Book Review: Elevated

About the Book

Title: Elevated

Author: Elana Johnson

Publication Date: February 14, 2014

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.
Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.
But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.

About the Author

Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, Abandon, and Regret, published by Simon

Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for free download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.

   

My Review of Elevated

Elevated is a beautifully tragic and emotional read with a refreshing original writing style. The story jumps between the present of the elevator and the past events leading up to the elevator. Slowly the door opens to the whole story of why Elly is pushing everyone away. Elly has been suffering under guilt and grief for months, and she cannot be with the one person who makes her feel like she can face anything. 

Elly is a very broken young woman whose guild and grief have been working together to shut her down to life and everything around her, and not allowing her to move on properly. While this is evident almost from the beginning, the true depths of Elly’s guilt and grief are not known until the very last few pages and the story completely unfolds. 

I really love the unique quick pace set by Elana’s writing in verse style. When I started Elevated I figured I was starting a story about the uncomfortable feeling of being trapped in an elevator with your ex, and having something to tell them you would rather they never know about. The story I actually got was beautiful, and heartbreaking but seriously a fabulous read. 

I think that this is a great read, but be warned you may want to keep a tissue handy, if you are a crier. I really love the beauty in the way Elana Johnson reveals the story and how as the puzzle pieces are revealed they fit together perfectly. I know I plan on reading more from Elana Johnson. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**

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The Hazards of a One Night Stand Release Day: Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

Welcome to The Hazards of a One Night Stand Book Blitz!  Today I have an excerpt, and a review for you plus there is also a giveaway so make sure to enter! Right now for release week, The Hazards of a One Night Stand is currently on sale for only $0.99, so make sure to grab it now!

About the Book

Title: The Hazards of a One Night Stand

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Series: Hazards #2

Publication Date: February 27, 2014

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

One small town boy, one girl who wants more, one roll in the hay...
Hooking up with your high school crush is a bad idea, a really bad idea. It was only supposed to be one night, one brief departure from my real life, but nothing ever works out exactly the way you plan.
Colton Waters was everything from my past that didn't fit into my present, so why did he have to show up at my college and pledge the one frat I couldn't avoid?
Because nothing is ever meant to happen just once. At least not the life changing things that mean the difference between falling apart and falling in love. 

About the Author

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and
a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.     

EXCERPT FROM THE HAZARDS OF A ONE NIGHT STAND

Colt wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. “No. I’d rather bother you.”

There was something kind of sexy about the motion, something more confident than his usual goofy flirting. His hand felt nice resting on my hip, so I let it stay. Was this really the same Colt? Since when did his touch have that kind of effect on me? “When did you get back to town?”

“About two hours ago.”

“You didn’t wait long to come out.” I took a big sip of the drink. It was starting to taste a lot better.

“I took time for a shower.”

“That was thoughtful of you.”

“Planning on getting close to me tonight?” He watched me intently.

“Maybe.” The flirtatious word flew out of my mouth without me realizing it. The alcohol and that smile of his was making me forget where I was. “Sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” He moved his hand, turning me and wrapping his other arm around me so my body was pressed against his.

“Colton…”

“Mallory…”

I laughed. “What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? You’re the one telling me you might be getting close to me tonight.” His hand slid down slightly, settling below my hip. His touch felt so good.

“Your birthday passed, right? You’re nineteen now?”

He laughed that deep, throaty laugh of his. “I’m going to take it as a good sign that you’re checking to make sure I’m old enough.”

“I’m not supposed to be into younger guys.”

“I’m three months younger than you. I can’t help that my parents held me back a grade.” He leaned back against an old oak tree, pulling me along with him. The motion had me leaning into his chest.

“You’ve gotten hotter.” I couldn’t believe I’d said the words out loud. I also couldn’t believe I was thinking about Colton that way again.

He laughed once more. “So have you, although I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”

I took another sip of my drink. “When did you get this cute?”

“Are you implying you haven’t been ready to jump me for the last five years?”

“I’ve never thought about it before tonight.” The words weren’t exactly true, but I hadn’t thought about it in a while.

“But you are thinking about it now?” He grinned, moving his hands even lower so they cradled my ass.

“Maybe.” His hands sent a thrill through me, reminding me of just how long it had been since a guy had touched me that way.

“That’s the second maybe you’ve given me. How am I supposed to make that into a yes?” He took the bottle from my hand and dropped it down on the ground next to his empty cup. The remaining liquid seeped out onto the dirt.

“I don’t know. It’s your job to figure that out.” I ran my now free hand down his chest. It was firmer and more muscular than I expected.

“My job, huh? I like the sound of that.” His lips tickled my ear. “I like the sound of anything involving you.” He took my hand and led me further into the grouping of trees. It wasn’t a dense forest or anything, but I knew he was looking for privacy. I didn’t object when he gently leaned me back into another tree.

I closed my eyes, ready to feel his lips and hands on my body. I was horrible at knowing what to do in those situations. I needed the guy to take control.

His lips brushed against mine as he rested his hand on my stomach. He slipped a few fingers underneath my shirt. “Am I earning a yes, or do I have more work to do?” he whispered with his lips right next to mine.

“You have more work.” I kept my eyes closed, taking in a breath as his hand moved further up my shirt.

My Review of The Hazards of a One Night Stand

The Hazards of a One Night Stand is another home run for author Alyssa Rose Ivy. Seriously, I do not know how she keeps doing it, but she sucks me into the story every time. The Hazards of a One Night Stand is the second book in the Hazards series, but it reads like a standalone book. A book that starts out with a one night stand in a hayloft with a boy named Colt, how could that not lead to an interesting story. I love Mallory’s story of coming into her own, and discovering that what your heart wants maybe more important that what other think of you. 

I love Mallory in The Hazards of a One Night Stand, she is stubborn and sarcastic, but deep down she just wants to be happy. After her “mistake” with Colton in the hayloft, Mallory is ready to move on and get back to enjoying college life. The problem is she tries it with Tanner. I do not know what it is about Tanner but he just rubbed me the wrong way every time he opened his mouth, but then again I just think that is Tanner’s personality. Sadly, nothing made me root for Colt more than Tanner’s own mouth. 

I have to say that even with the difficulty that Mallory and Colton had to face, I really loved their friendship and their relationship. It was just so much more than a quick hook up, and that history is what made me root for their relationship to work out. I have this huge soft spot for friends who grow up to fall for each other, because seriously friends know all your dirty secrets and still love you because or in spite of them. 

Alyssa Rose Ivy has had a talent for creating incredible romances with couples that complement each other’s personalities. She did it with her Crescent Chronicles, and even more so with each book in her Clayton Falls series, and now she is doing it yet again with her Hazards series. The Hazards of a One Night Stand is a marvelous read for diehard fans of Alyssa Rose Ivy, or those who have yet to get their feet wet in the Alyssa Rose Ivy obsession. Come on in the water is fine…

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**

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Donners of the Dead Blog Tour: Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf's stop on the Donners of the Dead Blog Tour!  Make sure to check out everything going on during this tour by clicking the banner above. 

About the Book

Title: Donners of the Dead

Author: Karina Halle

Publication Date: February 24, 2014

Genres: Adult, Horror, Romance, 

Amazon | Smashwords 

***A Standalone Horror Romance coming February 2014***
Jake McGraw was unlike anyone I’d ever known. He was brash, rude, unapologetic and arrogant; chauvinistic, close-minded, and terribly stubborn. He was built like a tree, tall with a hard chest and wide shoulders and hands that looked like they could wrestle a bear. He was a cigar-chomping, scruffy-faced, beast of a man. I was pretty sure I hated him. And I know he hated me. But among the flesh-eating monsters in these snow-capped mountains, he was the only thing keeping me alive
The year is 1851 and pioneers in search of California gold are still afraid to travel on the same route as the tragic Donner party did years before. When the last wagon train to go into the Sierra Nevada mountains fails to arrive at their destination, Eve Smith, an 18-year old half-native girl with immense tracking skills is brought along with the search party, headed by an enigmatic former Texas Ranger, Jake McGraw.
What they find deep in the dangerous snow-covered terrain is a terrifying consequence of cannibalism, giving new meaning to the term “monster.” While the search party is slowly picked off, one by one, Eve must learn to trust Jake, who harbors more than a few secrets of his own, in order to survive and prevent the monstrosities from reaching civilization.
***This is NOT New Adult***

About the Author

The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver,
Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).
Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.
   

10 Things I Wish I Knew About Being an Author I Did Not Know Before (in no particular order)

10. Your ass will double in size (so put down the computer and take a walk when you can)

9. You will always be working. Vacations don’t really exist. You’ll never turn off your brain, never run out of ideas. You’ll find writing painful and stressful at times but you’ll also find not writing to be painful and stressful as well.

8. You will have no social life except for book signings (and that’s okay with you because you’re a hermit at heart).

7. Your dream job is sometimes just a job. Just because it’s been your dream career doesn’t mean that it won’t make you want to cry and hate your life at times. It’s wonderful but it is still WORK.

6. You will at first be crushed by criticism. Then after a few years, you will learn to handle it a lot better and think nothing can hurt you. Then something (or someone) usually does. It’s normal to go between being strong and being sensitive on a daily basis.

5. You will encounter a lot of selfish, idiotic, insensitive, greedy people in the industry. Be careful with those you trust. Be nice but don’t get taken advantage of either. Ignore the haters.

4. The more successful you get, the more successful you will want to be. This creates a cycle of always trying to best yourself. It’s better if you try and appreciate how far you’ve gotten even when you’re reaching for bigger goals.

3. Despite all the asshats you’ll meet, you’ll also make the most loyal, wonderful friends in the world.

2. There are no guarantees. You might fluke out and become a bestseller on one book, you may sell a handful of copies on your next. You can’t predict anything, you can only hope. 

1. You’ll soon realize there’s no other job out there for you. This is it, so practice your craft, work hard and plan for the long haul. 

My Review of Donners of the Dead 

Donners of the Dead is an intense, terrifying read by the exceptionally talented master of getting the adrenaline pumping, Karina Halle. I made the mistake of curling up with Donners of the Dead late at night right before trying to go to sleep, let’s just say that I did not get much sleep that night. The ways the scenes unfold make Donners of the Dead much more terrifying than your average zombie novel. Maybe it is the reality behind the situation, which the people of the Donner Party may have actually resorted to cannibalism to stay alive, and this story follows that same path just a few years later. It is more likely Karina Halle’s talent for writing a scary scene and making it feel so real. 

Set in a time where everything from her heritage, to the fact that she was female worked against Eve, she still manages to be a headstrong, even outspoken at times young woman. I have to say I like her sass, and her will to fight even when most would have given up. As for Jake McGraw, he has some very rough almost sharp edges, but I liked watching him slowly change and those edges dull a bit as Eve grew on him. Being faced with your possible demise has a way of breaking down walls, unlike any other. 

I really like some of the historical feeling to the novel, and even thought this is a fictional novel, it has a realistic historical quality to it. I think this adds to the atmosphere of the novel, and the darkness of the material. The whole setting being on the same trail as the ill-fated Donner Party adds in its own tragic darkness to the whole story. Karina Halle really did go all out on Donners of the Dead, and it shows in the intensity of the novel, and the atmosphere of the story. 

Whether you are a fan of Karina Halle or just looking for a good scare, Donners of the Dead is a must read (with the lights on of course preferably in the middle of the day). If you loved being scared in her Experiment in Terror series, get ready for a completely new level of terrified. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**

Open to US and Canada

(All to 1 winner): Signed paperbacks of Donners of the Dead, The Devil's Metal and The Devil's Reprise plus a tote bag AND a one-page handwritten story about the winner in a fight with a zombie!

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Cover Reveal: One Broke Girl

One Broke Girl by Rhonda Helms
Edgewood Falls #1

Expected Publication: April 2014
 Cover Design by Okay Creations
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Anna Parker’s life disintegrates with one phone call. Her dad’s selling their ritzy New York City condo because her Wall Street banker mom emptied their bank account and ran off with another man. Which means Anna has to drop out of her elite college and move with Dad back to their small Ohio hometown. Anna’s determined to reclaim her life ASAP, so she’ll use the next few months to save money, help Dad get back on his feet, and find and confront her mom.

But Anna doesn’t anticipate things going so wrong. The only job she can get is working as a lunch lady in an elementary school. Their money-pit duplex is falling apart around their feet. And her dad is depressed without her mom, who’s proving hard to find.

One bright spot in the chaos is Gavin Metcalf, a kindergarten teacher she dated when they were young teens. With his easy wit and sexy smiles, he makes her forget her stresses—and the fact that her boyfriend Steven back in New York doesn’t know the truth yet about her dire circumstances. When past and present collide, Anna has to decide where her future lies…

 About the Author

Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's
degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) and freelance edits.
When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.
Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family.

   

I want to hear what you think!

Let me know in the comments

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Waiting on Wednesday: Darkbound

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Title: Darkbound

Author: Scott Tracey

Series: The Legacy of Moonset #2

Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: April 8, 2014

Malcolm has seven days to unravel a twenty year old mystery, find a body, capture a killer and keep a demon at arm's length.
No one hates being a witch quite like Malcolm. But if there's one thing worse than being a witch, it's being a Moonset witch. There are very few things in his life that he can control, and after a fight with his siblings, he's losing his grip on what he's got left.
A creature as old as Hamelin has crept out of the Abyss, and its siren song has infected the teenagers of Carrow Mill compelling them, at first, to simply be swept away in love. But love soon turns dangerous, as passion turns to violence and an army of sociopaths is born.
The Pied Piper isn't just a story, and he's got his eyes set on Malcolm, promising a life of freedom from magic and the shackles of the Moonset bond. As Carrow Mill burns, Malcolm must make the hardest choice of his life: family? Or freedom?

Why am I waiting?
I loved everything about Moonset, and I have been very impatiently waiting for Darkbound to release. Now I only have a few more weeks until it releases! I am have to know what is going to happen to the Moonset Coven and what does Malcolm decided!

What are you waiting on?

Make sure to let me know in the comments

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White Hot Kiss Release Day Launch: Excerpt and Giveaway

Unabridged Bookshelf is excited to participate in the Release Day Launch for Jennifer Armentrout's WHITE HOT KISS!

About the Book

Title: White Hot Kiss

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series:The Dark Elements #1

Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

One kiss could be the last.
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

About the Author

 # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West
Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
    Also check out The Dark Elements Website!

EXCERPT FROM WHITE HOT KISS

“I don’t think of Zayne that way!” 

She laughed. “What man-parts-loving female in this world doesn’t think of Zayne that

way? I can barely keep myself breathing when I see him. All the guys in school have squishy

waists. I can tell Zayne doesn’t. He’s the awesome sauce with extra sauce.”

That he was and he so didn’t have a squishy waist, but I tuned Stacey out at that point. I

really did need to cram for this test and I also didn’t want my fantasies involving Zayne to

occupy my mind right now. Especially after I’d woken up this morning, carefully tucked under

the covers. The bed had smelled like him: sandalwood and crisp linen. 

“Oh, sweet baby Jesus in a manger,” Stacey murmured.

I clenched my jaw, cupping my hands over my ears.

She jabbed me in the side with her elbow. At this rate I’d be covered in bruises before

lunchtime. “Our bio class just got a billion times more interesting. And hotter, lots and lots

hotter. Holy mother, I want to have his babies. Not now of course, but definitely later. But I’d

like to start practicing soon.”

The cell wall is a thick and rigid layer covering the plasma something, something plant

cells… 

Stacey stiffened all of a sudden. “Oh my God, he’s coming—”

              Composed of fat and sugar—

Something slender and shiny fell from who knew where, landing in the middle of Sam’s

notes. Blinking tightly, it took me a couple of seconds to recognize the faded and half peeled

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sticker covering the back of the silver cell phone.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Gripping the edges of the notebook, I slowly lifted

my gaze. Unnaturally beautiful golden eyes met mine.  

“You forgot this last night.”

Harlequin Teen is giving away a large Harlequin Teen Tote. 

International Giveaway

Tote Includes:

·        Harlequin TEEN branded tote

·        The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (trade)

·        Pawn by Aimee Carter (hard cover)

·        Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (hard cover)

·        Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter (hard cover)

·        2 copies of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

·        1 pair of black harlequin branded socks (they are so comfy!)

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Cover Reveal: Desire

Desire by P.T. Michelle
Brightest Kind of Darkness #4

Expected Publication: April 1, 2014

Now that Nara and Ethan are working together to uncover the Corvus’ secrets, they’re confident nothing can stop them.

But while they’ve learned to anticipate dark, outside forces gunning for them, neither is prepared for the insidious evil that slithers its way into their lives, nor the new challenges that surface so close to home.

Despite all the chaos and turmoil around them, the one constant they can depend on is their devotion and loyalty to each other. But as their relationship moves into deeper territory, sometimes the toughest battles are the ones waged within.

While the hunt for answers unravels more layers in the Corvus world, Ethan and Nara uncover new truths about themselves and their intricate connection to the powerful raven spirit.

When boundaries are suddenly redrawn and control shifts, Ethan and Nara will be forced to make choices that could bring them closer together or rip them apart forever.

Books in this series:

(covers linked to Goodreads)

   

 About the Author

P.T. Michelle is the young adult and new adult pseudonym of Patrice Michelle, author of fifteen romance novels and novellas. When P.T. isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or odd in nature.

    

I want to hear what you think!

Let me know in the comments

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