Haunting Emma - Surrender - Lee Nichols

I have not even a clue what I'm going to be reading next.  I have a copy of Hunting Lila and I already started Betrayed from the Guardian Legacy but those are both hard copies and I am really preferring the versatility of my kindle, I can even bring it to the gym.

So I'm going to go through some of the samples I sent to myself and try to find another good series to read.  Or just a good book would be nice.

Here's my review for Haunting Emma book 3, Surrender, by Lee Nichols:
Surrender by Lee Nichols

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I really enjoyed this Saga for the most part, Lee Nichols is good at developing characters.  In this book I really grew to like Natalie and Lukas even more as well as Coby, Sara, & Harry.  Craven and Moorehead were involved as always and there was a lot more action in this book.



Obviously since this was the end of the trilogy we had to deal with Bennett's drug problems, his parents, Emma's parents, killing Neos, Natalie & Lukas' budding relationship, and every other problem in between.  This was the book that sews up all the openings left in the plot and story from the first two books. It ties up all of the loose ends.



I found myself really liking Bennett's dad.  He was a great character, Simon wasn't in the book much which was kind of sad, I was angry with Bennett throughout the story but towards the end I changed my mind about him.  Max was actively involved in this story.  It was nice to see the brother/sister relationship.  Emma's parents were in this novel with multiple appearances.



I was only left with one real question after reading this book, what did Natalie end up deciding about Lukas?  Their feelings were strong but that part was left unfinished to me.  She and Emma needed to fight together but she also loved Lukas.  I'm not sure if things changed after the big finale between the two of them or not.  Either way this was an ending I was satisfied with and I will really miss Coby, Emma, Harry, Sara, Natalie, & Lukas.  Even Craven and Moorehead.  :)  I hope to find another series that I enjoy the characters as much as in this one.  They truly cared for each other and it was such a nice diversion from the typical mean girl type books full of love triangles.  :D



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Haunting Emma - Betrayal - Lee Nichols

I started book 3 this morning, which is titled Surrender and it has a good start to it.  I'm hoping it will rock the series back to the way it started in book 1!  :D  Then afterwards I have no idea what I'll do, some exciting news, Lisa DesRochers 3rd installment in the Personal Demons series comes out 6 weeks from yesterday and I am so excited to see what happens with Luke & Frannie!!!  Now to find books to read for the next 6 weeks, guess I'll start going down my queue on Goodreads...

Betrayal by Lee Nichols

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So the hardest book in a series is always book 2.  I read book 1 in a day, book 2 I read in 4 days.  It wasn't as entertaining and I've been trying to decide between 3-4 stars so I'd say a solid 3.5.  I do like this series, I really love Emma and Natalie.  The characters are great, Coby's ghost was in this one a lot and I really like Coby as well as the jocks who taunt Emma.



There's a little bit of humor for older teens/young adults.  In this book Emma is set to fix things with Harry and Sara who have lost it since Coby's death, fight off Neos, and be with Bennett.  All of which go terribly wrong. 



I like that the same characters are back, there are surprises, you get to meet Emma's family, there is a traitor among them.  The book definitely has enough to capture your enjoyment but at the end they didn't accomplish much.  The huge action scene only rid us of a tiny problem, hence having a 3rd book.



I can't be in love with Bennett when he's never around so I don't feel that connection with those two...  I wish I did.  I know she's attracted to him but that's all the depth I've really seen.



I do believe book 3 will be better than book 2.  I've found in almost all sagas book number 2 never lives up to the first but typically book 3 throws us back into why we loved the series to begin with.  I'm excited to start book number 3.  I hope there's more action with the Rake whom I've grown fond of as well as Coby.  :D 



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Haunting Emma - Deception - Lee Nichols

I was perusing the books trying to find something to read and sent myself samples of about 6 books, this was the first sample I started and what can I say, I really liked Emma... so now I'm going in to read the series!

Deception by Lee Nichols

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I wasn't sure what to expect, I just saw this and sent myself the free kindle sample and immediately liked Emma's spunky personality.  She was really fun to get to know.  Before I knew it, I brought the book with me everywhere (I bought it yesterday, finished it last night), I read while I was at the gym, I read while cooking dinner, and I finished it up around midnight.  I took very few breaks.  It was a real attention grabber from the get go.



It may not be super original but I'm really starting to like ghost stories and this one is turning out really good.  I liked Emma, I like the other characters.  I'm actually disappointed that a couple of them died.  And best of all, this book has actual laugh out loud moments.  I started laughing while riding the bike at the gym because of something Emma said to one of the other characters.  Who doesn't enjoy a book that makes you happy, sad, and grabs your attention?



It is a really easy, quick, light read.  I have already started book 2.  And plan on reading book 3 as well.  I am really enjoying my time with Emma Vaille.



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My Soul To Steal, If I Die, & Never to Sleep - Soul Screamers - Rachel Vincent

I read the entire Soul Screamers to date in the last couple of days...  I'm excited and sad at the same time.  The next book is due out in June which is coming up fast, however; after reading Rachel Vincent's blog I also found out that one of the main characters dies.  :(  So that's horrible... here are my reviews of the books in the series...

My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Sabine is introduced in the Novella Reaper and she is Nash's "ex" who is back in town to get him back.  She is a great "love to hate" chick.  Rachel Vincent did an amazing job making her really a nightmare and Kaylee grew a bit of a backbone trying to keep her hold on Nash.  Kaylee is unsure if she even wants Nash after all he's done to hurt her so there's a lot of emotional turmoil in this book!



I truly liked Sabine's character, I liked how much I didn't like her.  I started being even more into Tod than I already am after how much he does for Kaylee while she needs him and he's just always there for her.



This book was really good as are the rest in the series what can I say?  I'm hooked on the Soul Screamers...



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If I Die by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I would give this book 4 stars but what can I say, I'm in love with Tod and there was a lot of Tod in this book!  So, here we go... Kaylee finds out she has a death date.  And there are no second chances to trade, her life was already exchanged for her moms when she was a baby so she has no choice but to just die... but before she does she wants to:



Kill the new incubus math teacher that is impregnating teenage girls...



In order to do this her and Sabine work together as well as Emma.  Sabine becomes so much more tolerable in this book!  I really enjoyed her character.  There's quite a bit of sexual content in this book even though there is no actual sex besides the pregnant teenage girls.  Just an FYI to anyone out there.  I hear there's quite a bit of it in the next book too....



So Kaylee spends her numbered days trying to right her wrongs and get rid of the incubus.  After that, she has a lot of realizations about Nash, Sabine, and Tod. 



Tod is really there for Kaylee during this book since he's faced down death and the connection between them is just unreal.  He also does a lot of things for her without wanting her to know.  He's just an all around great guy.  This book also has some relapses and a few surprises.  I think this is so far my favorite book!  I do love Tod... :D



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Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So this is a short Novella to add to the Soul Screamers series as it slowly comes to an end.  It takes place during Kaylee's last day in "If I Die" and is about Sophie and a necromancer named Luca.



All that we learn is that Sophie is definitely not entirely human.  (I really want to know what she is and how she can cross into the Nether by herself and who is this Luca???) And also I read Rachel Vincent's blog and found out something big... One of our main characters is going to die in book 6... :( 



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Rachel Vincent - My Soul To Keep & Reaper (Novella to book 4)

I'm really getting into the Soul Screamers series and am sad because there is only 1 book left until book 6 comes out later this year.  I read book 3 and 3.5 over the last couple of days and stayed up extremely late reading about half of book 4 last night.  Which I WILL finish today because it's so good.  I am glad I cheated and read the excerpt for book 6 because it sounds like things are going to switch to Team  Tod in book 5... the one I am hoping to start tonight...  :P  I like Tod hence why I read and reviewed his Novella Reaper below my review for book 3 My Soul To Keep...

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So I started this book wary after book 2 fell short of my expectations.  This book brought them back and beyond.  This book was written so well and just the pure creativity in the storyline had me hooked and deserves 5 stars.



Kaylee and all of our other favorite characters are back and a few of them are hooked on "Frost" or Demons Breath which we learned about at the end of book 2.  This book was really truly great.  The ending was bittersweet but the best part is since it's a series, that doesn't matter we can go on and find out more...  I followed this book with Reaper the Novella about Tod and then book 4 because that's the order of the series.



The hellion Avari is back with a vengeance in this one.  You will be shocked at what happens, who is hooked on frost, and how far Avari will take things to get to Kaylee.  Yay, 5 Stars!!! 



It was so good I stayed up last night and read Reaper and half of book 4.



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Reaper by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This Novella was as good or better than her prequel Novella, it was completely worth the money.  I read it in a half hour or so and loved it.  It showed about Tod and his life before reaping, also you find out about how Tod died and became a reaper.  I found it absolutely stunning to find out what really happened to Tod, this isn't something you want to miss if you are a fan of the series.  Awesome book!!!  :)



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Soul Screamers Volume 1 & My Soul To Save - Rachel Vincent

I originally purchased Soul Screamers volume 1 because it contained the prequel novella along with books 1 & 2 from the Soul Screamers series for a very low price.  I had been doing individual reviews for each book so I have a short excerpt for the Soul Screamers volume 1 and then below will be my review of book 2 My Soul To Save...

I also plan on reading My Soul To Keep next, which is book 3 in this series.

Soul Screamers Vol. 1 : My Soul to Lose • My Soul to Take • My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm not going to include much because I wrote individual reviews for each book in this book on their respected pages.  But I will say if interested in this series, this is the way to go for the price.  You get the prequel novella and books 1 & 2 all for the price of one book.  :)



I bought this due to the fact you get the prequel novella, book 1 and book 2 all in one.  I must admit, the prequel novella My Soul To Lose really captured my attention.  Book 1 My Soul To Take was nearly as good, and book 2 My Soul To Save was maybe so/so.  It wasn't as good as the first two in my opinion.



I really enjoyed the main character Kaylee and her boyfriend Nash.  I love Kaylee's best friend Emma and that Kaylee has a conscience but only to an extent.  She doesn't really care if she's going to get grounded or if someone dies in lieu of someone she cares for in most instances.  She kind of does her own thing and everyone else puts up with it.



I like Nash's mom and I can't decide how I feel about Tod I'm excited to read his Novella which is to be read before book 4 I believe. 



These books really help you get to know the characters and the storyline, I will continue reading the series hoping that book 3, My Soul To Keep is better than book 2.  Book 2 wasn't that bad but sometimes the second book in a series is just not quite as good as the first.  It's happened in many series. 



Try the free sample for kindle if you have one, either way, you can't beat this deal the price is amazing for what you are getting and the books are full and the writing is solid.  The characters all have depth and I think that there is a lot of potential here.  I'm excited to see what happens next. 



:)  4 Stars!



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My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I really enjoyed the prequel and book 1.  This book failed to keep me as entertained as the others I've read so far.  However, this book was still written extremely well.  You get to know Nash's mom Harmony better and get to see a father/daughter relationship between Kaylee and her dad.



There is a lot more sexual tension and references in this book than in the others.  It appears that this might come up in the upcoming books.  I did enjoy this book, I just wasn't sure how I felt about the characters that Kaylee was trying to save.  In the first book she was coming into herself, saved her best friend, etc... This book was about a girl who sold her soul to become rich and famous and Kaylee wanted to save her from dying for Tod's sake. 



I did like Addison and I sympathized with her.  I still give the book 4 stars because of how well Rachel Vincent's writing is.  I just wasn't as pleased or entertained as I was in the previous book.  I am purchasing the next book now and hope that it is better...  :) 



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The Savage Grace - Bree Despain

Wish I'd read this before Spell Bound, this book was an amazing ending to a trilogy.  I will be continuing with the Soul Screamers series now.  I would like to say though, if you have not read The Dark Divine series I highly recommend it!  It's absolutely fantastic!  :) 

The Savage Grace by Bree Despain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


BRAVO BREE Despain!!!



Two books came out on the same day that I'd been anticipating for 2012, I chose to read the other one first.  It turned out to not be nearly as good as this one.  This book was amazing, I read it in a little over a day.  So this book starts off about one week after the last book ended.  Grace is trying to figure out how to turn Daniel back to Daniel before she loses him to the white wolf.  And it's making her inner wolf an angry and bitter person...



I love Gabriel in this one, and I loved the "lost boys" the ones who followed Daniel when he turned Alpha at the end of book 2.  Grace decided she was their Wendy (Peter Pan) and they were her lost boys.  They stayed around Grace like babysitters and all of their fun and unique personalities really shined.  There was a lot of sad and traumatic events in this book, there were HUGE plot twists throughout, and an ending I didn't suspect.  I don't want to give anything away.  There is love in this, there is loss, this was a truly fantastic ending to a trilogy I just wished that all of the bad guys had been caught in the end, however; I do believe that what is left is nothing that Daniel and Grace can't fight through together.  Grace's parents, sisters, April, and her parents all returned for this book as well as Caleb, Talbot, and many others.



I think this is the book I really fell in love with Daniel, I also loved Jude.  He seemed to be more like the Jude from the beginning of book one.  Amazing job Bree DeSpain, I did ask her and she does have another book she is writing I'm unsure if it's a series or what but it is due for publication next fall and I will definitely be in line to read it!  I'm so sad to see this trilogy come to an end and cannot wait for more books from this talented author!



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Spell Bound - Hex Hall Series - Rachel Hawkins

I paused my Soul Screamers series because 2 books I've been waiting for came out today!!!  So I read one really fast... (Spell Bound the end of the Hex Hall series) and plan on reading the other one tomorrow...

So I don't put spoilers on my reviews on Amazon or Goodreads and I will try not to here either but I want to say I am SO mad at what Rachel Hawkins did to my favorite character in this entire series...  Ugh, I wanted to scream WHY at her!!!!  Okay...  Here's my review:

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So here's the deal... I refuse to give spoilers away but I am SHOCKED at what Miss Rachel Hawkins did with this book!!!  Let's go back, I stayed up til 1 AM reading this.  I'm now writing the review while it's fresh in my mind.  I am disappointed but this book is an excellent ending to the saga.  All of our favorite characters are back plus new ones so you have Cal, Archer, Sophie, her parents, Jenna, Elodie, the Casnoff sisters and their demons, etc... Some new characters include the Brannick family (Aislinn, Finley, Izzy, and a surprise too).



What I loved, Jenna & Sophie's friendship.  Cal's love and devotion for Sophie.  I honestly just LOVE Cal and could never understand why Sophie was so devoted to Archer.  I will tell you that the love triangle ends with the saga.  You will have a definitive answer on who Sophie ends up with. 



Another thing I really enjoyed was that Elodie went into Sophie's body many times to help as well as mess around and I found the comedic humor in Sophie's head and the arguing between the two girls to be quite funny and I really grew to like Elodie's character.  I also believe she may find love, even in the ghost world.



I really liked Izzy, the 14 year old Brannick sister.  As well as the man in the mirror, I believe his name was Torin.  :) 



The book begins EXACTLY where it left off.  Sophie has just woken up out of the Itineris and has no idea where she is.  She has no powers and she must work with her loved ones to stop the Casnoff sisters from turning every student at Hecate (Hex Hall) into demons.  I think the most emotional part of the story is when they literally go into the underworld or "hell" and you see devastating moments from the past and future.  This is where I want to give you the spoiler, but I cannot and will not you have to read the book for yourself to see what happens.



:)  4 Stars for being a good end to the saga.  I would have given it a 5 had there been a few changes to the ending.  I did hear a rumor of a spinoff of this series and I'm guessing it would be Izzy's story?  I can't think of any other character who would have a spinoff.  I do hope this is true and cannot wait to read the next book published by Rachel Hawkins. 



And just for you Rachel Hawkins... WHY DID YOU DO THAT??????????????????????



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Soul Screamers - My Soul To Take - Rachel Vincent

I can tell this series is going to be amazing and I only wished I'd found it sooner!!!!  Awesome awesome book!  I hope to be done with book 2 before Tuesday when the ones I've been waiting for come out... But there's also 6 in this series as well as some Novellas!!!  Next up book 2 My Soul To Save...


My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm SOOOOOOO glad the book was as good as the Novella prequel!!!  Yay!!!



I started by reading My Soul To Lose which is a prequel to the series, it's a very short Novella and it got me hooked.  This book was completely different than anything I've read and I've read some crazy stuff lately.  This book is about Kaylee who screams when someone near her is about to die.  This is quite a mystery and no one knows why it happens, her family tells her she's insane.  (I highly recommend reading the prequel Novella first.)  The action starts pretty quick and Kaylee and her best friend sneak into a club and Kaylee sees the shadow and feels the scream building in her throat and of course this is happening RIGHT in front of her crush Nash Hudson. 



So Kaylee, her amazing best friend Emma, and Nash calm her down and keep her from losing it and take her home.  She doesn't scream.  In the morning she sees the girl died on the news.  Then there are numerous girls dying, just dropping dead for no reason.  One each day.  Nash and Kaylee begin dating and working on solving the mysteries together.  Nash helps Kaylee discover who she is.



There's plenty of romance, I really liked Nash and his mom, Emma was the most amazing and understanding best friend, Kaylee's Aunt was a real character and her uncle I immediately liked.  Kaylee also has a not so nice cousin named Sophie.  She lives with them ever since her mom died when she was really young.  I even liked Tod (you'll meet him too)... 



At the end of this story all of your questions are answered, mysteries are exposed, and best of all, the story goes on and there are actually quite a few books in the series I believe as well as Novellas, I will be starting book 2 today.  This was a really great start to a series and I'm excited to see what happens throughout Kaylee's young life!



5 Stars, had me hooked and I stayed up real late finishing it!



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Soul Screamers Series - My Soul To Lose .5 - Rachel Vincent

I haven't forgotten about you I've been busy!  Not reading much :(  But I finally found a series I like right when 2 books I want to read are coming out.

Next week in fact The Savage Grace: A Dark Divine Novel by Bree DeSpain comes out.  I believe it's the last in the trilogy!!!

The 3rd book in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins comes out next week as well.  This one is called Spellbound. 

I'm really excited about both of these and of course now I just started a series so I have to read through it quickly so I can get to the books I've been waiting for!!!

SO, I started the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent I have only read My Soul To Lose which is the first novella, .5 in the series.  I'm reading book 1 now, they had an amazing deal on Kindle for My Soul To Lose, My Soul To Take, and My Soul To Save all in one book called Soul Screamers Volume 1.  It was only $5.99 on Kindle which is much cheaper than buying all 3 separate.

Here's my review of My Soul To Lose:
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is an amazing hook for the series, it is an extremely short Novella that leads you into book 1.  Right now Amazon Kindle even has a special where you can get this along with the first 2 books in the series at an amazing price.  :)  We start off with Kaylee going to the mall with her best friend and then having a "panic attack" which happens when she sees shadows and knows someone near her is going to die.  The "attacks" cause her to scream the loudest most insane horrifying scream imaginable.  This lands her in a psych ward for teens. 



It ends with her being sent home to live her life and go back to school which is where book 1 starts.  This is probably the best Novella intro for a series I've ever read.  I knew after reading this I wanted to read the series.  Really good!



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