Review: Rescue Ink with Denise Flaim

Synopsis:

1,700 pounds of muscle, 80-plus tattoos, one unlikely mission... 

Abusers are losers! That's the rallying cry of Rescue Ink, the unique group of tattooed, muscle-bound motorcyclists who've banded together to rescue helpless, abandoned, and abused animals. Led by Joe Panz, Johnny O, and Big Ant, the guys act on tips from concerned citizens to find endangered animals and persuade the abuser (within the bounds of the law) to either change his hard-hearted ways or surrender the animal to them.

The inspirational story of these guys and their commitment to better animal care, Rescue Ink's combination of heartwarming stories and practical advice will charm everyone who loves animals.
Quick Review:

This is an excellent book full of short stories about how these tough guys from Rescue Ink in New York rescue and find homes home so many animals! I love what these guys stand for and what they do. They are truly an inspiration. I enjoyed the bits of humor thrown into the stories. This book had me laughing and crying. I loved it! Great read. I recommend it to anyone who has a passion for animals.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting!

Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

Synopsis:

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. 

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Quick Review:

What can I say about this book? I did enjoy it, but I had a hard time getting into it. I had to put it down quite a few times and pick up another book. That being said, once I got about a third of the way through it, I began to enjoy the story. Jane was a fun character to be with. I enjoyed her personality. This was an overall fun book. Just a little slow in the beginning.

Rating: 2.5/5

Swords are for fighting!

My Long Awaited Return

WOW!!! It has been a VERY long time since I have posted anything. I have been extremely busy with life, but I am back! I do not know how often I will be able to post, but I am going to try to post at least once a week. Sorry for being gone for so long.

Swords are for fighting!

Review: Night Star (Immortals #5) by Alyson Noel

Synopsis:
Haven still blames Ever for the death of her boyfriend Roman, no matter how hard Ever’s tried to convince her it was an accident. Now she’s determined to take Ever down…and destroy Damen and Jude along the way. Her first step is to tear Ever and Damen apart—and she has just the ammunition to do it. 

Hidden in one of Ever’s past lives is a terrible secret about Damen—a secret that illuminates new facts about her relationship with Jude, but that’s so dark and brutal it might be enough to drive her and Damen apart once and for all. As Ever faces her greatest fears about the guy she wants to spend eternity with, she’s thrust into a deadly clash with Haven that could destroy them all. 

Now it’ll take everything she’s got—and bring out powers she never knew she had—to face down her most formidable enemy. But in order to win, she must first ask herself: is her own survival worth dooming Haven to an eternity of darkness in the Shadowland? And will learning the truth about Damen’s past hold the key to their future?


Review (Spoilers galore):
Night Star is the fifth book in the Immortals series, and as much as wanted to like it I really did not. I found the book to be slow. I even put it down for months after I started to read it! For me, it was difficult to finish even after I took some time away from it and picked it up again. I am definitely ready for this series to end.

In this book, Ever encounters many problems. Her aunt, Sabine, does not trust her or believe her. Her former best friend has become Ever's evil enemy who is trying to kill her. She has changed so much from the beginning of the series. I definitely do not like her at all. Ever skips school...a lot. She also cannot decide if she wants to be with Damen or Jude.

Damen and Ever definitely have huge issues. Damen kept a "secret" from her about her past life, so Ever feels like she cannot trust him. I thought this whole fight was lame. It is not like she knew every detail from her past lives before, so I do not think Ever should be so upset with Damen. She needs time to remember all of her past lives and should not expect Damen to tell her everything about her past right away.

One good thing I can say about this book is that Ever rose above her weaknesses, and she changed for the better and grew up a little bit more. I found the one sentence paragraphs to be overdone. There were way too many of them that it became annoying.

It seems like too many new plot twists were added in this book that I do not know how all of the loose ends can be tied together in the final book. All I hope is that Ever and Damen find the antidote because that story line has been dragged out way too long for my liking.

Rating: 2.5/5

Swords are for fighting!

Eat Slay Love (Living with the Dead #3) by Jesse Petersen

Synopsis:
Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse. They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters until the unthinkable happened. A zombie bite. But not even that could stop them. Now, with a possible cure in hand, they're headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored "Wall." They're feeling pretty optimistic.

That is until Dave stops sleeping and starts lifting huge objects.

Eat. Slay. Love.Because they haven't got a prayer.'


Quick Review:
Eat Slay Love is a perfect addition to the Living with the Dead series. It picks up right where Flip This Zombie left off: Sarah and David making their way to the "Wall" that is rumored to be zombie free. There, they plan on somehow getting the cure into the right hands. Unfortunately, the "Wall" is more trouble than expected because the government may be behind the zombie apocalypse. (not a huge shocker) This little dystopian twist was definitely welcomed.

As always, Sarah and David are great characters. I love their witty banter and references. If you read this book (and series), you will definitely laugh a lot. David and Sarah have the kind of chemistry that I hope to find one day. If you like zombies, romance, and comedy, then you will definitely love this book!

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting!

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Synopsis:
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.


Review:
If I Stay is one of the most beautiful books I have read in such a long time. The story was absolutely amazing. I do not want to give much away. If you have not read this book, you must! I am so excited to read the sequel, Where She Went, when I can get my hands on it. This book is definitely powerful and will stay with me for a long time. I would describe it as an emotional story because it will have you laughing and crying.

As you can probably tell,  I absolutely loved this book! The story switches back and forth from Mia being in a sort of limbo in the present to events that have happened in her past. This is how she decides if she should stay or go. Forman's writing is a page turner. She has such a way with words that is so gorgeous. I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down and did not want it to end!

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting!

Review: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

Review:
Dark Parties was such a great read. I definitely enjoyed this dystopian book. The main character, Neva, was a breath of fresh air. I liked that she never gave up her individualism and beliefs. She did not like the way the government controlled people's lives, and she tried to do something about it. I loved her quiet, rebellious attitude. I enjoyed following her story.

The government was horrible (obviously). Controlling the lives of its citizens to the point where many people would just disappear like they never existed. In this world, a sixteen year old is considered an adult, and adults are expected to start their lives by being good citizens. Meaning they are expected to have sex to have babies. Neva notices that mostly girls are the ones to disappear. She keeps track of everyone she notices that goes missing in her secret journal. It was kind of shocking to discover what the government has done to them.

The romance in this book was definitely hot! Unfortunately, Neva's boyfriend, Ethan, has been pretty much brainwashed by the government. Before he was a carefree, rebellious teen, but he becomes a boy that only wants to start a family with Neva. I found it sad how crushed his spirit became.

Unfortunately for Neva, she discovers she has strong feelings for newcomer Braydon, her best friend, Sanna's, boyfriend. She cannot help the way she feels and neither can Braydon. I definitely liked Braydon, but I never completely trusted him. I still do not know what to think of him.

If you like dystopian books, I would definitely recommend reading Dark Parties. It is a quick read, and I enjoyed it. It has an interesting plot with many unexpected twists. I did not think it was predictable at all. There is plenty of action, and the ending was perfect in my opinion.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting!