I want to read that...

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

From Goodreads: What if love refused to die?

Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

I'm really liking the sound of this one. It's published August 2010 by Puffin / Razorbill

Swapped by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja

Review copy: Corgi (Random House) Available now.
From Goodreads: When Rachel's on/off boyfriend David goes to a music festival in England, she jumps on a plane to surprise him - but she gets a shock of her own. Not only does she find David kissing someone else, but it's their friend Jo! Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round-perfect Jo.

Rachel runs away, wishing she could leave her life behind - and she suddenly finds herself in Jo's body! Can she keep this swap a secret? Can she unravel what's really going on? Can she get to grips with Jo's out-of-control curly hair?

And if she discovers that being in someone else's shoes isn't all it's cracked up to be, can she ever be herself again?

I was so excited to read this book. I loved Spilt by a Kiss and could not wait to revisit the characters - and I can tell you that I loved it! Not only is it completely hilarious but it is also incredibly romantic and Luisa has the marvelous ability to completely floor you. There was one thing in particular that I did not see coming!

Many of the characters return from Spilt by a Kiss and it was great to see Jo again - I loved hearing her side of events through her 'diary' entries. We also have David who, in this book, completely won my affections! As for Rachel, I absolutely adored her. I loved her sass and snarky comments but it was also lovely to get to know the 'real' her as opposed to the one she pretends to be. Being a character who is not afraid to speak her mind I loved the way we got to see what she was really thinking! It was also really good fun to see Tori again, and it was really interesting seeing her through Rachel's eyes.

I thought the 'swapped' thing was done brilliantly and I loved how both characters also alluded to events from the first book. Again the book was rich in storylines - with so much going on I found myself completely gripped - really not wanting it to end. Both Jo and Rachel had really good storylines and I was equally interested in both. I loved Jo's interactions with Rachel's mother and I really enjoyed watching Rachel get to see life from someone else's point of view.

As I said before - it really is funny! There were so many times I found myself laughing out loud and there is one scene involving 'quicksand' that had me laughing so hard I have still been sniggering to myself all day! It is definitely a novel that will bring a big goofy smile to your face. But it is also more than than. The characters felt real and honestly depicted. The romance is really sweet and you can feel a true connection between the couples. I don't know what else to say really except I Loved it, Loved it, Loved it!

Webchat with Luisa Plaja: Fiercebook Wednesday 5pm

Just a quick post to remind everyone that Lusia Plaja (author of Split by a Kiss, Extreme Kissing and Swapped by a Kiss) has a webchat over at Fiercebook tomorrow at 5pm, for approximately 1 hour. I've been told to 'expect chatter about books, writing, romance and body swapping…' Sounds fab!

Also, I've just finished 'Swapped by a Kiss' and I have to say it is now my favourite by a mile - I just loved it. I should (hopefully) have a review for you tomorrow:) In the meantime, if you fancy reading an extract check out the widget on my sidebar:)

WIntercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw

Review Copy: Headline. Published 13 May 2010
From Amazon: Ten years ago Kate Winters’ parents were taken by the High Council’s wardens to help with the country’s war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane – the High Council’s most feared man – recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council’s experiments into the veil, and he’s convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace.The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft – a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

I found myself completely captured by this novel and was immersed in it from the beginning. I loved the premise, the characters and the writing. It all felt very exciting! I wasn't sure what to expect from any of the characters or situations and it felt fresh and very different from anything I have read before. Perhaps this is due to my limited experience with 'straight' fantasy reads - but as an introduction to the genre I found this one superb.

At first I was disappointed the story wasn't written in first person with Kate as the narrator, but as time went on I was glad this was not the case. I really enjoyed the way we were able to see the story unfold from the different character perspectives. This gave much more insight into each of the characters and their motivations. I loved Kate from the beginning. She seemed strong and wilful yet kind and loyal. I enjoyed taking the journey with her. Edgar was interesting but I wasn't sure what his true interests were - but that added to the mystery of the novel. As for Silas Dane, I think he has to be one of my favourite character creations. I didn't know whether to hate him or love him. You could practically feel his presence radiate from the page - I couldn't wait for his scenes and loved his interactions with Kate.

I found the whole story to be compelling and I loved the end. I raced through the final pages of the book not wanting the story to come to an end but desperate to find out what happens. I would love to revisit these characters so I am really hoping this is the first in a series. There is definitely the potential to take it further and I know I would, without a doubt, be first in the queue!

Brilliant!

In My Mailbox (38)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

Review

Swapped by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja (Corgi childrens: 29 April)
From Goodreads: When Rachel's on/off boyfriend David goes to a music festival in England, she jumps on a plane to surprise him - but she gets a shock of her own. Not only does she find David kissing someone else, but it's their friend Jo! Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round-perfect Jo.

Rachel runs away, wishing she could leave her life behind - and she suddenly finds herself in Jo's body! Can she keep this swap a secret? Can she unravel what's really going on? Can she get to grips with Jo's out-of-control curly hair?

And if she discovers that being in someone else's shoes isn't all it's cracked up to be, can she ever be herself again?







Bought

Runaway by Meg Cabot

From Goodreads: Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself.

With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can't explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year's Eve to look forward to, Em's reached the end of her rope... what's the point of even going on?

But when she discovers the truth about Nikki's secret, she knows there's only one person she can turn to.

Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved—since if he agrees, there's every chance that Stark Enterprises will try to have them both killed—this time, permanently?

Maybe it would be better for Em to just keep on running.

Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter
From Goodreads: A fiercely individualist Goth girl wakes up to discover that the whole world has gone Goth and she's actually -- gag -- popular.

Jade Leigh is a nonconformist who values individuality above all else. She has a small group of like-minded Goth friends who wear black, dabble in the dark arts, and thrive outside the norm. They're considered the "freaks" of their high school. But when Jade's smart mouth lands her in trouble -- again -- her principal decides to teach her a lesson she'll never forget.

Taken to a remote location where she is strapped down and sedated, Jade wakes up in an alternate universe where she rules the school. But her best friends won't talk to her, and the people she used to hate are all Goth. Only Clarik, the mysterious new boy in town, operates outside all the cliques. And only Mercedes, the Barbie clone Jade loathes, believes that Jade's stuck in a virtual reality game -- because she's stuck there, too, now living the life of a "freak." Together, they realize they might never get back to reality...and that even if they do, things might never be the same.

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
From Goodreads:
You know, I always thought I told you everything, but there are some things I should have said but never did. I should have told you about the time I lost your new sunglasses. I know you really liked them. I should have apologized the time I ruined your brand-new skirt, the one with the beading. I should have apologized for a lot of stuff.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.

It's been seventy five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her, and she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone, and Amy doesn't want to talk about it. No one knew Julia like she did. No one gets what life is without her.

No one understands what it's like to know that it's all your fault.

Amy's shrink thinks she should keep a journal but instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia. As she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past holds its own secrets--and that the present deserves a chance.

How did you all do?