April RAK Wrap-Up

I Received:

Wounded by Jasinda Wilder from Michelle @ Michelle Chew Writes

I Sent:

Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley & Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost to Michelle @ Michelle Chew Writes

A BIG thank you to everyone who sent me books and to Isalys and Vanessa at Book Soulmates for hosting!!

{Excerpt} Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron

Faster We Burn 
by Chelsea M. Cameron
Series: Fall and Rise (#2)
Available as of April 20, 2013
Amazon

Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?

From Faster We Burn:

     I couldn’t find a good radio station, so I picked up my phone and put it on speaker, setting it in a little clip on my dashboard. I should have one of those headsets, but I thought they made people look like assholes, so I’d never gotten one.

     He picked up on the second ring.

     “Hey, I’m driving back and I just thought I would check in with my friend. How are you, friend?”

     He sounded like he was in a room full of people.

     “I’m good, friend. How are you?” The voices faded, as if he was walking away from them.

     “You’re not in class, are you?”

     “No, I was just getting something to eat.”

     “When’s your next class?”

     “Not for a while. I’m all yours, friend.”

     “Well that is good to hear, friend.”

     He went on to tell me about all the things that I’d missed on campus, from someone getting thrown out for setting a couch on fire, to the frat that was on probation, to the professor who’d gotten caught smoking pot on campus with a few students.

     It was all silly and mundane and distracting enough that I could get out of my own head for a few minutes. It was a blessed relief.

     He also filled me in on the crew. Lottie was dying to have me back and had stocked up on ice cream in preparation for lots of Law and Order marathons.

     Trish had almost gotten fired from her job for mouthing off to her boss, Will and Audrey had finally kissed in public and Simon was trying to convince everyone to participate in some sort of charity event that involved running around campus in your underwear.

     “I’m not freezing my junk off, even if it is for charity,” he said as I pictured his junk. It was pretty nice junk, and I wouldn’t like it if anything happened to it, even if I wasn’t going to be using it anytime soon. 

     It was all well and good to call ourselves friends over the phone, but in person, I had no idea how it was going to go.

     “How’s your mom?”

     “I guess she’s as good as can be expected. She goes from sobbing to cleaning like the Queen is coming over, then back to sobbing. I’m going back this weekend so Kayla can have a break.”

     “Do you feel guilty?” Stryker always had a way of asking the questions I didn’t want to answer.

     “Yeah. How can I not?”

     I waited for him to tell me that I shouldn’t, but he sighed.

     “You’re right.”

     “Wait, what was that?”

     He laughed.

     “I said that you’re right. A little guilt is okay. It’s the big, soul-crushing guilt I’m worried about.”

{Promo} The Unloved by Jennifer Snyder

The Unloved 
by Jennifer Snyder
Mature YA
Available as of July 30, 2012
Amazon

Sometimes the love our heart needs to heal can be found in the familiar eyes of a childhood friend...

Julie Porter learned the hard way that trust is something which must be earned and not something to be given out lightly, those who say they love you are those who hold the power to hurt you most, and best friends can help you survive anything—until they move away.

Nick Owen knows a thing or two about a hard life. At a young age Nick learned how to take a hit and to make lemonade out of the lemons life tossed his way. Returning home after nearly two years of being away, all Nick cares about now is protecting his mom from the abusive hands of his father and catching up with his best friend—the girl who lived across the street, the girl he can’t seem to stop thinking about.

Finally reunited after two years apart, Nick and Julie are about to learn that age does nothing to protect you from life’s trials and tribulations, heartache and loss, but maybe together they’ll find a way to survive.

I'm Moving So....

I'm selling some of my books!

The books below are all for sale and will go on first come first serve basis. 

I have listed all the books in alphabetical order by title and whether they are hardcover or paperback.

Shipping is $4 because of supplies I'll need to ship and the cost of shipping.

The shipping cost may change depending on the number of books you'd like. 

If you live outside of the US and would like one of the books, the shipping price is likely to change.

All books, except for those specified, are all like new or new.

Fill out the form at the bottom with requests and I'll respond as soon as I can!
Hugs!
Doodle

Hardcovers ($7 each):

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan
The Game of Triumphs by Laura Powell
I See You by Holly Lisel (Adult Contemporary)
The Marked by Inara Scott
Say You Love Me by Rita Herron (Adult Contemporary)
The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell

Silence by Michelle Sagara
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Trapped by Michael Northrop
Without Tess by Marcella Pixely

Hardcovers - Library Edition ($4 each):

Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Paperbacks - UK Edition ($5 each):

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Paperbacks ($4 each):

2108 by KL Glanville
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Any Other Night by Anne Pfeffer
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley
Defy by Raine Thomas
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Extranormal by Suze Reese

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Farsighted by Emlyn Chand
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Forever by Judy Blume
The Grimoire Lichgates by SM Boyce
The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone
Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Matched by Ally Condie

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
The Queen of Everything by Deb Caletti
She's So Dead To Us by Kieran Scott
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
Six Moon Summer By SM Reine
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
Stork by Wendy Delsol
Swipe by Evan Angler
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
The Talents by Inara Scott
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Wake by Lisa McMann
Waterfall by Lisa T Bergren
Wishless by Louise Caiola

Paperbacks ($2 each - Used/Worn):

The Accidental Virgin by Valerie Frankel
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
Blood and Ice by Robert Mosello
Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
Gyges the Terrible by Adam Wasserman
Hector and the Search for Happiness by François Lelord
The Next Thing on my List by Jill Smolinski
Ugly to Start With by John Michael Cummings
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

Sets (Price Varies):

The Galahad Series by Dom Testa (6 books) - $18 + $7 Shipping (US)

Symptoms of Death, An Improper Death, & Half a Mind to Murder by Paula Paul - $7 + $5 Shipping (US)

ARCs (just pay shipping):

Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers
Enchanted by Aletha Kontis
First Date by Krista McGee
The Wicked and the Just by J Anderson Coats

Random Acts of Kindness - April

RAK is a monthly meme hosted by Book Soulmates.  

Join in on the fun here.

RAK is Random Acts of Kindness. Readers, blog or not, sign up with their wishlist and then look at other people's wishlists and send them a Random Act of Kindness. It is simple and easy. Here are the rules:

COMPLETE RULES RE-CAP:

Please read carefully & follow all rules!  Thank you!

• Only sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
• Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code can be found on the right sidebar of the Book Soulmates page).
• Create a wishlist (on Amazon, Goodreads, your blog, ect...) and post it in the Google Doc located in in each RAK post for the month.
• If you choose to do a RAK for someone, check out their wishlist and contact that blogger directly for their information.
• Once you receive a RAK, send us an email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
• E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and Barnes & Noble for Nook as well.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR RAK by making a "RAK Wrap-Up" post.  This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well as who you RECEIVED gifts from.

OPEN TO EVERYONE including all our International brethren!

Remember, there's always The Book Depository & Fishpond.
Both offer FREE shipping!

If you're feeling super kind this month and would like to send me a book, you can view my wishlist on my blog (short list) or on Amazon (long, frequently updated list).  If you want my highlighted, top 5, would love to get my hands on, books, here they are:

March RAK Wrap-Up

I Received:

Undone by Cat Clarke & Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley from Michelle @ Michelle Chew Writes

Flawed by Kate Avelynn from CJ @ Sarcasm and Lemons

I Sent:

Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt & Recalled by Cambria Hebert to Michelle @ Michelle Chew Writes

A BIG thank you to everyone who sent me books and to Isalys and Vanessa at Book Soulmates for hosting!!

{Review & Giveaway} The Love Game by Emma Hart

The Love Game 
by Emma Hart
Series: The Game (#1)
Source: eARC provided by author
Available as of March 29, 2013
Amazon 

His challenge? Make her fall in love with him.
Her challenge? Play the player.
Until life changes the rules of the game.

Maddie Stevens hated Braden Carter on sight. Arrogant, egotistical, and the playboy of the University of California, Berkeley, he's everything her brother Pearce has taught her to despise. So why, when the girls challenge her to play the player, doesn't she say no? She doesn't know either.

Braden wanted fiery little Maddie the second he laid eyes on her - and he'd do anything to have her, hence why he's agreed to make her fall in love with him. After all, it's the only way he'll get what he wants. Sex.

But, as Braden discovers, there's more to the girl from Brooklyn than he ever imagined - and he can't help but care about the broken girl behind those pretty green eyes.

Maddie finds Braden isn't just a walking erection - he actually has feelings. He can be sweet, funny and his good looks don't exactly hurt. That means trouble - but when her brother Pearce turns up in Berkeley begging for her help, she realises Braden and Pearce aren't so alike anymore.

And maybe, just maybe, they're exactly what each other needs.

After reading Never Forget by Emma Hart, I've become addicted to her writing style. Not once did I feel bored or think the story was lacking while reading The Love Game. I was held captive from page one and couldn't put it down if I tried!

Both Maddie and Braden are coerced by their friends into playing the game. The objective: to make the other fall in love with them and then walk away as if it never happened. It doesn't take a genius to know that this can only end in disaster.

I must say that both Maddie and Braden were fun characters. Maddie is this really responsible girl who has picked up the pieces of her family time and time again. She's had to deal with a lot of her brothers shenanigans while he slowly destroyed her best friend. Braden, on the other hand, is a complete and total womanizer. He has a huge heart, but not everyone gets to see his kind and caring side.

First and foremost, I loved reading from Maddie and Braden's points of view. I always got a good chuckle when I would read how Maddie thought she was ahead of schedule for #OperationPlayThePlayer and then turn around and read from Braden's point of view and how he thought the game was easy. Before I even picked The Love Game up, I knew how it would end because I've read other books like it, but this one was different. I enjoyed watching their feelings for each other change and I loved that it didn't follow the usual cliche events that one would expect. There were ups and downs that flustered both characters, but that is what made this book hard to put down.

Overall, The Love Game was a fun read. It was a tad cliche, but it was amusing and entertaining to see how their feelings changed from beginning to end. I highly highly highly recommend picking up ALL of Emma's books. They are unique and I've loved each and every one of them.

US Giveaway

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UK Giveaway

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By day, Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to a terrible two year old. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of wine and writes books.

She likes to write about magic, kisses and whatever else she can fit into the story. Sarcastic, witty characters are a must. As are hot guys. She has two new series planned as well as her New Adult Romance, Never Forget, due February 2013. She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes.

Her debut YA series, The Mauve Legacy, is an Apple iBooks Bestseller - and this makes Emma excited.



You can find the author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Amazon | Smashwords

FTC Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.