FF: Tattoos

This weekly link-up is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read!
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Question of the Week: If you were to get a tattoo, what would it say or what would the graphic be?
Hmmmmm . . . I've never actually wanted a tattoo. Something about being 80 and having a wrinkly old black inked thing on me has never appealed to me. I'd probably go with either the phrase "She Became a Butterfly," or "SBAB," or a pic of butterfly. The color would either be purple or teal - the colors of sexual assault survivors.

FF: Stepping into the shoes of . . .

This weekly link-up is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read!
Please follow me on Bloglovin' & I'll follow you!

On 4/6/15 I traded in my Swagbucks for a $100 Amazon Gift Card. No lie. LOVE LOVE Swagbucks!! Join here or read below for more information! They have GB Amazon Cards on there too!

EARN FREE AMAZON GIFT CARDS! NO SPAM OR GIMMICKS!

Yep. If you haven't heard of Swagbucks yet, it's a Google-powered search engine that earns your free bucks that you can trade in for things like $5 Amazon Gift Cards. I've earned $300+ in Amazon GC since 2009. Join here now to get some free just for signing up. Yes, I will earn points as you earn points if you sign up under me, but once you sign up, you earn points from all your friends who sign up too! Win win! PLUS = FREE BOOKS! Here's my Swagbucks Tutorial for all the information you need!

Question of the Week: If you can step into one characters shoes (in a book) and be them for a day who would it be and why?

Hmmmmmm. . . I think I might choose to be Hercule Poirot in any of Agatha Christie's Poirot novels, because I'd love to get inside that "egg-shaped head" and see what else is really going on in there. I'm sure there's much more than what Christie shares with us!

Fever: A Ballroom Romance by Tonya Plank

Fever: A Ballroom Romance
by Tonya Plank

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Published by: Dark Swan Press Publish Date: June 10, 2015
Genre: Romance, Dance
Rating: 2 Stars
NOTICE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Rory’s once promising ballet career was destroyed by family tragedy and illness. She turned her life around and became a lawyer. Now at the start of her legal career, she lacks passion in her work and self-confidence in her abilities. But when she meets gorgeous, mysterious Russian ballroom dancer, Sasha, at a firm holiday party, her passions for life and dance are immediately re-kindled. Since being torn from his Siberian family as a child, Sasha’s life ambition has been to be world ballroom champion, a path he was destined for until his former partner pulled the plug on their partnership. She went on to win the world title, leaving him, without a partner equal in ability, forever in second place. The instant he lays eyes on Rory, he recognizes the depth of her passion and talent, and falls hard for her in more ways than one. But she also reminds him of great pain from his past. He must not only overcome his own demons but convince her to leave her demanding law career, and all that she has worked for in her adult life, to train with him full-time in order for their partnership – both on and off the dance floor – to work. This is part one in a continuing three-book series.

I really wanted to like this book. I did. The first chapter didn't grab me, but I decided to press on. I was glad I did, because the story, and the writing, became much more interesting. I'm a former dancer and I identified with the main character longing for what "might have been" had she been able to pursue her career in dance. And then, the book got annoying again. I'm 36% of the way through on my Kindle, but I can't go on. So far, the MC has spent the first 36% of the book stalking a hot ballroom dancer. It's just creepy. I've been stalked and it isn't a fun, romantic gesture. Plus, every time she makes eye contact with him, she gets, um wet "down there." So basically, we've spent the first quarter of the book stalking someone and being wet. I can't go on. I'm honestly sure this book would be fine for a lot of people, so I won't give it no stars; it just isn't for me.

The Lost Child by Ann Troup

The Lost Child
by Ann Troup

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Published by: Carina UK Publish Date: May 19, 2015
Genre: Mystery, Light Romance
Rating: 3.5 Stars
NOTICE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Mandy Miller disappeared from Hallow’s End when she was just 3 years old. She was never found.

Thirty years on, Elaine Ellis is carrying her mother’s ashes back to Hallow’s End to scatter them in the place that she once called home. Elaine has never been there, but it’s the only place Jean talked about while she was growing up – so it seems as good a place as any.

As Elaine settles into her holiday cottage in the peaceful Devonshire village, she gets to know the locals; family she never knew she had, eccentric and old-fashioned gentry, and new friends where she would least expect them. But she is intrigued by the tale of the missing girl that the village still carries at its heart, and which somehow continues to overshadow them all. Little does she know how much more involved in the mystery she will become…

Lately, I've been hard-pressed to finish a book. Almost every time I pick up a new one, I can't seem to get past the first chapter. The writing has been juvenile, the plot predictable from the start. The Lost Child, however, immediately captured my attention. Although the solving of the mystery wasn't earth-shattering, the story kept my attention due to the characterization the author created.

Although Elaine herself wasn't overly fascinating to me, nor was Dan - her love interest - Brodie and all of her extended family flew off the page, right at me. Each was engaging and I wanted more from each of them.

Besides the secondary characters, my other favorite part was the glue that held every scene together, like a bread crumb trail: Jean's ashes. Elaine went to Hallow's End to scatter her mother's ashes. Unfortunately, she dumps them right away and leaves a dusty trail behind her wherever she goes in the novel. The writer did a fantastic job of weaving every scene together by adding a dusting of Jean here and there.

The reason I gave it a 3.5, though, is due to the author's love of run-on sentences. For example: "None of us realise how crap this thing might turn out to be, this is the only beginning, and it might get worse, it might get better, but we'll do it together, OK?" Now I love commas and all (as you can tell from this review) but i don't enjoy run-on sentences broken up by commas. I'll let you count for yourself how many sentences were smooshed into the above.

Overall, I enjoyed it.

TTT: Plots I'm Sick of Seeing

From the Broke & the Bookish
I'm a new book blogger, so please follow me!

On 4/6/15 I traded in my Swagbucks for a $100 Amazon Gift Card. No lie. LOVE LOVE Swagbucks!! Join here or read below for more information!

EARN FREE AMAZON GIFT CARDS! NO SPAM OR GIMMICKS!

Yep. If you haven't heard of Swagbucks yet, it's a Google-powered search engine that earns your free bucks that you can trade in for things like $5 Amazon Gift Cards. I've earned $300+ in Amazon GC since 2009. Join here now to get some free just for signing up. Yes, I will earn points as you earn points if you sign up under me, but once you sign up, you earn points from all your friends who sign up too! Win win! PLUS = FREE BOOKS! Here's my Swagbucks Tutorial for all the information you need!

This month, I'm posting about my favorite books from the 80's and 90's! Leave your fave books in comments so I can check them out!

Plots I'm Tired of Seeing
I decided to do this instead of my much-anticipated TBR list, because I'm just so tired of seeing the same blurbs over and over again. Here's my list. Which plot formulas are YOU tired of reading about?

1. The "Mary had everything: a home in the suburbs, a career in publishing and a loving fiance . . . until she found out her fiance was cheating (with his secretary/a man/her sister/her friend), got fired/laid off from her job, and had to move out of her house. Now she's homeless, jobless and loveless. Will Mary survive (yes)? Will she open that funky little bookstore she's always wanted to own (yes)? Will she find her true love by the end of the book (yes)?

2. See Jane. See Jane look for a roommate. See Jane think that Kelly, her new roommate, is a girl. See Jane find out Kelly is a hot ex-marine. See Jane hate Kelly. See Jane have sex with Kelly. See Jane and Kelly live happily ever after.

3. Sarah has one hot and unforgettable night with a guy she met in a bar. She's so lucky she'll never have to see him again. Fast forward to the next day . . . and she walks into her new job only to find out that her new boss is (yep, you guessed it) the guy she just slept with! Eek! Whatever will happen? A bend over the desk during the work day perhaps? Um, probably.

4. Then there's the old book where "Hallie inherits her crazy old aunt's large estate and decides to turn it into a bed and breakfast" routine. The guy hired to do construction on the place is of course her end of the book boyfriend.

5. We can't forget the book that spans two weeks, yet finds two people who met at the beginning of the book getting engaged by the end. Two. Weeks... Two. Weeks.

6. Calypso (yes - the books with super creative names bug me too) has to go back to the tiny old rundown trailer park she left 10 years ago to take care of her dying mother. What she doesn't expect is that her first love still lives in the town . . . and still loves her . . . Will she go back to the big city after her mother's passing or will she stay in town and make a life with Rafe? I think we know how this one ends.

7. Kate works 3 jobs to keep herself and her 5 year old daughter afloat. One day, her handsome, rich ex comes back into town. What he doesn't know is that when he left Kate for bigger and better things 5 years ago, she was carrying his child. By the end they're a happy little family and everything is forgiven.

8. The high school plot: Amber is drawn to the mysterious Rico who's from the other side of the tracks. He has a tragic past, and only Amber can heal his soul and bring him happiness . . . Dude. They're only in high school. That's just not realistic.

9. Cara is overweight, shy and doesn't know how to date. She begs her handsome friend Colin to teach her how to kiss etc. By the end of the book, she's lost the weight and bagged the babe.

Pulse and Prejudice by Colette L Saucier

Pulse and Prejudice: The Confession of Mr. Darcy, Vampire
by Colette Saucier

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Published by: MAM Books LLC
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Jane Austen re-telling
Rating: 4.5 Stars
NOTICE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When the haughty and wealthy Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives in the rural county of Hertfordshire, he finds he cannot control his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet – a horrifying thought because, as she is too far below his social standing to ignite his heart, he fears she must appeal to the dark impulses he struggles to suppress.

Set against the vivid backdrop of historical Regency England, this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice follows the cursed Mr. Darcy as he endeavours to overcome both his love and his bloodlust for Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Although Pulse and Prejudice adheres to the original plot and style of the Jane Austen classic, it is neither a “mash-up” nor "fan fiction" but an imaginative, thrilling variation told primarily from Mr. Darcy’s point of view as he descends into the seedier side of London and introduces Elizabeth to a world of passion and the paranormal she never knew existed.

If you're familiar with my blog at all, you'll notice a pattern. I try to read every Jane Austen re-telling I can get my hands on. I love love love the original, Pride & Prejudice as well as vampire novels. I just KNEW I was going to love this one. Well, the verdict is in: I did!

Ms. Saucier kept true to the P&P story plot while adding in a fantastic element: Mr. Darcy has become a vampire. The interesting part in reading this book, was that the author explained away a lot of Darcy's standoffishness and rudeness as merely a result of him being a vampire. He felt left out of the crowd due to his difference from the carefree humans at town dances and household meetings. He felt different because he was different.

No longer a human, many things changed in his life. He had decided he no longer wanted to marry and had no interest in any women since his transformation. All of that changed when Elizabeth Bennet entered his life. Could he possibly still feel human emotion? Could he still want a woman in a human way?

You'll have to read to find out, but I highly recommend that you do!

TTT: Books I'd Love To See As Movies/TV Shows

From the Broke & the Bookish
I'm a new book blogger, so please follow me!

On 4/6/15 I traded in my Swagbucks for a $100 Amazon Gift Card. No lie. LOVE LOVE Swagbucks!! Join here or read below for more information!

EARN FREE AMAZON GIFT CARDS! NO SPAM OR GIMMICKS!

Yep. If you haven't heard of Swagbucks yet, it's a Google-powered search engine that earns your free bucks that you can trade in for things like $5 Amazon Gift Cards. I've earned $300+ in Amazon GC since 2009. Join here now to get some free just for signing up. Yes, I will earn points as you earn points if you sign up under me, but once you sign up, you earn points from all your friends who sign up too! Win win! PLUS = FREE BOOKS! Here's my Swagbucks Tutorial for all the information you need!

This month, I'm posting about my favorite books from the 80's and 90's! Leave your fave books in comments so I can check them out!

Books I'd Love To See As Movies/TV Shows

I'd like to see a TV show based on the characters in Chanel Cleeton's New Adult series, International School. This includes, I See London, London Calling and French Kissed. The setting is at London's International University. The main characters are Samir, the handsome, rich, mysterious Arab, Maggie, the American fish out of water who's strangely attracted to Samir, Fleur, Samir's French cousin known as the "Ice Queen" and secondary characters Michael, Max and Mya. There's plenty of drama, plenty of romance, and plenty of heat. The characters leap off the pages of her books, and I know bringing them to life on camera would be an easy transition.

Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward would make a great movie. Greta and Elec are newly step-siblings. Elec is tattooed, angry and hates his father. Greta tries desperately to get through to him, just wanting to be his friend. Eventually, Elec gets sent away and the two reunite at home, years later, and finally act on their feelings. There were wonderful quotes that would make great dialogue in a movie.

Elec: "I never had a problem with the way you look at me. My issue is the way it makes me feel when you look at me: things I'm not supposed to feel, things I can't let myself feel for you. At the same time ... nothing felt worse than when you stopped looking at me, Greta."

Greta: "You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I hope someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it's only you."

Sparrow 59 by Devon Ashley could DEFINITELY be a good spy TV series. Book one would make a great Season One! Members of the CIA’s specialized team Sparrow were all murdered in one quick sweep. But when Samantha finds herself suspiciously spared and Drew missing, she doesn’t want to believe what the CIA claims – that Drew is not only alive and has defected from their organization, but is facilitating the deaths of prominent research developers worldwide. Now the only member of Sparrow who hasn’t been killed off, Samantha finds herself under serious investigation by association – and a prisoner within her own home.

Can't wait for Book 2!!