Review: Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash

 

Title: Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: March 27th, 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Medium: Ebook; Received for Review Via Author

Where do I start? Forget Me Not is an amazing and creative twist in the world of fantasy. Descriptive, enchanting, and full of wonder, this novel is sure to take fans of fantasy by storm. It'll keep you reading for hours straight, keep you up all night flipping pages, always starving to read a little more.

Forget Me Not features a tenacious main character, a bad boy hero, and a bucket load of secrets.

Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother's favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they're no longer pretty pieces of jewelry - they're part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry's power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device - and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she's Enemy Number One.

She's forced to leave her father behind when she's taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends' lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt. -BarnesAndNoble.com

The plot was wonderful. It was clever and original, full of fantasy while yet still being believable. There was non stop action taking place in this novel. From page one to the very last word, there was action and drama, romance and friendship, and everything in between. You have many different plots intertwining in this novel, creating a complicated web of plot. You have Anamae's jewelry that is actually technology and the trouble it causes, the kidnapping of Anamae's father and the father-daughter bond there, and the introduction if several new friends, including a possible love interest.

The characters were outstanding in this novel. They were developed, deep, and interesting, and each one was unique and special in their only way. The father-daughter bond between Anamae's and her father is a real, deep relationship that tugs at your heart. Anamae's loyal friend Will and supportive bestie Lily are both friendships that very closely resemble real life relationships. There is depth there, yet also the light comedy that can only be exchanged between friends. This is represented perfectly in this novel. Then there is Jax...  Sexy, guarded, protective Jax. A character I definitely enjoyed reading about and loved getting to know. And Anamae... She was a delightful, strong, independent character who had a feisty side and was a joy to read from.

The writing was also wonderful. It was descriptive, flowing, and powerful. I really enjoyed it. Stacey Nash is very talented at what she does and has no problem at all switching between steamy romance to hardcore action. She throws in several different genres into one novel and writes them all in effortlessly. The dialogue was good, the plot was very nice, and the characters were well formed and unique. Very creative novel.

ARC Review: The Here And Now by Ann Brashares

Title: The Here And Now by Ann Brashares
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: April 8th, 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Medium: ARC Paperback, Received For Review

The Here And Now is a wonderful, imaginative fantasy story of time travel, romance, drama, and action. Addicting and mind-boggling, this novel is sure to keep readers flipping pages and even more sure to leave your mind overwhelmed with such unbelievable yet believable fantasy.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. -From Amazon.com

The plot is an amazing mix of several different genres, including fantasy, romance, drama, and action, focussing mainly on the theme of time travel. You are given an intricate plot that Is full of suspense and romance, centered around Prenna's character, a girl from the future who has traveled back in time to 2010, in order to correct mankind's mistakes and prevent the future destruction. This is a task shared between her and her community of time travelers, but she soon realizes it is up to her and her friend Ethan to ultimately save the world. Fast-paced and exciting, this novel is riveting and full of believable fantasy.

The characters in this novel were also very interesting. Both Prenna and Ethan are amazing intellectual characters full of depth and personality. Prenna's origin makes her vulnerable and shy at first, but after she is faced with the rough situations and forced into certain positions, she slowly develops into a strong leading character. Ethan started out and stayed a strong character throughout the entire novel. Both his protectiveness and his nerdy personality shine through, and make him very desirable. Together, they are a dynamic duo to be reckoned with as they venture to save the world from it's seemingly inevitable future.

Overall, this novel is a spectacular thrill ride from beginning to end. It's exciting, full of fantasy, and a wonderful novel to please your imagination. Also very romantic. My only issue I found with the novel was that Prenna and Ethan seemed to experience what I call "insta-love." It seemed like they hadn't been talking but for a few days, when they were rolling around in bed together. If the romance had been taken a little slower, giving the relationship time to mature, then I would have been alright with the "bed-rolling." Instead, the relationship felt forced and fake, and the romance felt way too fast-paced. Other than that, this novel was a delight to read, and I can't wait to experience a sequel or any other novels by the author!

ARC Review: Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens

Title: Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Febuary 25th, 2014
Genres: Drama, Romance
Medium: ARC Paperback Via Publisher

Faking Normal was an dramatic, itelligent, engrossing read that refused to let me go long after reading it. It was poignant and interesting, and definitely a novel I would recommend to of most everyone, since the subject of this novel is something so important to educate about especially this day in age.

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer by her backyard pool. Instead, she hides in her closet, counts the slats in the air vent, and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox—"the Kool-Aid Kid"—moves in with the Littrells after a family tragedy, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in this quiet, awkward boy who has secrets of his own. As their friendship grows, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her summon the courage to find her voice and speak up. -From Amazon.com

The plot of this novel was actually one of the most interesting plots I have read from lately. The plot was simple, yet so very detailed. It is very hard to describe. The plot is very simple, in the way that you have a normal and yet horrible occurance taking place, yet the characters and their emotional impact on each other, along with creative dialogue and small plot twists makes this novel intricate and emotional. It was set at a good, steady pace, with unexpected plot twists happening at every page, stirring up a cute love story between two broken people.

The characters were also very addicting. The relationships they create and the friendships they share are some of the most natural and realistic human relationships I have ever seen. This novel is completely realistic and believable. Alexi is a very relatable character who is going through problems that so many other girls are facing today. Although she has trouble admitting what happened, Bodee (another ferociously relatable and realistic character) slowly convinces and coaxes her into accepting and coming to terms with what really happened at a party over the summer. Through all of this, friendships, romances, and complicated drama blooms and keeps you turning pages. Wonderful simple dialogue, human relationships, and drama that resembles reality so good, it's like a real reading from a real life soap opera.

The writing was also spectacular. It was raw, emotional, and original. Stevens crafts a story with such 
authenticity, it's a wonderful breath of fresh air in the world of young adult literature. The writing is so emotional, from the dialogue to even the main character's thoughts, that the emotion is palpable by all readers. It was refreshing and heartrenching, yet uplifting and joyful at the same time. I cannot wait to see what else Courtney C. Stevens has in store for us.

Overall, this novel was an epic emotional tale of both redemption and real romance. The plot was riveting and dramatic, the characters were interesting and realistic, and the writing ties everything
together perfectly. This is a novel I would definitely recommend to readers of all genres, especially females of all ages. Wonderful.

Cover Reveal: Mending The Shroud by J.M. Bray!

The exciting sequel to Tearing the Shroud is coming July 1, 2014 and here's the cover! Once again Escape Publishing did an amazing job on the artwork and tying the two books together visually. JM is hard at work on the third book, so keep a lookout for it.

When you’ve learned to take possession in stride, love should be easy. Right? It might be if your life and the lives of people you loved weren’t threatened by an invasion of monsters.

Vincent thought saving the world once was a challenge, he didn’t figure on retribution putting a price on his head. It means college takes a back seat again as he’s possessed by Coleman to fight a new battle with the Kafla. But this time he’s not alone, Jule, the woman he loves is also is possessed.

Together they hope to stave off the invasion and take the fight to the Realm, where only a supreme sacrifice can Mend the Shroud and save their worlds.

About the Author

J.M. Bray lives in Southern California with his college sweetheart and their two dogs. After a lifetime together, they are happier than the moment they met. 
When not writing or working his "day job", he loves to cook, play the guitar, and travel with his wife. Every chance he gets, he races an old Porsche named "Tuffy" at tracks in the southwest.

 Buy book one, Tearing the Shroud 

Twitter: @jmbraybooks

Email: jmbray@jmbray.com

Website: www.jmbray.com

Blog: http://blog.jmbray.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JMBray.books

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jmbraybooks/

Stacking The Shelves: March (#10)

Stacking The Shelves is a monthly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where I showcase all the books I was gifted, bought, won, received for review, etc.

Received For Review:

Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly (Thanks Bauer Teen!)

Losing It All by Marsha Cornelius (Thank you Marsha!)

All That Is Red by Anna Caltibiano (Thanks Mrs. Mia Wong!)

Won:

Open Minds by Susan Keye Quinn

Lost Covenant by Ari Marmell (ARC!)

Wake world by Kerry Schafer

Bought:

The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore (signed!)

The Abc's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro (signed!)

Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lauren Henderson (signed!)

Bought:

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Making Waves by Katherine Applegate

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Hardcover!)

Precious by Sapphire

Won:

16 Bookmarks (7 signed!)

Won: 

5 postcards (2 signed!)

3 Signed Stickers

1 "The Last Echo" Bookmark

So overall, it was a great month for stacking the shelves! Except the fact that my shelves are getting so full, I may need a third one! In total, I received 15 physical novels (3 signed,) 6 ebooks, 16 bookmarks (7 signed,) 5 postcards (2 signed,) 3 signed stickers, and a bracelet. It was a greets haul! 

What did you get?