The Book of Ivy Review

The Book of Ivy

By Amy Engel

Review

Summary:

What would you kill for?After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.This year, it is my turn.My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president's son--my soon-to-be husband--and return the Westfall family to power.But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he's not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

• Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
• Publication date: 11/11/2014

My Honest Review:

I have been trying to find the best way to put this book into words. It's very hard for me right now. This book is truly AMAZING!!! I am speechless to write my feelings for this book. It was just so, so good. Finishing this book was just so amazing. I instantly want to read the next book which comes out in November. I cannot wait for that book. To see what happens next. 

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book. I haven't heard much hype on this book. So I didn't really read the synosis but it was better that way. I knew it was based in the future, which I personally love stories like that. 

The cover is just so gorgeous. The raised letters on the word Ivy. Ivy with the knife in the background is just so, so beautiful. 

The Character's of Bishop and Ivy I just fell in love with both of them instantly. This is just a complete swoon-worthy story of these 2 characters.

Amazing Debut Novel, I just LOVE it so much! I cannot wait for the second book to come out to see what happens next. Please pick this book up and read it. Its just truly AMAZING!!!!

QUOTES:

“He blows out a breath, takes a step toward me. The hallway is so narrow that I’m pinned between the wall and his body, heat rolling off him in waves. “Yeah,” he says, voice low. “I feel things.” His green eyes burn. It’s the most emotion I’ve seen from him so far, and I have trouble taking a full breath, my lungs compressed with tension. “That’s the whole point, Ivy. I want you to feel them, too.” 

“That night we played truth or dare. You said that after a while you stopped trying to earn your mother's affection." I pause. "Why didn't you give up with me, too?"
"You know why," he says quietly. I close my eyes. I do know, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to hear it. But some part of me must be, because I wouldn't have asked the question otherwise, not of Bishop, the boy who never chooses to say something easy just because the truth is hard. Maybe I want to hear it so that i will know, once and for all, that there is no going back.
"Because I'm in love with you, Ivy," he whispers. "Giving up on you isn't an option." He lifts my hair away from the back of my neck and kisses the delicate skin there.
My breath shudders out of me. The silence spirals into the dark room, and maybe it was foolish to ask the question, but I'm not sorry. I uncurl his hand and kiss his palm, his skin cool and dry. I place his hand over my heart, cover it with my own.
We fall asleep that way. His lips on my neck. My heart in his hand.” 

“Maybe I’ll be okay. Maybe I’ll make it to the ocean.” 

Library Haul

Library Book Haul

I go to the library alot. My kids love the library, so I go with them. I have so many books I need to read on my shelf. But when I go to the library I just can't help myself. So I have 3 books that I am going to read. I have a huge tbr and these books were already on my goodreads list. So I am not really adding more to that list. Here are the 3 books I got from the library. 

The Book of Ivy- I have already started this. I am 50ish pages in. I really like it. Its different than what i am use to. 

 

Summary: After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 

This year, it is my turn. 
My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 
But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.
Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

I love books like the next one. Where she has amnesia or something similar to it. 

Summary: She Has Everything She Ever Wanted. But Not Her Memory...When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. When she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life.Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.What happened to her? Remembering the truth could be more dangerous than she knows...

I read The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney, That's why I picked up the next one. So I wanted to read more of hers.


Summary:

In a busy school cafeteria, a teenage girl is confronted by a classmate who questions her identity. He explains to the students who have crowded around that the girl bears an uncanny resemblance to his cousin, who was taken away by social services five years ago. Her parents abandoned her, fleeing the country after being accused of embezzling millions of dollars. The students are intrigued, but the girl shrugs off the attention as a case of mistaken identity.As the days pass, however, the boy refuses to relent and even brings his parents in to back him up. But they are not the only adults involved. An FBI agent who has been working the case these past five years believes that whoever this girl is, she can serve as bait to help the FBI capture the fugitives. In this powerful novel that explores the possibility of mistaken identity, the evils of money and greed, and the heartfelt obligations of family and loyalty, Caroline B. Cooney has once again crafted a page-turner that will resonate with readers.

Review: Rock and Release by Riley Edgewood

                                     Rock & Release 

                              books 1-3

By Riley Edgewood

Review

Summary: She wants something easy. What she needs might be something else.

Cassidy Evans is looking for an escape over her college summer break. And when one night with a few too many martinis leads her to sexy guitarist, Gage Logan, she may have found exactly that.
He's hot and he's sweet, and in the bedroom he's enough to make Cassidy forget her own name. Multiple times. But as her heart opens to Gage, feelings she's been trying to avoid slip through, too. Regret over her rocky relationship with her parents. Pain from her brother's recent death. Guilt over a fallout with her best friend... As much as she craves Gage, she can't unlock her heart the way he deserves.
Enter Luca James, international rock star and lead singer for Gold Rush Standard. Cassidy can't stand his music. She can't stand his arrogance. And, when he sets his sights on more than the drinks she serves him, she especially can't stand how she's drawn to his no-strings-attached flirting.
Soon Cassidy will have to make a choice: ignore her heart and go after the carefree life she covets, or stand strong to face a bittersweet reality.
Either way, she risks losing everything she truly wants.

Source: NetGalley e-copy

My Honest Opinion:
This story is really long. Took me a long time to read. But I LOVED it. Its really an enjoyable story. The is a New Adult, Romance, Contemporary. Its a really heavy romance, Its really explicit. But its more heavy on the Romance than the sex. Which I liked. I don't mind sex just as long as its not too heavy on it. 
This story revolves around Cassidy and Gage and Cassidy and Luca. From the start I fell in love with Gage. When Luca came into the picture I was like Hell no!!! I didn't like him at all. Part one revolved around forming a relationship with Cassidy and Gage. I was so happy. It made me Giddy inside. He seemed like such a great guy. Gage is not selfish, always thinking of other people. He was just a really great guy. I loved how this author told the story about the relationship of these 2. Part Two revolves around Luca which I won't give much away. But I just didn't like his character. I figured from the start he was going to be selfish. He is a rockstar hottie. But he just had this attitude that I didn't like. All the girls threw theirselves at him because he is this rockstar. I knew from the beginning he was going to be trouble. Part 3 revolved around Gage and his issues and then Cassidy and her issues and Luca being exactlly who I knew he was going to be. I love how the author ended the story. It was different to me than other Contemporary Romance books. It was just so sweet and such a heartwarming story all together. 

Dislikes:
They way it was repetitive. Such as saying 1 word 3 times. And it wasn't when they were having sex. It was just ALL the time. 
The character of Luca drove me crazy

Likes; 
The story in general was superb, Truly engrossing. Hard to stop reading. Swoon-worthy. Emotional and intense. All the feels. 
Gage and Cassidy- such a great relationship. I love the depth of them. How they overcome things either together or apart.
4.5 stars MUST READ

Lola and the Boy Next Door Review

Lola and the Boy Next Door

by Stephanie Perkins

Review

Summary: 

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Source: Library copy

What does the edition look like that I read:

My Honest Opinion: ut 
Going into this story, I was thinking how can another book compete with this Anna and the French Kiss because this is book 2 of the series. Anna was just so amazing. This book isn't as good as Anna but it was still really amazing. 
Lola is this great person, she wears these crazy outfits and wigs and she is just a great character who isn't afraid to show who she is. Then there is the character of Cricket. Such a strange name but an equally amazing character. He moved away from Lola when he was younger because his sister Calliope is an ice skater and she was pursuing a career with that. He ends up going to Berkeley while Lola is finishing her last year of highschool. He moves back in next door. I love close they were even though they haven't seen each other in a couple years. Max is Lola's boyfriend he is 22 and is in a band. So I didn't really care for his character much. I didn't really like how Lola went back and forth between Max and Cricket. There is just alot going on between Lola and Max and Cricket. The story is really amazing and original. I just love contemporaries that way. The raw love of it all.
This story was magical, it really brings out your emotions when Cricket and Lola spend time together. 
The ending, wasn't what I thought it should be. It seemed like it went by too fast. Like she rushed the ending. I just expected a little more out of it. 
But I still say if you read Anna you should definately read about Lola. 
4.5stars

Quotes:
“So do you believe in second chances?" I bite my lip.
"Second, third, fourth. Whatever it takes. However long it takes. If the person is right," he adds.
"If the person is... Lola?"
This time, he holds my gaze. "Only if the other person is Cricket.” 


“And if I'm the stars, Cricket Bell is entire galaxies.” 


“There are some people in life that you can't get over.”  

“There's something about blue eyes.
The kind of blue that startles you every time they're lifted in your direction. The kind of blue that makes you ache for them to look at you again. Not the blue green or blue gray, the blue that's just blue.
Cricket has those eyes.” 

“What...what about when I'm married?”
“We'll buy a cot. Your husband can sleep on that when he visits.” 

Book Haul

Weekly Book Haul

I received 3 books this week. I ordered from Thrift Books a couple weeks ago. I finally got them in and I'm excited to start reading them. 2 books are from a series that I really loved the first book. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney. I've read the first book it was awesome. The second book is called Whatever Happened to Janie? I didn't get the copy I wanted that it showed my copy is ugly. But I will still read it. 

 This is the copy I received. Its ugly. But oh well. 

I received the 3rd book last week. So I received the 4th book in this series this week its called What Janie Found. I cannot wait to get back into this series. This book is actually kinda mysterious the cover anyway. 

The last book I received is from an older series I read last year. The book was really, really good. I cannot wait to get back into that series. The first book is called Pivot Point by Kasie West Its completely different than other stories I have read. I just loved it. The second book is called Split Second. 

I am ready to start this series up again. The characters are incredible. Its just an amazing series to start. 

Friday Reads

Friday Reads

I haven't really finished anything this week. Im close to finishing 2 books. Having a hard time getting into an ARC book. But I will explain what I am reading and what I will start next. 

I am reading the second book in the Anna and the French Kiss series. I really love this series. I am not in love with the second book but its still an amazing book. But the Anna story just blew me away. I borrowed this book from my library.

The next story I am reading is called Rock and Release, it is pretty good. There are things I do not like and things I absolutely love. So it's going pretty good.

The last story I am reading which the first chapter I really loved, but after that its kinda boring so far. I am hoping truly hoping it picks up because I love this author. Its called Vanishing Act by Erica Kiefer. 

I will finish reading Lola and the Boy Next Door by the weekend and I will start another story. The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel. I have heard so many great things of this book. My library just got this book in, so I will start that next. 

When by Victoria Laurie Review

When by Victoria Laurie

Review

      Synopsis:  Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father's premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually deathdates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching deathdate of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she's unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?

My HONEST Review:

Could you imagine reading someone's death date? Can you imagine knowing when someone is going to die? Those are 2 questions that probably never pop up into a person's head. This story revolves around 1 girl named Maddie Fynn she is a high schooler and she sees the death dates on everybody's foreheads. She doesn't know how they will die. Just knows the dates. I believe that is kinda spooky. She has always been able to see the dates on their heads. But never seen a date where a person is going to die really soon. Then when the first person is murdered, she freaks out. The Feds start suspecting her and her bff of being the murderer. She goes through alot in this story not only in the investigation but also at home. 

I just couldn't imagine what someone would go through like that. Maddie's story broke my heart. She is such a strong person. 

The mystery and the suspense to this story, was just overwhelming and amazing. This story is so fast-paced, so incredible. It opens your eyes to different aspects that could happen in someone's life if someone could actually see something like this. I love how this author came up with a story like this. It is so original, no other author I have read has came up with a story-line like this. 

I gave it 4.5 stars because I didn't get into like other 5 star books. I enjoyed immensely but there are other stories I enjoyed so much more. 

But YES you should definately read this story. Its a MUST READ, FAST-PACED, MYSTERY, YA. LOVED IT. 

Quote:

There is one quote that stood out to me before anything else. So here it is. You have to read the story to find it though. 

“Hey,” Faraday said after a few seconds. “Did you know your clock’s still ten minutes fast?” 
― Victoria Laurie,