"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover

Oh. My. Hoover.
I am still suffering somewhat of a bookhangover from November 9, which is why I haven't managed to post my review for that one yet (I swear, that book is my spirit animal!), but this... It Ends With Us... it's...

...heart-wrenching...
...gut-wrenching...
...the most beautiful kind of bad...
...the worst kind of beautiful...
...goosebump-invoking and tear-stirring...
...anything but black and white...

It's a book that tugs at your heartstrings, and that makes you want to cuddle up and say goodbye to the world for the rest of the day. Colleen Hoover has a beautiful mind, and a great talent for not only making you sympathize and empathize with her characters, but also for making you think about the issues that are addressed - the issues faced by her characters. It Ends With Us, especially, is a book that you won't just finish reading - it will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.

It's the kind of book that you will start to read, and that you won't want to put back down. At the same time though, it's a story you at times won't want to finish, because you may not want to know how it ends, or because - if you are like me - you just don't want to hit the last page and be done with it.
But you will do just that. You will read it til the end, and I am sure you will be loving it.

I am purposely keeping this review short - not because I don't have a million feels and a billion things to say, but because I really want each and every one of you to read this novel. Spoiler-free.
To read it, to feel it, to think about it.

Which is also why I am giving away a signed copy - just keep on reading to find out how you can enter! Open internationally! 

SOMETIMES THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU IS THE ONE WHO HURTS YOU THE MOST

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.

Colleen Hoover is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including the #1 bestseller, Hopeless. She lives in Texas with her husband and three children. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a book subscription service which donates 100% of its profit to charity. She also owns The Bookworm Box, a specialty bookstore located in Sulphur Springs, Tx. 

Her novel, Ugly Love (2014), has been optioned for film by Hackybox Pictures and is slated to begin filming in 2016, starring Nick Bateman. 

For tour dates or more information, please visit colleenhoover.com.

[source: amazon]

Visit Colleen Hoover on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram
Visit The Bookworm Box's website || facebook || instagram

It Ends With Us on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

My Review of Maybe Not || Confess || Finding Cinderella || Never Never: Part One || Never Never: Part Two 

In September, I had the great pleasure of finally meeting Colleen Hoover!
After having had plans to attend several signings in the past, which all ended up being cancelled, I travelled to Frankfurt after a day of finals at university, taking forever on the road and getting lost several times, annoying my sister - whom I was dragging along - with my excitement!

My sister has never read a novel by Colleen... I, however, wasn't sure how many books we'd be allowed to get signed each, if there would be a limit, so I made my sister come along, bringing thirteen books and hoping I could get an extra one signed yet to give away, giving her a "priority list" in case we'd both only be allowed to get two or three signed... and promising I'd buy her dinner in exchange for coming along, ha!

Colleen was the sweetest, ever. Her interview was super funny, and she took time for everyone in attendance, signing books like a champ and taking pictures with people.
Without a single complaint, she signed the thirteen books I had brought along, plus an extra copy of It Ends With Us that I purchased at the store the signing was being held at, plus a couple of autograph cards to give away as well, and took pictures with me on top of that! The evening was so much more than I had expected hopping into my car... and I am definitely looking forward to hopefully meeting her again someday!

Visit me on instagram (@ink.eaters) for the giveaway!
I am giving away a signed (not personalized) paperback copy of It Ends With Us, as well as two autograph cards from the signing!

A big thank you to Colleen Hoover for having signed everything - and for just being her - as well as a big thank you to Hugendubel Frankfurt-Steinweg for having held the event!

"Crave" by Teresa Mummert

I was super excited when I heard that Teresa Mummert would be writing a Vampire novel; I love her writing and her male characters are usually to die for - while this is the case with Crave's male protagonist, Elijah, as well - and in this case quite literally, the novel itself unfortunately didn't quite manage to suck me in (no punk intended, I think ;-)).

I loved the general ideas of - and in - the story, and that the author took the chance to dive into a different genre than she did for the other books I had previously read by her. And I really enjoyed the love story developing throughout the novel, with all its ups and downs, because let's face it - love isn't always a walk in the park, and sometimes tragedy and danger lurk around the corner, waiting to beat you down. However, the story couldn't really... convince me. I can't say what it was, but something felt off - there were several times when I felt like I had missed out on something, despite not having skipped any chapters, or even pages or paragraphs, which is why I can only give this book a 3.5; can't wait for my next Mummert read though!

All I craved was one night to forget about the tragic murder of my brother Marcus. Elijah Malakai seemed like the perfect person to take my mind off everything my family had endured. He was a hunter and for the first time in years, I felt safe. 

But Elijah had his own tragic past. As his secrets unraveled, my world was thrown into turmoil once more. 

I had to decide whether or not Elijah was worth the pain his past would bring and if I was strong enough to stand by his side and fight.

Teresa Mummert grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania where she began dating her husband when they were only sixteen years old. They married at eighteen and soon moved to Louisiana as her husband began his military career. They are the proud parents of four children that they are raising in Georgia. 

Teresa began writing when her husband deployed to Afghanistan as a way to cope with him being away at war. She soon became a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her work includes the word of mouth bestselling White Trash Trilogy which landed her a three book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster. She has also written the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Note and the USA Today bestselling novel Safe Word. Other novels include Perfect Lie, Pretty Little Things, the Honor series, Rellik, The Good Girls, Something Wicked, Crave, The Death of Lila Jane, Hollow (Hollow Point #1), and the USA Today bestselling novel Sweet Nothing co-written with Jamie McGuire.
Future releases include Hellion (Hollow Point #2), Shameless, Defending Her Honor (Honor Series), Cruel, Depravity, When the Memories Fade, Weeping Willow, Paper Doll, The Deep, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Rocked, Before I Wake, Fall to Pieces, Ash & Dust, and Victim. She also has a Middle-Grade children's novel coming out soon titled The Seeker under the pseudonym T.S. Mummert. 

Visit Teresa Mummert on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram

Find Crave on goodreads || amazon US || amazon UK || amazon DE

Read my reviews of other novels by Teresa Mummert: The Death of Lila Jane || The Good Girls || Rellik || Sweet Nothing

*** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review! ***

"The Death of Lila Jane" by Teresa Mummert

Oh. My. Heart.
As much as I hate it when people say something like what I am about to say, I simply cannot not say it... "I CAN'T EVEN! ALL THE FEELS!"
Is it bad that I feel like crying like a baby because the book I've been reading is over?! This book is so absofuckinlutely beautiful, you really should pick it up if you haven't already read it. - Go grab it, add it to your tbr, dive right into it. Whatever. Just... read it. Like, yesterday. Now. ASAP. Fall in love with it, like I have. And while you're at it, please excuse me while I go and die a million fictional deaths because I can't have more of this. This story ending way too soon basically was its only flaw... and even that flaw was a really beautiful - and obviously inevitable - one!

Honestly, I don't know what to say.
Or how to say it.
This.
Simply.
Was.
A.
Stunningly.
Beautiful.
Read.





(Those few words right there? "Stunningly beautiful read!"? That could very well be my review. As in... all you're getting, because it's all there is... I'm still sitting here like an emoji, swooning all heart-eyed!)

And I want more. Lots more.

The Death of Lila Jane is a read that managed to suck me in right from the beginning - it was unputdownable (yes, that is a word!), both when it comes to the style in which Mummert has chosen to tell the story, as well as when it comes to the story itself. There wasn't a single moment of reading time in which this novel made me roll my eyes, or check the time; it had a steady pace, that was neither too slow, nor too fast - following the story of Lila Jane and Kaden never seemed even remotely draggy, and I found myself giggling, teary-eyed, swooning over the hunk of the story and absolutely dreading the end of the book (don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad ending at all, other than being an end!). The Death of Lila Jane is a beautiful novel, through and through, from page one all the way to the words no reader wants to encounter when loving a book - all the way to "the end". It's a tale of love and loss, of friendship and family, of happiness and sorrow. A book of life and death, of loosing and finding yourself - and your perfect counterpart.
In case you couldn't already tell: I absolutely loved this book!

5/5

 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Teresa Mummert comes a cautionary coming of age tale.
Lila Jane is spending her summer vacation preparing for high school. She does everything asked of her, but her parents rarely give her credit for her efforts. She decides to sneak out with a friend to attend a local party and shed her little girl image, to become a woman once and for all. What starts out as a fun escape soon escalates into a life on the run with a boy she barely knows.  

 

Teresa Mummert grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania where she began dating her husband when they were only sixteen years old. They married at eighteen and soon moved to Louisiana as her husband began his military career. They are the proud parents of four children that they are raising in Georgia.
Teresa began writing when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan as a way to cope with him being away at war. She soon became a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her work includes the word of mouth bestselling White Trash Trilogy which landed her a three book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster. She has also written the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Note, the USA Today bestselling novel Safe Word, Perfect Lie, Pretty Little Things, the Honor series, Rellik, The Good Girls, Something Wicked, and the USA Today bestselling novel Sweet Nothing co-written with Jamie McGuire.
Future releases include Crave, Cruel, Depravity, The Death of Lila Jane, Hollow, Weeping Willow, Paper Doll, The Deep, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Rocked, Before I Wake, Fall to Pieces, and Victim. She also has a Middle Grade children's novel coming out soon titled The Seeker under the pseudonym T.S. Mummert.

Visit Teresa Mummert on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram

Find The Death of Lila Jane on goodreads || amazon US || amazon UK || amazon DE

Read my reviews of other novels by Teresa Mummert: The Good Girls || Rellik || Sweet Nothing

*** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review! ***

"Elusive Love" by K.A. Robinson♥ Cover Reveal ♥

Happy Cover Reveal Day, K.A. Robinson!

(Elusive Love releases November 17th)

Love is often elusive, hard to find and even harder to hold on to.

Caley Rogers knew that from a young age.

When Joey Sanders walks into her life, she thinks she’s finally found the love she has so desperately been seeking.

Five years, a marriage, and a child later, Caley realizes her mistake. Trapped in a life with no love at all, she seeks out an old friend who quickly becomes her confidant.

Ethan Blake has loved Caley for years. When she reenters his life one random night, he never expects more than friendship, but after weeks of secret meetings and listening to Caley’s confessions of a loveless marriage, the unthinkable happens. Ethan and Caley finally share their true feelings for one another.

Now, they must face the consequences of their emotions—dealing with not only the uncertainty of their situation and Caley and Ethan’s guilt, but also with the end of Caley’s marriage to a man who isn’t ready to let go.

Love is more than just an emotion. It’s more than a single word. To Caley and Ethan, it’s everything.

pre-order your copy on amazon

visit K.A. Robinson on facebook || goodreads || twitter

add Elusive Love on goodreads

find my review of K.A. Robinson's Ultimate Temptations *here*

"Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura" by Annie Hughes

Wow... what an emotional rollercoaster!
Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura by Annie Hughes made me shed more tears than I care to admit - some were of laughter, others turned into some truly ugly crying... and if I hadn't liked the book as much, I'd hate how much I actually loved both kinds (in some twisted ways).

From page one, I immediately fell in love with the writing - it's very authentic, and makes it extremely easy to believe that the narrator is a girl in her teenage years.
The writing captured me from the start, but the story itself started somewhat slow for me - for a while, I even questioned the plot and some of the characters. If it wasn't for the topic of the novel, for Anna's story, the writing would make this an easy and very light read, which was what ultimately kept me reading in the beginning. After about half the book though, Una Familia Segura suddenly turned into an absolute page-turner and I couldn't put it down anymore - I just had to finish reading it right then and there. The story of Anna's past, which haunts her until the end of the novel, is anything but light - it's dark, and some of it might call for a trigger warning, as it's very realistically - believably - written.

I really like how Hughes pointed out the differences between the UK and the US, between British and American things, when her main character, Anna Rosa, finds herself moving from one country to the other, rather than just stating that she has 'switched countries'. It makes things more real, and makes it really easy to take part in Anna's journey. The overall writing also makes it easy to empathize with Anna, which made the novel turn me into an emotional mess at times.

Una Familia Segura has a little bit of a Cinderella story spin - without wanting to give too much away, Anna goes from an abusive, traumatizing childhood of terror, to living with a wealthy, well-known and at times seemingly overly loving family. In the beginning, this made me feel like some of the characters were a little too 'shallow', for the lack of better words, but as I kept on reading it became perfectly clear that this was needed to emphasize the contrast between her old life and her new.
I also very much enjoyed the cute little lovestory developing in the almost-hidden, making it a lot more real than instalove and constant puppy-eyes ever could have in the situation Anna finds herself in.

Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura is, despite - or maybe especially because - of the dark matter it touches a beautiful story that underlines the importance of family and true friendship.
I'll have to treat myself to a paperback of this, and am looking forward to the next part in the series, which releases July 17th!

4.5 / 5

Anna Rosa Castillo is unlike most 16 year old girls.

She doesn't care for clothes or make up, nor does she giggle with her friends about hot guys. Coming from a small town in the North of England, where drugs and criminals are at the top of the food chain, Anna's life is an impossible mixture of pain and sorrow. She lives by only one rule - do whatever he says, and she might live long enough to get away.

All that changes when a fatal night lands the monster of her nightmares in a prison cell and herself in a hospital bed, staring into the eyes of a father she has never known. 

The addition of a father and a family turns Anna's life upside-down, thrusting her into a world she could never understand. Inner demons and unspeakable memories claw at her as she tries to build a relationship with her new family. But with her past looming over her new life, will she be able to break free?

Hello Everyone :)

I'm a brand new author who's just released her very first book baby - Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura. 

I'm a full time working mother to a gorgeous little boy and when I'm not busy with mum chores you can guarantee that I'm staying up until obscene hours either reading or writing.

I hope you all enjoy reading my stories, lots more to come in the future I think :)

Visit Annie Hughes on facebook || twitter || goodreads

Breaking Free (#1): Una Familia Segura on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

Breaking Free (#2): Learning to Fly on goodreads || amazon UK || amazon US || amazon DE

*** I received a review copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review! ***