Book: When Stars Collide by Micalea Smeltzer

When Stars Collide by Micalea Smeltzer is my second ARK from this author and my first Release Blitz event! I was super excited to read this book after snagging a copy of Ray of Sunshine for FREE -- the first book in Smelter's 'The Light in The Dark' series.

Rae of Sunshine, Cade and Rae's story, is where we first meet Thea and Xander, the main characters in When Stars Collide. While they are present in Ray of Sunshine they are only secondary characters. Each of these books can be read as a stand alone.

I've read a few books from this author and I have to say I got really excited about the premise of this book. Once I read the blurb I knew I had so know more!

The Blurb

We were like two stars orbiting each other—dancing around the possibility that one day we might collide. When we finally did, we opened up a black hole, obliterating everything around us. No one would be the same.  Least of all, us.

Waking up in Vegas married to the guy of your dreams sounds like a good thing, right? Not when you’re Thea Montgomery and said guy is your brother’s best friend.

Thea and Xander have always avoided the connection between them because her brother would never approve. Now, they’re married— the strongest bond you can have as a couple—and they’re not even a real couple…unless they want to be. 

Thea wants an annulment immediately, but Xander’s waited too long to see her become his and he won’t let her go easily. 

If she wants a divorce, fine, but he wants the summer to convince her that he’s the one. If at the end of the summer she still wants to end their marriage he’ll sign the papers, but until then... 

All is not fair in love and war.

While an impromptu marriage is not ideal and keeping said marriage a secret is far from ideal... sooner or laters someone is going to find out... right?! Thea hopes it's just not Cade, her over protective older brother. Keeping their new marital status a secret from their roommates, Cade and Rea, only makes the situation more complicated for the newly weds.

What I liked most about this book is that Xander is so caring and patient with Thea, even when he doesn't agree with her -- primarily her insistence in getting a divorce. They've been friends for a long time and you can see that hasn't change as they struggle to deal with the ramifications of their Vegas nuptials and the curveballs life throws at them along the way.

Rea, Thea's best friend and Cade girlfriend, doesn't have a larger presents in this story. I feel that unless you read Rea of Sunshine, her character is not very developed in this story. The same can be said for Cade. Cade is much more than the over protective brother and we didn't get to see his playful side very much in this story. Luckily, Smeltzer does a good job at communicating the important details from Rea of Sunshine we need to know to understand character relationships.

Overall, this was a good read. In fact, my husband kept making fun of me for the goofy grin I would get on my face while reading on the sofa next to him. There are so many cute moments between Xander and Thea you can't help but like them as a couple.

I did think that the blurb is a little misleading when it come to Thea's feeling about her relationship with Xander, particularly after they return home and have gotten over the shock. I won't say more to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but I thought that aspect of the story was a little inconsistent.

Simply put... When Stars Collide is a cute love story of two people being unexpectedly connected. Watching them navigate what that means for their future is what makes this story special and worth the read!

Personally, I don't think Smelter's 'The Light in The Dark' series is my favorite of hers. These book would be a good starting point of anyone wanting to read their first Micalea Smeltzer novel, but I did prefer the two books I've read in her 'Us' series and I can't say enough good things about Bring Me Back (loved it!).

When Stars Collide is available August 30th, 2016 for $0.99 for a limited time only!
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Excerpt

Holy mother of all hangovers.

I’d succumbed to the lure of Vegas and gotten completely wasted. Granted, that’s what everyone did in Las Vegas but I like to think I usually have more sense than the social norm. 

I rub my eyes and blink them open. The hotel room comes into formation around me. The walls are a warm golden color and the flat screen on the wall plays some home improvement show. I can see the bathroom from the bed, the tiled walls and large soaking tub. 

I roll over onto my side, hoping I can sleep off the hangover, and reel back. 

“Oh my God,” I cry, flailing in bed. 

My legs kick the sleeping guy beside me.

Not just any sleeping guy. 

Oh no. 

Xander Kincaid, my brother’s best friend, lays in the bed beside me. 

His dark hair tumbles over his forehead and his cheeks are covered with several days worth of scruff. His chest is bare and…holy shit. He’s naked. 

I look down. 

Oh God, I’m naked too. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, reaching his left hand out to pull me closer to him. That’s when I see it. 

“Is that a wedding band?” I scream shrilly. 

His eyes narrow. “You don’t fucking remember?” 

I shake my head and look at my own hand. A thin silver band rests on my finger. “What did we do?” 

He sits up in bed and I try to ignore how adorably rumpled he looks with his hair sticking up. 

Everything begins flooding back to me in quick bursts. 

Drinks.
Kissing.
Laughter.
Confessions of love and desire.
A wedding chapel.
Vows.
Rings.
A contract. 

“We’re married,” I whisper. “Holy shit.” It’s all I’ve ever wanted—to be with Xander, but not like this. Never like this. “My brother is going to kill us.”

[Unedited and subject to change.] 

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Book: Death Thieves by Julie Wright

I've been reading a lot of books in the romance genre lately, but I've been missing some adventure and fantasy in my life. When I came across Death Thieves by Julie Wright on the Amazon Lending Library I knew I had to give it a shot. I'm glad I did!

The Blurb

"You're dead, Summer Dawn Rae." 

When Summer Rae is stolen from the moment of her own death and taken to a future where mankind is dying, it is with the hope that she, and other teenagers like her, can save it. But after only a short time in the future, Summer discovers a darker side to the altruistic reasons behind her abduction. She is determined to fulfill her purpose in a world gone literally mad, but can an ordinary girl save a whole world when she only cares about saving one person?

This book has the right amount of ingredients to keep me turning the pages:

✔  Time Travel
✔  Believable Futuristic Cities
✔  Strong and Smart Female Lead Character
✔  Believable Love Interest
✔  Life Threatening Circumstances
✔ A Civilization in Danger of Extinction
✔ An Unexpected Villain

All these elements are present in this book in a way that's very digestible and believable. As far as the world Wright has created, I liked that the technologies that were considered 'perfect' were left unchanged while some things were improved upon in a way that would normally occur through advancements in technology and science. Also, some of the new technologies that were present in the book didn't seem so far fetched, because the concepts are alive today. For example, starting your car without a key and paying at the store without handing over cash or a credit card. All these little details made the story much more believable in my mind.

Summer as the strong female lead was exactly what I was looking for. She's not without her vulnerabilities but she's smart, a quick thinker and a surviver. Summer's not afraid to go down her own path. And, she's incredibility motivated by what she feels is right and moral, which is all you can ask for as the heroin of this story.

I thought this book had a few strong messages: 1) Summer's strong bond with her sister Winter, 2) the reason in which civilization is in danger of extinction and how that course is changed and 3) the importance of learning from our past to guide the future.

This book is no Hunger Games, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I only wish there was more. I want to hear more about Tag and Summer because I know they are going to accomplish many great things in their future!

Song Dedication

I'm dedicating 'Rubik's Cube' by Athlete to Summer. She throws herself into research to find a way to change the fate of the future. She's determined there is a way to stop the cycle from perpetuating any further and she works to find a scientific solution.

Book: The Game That Breaks Us by Micalea Smeltzer

After reading Bring Me Back by Micalea Smeltzer I was curious to know what her other books were like. So when I had the opportunity to apply for an ARC of The Game That Breaks Us -- I jumped! To my surprise I was selected to receive an early copy -- Score!

Honestly, I was a little apprehensive to read this book because of how much I loved Bring Me Back. But, I got over it and jumped into The Game That Breaks Us.

With little experience of any of Smeltzer's other books I relied heavily on the blurb to tell me what I needed to know, but found that chapter one was enought to get me hooked into the book...

Grace Wentworth just arrived on campus. Her roommate already hates her from the moment she walked in the door. However, Grace has the good graces to look on the bright side and not let her roommates mood sour her first days on campus. While walking around campus looking lost, she bumps into a helpful stranger. She decides to be bold and accept the help of this handsome stranger for the afternoon. However, don't get the wrong idea -- no numbers were exchanged and they went their separate ways without any expectations of ever meeting again. Little does Grace know that she will be returning the favor in very big way!

The Blurb:

Hockey’s bad boy needs to clean up his reputation…

Bennett James has built his career at being the best, on and off the ice, and now it’s come back to bite him. The media has turned against him, and with a near career-ending injury, he needs to clean up his act and prove that he’s serious about the game. For Bennett, working with his old coach at his alma mater feels like a step back, but it might be just what he needs.

…and she’s going to help him do it.

Grace Wentworth has always been the good girl, and she’s tired of that stigma. She wants to prove that she can get down and dirty with the best of them. The problem? She doesn’t know how.

Bennett will teach the good girl how to be bad, if she pretends to be his goody two-shoes girlfriend in front of the media.

But what happens when the game becomes real?

Now that we know the basics, lets talk more about this book...

This was a great read! If fact, I've already read it twice. I would considerer it one of my light reads in contrast to the "cry your eyes out love stories" I've been drawn to lately -- cough cough Bring Me Back cough.

In the first few chapters you are along for the ride while Grace get settles into her new surrounding, starts to make friend, and experience typical college life. You aren't quite sure where the story is going to go, but it's clear through the duel perspective writing style that Bennett James fits in here somewhere. When the story really takes off, I love that we get to see both Grace's and Bennett's perspective because they are very different characters in a unique predicament. Having access to both of their thoughts give you a better understanding of their character flaws and struggles throughout the book. With Bennett in particular, I think his outward persona would be interpreted somewhat differently without having access to his thoughts. Perhaps because of this, as a reader I fell in love with both of these characters and only wanted the best for them -- even in the most difficult situations.

Another aspect that I like about this story is that Grace and Bennett truly become friends. In some books characters start relationships based on lust or other factors but that isn't the case here. There is clearly an attraction, but the friendship between Grace and Bennett is really something special.

The Game That Break Us is a part of Smeltzer's Us book series, but I found it was an easy read alone. Also, fans of Smeltzer's Willow Creek book series will enjoy Grace's connection to the characters from those books. However, the author does a good job of explaining these relationships to those of us who are unfamiliar with the Willow Creek series of characters. Personally, this part of the book feel a little bit like fanfare. However, I can appreciate that it grounds The Game That Breaks Us into Smeltzer's book universe for her most loyal fans.

My one grievance for this book is that, while I really like the cover art... I pictured these characters differently. The couple on the cover seemed older in my mind then Grace and Bennett are in the book. While he is a professional hockey player, I imagine him having a bit of boyish charm among his other qualities as someone in his early to mid-twenties.

Overall, Grace and Bennett's story teaches us that having the right people in your life can makes all the difference! Who wouldn't want to read about that?!

Favorite Quotes

"It's a small thing, sure, but the small things usually mean the most to someone. It's the little things that show you pay attention."

"We think that if we can't love ourselves for who we are that nobody else can. We rarely see the beauty in who we are and just the ugliness. We all focus to much on what's wrong and not what's right. I promise, you even if you can't see it, you're pretty amazing." 

"I haven't always been a nice guy, Grace, but that's how I want you to see me. I want to be good because of you." 

"So the bad boy wants the good girl to make him good, and the good girl want the bad boy to make her bad." 

"I know that makes me sound like a lovesick sappy fool, but when you've never been in love and you finally someone that makes you feel like a better version of yourself, the rest doesn't matter to you." 

"Nothing could make me move from this spot short of the zombie apocalypse, because zombies equal get the hell out of here."

Song Dedication

For The Game That Breaks Us by Micalea Smeltzer I want to dedicate the song 'Need Your Love" by The Temper Trap to Bennett. When he hits rock bottom, Grace is the main thing on his mind. I think this song does a good job of describing who Grace has become to him. Especially with lyrics like these...

She is my salvation in the dawn 

But at night with lips of honey calls the devil’s horn 

And I am a war of flesh and heart that’s left undone 

Between the person that I was and have become

Need Your Love - The Temper Trap (RAC Remix)

Music Monday - June 2016 - #1 - Electric Love

This #MusicMonday I'm featuring the song "Electric Love" by BØRNS. This song is such a feel good dreaming song about love. I dare you not to tap your foot along to the beat. This is definitely on my summer playlist! Enjoy!

And every night my mind is running around her 

Thunder is getting louder and louder 

Baby you're like lightning in a bottle 

I can't let you go now that I got it

 All I need is to be struck by your electric love 

Baby, you're electric love, electric love

April & May Favorites 2016

It's that time of the month again! This time around I'll be featuring a list of things I enjoyed from April and May.  So here we go...

Lifestyle

Levi Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans

These are my new favorite jeans! Good bye ill-fitting muffin top inducing Old Navy jeans! I hadn't bought jeans in a while and the ones I had been wearing were so worn in they had holes. After a day at the mall unsuccessfully jean shopping the only thing that I liked were a pair of Levi's, but they were too expensive. My husband had also found a pair of Levi's he wanted (his favorite brand). So when we got home he check online to see if he could find some deals. At the time there were some good clearance deals and I got my hand on two pair of jeans. It was a little more then I would of liked to spend, but my husband assured me that the quality was much better. I love them! It's going to be hard to top these jeans.

Succulent Plant

I have always wanted a succulent plant, so when our local Whole Foods Market started stocking small succulents I had to have one. My husband actually got it for me for "Dog-Mom's Day" aka Mother's Day. I haven't killed it yet! I might have to get a few more when we move into our new apartment.

Books

I've been reading so much I haven't been able to keep up with writing my reviews. I promise I'll have more soon, but in the mean time here are a few of the books that I have loved from April and May.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Bring Me Back by Micalea Smeltzer (review)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hopeless & Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Electronics

Kindle Text-to-Speech

I love reading, but sometimes I can't put the book down even when I have other things to get done. I found the Text-to-Speech function on my Fire Table and I'm in love with the ability to read hands free. While this function is not as nice as listening to an audio book, the robotic voice is not bad to listen to. I typically use this function while working or after I have already read a book and I want to go back and re-read quickly. However, some books should be read in the tradition fashion to better feel all the feels!

Food & Beverage

Yuengling's Ice Cream

Favors: Back & Tan and Salted Caramel
This has been our latest ice cream obsession. My husband and I love ice cream and while we typically get his and her's pints we both love these two favors from Yuengling. It reminds us of getting soft serve from the local ice cream place back in Ohio. The Salted Caramel is my favorite and the Black & Tan is the best of both worlds with the added chocolate twist that my husband loves.

Reyka Vodka

This vodka is a small batch vodka which is hand crafted using lava rock filtration, arctic spring water & geo-thermal energy in Iceland. How awesome is that?! I also love the design of the bottle, because I'm a design nerd, and the vodka isn't bad either! This brand has become our go to when we visit the ABC store.

Entertainment

Reality TV Obsessions

It's the summer and most of our regular tv shows have taken a break for the summer. So what is there to watch? Reality TV! Here are some of our recent binge watches and guilty pressure shows:

• Hells Kitchen
  Who doesn't love when Gordon Ramsey yells at people?!
• Master Chef
• Top Chef
• Master Chef Jr.
  These kids are adorable!
• Shark Tank & Beyond the Tank
  There are some really cool business on this show.
• Pawn Stars
  Chumlee is halarious! 
• Hotel Hell
• Property Brothers
  Who doesn't love a good house hunting/reno show!?
• American Grit
  I just like listening to John Cena's voice. "... AND THIS IS AMERICAN GRIT"
• The Bachelor & The Bachelorette
  Because some of these people are crazies!
• The Millionaire Matchmaker
  Who doesn't want to watch people in awkward situations?!

The Real O'Neals

This show has become one of my new favorites. Honestly, I would watch Noah Galvin in anything! This show is about a wonderfully flawed and quirky family. I love how the drama isn't just centered around one issue, but each family member has their own issues and struggles that blends together to make an episode entertaining.





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What were some of your favorite things from the month of April and May? Let me know in the comment section below.

Book: Fearless For Love by Clara Stone [Quick Thoughts]

Fearless for Love by Clara Stone isn't my typical book pick, but I'm glad I gave it a go! If you're looking for a summer read that is action packed and romantic this one is for you.

Harrington Lovelly is a bad boy with a heart of gold while Jessica Owns is trying to escape her past and go after her dreams. They meet by chance and instantly form a connection. His sarcastic charm, mountainous ego and shameless flirting is just the right mix of comedic timing and sincerity. Jessica isn't above putting him in his place and the two together are a winning combination - equal parts bad ass and vulnerable.

 For me this book was more adult, dealing less with some of the adolescent insecurities that you might find in a story about two twenty-somethings finding love and dealing more with the vulnerabilities of giving yourself over to another person. The action in this story kept the pace going even when there were rough patching in their relationship -- this book is an easy read. I appreciated that while this is a romance and more "adult" the intimate scenes were not that focus of the novel. And, I had no idea this was part of a series so... yes, read as a stand alone if you wish!

 (I was given this book by the author, however the review is my own opinion.)

Book: Bring Me Back by Micalea Smeltzer

The Kindle Bookstore can be a confusing place! When I'm looking for my next book to read I often do a few things... search popular lists, new releases and categories I'm interested in... but often I'm mostly looking at the price. I've been reading a lot lately and I'm not exactly made of money. I've been burned in the past for picking cheap books that were just not good. So I always do my research without trying to read any spoilers. The book I'm about to tell you about was one of the good ones!

When I came across Being Me Back by Micalea Smeltzer I was already reading another book. I was instantly in love with the cover and the price was only .99 cents for a limited time. I read the blurb, checked the review ratings and read the first chapter. I decided to take a chance and spend the last .99 cents I had until payday -- I'm so glad I did!

There isn't a good way to describe the story without giving too much away so here's the blurb:

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR 
 I could have put the typical blurb here.
 Boy meets girl.
They fall in love.
Live happily ever after.
The end.
But this isn’t THAT story.

Are you scratching your head at this? Because I was... I was intrigued and I had to know what was beyond the stunning cover! You can probably surmises that while this is probably a love story it's not your typical love story and maybe even something goes wrong somewhere in the pages of this book. If you read the cover quote is says,'"An unforgettable love story that will give you tears for days". - Regina Bartley' and it's soooo true. Between these pages you will smile like a cheese ball, cry like a baby and snicker to yourself at the cute and funny moments.

The take away from this book is that love and kindness have healing powers! Simply put... this book is a special kind of love!

This book got to me in a why that others have yet to. I don't know if it was because of my age or the stage I am in life, but my heart broke while reading this book. I could relate to this character in one way or another. I cried like a baby! I'm 99.5% sure it didn't have anything to do with hormones, trust me it crossed my mind WHY AM I SO EMOTIONAL!? This book must just be that good. I've shed a tear here and there reading a book, but never full on cried. However, don't let that scary you away! After the sad tears there are tears of joy and this book does have a happy ending.

 *** Mild Spoilers Ahead ***

If the above wasn't enough to convince you to read this book, maybe you just need more details. So here it goes!

Blaire is in her 20's, owns her own business, has a great home, and is surrounded by loving friends and family. She has everything she could ever want... she's happy and planning for the future! Until she's not! She's in hell! Within a blink of an eye her world is turned upside down and she no longer feel the light of the sun. Her world is turned dark and she doesn't know how to push the clouds away -- maybe she doesn't want to.

Slowly she learns how to pull herself out of the darkness, but not without help. She meets someone that knows her pain and gives her the strength she need to find her way out of the darkness. Little by little the clouds part and Blaire becomes her old self again. It's not easy, but it's worth it in the end. Sometimes life takes unexpected turns, but the results can be just as good.

Some Favorite Quotes

"Sometimes you have to find the patience to wait for good things instead of seeking it out." 

"Happiness is the number one thing we should strive to have in life. Not money. Not house or expensive cars. Happiness is true wealth." 

"Finding a man that even in silence you're comfortable with. That's telling factor, B. If someone makes you nervous to the point that you have to chatter endlessly, then they're not the person for you. You need to be able to communicate without saying a word." 

"Dreams are liars. They show you what you want to see, what you hope for, and it's nothing but a lie." 

"His smile is so large and bright it rivals the sun. In fact, I think he might be the sun. My own personal sun, that is. He came into my life when it was in the darkest of places and immediately filled it with light. He hasn't healed me, but he's given me the strength to do it on my own." 

"When your nights seem endless, know that the sun will always shine again."

Song Dedication

I've made a few soundtracks for books I've read, but I really wanted to focus on the positive of this book. Just after finishing it I was in the car getting lunch when this song came on the radio and I thought, perfect! So here is my song dedication for Blaire and Ryder. Enjoy!

Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay

Note To The Author

I'm so glad you finally found the perfect way to write this book. 10 years is a long time to have a story bubbling in your brain pleading to be written! Thank you for making me cry! hahah

I don't know if it's because I've been reading a book series with multiple perspectives, but I would love to know Ryder's story! I love him just a much as Ben and I think his journey as a character could be just as powerful as Blaire's. 

I've heard you say this is a stand alone book, so I'm not getting my hopes up. It would just be amazing if we could also see inside Ryder's head. For now I'll just have to imaging what he's thinking. This book is so well written -- it's not hard to!


Have you read any books that made you cry? Will you read this book or have you? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!