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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

#TheWinnersTrilogy Read-Along + Giveaway: The Winner's Crime FINAL week!


READ-ALONG SCHEDULE


The Winner's Crime Read-Along
March 10th - Chapters 1 - 10 (Catch up HERE)
March 17th - Chapters 11 - 20 (Catch up HERE)
March 24th - Chapters 21 - 34 (Catch up HERE)
March 31st - Chapters 35 - 46!!

Make sure to follow the HASHTAG #TheWinnersTrilogy on twitter! For more info on the Read-A-Long, check it out *HERE*!




Chapters 35-46: My *SPOILER-FREE* Thoughts...
We're in the home stretch of the book, and the final weekly installment of this read-along! 

"Clear the bets, clear the table. Walk away from the game."

Sometimes, the smartest player is the one who knows when to walk away. But with the greatest risk, come the greatest rewards, or the greatest loss. What choice will Kestral make?

These final chapters are heart-pounding, and heart-breaking. At a rapid pace, everything that the novel has been reaching towards and hinting at come to fruition. But where it ultimately takes you will surprise you and leave you grappling for more.

This sophomore novel of the trilogy did not disappoint and book three won't come soon enough!



ABOUT THE BOOKS



As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him'with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.





Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.


GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win SIGNED copies of both books of the series!



Now, go check out the thoughts of my FABULOUS fellow bloggers!



all the best, dear readers!
 
at 1 comment:

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

#TheWinnersTrilogy Read-Along + Giveaway: The Winner's Crime Week Three


READ-ALONG SCHEDULE


The Winner's Crime Read-Along
March 10th - Chapters 1 - 10 (Catch up HERE)
March 17th - Chapters 11 - 20 (Catch up HERE)
March 24th - Chapters 21 - 34
March 31st - Chapters 34 - 46

 Make sure to follow the HASHTAG #TheWinnersTrilogy on twitter! For more info on the Read-A-Long, check it out *HERE*!




Chapters 21-34: My *SPOILER-FREE* Thoughts...

"It had begun with her. He could swear that she was the start of it all."

Hello, dear readers. Our travels through the twisty-turny maze of The Winner's Crime continue with our heroine, Kestral, at the center of it all. Her decisions are causing some grave ramifications, as decisions in these types of novels often do. And the gravest ramification of all? Finally driving a seemingly insurmountable wedge between her and Arin.

They part, each taking actions to secure a future for their people that they think is right. This is a not a love-sick romance. These characters each have strengths of their own that carry them forward. (However, I admit, I'm missing some of that kissing time. Alas, now is not the time, but I'm hoping for some pay off in the near future. PLEASE Ms. Rutkoski. Please.)

"There was dishonor, she decided, in accepting someone else's idea of honor without question."

There's a time while growing up when you begin to question everything that you know, what you've been taught, what you've been told. And that is an important turning point to knowing and being true to yourself. We see this pivotal moment coming into focus...

But is it too late?




ABOUT THE BOOKS



As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him'with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.





Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.


GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win SIGNED copies of both books of the series!



Now, go check out the thoughts of my FABULOUS fellow bloggers!



all the best, dear readers!
 
at 4 comments:

Thursday, March 19, 2015

*BLOG TOUR* CONFESS by Colleen Hoover - Review + Giveaway! #ConfessYourTruth




Confess by Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is keeping some major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…





And now for my review:
*Spoiler-Free* REVIEW: Confess by Colleen Hoover
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015

*DISCLOSURE: ARC was provided in exchange for a fair and honest review


Review:
Confession: I cried within 5 minutes of starting Confess. That HAS to be a Colleen Hoover record.

Confession: I stopped over a dozen times to reread that last sentence just to savor the words. Then I went back to read them aloud to myself so that I could savor them on my tongue.

Confession: I fell in love multiple times within this book and when I turned the last page, I didn't want to read anything else because I knew I wouldn't experience that same kind of love for a while.

Reading a Colleen Hoover novel has become a visceral experience for me. First, with Maybe Someday where the music was woven into the fabric of the story, and now with Confess, where the art is not only described, but can be seen and it can be felt. Artist Danny O'Connor captured the essence of Colleen's words and characters so beautifully, I find it necessary to tell you to go out and buy this book in paperback. Seeing them printed is truly worth the price.

Auburn and Owen's story, both individually and together, is beautiful. It's also heartbreaking, it's tumultuous, it's frustrating, and it rings true. Colleen is a master at taking very flawed characters that you might not really like, and show you why they are deserving of your love.

All that being said, I have to admit, this was not my favorite of all of Colleen's novels. But, this is like comparing your pets (maybe even your children). I love them all, but some just strike a deeper chord with me. This novel did feel a bit short to me. I felt like there was so much more of their happily ever after that I wanted to see after enduring their hard fought battle for it. Ultimately though, this is just a longing of mine. The novel ended well and it left me with a perma-smile on my face. It also left me with no desire to pick up another book for a while so that I could just contemplate what I just experienced. Colleen Hoover engages her readers on every level, grabbing you at the very beginning and not letting you go until the very end.

Colleen gives new meaning to the phrase O.M.G.

A delighted, enraptured five stars!

Rating:






About the Author:
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com.




Where to purchase & learn more:



 


Well, don't just sit there! Those links up there are SO Convenient! *wink*


To enter to win a SIGNED Framed print of one of the images in the book, plus a SIGNED copy of CONFESS, or one of four runner up prizes of a SIGNED copy of CONFESS, Visit Atria's Tumblr page from 3/9 to 3/22!



all the best, dear readers!


at 3 comments:

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

#TheWinnersTrilogy Read-Along + Giveaway: The Winner's Crime Week Two


READ-ALONG SCHEDULE


The Winner's Crime Read-Along
March 10th - Chapters 1 - 10 (Catch up HERE)
March 17th - Chapters 11 - 20
March 24th - Chapters 21 - 34
March 31st - Chapters 34 - 46

 Make sure to follow the HASHTAG #TheWinnersTrilogy on twitter! For more info on the Read-A-Long, check it out *HERE*!




Chapters 11-20: My *SPOILER-FREE* Thoughts...

"A game against Kestrel with nothing at stake? Never."

What happens when stubborn characters make decisions to do what's best for the ones they love? Nothing good, that's for sure. Drama, is another good response. The phrase, "No good deed goes unpunished" also comes to mind.

These next few chapters are like standing on a razor thin ledge where on one side is a garden of dreams and fulfilled promises, and on the other, a rocky cliff that drops into the tumultuous sea. Which side will we end up on?

The stakes are increasing exponentially for all the players as we become more deeply entrenched into the life at the imperial palace. And with greater stakes, come greater risks. So many times I found myself shouting at these characters to STOP! DON'T DO THAT! NOO NOOOO NOOOO....WHYYYYY?!?!?

As we teeter back and forth on that ledge, hanging towards the cliff, there's that moment. THAT BEAUTIFUL MOMENT where you're hanging over that garden of dreams, where you think "YES, jump, land."

"The world went luscious, and slow, and still."

But then, the consequences of those risks rear up and remind you that that happiness needs to be hard won.

*SIGH* more to come next week....




ABOUT THE BOOKS



As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him'with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.





Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.


GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win SIGNED copies of both books of the series!



Now, go check out the thoughts of my FABULOUS fellow bloggers!



all the best, dear readers!
 
at 1 comment:

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

#TheWinnersTrilogy Read-Along + Giveaway: The Winner's Crime Week One


READ-ALONG SCHEDULE


The Winner's Crime Read-Along
March 10th - Chapters 1 - 10 
March 17th - Chapters 11 - 20
March 24th - Chapters 21 - 34
March 31st - Chapters 34 - 46

 Make sure to follow the HASHTAG #TheWinnersTrilogy on twitter! For more info on the Read-A-Long, check it out *HERE*!




Chapters 1-10: My *SPOILER-FREE* Thoughts...

When we last saw our heroine, Kestral, she had just made a huge sacrifice, a huge decision in a battle between her duty to her people, to her family and friends, and to herself.

As The Winner's Crime opens, we reunite with Kestral as she juggles all the players trying to move the chess pieces of her life. There is the emperor, who wants her to be the leader his son is not. There is her fiance, who wants nothing to do with her and this arrangement. Her absent father, who she just wants to be there with her. And then there is Arin, who wants what she cannot give.

The story switches back and forth between Kestral and Arin's point of view. This insight into both perspectives certainly ramped up the tension as I was left frustrated by the two, circling around each other, yet not on the same track. And when their paths FINALLY collide? This is when her juggling act begins to falter. The fiery chemistry between the two remind us of both Kestral's strength, and also the fuel that drives this series.

I can't wait to see what the next chapters have in store!




ABOUT THE BOOKS



As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him'with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.





Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.


GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win SIGNED copies of both books of the series!




all the best, dear readers!
 
at 2 comments: