT FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE:

Owning a strip club isn't the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn't really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn't need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER:

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Connect with K.A.:

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The first two books in the series:

 

Ten Tiny Breaths releases in paperback on September 24, 2013!