College Boys (Men of Holsum College, #1) by Daisy Harris

Title; College Boys
Author; Daisy Harris
Series; Men of Holsum College, book one
Source; NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
Format; Mobi/Kindle
Publisher; Siren-bookstrand
Publication Date; April 9th 2012
Description; When soccer star Chris Fischer moves next door to an openly gay classmate, he doesn't realize the wall between their rooms will be so thin he'll hear his neighbor's every move. But soon he and Peter become friends, and Chris is intrigued—imagining what happens on the other side of the wall.

Active on the Queer Student Council, Peter Cohen wishes he wasn't so damn hot for his straight neighbor. He can't tell if Chris is flirting or in denial or what, but Chris's innocent overtures lure Peter into flirtation that throws his world into chaos. Peter doesn't want to date a closet case, but he desperately, passionately wants Chris.

Soon Chris must choose whether to run away from his new feelings or embrace a relationship with the guy he loves. And Peter must decide if he can give his heart to a guy who hasn't yet figured it all out.

My Rating; 3.5*s

My Review; College Boys was an enjoyable read for me, but I just felt like something was missing. Lack of a background...maybe. Or maybe I would have liked to explore emotions a little more.

I don't think I could connect with the writing that well.

I would recommend this book to those who like m/m fiction. I will also be reading the rest of the series...at some point. I'm just not so excited and in a rush about it as I have been with other books recently, you know?

I liked the main characters. I liked their story, though there was a little bit in the lack of romance for me. Maybe that's why I didn't connect with it so well.
It was more sex than actual relationship stuff. Whilst that was enjoyable, I like a bit of romance with my sex in books.

I wonder what the rest of the series will bring me.

Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1) by Simone Elkeles

Title; Wild Cards
Author; Simone Elkeles
Series; Wild Cards, book one
Source; NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Format; Kindle/Mobi
Publisher; Walker Books for Young Readers
Publication Date; 1st Oct 2013
Description; After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

My Rating; 5*s

My Review; There are certain kinds of romance that I am sucker for. Love/Hate, or I love you but I'm going to act like I hate you, is one of those kinds, but that isn't the only reason I loved this book.

Simone Elkeles has the ability to make me feel like a giddy preteen girl all over again. There is just something about the romances she writes, because I felt the same when reading the Perfect Chemistry series.

Maybe it's the characters. Not only with the chemistry the all seem to have. But, the characters she writes. Sometimes they're characters I would find myself disliking if anybody else had written them, but somehow I always find myself attached and draw to her characters.

I loved the characters in this book. They made me feel as if I should maybe add a "cry rating" to my reviews. Because oh, look, it's another book that made Claire cry. Though most of my tears were happy tears. Most.

(Gosh, I can be such a sapp.)

This book was sweet and addictive. I stayed up for two nights, gone 5AM, just to read it.

Great characters, great first book in a series. Do I recommend it? Yes.

If you have loved other Simone Elkeles books you will probably love this one.
If you are a fan of romance books and you haven't picked up a Simone Elkeles book yet, you should.

The Devil's Reprise (Devil's, #2) by Karina Halle (Review)

Title; The Devil's Reprise
Author; Karina Halle
Series; Devil's, book two. (Final Book)
Source; NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
Format; Mobi/Kindle
Publisher; Diversion Books
Publication Date; Oct 29th 2013
Description; Given a second chance, music journalist Dawn Emerson and guitarist Sage Knightly are reunited, only to have their lives threatened again by a demonic bargain. The sequel to THE DEVIL’S METAL, from USA Today bestselling author Karina Halle.

When Dawn Emerson got the chance to go on tour with her favorite metal band, Hybrid, she thought she landed the writing gig of the century. But what started off as a dream for the budding music journalist quickly turned into a nightmare that she and guitarist Sage Knightly barely escaped alive.

Now, months after they went their separate ways, Sage invites Dawn to accompany him on his first solo tour across Europe and write about it for Creem Magazine. But like the last tour, nothing is as easy as it seems. Sage is a broken man on the path to self-destruction and Dawn isn’t sure if she’s the right person to save him. And aside from having to pick up the pieces of their burgeoning relationship, they have to negotiate the mysterious new photographer assigned to Dawn’s story, as well as vindictive promoters and demonic groupies they thought they’d never see again.

Because this time, it’s Dawn who made a deal with the devil and the only thing worse than having to uphold a bargain with the prince of darkness is not remembering how you’re supposed to pay it back.

It may be with their souls.

THE DEVIL’S REPRISE is the sequel to THE DEVIL’S METAL and the final book in this series.

My Rating; 5*s. (Can I give it more?)

My Review; Holy hell in a handbasket... The tears? They're real. I just had my heart ripped out, stomped on, torn to pieces and I loved it. Geez.

I suppose my heart also beat with joy at times and that makes up for it too. Though there was the fright as well.

From the very first page I had been highlighting quotes in this book. I just...there is so much I loved about it.

Why are all the best books the ones that rip your heart out?

As I have mentioned many times before and I will mention again and again and again until I am blue in the face, Karina Halle is one of my favourite authors. Books like this are the reason why.
Characters like Dawn, Jacob, Sage, they're the reason why.

Books with demons in, ghosts and all sorts of other supernatural things that are somehow believable. With believable characters. These are the reason that, no matter what the books are about, I will keep on reading Karina Halle books.

Do I recommend this series? Hell yes I do.
It had a great first book and it finished strong. It has the best ending possible for this series, in my opinion. I also have no questions. I like everything just the way it was. Which is rare, especially for a series.

Any fiction book that can effect me enough to make me cry, to almost make me sob, is worth a recommendation in my eyes. What is a book if it makes you feel nothing?

Besides, who doesn't love a good book about music? Especially rock music?

If I had to pick an author that I loved the most this year (and I've read a lot of books this year, and loved a lot of them,) I think I would have to pick Karina Halle. My author of 2013.

A Duchess in the Dark (By Invitation Only, #1) by Kate McKinley

Title; A Duchess in the Dark
Author; Kate McKinley
Series; By Invitation Only, Book One
Source; NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Format; eBook
Publisher; Forever Yours
Publication Date; 3rd Dec 2013
Description; When a well-bred young lady opens the wrong bedroom door at a Regency house party, she has no idea of the sensual delights that await her on the other side…

Miss Daphne Hayward is on the hunt for a safe, honorable husband and she has set her sights on the perfect target. He’s kind, titled, and miraculously single. She plans a full-scale seduction that will bring him to his knees, begging for her hand in marriage. But when she mistakenly climbs into another man’s bed, sparks ignite, threatening to send all her plans up in smoke.

Ashton Fitzgerald, Earl of Claymore, is surprised by the powerful desire that surges through him when he sees Daphne for the first time. So when he unveils her as his mysterious midnight visitor, he is determined to make her his…forever.

My Rating; 4.5*s

My Review; I loved this novella. It was great, but I really felt that it could have been longer. The main characters had such great chemistry and I would have liked to have gotten to know most of the other characters better too.

Other than the length I really enjoyed this story. It was just a light, quick read. Which was something that I really needed lately.

I would recommend this novella. I'd also read more by this author.

A Poll....

Okay, so, as some of you may know, I am behind on my reviews. Like, way behind. I'm even half way through some of the books I'm supposed to review but haven't got around to! It's terrible. And still I keep reading other books. So, I'm putting a stop to that.

Below there is a poll. Thirty of the books I have to read and review. Random ones.
Currently I am reading The Devil's Reprise by Karina Halle, depending on how long that takes me I will either read another book to review and leave the poll for a little longer or I will read the book that gets the most votes on the poll. Even if there is only one vote.
I do not care if you are going to read the review, or even if you've read the book yourself. I don't care if you pick a title randomly, I just hope that you please pick one and vote. It would make my life much easier. And if I get a lot of votes on books I may even pick up the second most voted once I finish or DNF the first.

You can vote daily.


What Should I Read and Review Next?

What Should I Read and Review Next?
	The Accidental Call Girl by Portia Da Costa
	A Bad Boy is Good to Find by Jennifer Lewis
	Beyond Eden by Kele Moon
	Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich
	College Boys by Daisy Harris
	Come Undone by Madelynne Ellis
	Confessions of a Greedy Girl by Madelynne Ellis
	Feather Light by Lorenz Font
	Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
	Geek Girl by Holly Smale
	Heavy Metal Heart by Nicole Rosso
	Hollywood Lies by N.K. Smith
	Hustlin' Texas by K.C. Klein
	Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil
	The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
	OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
	Own the Wind by Kristen Ashley (I'm 24% through already, but I started it then left it for a while.)
	Pawn by Aimee Carter
	Promises in Every Star by Todd Gregory
	A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
	The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant
	School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
	Slow Surrender by Cecilia Tan
	Solace in Scandal by Kimberly Dean
	Soul Stripper by Katana Collins
	Teardrop by Lauren Kate
	This Girl by Colleen Hoover
	Thrill Seekers by Various
	Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman
	Training Their Mate by Vella Day
pollcode.com free polls

The Devil's Metal (Devils, #1) by Karina Halle

Title; The Devil's Metal
Author; Karina Halle
Series; Devils, Book One
Source; NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
Format; Kindle Edition
Publisher; Diversion
Publication Date; Sept 21st 2012
Description; It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid.

At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.

And Dawn has a backstage pass.

***

The Devil's Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author's exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.

Rating; 5*s


My Review; What can you expect from this book? Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll in the '70s. Oh, and don't forget the demons.

Karina Halle has done it again. This is the third series of her I have picked up this year and loved. She has easily become an auto-buy-author for me.

I love almost every character that she writes. I love what she writes about. I've even recommended books to friends, which is something I rarely do considering they don't read as much as I do.

The Devil's Metal is set in the '70s, a great decade for rock. Also a great decade for the phrase far-out, which, by the way, I'm probably going to start saying now. Not because I particularly want to, but because the words are in my head.

This book made me smile, laugh, it broke my heart a little, freaked me out a little.

This is me when I read Karina Halle books, just replace face with heart.

Dawn is such an awesome character. She doesn't back down from what she wants. She's had some pretty bad shit happen in her life, but she fights on. I like that in a character.

I'd definitely like to get to know some more of the characters in the next book. Other characters as well. Not just Sage and Dawn, though they are both awesome characters. And it is their story.

This book kept me up reading, which turned out to be bad when I needed to pee as I got a little freaked out.

I just want to gush over how amazing this book was.

I am just so curious and excited about the sequel, well, and scared.

The music is good. The story is good. The writing is good. The characters are good. The demons are freaky. This book as a whole is awesome and I definitely recommend it to you. If you haven't picked up a Karina Halle book yet, then you should. Trust me.
Every single Karina Halle book I have read so far has gotten 5*s. Even when I'm going through a reading slump. It really is no wonder she's one of my favourite author's.
(I also love that she isn't afraid to use the word cunt in her books, but that's just me.)