tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38565774888500116722024-02-21T19:28:04.028+08:00My Book MusingsReading and musing on books and other reading-related thoughts.Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.comBlogger321125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-86356859320684385332017-07-10T11:48:00.002+08:002017-07-10T11:54:05.640+08:00See you later!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I thought about this for over a year in which I tried so hard to get back onto the reviewing wagon, but I really couldn't bring myself to review books anymore. Life has caught up, and I found myself going forward in several new directions that reading has become pure escapist pleasure without my wanting to say my piece about it except for a few tweets here and there.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I can now be found at <a href="http://haejafranca.com/">http://haejafranca.com</a> (that's actually my real name - Goldie is my nickname), where I write about my travels, books (excerpts, not reviews), and other things (like skincare and movies), and where you can contact me <b>if you need your novel/novella/book to be edited or proofread</b>.</span><br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-48978409692004536432016-05-04T12:48:00.002+08:002016-05-04T12:51:24.209+08:00Review: The Hidden Oracle [The Trials of Apollo, book 01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26252859-the-hidden-oracle" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Hidden Oracle [The Trials of Apollo, book 01]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://rickriordan.com/series/the-trials-of-apollo/" target="_blank">Rick Riordan</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.fullybookedonline.com/" target="_blank">Fully Booked</a> | <a href="http://www.nationalbookstore.com/the-trials-of-apollo-book-one-the-hidden-oracle-5005930.html" target="_blank">National Bookstore</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hidden-oracle-rick-riordan/1123084018" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trials-Apollo-Book-One-Hidden-ebook/dp/B0169FUXJ2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-trials-of-apollo-book-one-the-hidden-oracle" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Trials-Apollo-Book-One-Hidden-Oracle-Rick-Riordan/9781484732748" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rick_Riordan_The_Trials_of_Apollo_Book_One_The_Hid?id=UgarCgAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google</a></span><br />
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Rick Riordan has done it again (and again and again). I don't know which god (Nordic/Roman/Greek/Egyptian?) is responsible for inspiring him <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">– </span>though I have a feeling they would all clamor for the credit <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">– </span>and I have no complaints. <i>The Hidden Oracle</i> got my heartbeat racing <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">– </span>and I didn't even read the synopsis before buying.<br />
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How do you punish an immortal?<br />
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By making him human.<br />
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After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.<br />
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But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.</div>
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As soon as I bought my copy, I hunkered down and read it straight for three hours. Reading <i>The Hidden Oracle</i> felt like one big fun adventure, especially since seeing the world through Apollo as a sixteen-year-old human was highly amusing. It's not that I needed full concentration to enjoy this, but because I wanted to lose myself in this world. How I missed Camp Half-Blood!<br />
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If you've been reading Riordan's Percy Jackson/Olympus series, then you know that Apollo is one of the most arrogant gods, although he has his nice moments. The book was peppered with praises of his godliness and awesomeness. I love how Riordan modernizes the portrayals of the Greek gods as seen in Homer's <i>Illiad</i>. If we had these books back when we were studying <i>Illiad</i>, I think a lot of the class would easily ace our quizzes on which god did what.<br />
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I loved seeing Apollo fall <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">– </span>literally and figuratively, several times. It was the humbling of a god who, through his carelessness, brought so much downfall to humans (and consequently, the gods) the past few years.<br />
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And Meg, whose last name was not mentioned, as a twelve-year-old kid blowing raspberries and being a great antithesis to his godly arrogance, was easily charming that the end of the book had me anxious on her behalf. She has the potential of being an awesome and precious character.<br />
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We are also treated to a few glimpses of Percy Jackson, which always thrills me, and Nico is also a secondary character. If you're a fan of Nico and his...<i>revelation</i>, you're in for a treat with <i>The Hidden Oracle</i>. We also get Leo Valdez back, and I am excited to see what other machines he's going to come up with in the next books in the series. We are also treated to scenes of Mother Rhea as a trippy hippy, and she is one of the characters I am most excited to know more about.<br />
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There is a surprising revelation in who the villain is <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">– </span>and I have a feeling this is the last book in the Olympus bracket (explaining would ruin the story!). Hopefully we'll get more glimpses of our beloved heroes from his other series as Apollo faces formidable villains in The Trials of Apollo<i> </i>series. I suppose the next book in the series, <i>The Dark Prophecy</i>, will be out next year <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">–</span> and that will definitely be on my auto-buy list.<br />
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Just like Riordan's other books, his writing transported me right in the thick of things and Chiron's red heels (read the book!). I would definitely recommend this to all fans of Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson, and young adult fantasy, mythology, and just generally great stories. Go get it.<br />
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Happy reading! :)<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-60795495923008116842016-04-11T12:30:00.000+08:002016-04-11T12:30:18.121+08:00Rhewination blog tour review: 122 Rules [book 1]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29457248-122-rules" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">122 Rules [122, book 01]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.deekrhewbooks.com/122-rules.html" target="_blank">Deek Rhew</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★1/2</span></div>
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<i>122 Rules</i>' synopsis held so much promise. It was definitely along the lines of plots I love to read...<br />
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In his black and white world, Sam Bradford--former Marine turned government assassin--finally sees a speck of grey. He has always followed orders without question, but his latest assignment threatens to disrupt the precision of his universe and may either severe or redeem his last remaining sliver of humanity.<br />
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Using his mastery of the 122 Rules of Psychology, Sam hunts down everyone The Agency sends him to find and eliminates them. Just as he has his rifle scope focused on his latest victim, Monica Sable, a SoCal girl entangled with the mob, his long-dormant conscience reappears for a final performance...one last ditch effort to save the sinking ship of Sam’s soul. He’s killed innocents before, but tarries on pulling the trigger this time.<br />
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When Monica escapes his crosshairs and fumbles her way across the country in a pathetic attempt to elude capture, Sam gives chase. But he’s not the only one after her. Ruthless henchmen, hired by the mob, froth like bloodhounds and nip at Monica’s heels. Now Sam is faced with a choice: turn his back on the rules and jeopardize his way of life by helping her or join the pack and rip her to shreds.</div>
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But the focus of the book became confusing. The synopsis talks about the 122 Rules of Psychology, and the main character presented is Sam Bradford. However, Sam Bradford was only first mentioned in chapter 13, and he was not even the character mentioned in the very last chapter. Furthermore, the 122 Rules were not mentioned as often as I expected, given the title of the book. Lastly, his premise for saving Monica was because he remembered his ex-wife, Tracy, whom, as it has been established, wasn't even on his mind anymore and that he had become hardened. I guess that could be chalked up to our brains working differently and sparking memories we thought have been long buried.<br />
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Lastly, there was a chapter that has been repeated, but now with Sam's viewpoint. It was the whole same chapter, and it was very repetitive that I just skimmed through it and read Sam's thoughts. And the point-of-view of the characters kept changing, from Monica to Sam to even the assassin.<br />
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However, I'm giving this 3.5 stars because despite its flaws, I still enjoyed the story. The character, Sam, holds so much promise. He seems like an intriguing character. And the story was so fast-paced, I didn't realize I was already at 90% of the book. Reading felt almost effortless, except for the parts where I stumbled in confusion as mentioned above. Plus, although I didn't like Monica so much, as she felt like a whiny girl who just don't understand that they're trying to protect her, I did like her kick-ass best friend. As this is an ARC, maybe the final version will be better.<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeekRhewBooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://blog.deekrhewbooks.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/DeekRhewBooks" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+DeekRhewBooks" target="_blank">Google+</a></div>
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Deek lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with the stunning YA author bride, Erin Rhew, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords.<br />
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He and Erin love to share books by reading aloud to one another. In addition, they enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, and exploring the little town--with antique shops and bakeries--they call home.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-82155055319772335862016-03-06T12:30:00.000+08:002016-03-06T12:30:00.707+08:00Review: Sisters of Blood and Spirit [The Sisters of Blood and Spirit, book 01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8126324-fablehaven" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Sisters of Blood and Spirit [The Sisters of Blood and Spirit, book 01]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.alterkate.com/" target="_blank">Kady Cross</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★★★</span></div>
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What a fascinating person Kady Cross must be! First she comes up with one of my favorite steampunk series, <a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Steampunk%20Chronicles" target="_blank">Steampunk Chronicles</a>; now, she comes up with this fascinating new series.</div>
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Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living. <br />
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Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn’t exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she’s not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.<br />
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Now the guy who saved Lark’s life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.</div>
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I don't like reading ghost stories with the exception of those in magical mysteries, but the synopsis just grabbed at me. <br />
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I wanted to know Wren and Lark and how they handled being together and yet apart. I wanted to know how Wren could handle being somewhat a part of the world and yet not quite.<br />
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I got that and more. The bond between the two reminded me of the closeness my second sister and I have, because we've been roommates for a long time, and I've known her for 28 years. I cannot imagine living without her, and I was definitely able to relate to the protectiveness that Wren felt towards Lark.<br />
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I got so much more than I expected, with a dash of sweet romance between Lark and Ben, although I badly hope Lark and Mace had gotten together instead. I love how Ben had the guts to call out Lark for her bitchiness, and wasn't afraid to be so upfront with his feelings. *sigh*<br />
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I admit I got a little scared reading through what Lark did fighting with the ghosts. And this is just the beginning. The ghosts keep calling Lark and Wren some terms that makes me think they have magic in them. And Nan, their grandmother, has some secrets, I bet she does.<br />
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But what I liked best about the <i>Sisters of Blood and Spirit </i>is that it was filled with action without being too gory, and thrilling without being too horrible that will keep me up late at night, waiting for the monsters to get me. However, it did instill in me more awareness for spirits in certain places!<br />
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<i>Sisters of Blood and Spirit </i>ended with the introduction of an interesting character I hope we get to read more of in the next series. And I'm so glad I only stumbled upon this series last week because the sequel is coming out at the end of the month, and I wasn't sure I could wait a whole year for this!<br />
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If you're into paranormal and ghosts and family secrets, try <i>Sisters of Blood and Spirit</i> for a spin. :)</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-4956197370888061502016-03-04T11:39:00.001+08:002016-03-04T11:43:31.171+08:00Review: Chaos Choreography [Incryptid, book 05]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21806701-chaos-choreography" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Chaos Choreography [Incryptid, book 05]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.seananmcguire.com/" target="_blank">Seanan McGuire</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★★★<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Availability: <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Chaos-Choreography-Seanan-McGuire/9780756408138?ref=grid-view" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Seanan_McGuire_Chaos_Choreography?id=NxXVCQAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/chaos-choreography" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/chaos-choreography/id1003571838?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Choreography-InCryptid-Seanan-McGuire/dp/075640813X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457062166&sr=1-1&keywords=Chaos+Choreography" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chaos-choreography-seanan-mcguire/1122770410;jsessionid=D1DC8A295B4822B0577693DB1F731AF3.prodny_store01-atgap01?ean=9780756408138&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000003" target="_blank">B&N</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0TcsDJ0BWoaLNxsppFm50t8hNAaBG0AwuhKEvLgjiB86xcPwzgJaV57IXcxIO4OsePb-ZWCQAaEXnM1p4JWeHkZgIsBQPAf_POqUzdyTitijPyvQp9ddBJjZAiS8OnnX3jPRowljPgg/s1600/21806701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chaos Choreography book cover featuring Verity Price and Alice Healy" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0TcsDJ0BWoaLNxsppFm50t8hNAaBG0AwuhKEvLgjiB86xcPwzgJaV57IXcxIO4OsePb-ZWCQAaEXnM1p4JWeHkZgIsBQPAf_POqUzdyTitijPyvQp9ddBJjZAiS8OnnX3jPRowljPgg/s200/21806701.jpg" title="Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire" width="126" /></a></div>
Verity Price has always been my favorite of the Price bunch, but that was until Grandma Alice Healy came along...<br />
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<b>Fifth book in Seanan McGuire’s funny and fast-paced urban fantasy InCryptid series featuring ballroom dancer and monster expert Verity Price.</b><br />
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Verity Price is back on the West Coast and getting back into the swing of the family business: cryptozoology. She’s rescuing cryptids from bad situations, protecting them from monster-hunters, and generally risking life and limb for the greater good, with her ex-Covenant partner/husband, Dominic, by her side. Her ballroom dance career is behind her—or so she thinks. When Verity gets the call from the producers of Dance or Die, the reality show she almost won several years before, she finds the lure impossible to resist, and she and Dominic are off to L.A. for one last shot at the big time.<br />
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Of course, nothing is that simple. When two contestants turn up dead, Verity will need every ally she can find with the investigation, without blowing her cover…</div>
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Although I keep hearing about Grandma Alice in the Incryptid books, I never thought I'd encounter her in any of the Price siblings' cases. <a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Incryptid" target="_blank">Incryptid</a> is one of the few urban fantasy series I keep tabs on because I have so much love for these books. It's not your usual cryptid-hunter series, and there's even an index at the end of the book to help you keep track of your cryptids. Cryptids are what we would usually call as monsters, but some are actually pretty nice and just want to be left alone.<br />
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Oh, look at me, talking about them as if they're <i>real</i>...but for the few hours that I was immersed in the Healy-Price world, they felt as real to me as you and I are.<br />
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<i>Chaos Choreography</i>, the fifth book in the main Incryptid series (there are <b><i>free</i></b><a href="http://seananmcguire.com/icshorts.php" target="_blank"> short stories</a> up for grabs off McGuire's website), made me impatient to go home yesterday so I can stay in bed and just finish it. It's that good. I didn't bring my tablet to work and I cursed myself for not syncing the book to my phone.<br />
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I love me a good action story, and <i>Chaos Choreography </i>served that up in spades. It has my usual beloved characters such as Verity, Domenic, and the Aeslin mice, with the added bonus of Grandma Alice, whom I would really love to read more about someday. I thought Verity was bad-ass and graceful. Grandma Alice made her look like a kid, with her skills and deep knowledge of the cryptid world. Plus, she can travel <i>dimensions</i>. Dimensions! Awesome.<br />
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Verity goes back to the dance floor and eventually realizes that all is not what it seems. Her other competitors are dying one by one, and with the other Price members and some of her cryptid friends, they race to save the rest of the dancers <i>and </i>stop the snake cult from being successful.<br />
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I had my suspicion on who was the mastermind behind it, but the rest came as a shock. The big reveal was indeed a big reveal. The story actually felt a little short even though it was 368 pages and was filled to the brim with action upon action. But then again, don't our favorite books always feel a little short? (<i>Harry Potter</i>, anyone?)<br />
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There were a few questions I had at the end of the book, such as it left unexplained how the mastermind behind the cult knew magic or what to do, but it doesn't affect the story that much, because I guess, as it was explained in the story, magic users just had the latent power in their bloodlines.<br />
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In the end, I finished <i>Chaos Choreography </i>wishing that someday, I'd see all three siblings + grandma Alice together in one story, kicking ass. And Seanan McGuire, I wouldn't mind a 700-page Incryptid story!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-71278183166641249682016-01-26T12:00:00.000+08:002016-01-26T12:00:00.809+08:00Blog tour: Duke of My Heart [Season for Scandal, book 01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25620496-duke-of-my-heart" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Duke of My Heart [Season for Scandal, book 01]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.kellybowen.net/" target="_blank">Kelly Bowen</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455536792/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1455536792&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/duke-of-my-heart-kelly-bowen/1122011942;jsessionid=4590423A5706F2ABC9B2628009214767.prodny_store02-atgap11?ean=9781455536795&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000027" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/duke-of-my-heart" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/duke-of-my-heart/id1003350851?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kelly_Bowen_Duke_of_My_Heart?id=VR_VCQAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a></span><br />
<i>*ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfjKFmNxXpIC6xz0WbAs1Nm3-1omUJ1sq4p9zS4ogfG8wSivTQruA0swAr5E4TPAzLLDHeyfB93cPGHukPU4AxXUQL8rdaO9r-Lwby9rcDmlP0MxNXXnc33UNrvN6Yq0K7UMqrpXojDY/s1600/25620496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfjKFmNxXpIC6xz0WbAs1Nm3-1omUJ1sq4p9zS4ogfG8wSivTQruA0swAr5E4TPAzLLDHeyfB93cPGHukPU4AxXUQL8rdaO9r-Lwby9rcDmlP0MxNXXnc33UNrvN6Yq0K7UMqrpXojDY/s200/25620496.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
So far, <a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Kelly%20Bowen" target="_blank">Kelly Bowen</a> hasn't let me down yet. I can usually rely on her to deliver a good story with a healthy dose of romance, and <i>Duke of My Heart</i> delivers that in spades.<br />
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And sorry for the comparison, but Ivory Moore was totally chanelling Olivia Pope, and I have no regrets because I love her attitude!<br />
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Scandal can be handled...<br />
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Captain Maximus Harcourt, the unconventional tenth Duke of Alderidge, can deal with tropical storms, raging seas, and the fiercest of pirates. But he's returned home from his latest voyage to find a naked earl—quite inconveniently deceased—tied to his missing sister's bed. And he has only one place to turn. Now he's at the mercy of the captivating Miss Ivory Moore of Chegarre & Associates, known throughout London for smoothing over the most dire of scandals.<br />
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Miss Moore treats the crisis as though it were no more serious than a cup of spilt tea on an expensive rug. As though this sort of thing happened on the job every day. Max has never in all his life met a woman with such nerve. Her dark eyes are too wide, her mouth is too full, her cheekbones too sharp. Yet together, she's somehow...flawless. It's just like his love for her, imperfect, unexpected—yet absolutely true.</div>
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One of the things I love in <i>Duke of My Heart </i>is that Ivory Moore was no simpering virginal miss. She was tough and no nonsense but also very sensual and passionate. She was a good regency version of Olivia Pope. Max Harcourt was just the man for her, although I couldn't quite figure out if he was more Fitz or Jake. I love that he was tough but also showed his vulnerable side. They were honest and clear about what they wanted, and that is something I hope to see more often in regency romance novels.<br />
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The <i>Duke of My Heart</i> was easy to read. It felt a little weirdy, and my eyes glazed over some descriptions, because I was just too curious what really happened to Max's sister (who is the reason why Ivory and Max met). Although romance was the focal theme of the novel, the mystery not-a-crime crime (because they weren't sure if it was a crime) proved to be as delicious as well, and its fruition was something I wanted almost as much as I wanted Ivory and Max to end up together.<br />
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I love that the romance and mystery element were developed with equal care. Too often, regency romance authors tend to build up the mystery, only to have it fall flat in the end, but that was not the case with the <i>Duke of My Heart</i>. Another series to look forward to!<br />
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There is also an intriguing character, named Alex, and for a moment I thought he would suit Ivory best, so I'm hoping he gets his own story too. :)<br />
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I'd recommend <i>Duke of My Heart </i>to those who love a good regency romance with a mystery, and of course, fans of Kelly Bowen.<br />
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Ciao!<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-77498403472208783522015-12-29T20:00:00.000+08:002015-12-29T20:00:16.094+08:00Review: The Girl in the Spider's Web [Millenium Trilogy, book 04]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/242659.David_Lagercrantz" target="_blank">David Lagercrantz</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.nationalbookstore.com.ph/books/teens/the-girl-in-the-spiders-web.html" target="_blank">National Bookstore</a> | <a href="http://www.fullybookedonline.com/the-girl-in-the-spiders-web" target="_blank">Fully Booked</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Spiders-Web-continuing/dp/0385354282" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girl-in-the-spiders-web-david-lagercrantz/1121653319" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-girl-in-the-spider-s-web-1" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/David_Lagercrantz_The_Girl_in_the_Spider_s_Web?id=9lOWBgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Google Play</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-girl-in-the-spiders-web/id965642478?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a></span><br />
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Every once in a while, I get exhausted from writing reviews, but then I come across a story so well-written and exciting that I couldn't help but race to type out a review.<br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
She is the girl with the dragon tattoo—a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.<br />
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Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female superhacker—a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercriminals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it . . . </div>
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<i>The Girl in the Spider's Web</i> is a continuation of the Millenium Trilogy, written by David Lagercrantz, as the original author and creator of Lisbeth Salander's world has passed away. I was initially skeptical of reading this, because I loved Larsson even though the Millenium Trilogy was an emotionally heavy piece of literature. I had my doubts as to whether Lagercrantz can do justice to the complex and infinitely interesting character that is Lisbeth Salander.<br />
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Although the main villain in the Millenium Trilogy, Zalachenko, is now dead, his legacy lives on in. In <i>The Girl in the Spider's Web</i>, the reader is teased by a slow revelation of the villain. I'm glad, though, that hints here and there are dropped, but not too much or enough to piece it together too early. We are also given more insight into Salander's childhood, and I just fell in love with her even more.<br />
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By the time I turned the last page, I was smiling. Lagercrantz's writing style was noticeably different from Larsson's, but I loved Salander no less. He didn't lose Salander's hard edge but also gave her maturity and character development as is befitting the progression of the story.<br />
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The noticeable difference between Larsson and Lagercrantz's writing, is that the former had set a darker tone to the story and the violence, most notably rape and physical harm, was described in heavy detail. If you let yourself, you can almost imagine how it plays out -- and that is not for the light of heart. But Lagercrantz's style is not detailed and violence mostly comes in the form of gun fights. If <i>The Girl in the Spider's Web</i> was turned into a movie, I can almost imagine the violent parts fading into black.<br />
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If another Lisbeth Salander novel comes out – and the ending hints at the possibility – I would definitely read it. I highly recommend <i>The Girl in the Spider's Web</i> to all Lisbeth Salander fans. If you're new to the Salander story, you could read <i>The Girl in the Spider's Web</i> without having to read the first three books if they are too violent for you. However, I do recommend reading all four to get a better grasp of how Lisbeth Salander's mind works and for a fuller appreciation of her story.<br />
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Happy New Year! :)<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-49363853945427815962015-10-28T11:55:00.001+08:002015-10-28T11:55:31.031+08:00Review: One Wild Winter's Eve [Honeycote, book 04]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24820208-one-wild-winter-s-eve" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">One Wild Winter's Eve [Honeycote, book 04]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.annebarton.com/" target="_blank">Anne Barton</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Wild-Winters-Honeycote-Novel/dp/1455551821" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-wild-winters-eve-anne-barton/1121149632?ean=9781455551828" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/one-wild-winter-s-eve-1?bookId=436519e9-12ec-4a46-b6c1-96c666c36038" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-wild-winters-eve/id963799816?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anne_Barton_One_Wild_Winter_s_Eve?id=Uju9BgAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;"><i>*Copy provided by Hachette Book Group in exchange for an honest review</i></span><br />
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I found it pretty funny that of all the Honeycote stories, Rose's ends up to be the most scandalous of all.<br />
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<b>ONCE YOU'VE HAD A TASTE OF SCANDAL... </b><br />
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As the Duke of Huntford's sister, Lady Rose Sherbourne follows the rules of well-bred society. Always chaperoned. Never engaging in unseemly behavior. Well, except for that one summer, years ago. And yet she's never been able to forget that handsome stable master or the stolen moments they shared. She's always wondered what might have happened if he hadn't disappeared without a word... Now she's about to find out.<br />
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<b>YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK</b><br />
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Charles Holland never expected to see Lady Rose again. And yet the years haven't lessened his devotion—or his desire—in any way. Despite their differences in class, Charles cannot stop himself from wanting to possess her. But as they uncover one intimate secret after another about her family, they realize that, this time, their love may come at a very dear price...</div>
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I really enjoy Anne Barton's Honeycote series so I didn't hesitate to sign up for the blog tour. I'm glad that Rose Sherbourne's reason for not speaking was finally revealed! This was given piece by piece throughout the story, and I love that her reason was so plausible. I can't imagine any child walking in on that and coming out unscathed.<br />
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The romance between Charles and Rose was so hot. I love that Charles kept trying to be honorable while Rose was braving everything for him. I also appreciated that Barton didn't veer towards a trend I've been seeing in regency romance lately, that of light BDSM or a darker male protagonist. I just want light and romantic regency stories, and having those themes in regency kills it for me. What about you?<br />
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I also love that the author didn't skip or made light of all the sacrifices and hardships that Rose will endure by leaving with Charles. I love that she mentioned her homesickness, and the recognition that her change in station will affect her much more than she initially thought it would.<br />
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The only thing I didn't like about <i>One Winter's Eve </i>is the extreme method Rose deployed just to free Charles. It ruined them needlessly, when not all options were exhausted. But then again, the story would have run a different path.<br />
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Good news: If you want to get a copy of <i>One Winter's Eve</i>, join the contest below!<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the author</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.annebarton.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/_AnneBarton" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/annebartonauthor?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
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Anne Barton began swiping romance novels off her mom's bookshelf as a teenager, so when she had the chance to spend a semester in London-home to her favorite heroes-she packed her bags and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.
Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anne found her way back to writing the stories she loves and in 2011 won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® for Regency Historical Romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband (who, sadly, is not a peer of the realm-but a great guy nonetheless) and her three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. Her weaknesses include reality TV, cute-but-impractical shoes, and caffeinated beverages of all kinds.
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-53610597488564618142015-10-16T16:58:00.000+08:002015-10-16T16:58:26.053+08:00Review: The Sword of Summer [Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, book 1]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.rickriordan.com/books/magnus-chase/the-sword-of-summer" target="_blank">Rick Riordan</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: Fully Booked | <a href="http://www.nationalbookstore.com.ph/magnus-chase-and-the-gods-of-asgard-1-the-sword-of-summer.html" target="_blank">National Bookstore</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rick_Riordan_Magnus_Chase_and_the_Gods_of_Asgard_B?id=xWuyBAAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423160916/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1423160916&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sword-of-summer-rick-riordan/1122238952?ean=9781484746936" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/magnus-chase-gods-asgard-book/id926589717?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/magnus-chase-and-the-gods-of-asgard-book-1-the-sword-of-summer" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span><br />
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As someone who has read all three (<a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Percy%20Jackson" target="_blank">Percy Jackson and the Olympians</a>, <a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/heroes%20of%20olympus" target="_blank">The Lost Heroes of Olympus</a>, and <a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Kane%20Chronicles" target="_blank">Kane Chronicles</a>) series by Rick Riordan, I clearly see that his writing just kept improving since <i>The Lightning Thief</i>. There was no question, then, as to my reading his latest series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.<br />
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Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.<br />
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One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.<br />
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The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.<br />
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When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.<br />
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Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .</div>
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I didn't know the synopsis of <i>The Sword of Summer</i> before I bought it. I saw that it was a new book by Rick Riordan and it's about the Norse gods, and I bought it. It did not disappoint at all. True to what I now deem to be Riordan's style, <i>The Sword of Summer</i> is filled with young adult-appropriate language, kick-ass action, weird but lovable characters, talking animals, self-absorbed gods, several plot twists, and heart-breaking family issues.<br />
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Magnus Chase is an orphaned teenager living on the streets, when he is forced to fight the Norse god of fire, Surt, and accidentally plunged to death. His soul was brought to Valhalla by the Valkyrie Sam. And what's a hero story without a quest? To save the world from the early coming of Ragnarok, Magnus sets out to fight the wolf of his nightmares.<br />
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Unlike in Percy Jackson where the kids must be trained to fight, Magnus' physique was upgraded when he died.<br />
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Another factor I enjoyed in <i>The Sword of Summer </i>is that Valhalla sounds awesome. And while reading, I couldn't avoid but imagine my beloved Tom Hiddleston whenever Loki's character appeared in the story.<br />
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I don't know much about Norse mythology (and learning about new things is part of the reason why I love to read) but by the end of <i>The Sword of Summer</i>, I have a newfound appreciation for it. Unlike in Percy Jackson, where I was pretty familiar with Greek gods because we studied the Iliad extensively in college and we were made to understand the Greek god psyche, the Norse gods were wholly new territory for me. So thank you, Rick Riordan, for challenging me to explore a whole new topic.<br />
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I'm excited to see how Odin will be, if he will be depicted differently from Zeus. I guess the challenge for Riordan in continuing to write about heroes and along this vein, is how to differentiate each series and primary character from one another. I'm seeing a lot of Percy Jackson's characteristics in Magnus Chase (recklessness, thirst for adventure, ignoring the rules) but the persona of the latter character works out for me so far because of the different scenarios and challenges. I hope this will not turn out to be a tiresome repetition of character, events, and locales, as it does for some writers I've since stopped reading.<br />
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Did anyone else realize that Magnus Chase is the cousin of Annabeth Chase of <i>Percy Jackson</i>? That thrilled me so much! I couldn't figure out the timeline, though, if this Annabeth was pre-Percy Jackson or after? I'm thinking after?<br />
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<i>*As of this writing, the link to Fully Booked's Magnus Chase copy is unavailable, but I bought my copy from them.</i><br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-26306524370616780542015-10-14T12:00:00.000+08:002015-10-14T12:00:09.810+08:00Review: Dead Eyed [DCI Michael Lambert, book 1]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26162885-dead-eyed" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Dead Eyed [DCI Michael Lambert, book 1]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://mattbrolly.co.uk/" target="_blank">Matt Brolly</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013L2OHYS" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://amazon.co.uk/" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;"><i>*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review</i></span><br />
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The first few pages alone chilled me so much I put off reading whenever it was daytime because I didn't want <i>Dead Eyed </i>to be the last thing on my mind before sleeping. If you're the type who tends to dream vividly, that's a good tip for you.<br />
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DCI Michael Lambert thought he’d closed his last case…<br />
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Yet when he’s passed a file detailing a particularly gruesome murder, Michael knows that this is no ordinary killer at work.<br />
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The removal of the victim’s eyes and the Latin inscription carved into the chest is the chilling calling-card of the ‘soul jacker’: a cold-blooded murderer who struck close to Michael once before, twenty-five years ago.<br />
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Now the long-buried case is being re-opened, and Michael is determined to use his inside knowledge to finally bring the killer to justice. But as the body count rises, Michael realises that his own links to the victims could mean that he is next on the killer’s list…</div>
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<i>Dead Eyed </i>had its hooks on me right from the start. I've even put off reading a book I've waited a whole year for just so I can finish this gritty thriller -- and I have no regrets! However, I did skip over some of the descriptions whenever a corpse was found because they'll be sure to visit me when I sleep.<br />
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Michael Lambert seemed knowledgeable and an excellent DCI but he lacked a little intensity for me. He kept holding back on the pressure, and he wasn't as intimidating as my other favorite police cops (James Patterson's Alex Cross comes to mind). Lambert's not in my top favorite police thriller characters, but the whole story itself is a saving grace.<br />
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I felt like I was figuring out the killer instead of just waiting for the end. I had my suspicions nearing the end, and I felt a slight triumph in getting it right. However, I wish there was more explanation why the killer did what he did as one of the things I dislike in thriller stories is insufficient reasoning/motive behind a killer's action.<br />
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But that being said, Matt Brolly's Michael Lambert series is off to a good start with <i>Dead Eyed</i>. I feel like Lambert would be a pretty interesting character to watch out for.<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">About the author</span></b><br />
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Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law, Matt Brolly completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. He reads widely across all genres, and is currently working on the second in his Michael Lambert thriller series. Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children. You can find out more about Matt at his website <a href="http://mattbrolly.co.uk/">MattBrolly.co.uk</a> or by following him on <a href="http://twitter.com/MatthewBrolly" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-48528226222934397532015-10-13T22:31:00.003+08:002015-10-16T16:57:08.146+08:00Review: Be Careful What You Wish For<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/Goodreads%20link:%20https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24833181-be-careful-%20%20what-you-wish-for" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Be Careful What You Wish For</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://thejapayukichronicles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">C.P. Santi</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Be-Careful-What-You-Wish-%20%20ebook/dp/B00T6C2MAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444446381&sr=8-%20%201&keywords=c+p+santi" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;"> | <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/f434ec87-6526-441b-be55-%20%202088121d175d" target="_blank">Buqo</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/515617" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;"><i>*Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecGGZ2SD2txhmpLDWkfTrbMSw_v2akvmiuKIWFQpgvcmD9isjBrs8uWF02pr1PZTwfZZmsnua6qDltImCU3SqM0uoBL85QowZ981ZTDGfUbXdCE1zdzBDWk-YNiG4TUvdyKwSK79YrfQ/s1600/BCWYWF+final+20150915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecGGZ2SD2txhmpLDWkfTrbMSw_v2akvmiuKIWFQpgvcmD9isjBrs8uWF02pr1PZTwfZZmsnua6qDltImCU3SqM0uoBL85QowZ981ZTDGfUbXdCE1zdzBDWk-YNiG4TUvdyKwSK79YrfQ/s200/BCWYWF+final+20150915.jpg" width="127" /></a><i>Be Careful What You Wish For</i> was the perfect book for me during my breaks at work because I've been so tired the past three days. It was exactly the kind of light reading I needed to relax and recharge.<br />
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Ana is in a rut.<br />
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For years, she had been focused on trying to carve out a niche for herself in a competitive, male-dominated, scientific world. On her 32nd birthday, she finally takes a step back and realises her life is . . . boring. With a little prodding from her friends, she decides to shake things up. She vows that this is the year she’ll finally capture the heart of Daniel Sato, the research associate she’s secretly loved for ages.<br />
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So she makes a birthday wish—to finally fall in love with someone ('with' being the operative word).<br />
But then, she hadn't counted on crossing paths with hunky and opinionated actor Ken Nakamura.<br />
Be careful what you wish for—Fate always answers—even if it isn't exactly the answer that we were hoping for. Find out how even the best-laid plans go awry when the paths of two very different people suddenly collide.</div>
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Yes, the actor/dreamboat character-meets-ordinary-person-and-they-fall-in-love is such a cliche, but the romantic in me cannot help but read it anyway. It helped that going into the book, I already had my expectations that this was going to be a fluffy story; what I didn't expect was that I'd be so absorbed and I'd be smiling and get super <i>kilig</i> while reading.<br />
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I loved Ana Madrigal and Ken Nakamura as separate characters and as a couple! I love their opposing personalities but that they find humor in their differences. I can just imagine a buff Ken with broad shoulders sweeping the lab coat-wearing Ana into his arms...only she had my face. It's just confusing that Daniel Sato wasn't in the limelight in their relationship as much, and a few more scenes between Ana and Daniel would have spiced up the story more, seeing as Ana's winning him is a key factor in Ana and Ken's agreement. But this is a novella, not a novel, and my stressed out mind was simply enjoying the smooth banter, secret smiles, and <i>hot hot hot </i>kisses.<br />
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<i>Be Careful What You Wish For </i>actually made me want to learn Japanese -- and even years of <i>Samurai X </i>didn't entice me. But I'm envious of Ana being so fluent and conversing easily in a different language with a lot of people. Japanese seems closer to some Filipino words and now I'm curious.<br />
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I'm so excited for the story of Ana's friends, Kaye and Tessa, and C.P. Santi promises they'll be up next. Supporting characters can also lend excitement to the story, and Kaye and Tessa were such strong forces with their own quirks and troubles that I couldn't help but want them to come alive like I know now C.P. Santi can do.<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">About C. P. Santi:</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/arkiCpsanti" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CPsantiauthor?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/user/cpsanti" target="_blank">Wattpad</a> | <a href="https://instagram.com/arkicpsanti/" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
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C. P. Santi is a Filipina author based in Tokyo, Japan. She is a wife to an engineer / indie songwriter and a full-time mom to two energetic boys. She loves cooking and baking, and enjoys feeding people, gorging on chocolate, watching J-doramas, belting it out in the karaoke box, and running around the house playing tickle tag. She also loves dreaming up stories about the people she meets.<br />
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In another life, she is also an architect and academic.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-56740397457813846962015-10-07T12:00:00.000+08:002015-10-13T23:45:19.178+08:00Review: I Wish for You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25824701-i-wish-for-you" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">I Wish for You</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://camillaisley.com/" target="_blank">Camilla Isley</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★1/2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">Availablility: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010MCMRQ0" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9780996556118" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=NGMICgAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a> | <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780996556118" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-wish-for-you-camilla-isley/1122233073?ean=2940152003949" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/554852" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;"><i>*Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI03En6on6U9qW97Y73yGRM8oU8Pu_MxGSvQtgNo4Rys-WNlUgw1FiuOtmvK9eptM_uOflY3KsXfQdQLnTMxcrohZucUOXq8UuIeOR_CoxddwpNn1I2k-QbC92dwe3TnGb8hoIUYTCuU/s1600/25824701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI03En6on6U9qW97Y73yGRM8oU8Pu_MxGSvQtgNo4Rys-WNlUgw1FiuOtmvK9eptM_uOflY3KsXfQdQLnTMxcrohZucUOXq8UuIeOR_CoxddwpNn1I2k-QbC92dwe3TnGb8hoIUYTCuU/s200/25824701.jpg" width="131" /></a>The start for <i>I Wish for You</i> almost dissuaded me from continuing the story because it was so descriptive, the story moved so slowly that I just wanted to give up. But I forged on ahead, and thankfully I did because it became a story whose ending I couldn't stop thinking about days after I finished it.<br />
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<b>If all your wishes could suddenly come true, what would you do?</b><br />
A year ago when the love of her life dumped her for no apparent reason, Ally thought she had hit rock bottom. But now that she has seen him with another woman, and one she knows only too well, her life seems to have reached a whole new level of low.<br />
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Yet, when she stumbles across an ancient object infused with magical powers and a stranger with a dark past appears out of nowhere promising to grant all her wishes, she finds herself hoping again.<br />
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Suddenly Ally’s life is turned upside down; she has a mystery to solve, a rival to beat, a millenarian curse to break, and well, she wants to have some fun playing with her new “gifts”…<br />
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<b>But can she wish her way to happily ever after? </b></div>
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But then again, I was able to relate to it -- you know, being hung up over the ex, the "One who Got Away". That, and because she gets five wishes. Five! Why couldn't this happen in real life? Thanks to Aladdin, I've already planned my 3 wishes a long time ago.<br />
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Ally is one of those typical (by now) chick lit character -- almost 30 and going nowhere career-wise. It's almost a stereotype. Her ex gets engaged to one of her officemates, and Ally receives an ancient box who has a genie inside. And so the fun begins.<br />
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But along the way, she finds out the truth why her ex broke up with her, and unlike her friends, I totally agree with her ex's reasons. For me, those are very valid.<br />
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Arthur, the genie, seemed like a dark character although I was expecting a more darker past. But then again, the tone of the novel was so light, so when he retold his story, it didn't feel heavy for me at all.<br />
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In the end, there was a moment where I felt like I've been slapped by a story. I know it's just a story, but god, did I relate to it!<br />
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The ending to <i>I Wish for you</i> was something I didn't imagine, not because it's impossible but because it seemed so easy, and I wonder why it hasn't happened before. But I liked it anyway, and in the end, isn't enjoyment of a story reason enough? I did find some spelling errors here and there (three, at the last count) but nothing too glaring.<br />
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I recommend this to those looking for a light-hearted chick lit-lover looking to get over The One. <i>I Wish for You </i>is not a unique take of the trope, but it does give you a reality check!<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">About the author</span></b><br />
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Camilla was born in 1984. She’s an engineer that has always had a vivid imagination and a more creative approach to life. After working in a corporate job for some years, she left everything to follow her husband around the world in a new adventure. Upon finding herself with loads of free time for the first time in a long while, she decided to begin pouring some of her fantasies into words…<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-82512015190684323972015-10-02T14:00:00.001+08:002015-10-06T20:04:03.196+08:00Review: The Fate of Ten [Lorien Legacies, book 06]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23871021-the-fate-of-ten" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Fate of Ten [Lorien Legacies, book 06]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.iamnumberfourfans.com/" target="_blank">Pittacus Lore</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2px;">★1/2</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtQJWC3rgzHMgq-npw-YZ3lzL7wsgBM97CrjLlNdSK6wpUOQZpXOqj3Y5bhyphenhyphenAIut0m-GPuaIjk5IK_qCyH1u96oWktJOr8VaXwM9-u7eaHdHDkpnzj9uG4eCwkqsd9SH07YVhKEyfciA/s1600/24488476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtQJWC3rgzHMgq-npw-YZ3lzL7wsgBM97CrjLlNdSK6wpUOQZpXOqj3Y5bhyphenhyphenAIut0m-GPuaIjk5IK_qCyH1u96oWktJOr8VaXwM9-u7eaHdHDkpnzj9uG4eCwkqsd9SH07YVhKEyfciA/s200/24488476.jpg" width="133" /></a>I've been gone for over a month because, well, work, as usual. And because I went to...Europe! Thank you, McLexxie for your Switzerland tips :)<br />
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For years the Garde have fought the Mogadorians in secret. Now all of that has changed. The invasion has begun. If the Garde can't find a way to stop the Mogs, humanity will suffer the same fate as the Lorien: annihilation.<br />
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There is still hope. When the Elders sent the Garde to Earth, they had a plan—one which the Garde are finally starting to understand. In the climax of The Revenge of Seven, a group of the Garde traveled to an ancient pyramid in Mexico known to their people as the Sanctuary. There they awoke a power that had been hidden within our planet for generations. Now this power can save the world . . . or destroy it. It will all depend on who wields it.</div>
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Well color me surprised because I think <i>The Fate of Ten </i>is the best one in the Lorien Legacies so far. It is filled with our usual loveable characters, and some mini characters have also been added, which adds uncertainty and excitement for the next book.<br />
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<i>The Fate of Ten </i>delivers on the action and craziness that I've come to associate with it. My heart pounded as I imagined the horrors the Garde were fighting against. I was so caught up, my plan to fix my jet-lagged body clock was thrown out the window.<br />
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Finally, we are given Setrakus Ra's history, and Pittacus Lore is finally introduced. I think it's pretty clever that the author hides under the same psuedonym (unless we were actually invaded by aliens -- the Garde -- and Pittacus walks among us!) as one major character in the book. I suspect -- and I've thought about this so many times -- that John (Number Four) is the descendant of Pittacus Lore. Raise your hand if you agree with me.<br />
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There are some sad moments, and I think particular fans will wail about this, but I am looking forward on how it will re-energize the Garde into action. I think it will be an ultimate driving force for one of them.<br />
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Am I going to read the next? Heck yeah.<br />
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If you've been following this series too, go for it. Grab <i>The Fate of Ten </i>and start reading now.<br />
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Some of my Eurotrip pics:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walls in St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_3XmE4m_yYQhKw_DaOR3SEq8rfbjUTIGkTA3dt-lPiajTuShpaTHwQG3FNYfYHF63kgcJw5eRkNSaYUvAWGo8xOX4dXatQAIA9AVmB7UzTKuown2IfG6qpQOhGzWxthyvqFuiLY_bmw/s1600/20150905_113657_marked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_3XmE4m_yYQhKw_DaOR3SEq8rfbjUTIGkTA3dt-lPiajTuShpaTHwQG3FNYfYHF63kgcJw5eRkNSaYUvAWGo8xOX4dXatQAIA9AVmB7UzTKuown2IfG6qpQOhGzWxthyvqFuiLY_bmw/s400/20150905_113657_marked.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gelato in Rome. Yummmeeeeeh!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJHbveMU6m0avcZ_OQ2fBhl3CiUw8Jyr8i_fk50dGO_oHHkHzSshOt4U1nFKE_2llBZ6Ly_UAH3DAu0XyNibNThVaSNQ-bR3tK1PANt4G1Vn7qLQNGcZksPqFSoLEcmVvgmC2rtKRM2w/s1600/20150908_200357_marked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJHbveMU6m0avcZ_OQ2fBhl3CiUw8Jyr8i_fk50dGO_oHHkHzSshOt4U1nFKE_2llBZ6Ly_UAH3DAu0XyNibNThVaSNQ-bR3tK1PANt4G1Vn7qLQNGcZksPqFSoLEcmVvgmC2rtKRM2w/s400/20150908_200357_marked.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Pisa</td></tr>
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</div>Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-47827261279798586672015-08-26T00:00:00.000+08:002015-08-26T00:00:05.350+08:00Review: You're the Earl that I Want [The Lords of Worth, book 03]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23732477-you-re-the-earl-that-i-want" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">You're the Earl that I Want [The Lords of Worth, book 03]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.kellybowen.net/" target="_blank">Kelly Bowen</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/you-re-the-earl-that-i-want" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145558388X/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=145558388X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/youre-the-earl-that-i-want-kelly-bowen/1120873458?ean=9781455583881" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/1NJQngd" target="_blank">BAM!</a> | <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fapple.co%2F1JoGSn4&h=oAQFSgCUZ&enc=AZPuTx0IemesxV3D_WqRR4e_263TkfWp_MspUx1TWm1ROe-uZjKounkQiaHg_-_6KXhf6eN4ClK64c8vLLth_OQmp8-0n_Qqm4inIqXr096Me2KA4aqfG-UPswcuw5QLHCiXJZU7BEhWdbOUzRJnIMEw&s=1" target="_blank">iTunes</a></span><br />
<i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">*ARC provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCeeo-T7wRLDdTmYu18wgGdJpmM997kzuT0Bdqs0RXv2B5aRAS8qh3-UsaLIWU9MexuOlI3fhPTKYEC3arLDDXdoJBjXPBZrCDzKIaR5jfa5EHBhGnDnq_HdgEtuHR2JfBiBW2xwbW0U/s1600/23732477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCeeo-T7wRLDdTmYu18wgGdJpmM997kzuT0Bdqs0RXv2B5aRAS8qh3-UsaLIWU9MexuOlI3fhPTKYEC3arLDDXdoJBjXPBZrCDzKIaR5jfa5EHBhGnDnq_HdgEtuHR2JfBiBW2xwbW0U/s200/23732477.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
Reading about Heath and Joss made me feel comfortable, and like I was meeting up with friends I haven't seen in a long time. Weird, I know, but they made me feel that way.<br />
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THE EARL DOTH PROTEST . . .<br />
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For businessman Heath Hextall, inheriting an earldom has been a damnable nuisance. The answer: find a well-bred, biddable woman to keep his life in order and observe the required social niceties. But it's always been clear that Lady Josephine Somerhall is not that woman. Once a shy slip of a girl, Joss is now brilliant, beautiful chaos in a ball gown.<br />
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. . . BUT THE LADY KNOWS BEST<br />
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In her heart, Joss has always loved Heath, the one person she's always been able to count on. That doesn't mean she wants to marry him though. Without a husband, Joss can do as she pleases—and now, it pleases her to solve the mystery of an encoded file given to Heath by a dying man. It's put Heath in peril once, and Joss won't let that happen again. She'll do what she must to ensure the earl's safety. And to remind him that what she lacks in convention, she makes up for in passion.</div>
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I didn't myself attracted to Heath, but I did find him perfect for Joss. It was amusing for me how Heath and Joss viewed their childhood friendship differently. While Heath thought he had been mean to Joss and that she was pesky, Joss viewed him as somewhat of her refuge. This also served as one of the reasons why she had easily fallen for him.<br />
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Since they already had the basis of friendship behind them, their relationship and banter was easy and flowed naturally. I felt the love between the two characters in the end, although I do wonder at Heath's love for Joss because it primarily seemed to be based on lust. (I feel like almost all romance books now based on lust at first sight.) The heat between them was scorching, and their emotions were just visible right off the page.<br />
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<i>You're the Earl that I Want </i>is filled with old beloved characters. I am always amused by the Dowage Duchess of Worth's antics, and I wish she had more lines in this one. Luke and Joseph also make a lot of important appearances here, although I wish that cliffhanger about Joseph at the end of <a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-a-good-rogue-is-hard-to-find.html" target="_blank"><i>A Good Rogue is Hard to Find</i></a> was expounded. I haven't forgotten it, Bowen!<br />
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The story revolves around a conspiracy and several murders that Heath and Joss find themselves involved in and didn't just walk away, even though their lives were in danger. I'm not sure if that conspiracy is actually true, but it was as incredible as it sounded. However, even with the all this mysteries and killings, Bowen still managed to keep the story light-hearted.<br />
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I recommend <i>You're the Earl that I Want </i>for fans of historical romance, and fans of Kelly Bowen. :)<br />
Don't forget to join the raffle below!<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.kellybowen.net/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-Bowen/636626389706813" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kellybowen09" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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Kelly Bowen grew up in Manitoba, Canada. She attended the University of Manitoba and earned a Master of Science degree in veterinary physiology and endocrinology. But it was Kelly's infatuation with history and a weakness for a good love story that led her down the path of historical romance. When she is not writing, she seizes every opportunity to explore ruins and battlefields. Currently, Kelly lives in Winnipeg with her husband and two boys, all of whom are wonderfully patient with the writing process. Except, that is, when they need a goalie for street hockey.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-43462266220783657452015-08-25T12:00:00.000+08:002015-08-25T12:00:09.829+08:00Review: What to Do with a Duke [Spinster House, book 01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22891422-what-to-do-with-a-duke" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">What to Do with a Duke [Spinster House, book 01]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.sallymackenzie.net/" target="_blank">Sally MacKenzie</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/what-to-do-with-a-duke/id972542689?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-With-Duke-Spinster-House-ebook/dp/B00U7LIZ86" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: red;">Amazon</span></a><br />
<i>*ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i><br />
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I had mixed feelings about What to do with a Duke. Surprisingly, my uncertainty had more to do with the secondary characters than the leads...<br />
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<i>Welcome to the charming, fatefully named village of Loves Bridge, where a woman destined for spinsterhood can live a life of her own choosing—or fall unexpectedly, madly in love…</i><br />
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Miss Isabelle Catherine Hutting would rather be lounging in the library than circling the ballroom in search of a husband any day. So when Cat hears that the town’s infamous Spinster House is open for a new resident, she jumps at the chance to put all this marriage business behind her. But first she must make arrangements with her prospective landlord, Marcus, the Duke of Hart—the most handsome man she’s ever seen, and the only man who’s ever impressed her in the least…<br />
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With her wit, independent spirit, and not least of all her beauty, Marcus can’t help but be stirred by Cat. It’s terribly unfortunate he’s not looking to marry, given the centuries-old curse that left his family with the Spinster House to begin with. No duke shall live to see his heir’s birth. But is there a chance the curse could be broken—in true fairy-tale fashion—by an act of true love? The race to Happily Ever After is about to begin…</div>
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I love Sally MacKenzie's books. The stories are usually funny and witty, and it's the case with What to do with a Duke. I was able to empathize with the female protagonist, Isabella Catherine Hutting ('Cat'). I especially loved Marcus because he was so manly, and especially in the ending when he stayed away from Cat because that's what she wanted (hashtag relate).<br />
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I finished this smiling because the story of how Cat and Marcus fell in love was pretty cute, but it was slightly overshadowed by Cat's friends, whom I can't even consider true friends of hers because they try to ruin her reputation just because Cat wins their competition. And I don't get how Cat could still be friends with them afterwards.<br />
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So even though I liked <b>What to Do with a Duke</b> -- and I love Marcus' friends -- I'm not looking forward to reading the sequels featuring Jane and Anne.<br />
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<b>Have you ever read a book where you didn't want to read the sequel anymore?</b><br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-44935898289571668732015-08-15T20:18:00.001+08:002015-08-15T20:30:03.597+08:00Review: The Sixth Extinction [Sigma Force, book 10]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://jamesrollins.com/" target="_blank">James Rollins</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★1/2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.nationalbookstore.com.ph/the-sixth-extinction-a-sigma-force-novel.html" target="_blank">National Book Store</a> | <a href="http://www.fullybookedonline.com/the-sixth-extinction-sigma-force" target="_blank">Fully Booked</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-6th-extinction-james-rollins/1119477299" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-6th-Extinction-Sigma-Novels/dp/0061785695" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-6th-extinction" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-6th-extinction/id722051341?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a></span><br />
<i>*Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for the free copy, in exchange for an honest review
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Adventure, science, and heretofore unimagined bucket list-worthy places. James Rollins had me reaching for my blanket as I settled in for a few hours of thriller bliss.<br />
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Coming from <i><a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-eye-of-god-sigma-force-book-9.html" target="_blank">The Eye of God</a></i>, I expected nothing less from James Rollins' <i>The Sixth Extinction</i>, and my expectations were met. This was a book I expressly requested from the publishers, and I was happy they granted my request. <i>The Sixth Extinction</i> was exciting, engaging, chock full of adventures, and mind-blowing -- elements I've come to expect from Rollins' crafty writing.<br />
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A remote military research station broadcasts a frantic distress call that ends with a chilling message: Kill us all. When soldiers arrive to investigate, they discover everyone in the lab is dead—not just the scientists, but every living thing for fifty square miles is annihilated: every animal, plant, and insect, even bacteria. The land is completely sterile—and the blight is spreading.<br />
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To prevent the inevitable, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma must decipher a threat that rises out of the distant past, a time when Antarctica was green and Earth’s life balanced on a knife edge. Following clues from an ancient map rescued from the lost Library of Alexandria, Sigma will make a shocking discovery involving a prehistoric continent, and a new form of death buried under miles of ice.<br />
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From millennia-old secrets out of the frozen past to mysteries buried deep in the darkest jungles of today, Sigma will face its greatest challenge yet: stopping the coming extinction of mankind.<br />
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But is it already too late?</div>
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One of the things I like about books is that they make me aware of new things, like Antarctica's hidden secrets, and developments in science, which are both horrifying and fascinating to discover. (I'm glad Rollins was nice enough to separate fact from fiction at the end of the book!) What I especially liked about <i>The Sixth Extinction</i> is its relevance and timeliness to one of the world's current major issues: global warming, and that it may even be <a href="http://time.com/3929419/scientists-sixth-extinction/" target="_blank">under way</a>. What do you think of that?<br />
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Here, new Sigma members are brought to the forefront and highlighted. Two of them found new love, and I have a feeling Jason won't be staying in America for long. But while the Sigma men were strong and capable, it was the women who stood out for me. I loved the ranger, Jenna Beck, who felt more like a protagonist than simply one of the supporting characters. I also love Lisa, who stood firm and was so bad-ass even though she could possibly be severely sentenced for her behavior. Rollins, your women are outstanding.<br />
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We are taken through different locations, from the Mono Lake and its surrounds in the US, to Antarctica and its hidden secrets, to the breathtaking <a href="http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/tabletop-mountains-or-tepuis-of.html" target="_blank">tepuis</a> of Brazil. With one book, my adventure bucket list has just increased by three more places.<br />
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Admittedly, it was a little dizzying keeping up with all the characters in this book. There was a time I felt that there were too many characters and I had to recall which character was which. I wondered if some characters could be taken out, and if the story would be the same, but it didn't seem like it. I suppose the number is commensurate to the gravity of the story and situation.<br />
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<i>The Sixth Extinction</i> was written so well that when the book was finished, I didn't feel like I've been short-changed. Everything was resolutely wrapped, and I felt very satisfied from my reading experience. After having read over a thousand books, that's not something I can say for each one!<br />
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With <i>The Sixth Extinction</i>, Rollins has cemented his place in my must-read authors. I can't help but recommend his work to my sci-fi loving friend. And the best part is, I don't have to wait long because his next book, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23434061-the-bone-labyrinth" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Labyrinth</i></a>, is coming out this December. Friends, you know what to give me this December (book store coupons, like always).<br />
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How about you, what's the one thriller adventure/sci-fi book you've read that last made your heart race?<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-24715623347397266292015-07-27T12:00:00.000+08:002015-07-27T12:00:06.155+08:00Review: Les Misérables<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13661.Victor_Hugo" target="_blank">Victor Hugo</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★1/2</span></div>
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Les Misérables first entered my consciousness when I was in grade 5, and my older sister joined the school play. It quickly became one of my favorite stories, but I have resisted reading the story because I felt that it was too long and too deep for me to read.<br />
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But with our No Love in this Club book club, my friend and I decided to challenge ourselves with this epic story.<br />
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No regrets here! But before you continue reading, be forewarned that there may be spoilers here.<br />
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Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean - the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread. In <i>Les Misérables</i> Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them onto the barricades during the uprising of 1832.<br />
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Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. <i>Les Misérables</i> gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait which resulted is larger than life, epic in scope - an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.</div>
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I cannot help but feel that <i>Les Misérables</i> is a work of art. It was so poignant, so full of insight into humanity. The writing was so poetic and so lush, in a way that few authors are. So far, no movie or play I've seen have rendered justice to this beautiful story. It was also very thematic, and the man vs. self conflict was reiterated several times, almost always in Jean Valjean's story, although Javert, in the end, experiences this too.<br />
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There are so many poignant characters in the story, but non I love more than Jean Valjean. Whatever you've seen in the movies about the Cosette, Marius, and Eponine, throw them all out. They seemed one-sided characters, but in the stories they were more alive. The movies had romanticized these characters, but the book had stripped that from me and left me marvelling at the wonderful character of Jean Valjean.<br />
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In the movie <i>Ever After</i> (Drew Barrymore's Cinderella version), Cinderella says: If you suffer you people to ill educated and their manners corrupted from infancy, what else is there to be concluded is that you first make thieves and then punish them?<br />
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I've never forgotten that line, and it was very applicable to Jean Valjean's character. Valjean, having been poor all his life, and needing to feed himself and his nieces and nephews, resorted to stealing bread, for which he was given some time in prison. But his constant attempts to escape resulted in his being imprisoned for 19 years. And in that prison, he had learned to hate society because he realized that he had become what he was as a result of the inactivity of society to educate him.<br />
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Throughout the story, he had to wrest with himself whether to do what is right by others, even if it will lead to his arrest for crimes he had committed when he first got out of prison.<br />
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The other interesting character, and who has scared Valjean almost throughout his time as a free man, is Javert, the Inspector of Police. The movies don't quite capture Javert's rigidity, but the book tells that he's a man who only has one path and whose belief system states that man is only governed by law. If you do a crime, you are punished -- no excuses. It makes him into a terrifying character who can be so ruthless and so unpardonable. Valjean's act of saving his life during the barricade and his willingness to be arrested made Javert's conscience rear its head. It made him question his morals and his beliefs, troubling him so much that in the end, he committed suicide.<br />
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The three major supporting characters are Cosette, Marius, and Eponine. They were as depicted in the movie, although it wasn't love at first sight for Cosette and Marius. Also, they had more time together than I initially thought. But -- spoiler alert -- I was quite disappointed in them because when Jean Valjean told Marius the truth about himself as a convict, Marius was appalled and made Valjean feel unwelcome in his house. And Cosette was so happy with Marius that she eventually forgot Valjean. That made me feel so bad for Valjean, because Cosette had become his whole world. I still believe that he had died of a broken heart.<br />
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And Marius wasn't as part of the Friends of the ABC Revolution like I thought. He only went to war because he felt that he life without Cosette was worthless.<br />
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Eponine's story was as tragic as can be, although she did not look as beautiful or as clean as was depicted in the stories. Her family, the Thenadiers, had really fallen on hard times. Same goes for Gavroche, the gamin child who was shot at the barricades. I love that the story of what happened to him was depicted accurately in movies/plays, and even though I knew how he was going to die, I still felt sad when I read it. Trivia: Gavroche is the young brother of Eponine. I never knew that until I read the book!<br />
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I finished reading <i>Les Misérables </i>and felt like I had one of the best reading times I've had. And I especially love this edition from Simon & Schuster because it had helpful vocabulary notes and translations in the end, which proved very helpful.<br />
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What I didn't like with the book (hence the 4.5 stars rating) is that there were parts that I felt were unnecessary. My book club buddy says it's too descriptive, and I agree. I really felt the long hours I committed to reading it, but I have no regrets. I agree with all who say that it's one of those books one must read in one's lifetime. Go get it.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-82507602006695922212015-07-22T12:00:00.000+08:002015-07-22T12:00:04.254+08:00Review: The Fixer [The Fixer, book 01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Lynn Barnes</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★1/2</span></div>
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<i>The Fixer</i>'s plot description alone got me hooked. As a fan of Olivia Pope, I just had to read it.<br />
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It did not disappoint.<br />
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When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 "fixer" known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.<br />
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Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.</div>
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I love that it didn't center around Ivy because that would have been too much like <i>Scandal</i>, and I didn't want that. I love that it focused around Tess instead, and her budding fixer ways. I love the very strong female characters: main character Tess, supporting characters Ivy Kendrick, and Tess' classmates Vivvie and Emilia. I also love the equally strong guys, Adam, Bodie, Asher, and Henry, who were not, in any way, emasculated. They just reeked manliness and muscles, and were incredibly supportive.<br />
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I was not able to relate to the settings because I've never been to a glitzy event to The White House, but the characters felt so real. Vivvie and Asher were so grounded, that I felt I could be friends with them. Tess intimidates me, but hopefully we'll get along!<br />
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<i>The Fixer</i> serves several twists and turns. That's one part that confused me, and it was the revelation of who the father was. Somehow, it just didn't make sense to me. I felt that there was too little build-up for one character, which didn't actualize and left me disappointed and confused.<br />
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Jennifer Lynn Barnes seems to be continuing with her trend of writing mystery books in law/political environments, and I must say she's doing pretty well in it. I am definitely going to read the sequel (still untitled) to <i>The Fixer</i> once it's out.<br />
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I definitely recommend <i>The Fixer</i> for fans of young adult mystery thrillers and, of course, fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes.<br />
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Have a nice week :)<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-44048161286169714112015-07-20T12:00:00.000+08:002015-07-20T12:00:06.626+08:00Review: The Anonymous Signal [Armageddon Duology, book 01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25745123-the-anonymous-signal?ac=1" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Anonymous Signal [Armageddon Duology, book 01]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.erecstebbinsbooks.com/" target="_blank">Erec Stebbins</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★1/2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Signal-Erec-Stebbins-ebook/dp/B00ZVC9UG2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<i>*Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review</i><br />
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I'm glad the author, Erec Stebbins, contacted me for a review. Even though I was super busy and haven't had much time to read all emails, this particular request caught my eye because it talked about technology, and I looove technology. And I'm also glad I gave it a chance!<br />
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<b>NO FORGIVENESS. NO FORGETTING. EXPECT IT.</b><br />
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The global financial system is in chaos. World leaders have been compromised. An unstoppable computer virus eats through the Internet. <br />
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Join an elite team of FBI and CIA agents, and the shadowy figures they must work with, as they try to stop a global catastrophe and act of digital terrorism unlike anything ever witnessed.<br />
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They are Anonymous. They do not forgive. They do not forget. Expect their signal.</div>
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At first, I thought it was about the Anonymous group per se, but not really. It was more about a lone paranoid hacker, named Fawkes, who created a code so brilliant that he was able to cripple the economy not just in America but around the world.<br />
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It's a little disconcerting to think that this could possibly happen, and I suppose that was part of my discomfort while reading the <i>The Anonymous Signal</i>. It kept me on edge as I read the narrative.<br />
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The characters were equally engaging as well. Intel1, the group who primarily handled the case, had an interesting motley crew. There was Savas, his partner Cohen, then a hacker named Lightfoote (or Angel), and The Priest and The Whore, who are just kick-ass characters I would love to know more about. Since the world as they knew it looked like it was ending, Savas called a lot of shots that ordinarily would have landed him in a whole lot of trouble. I like the leeway given in this situation, which was very appropriate.<br />
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There were little depositions inserted at the start of every chapter were the foreshadowing, but I was still surprised with the twist in the end that hopefully will be resolved with the sequel, <i>The Nash Criterion</i>, that comes out in 2016.<br />
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What I didn't like about <i>The Anonymous Signal</i> was that it became too technical at times. Sometimes I would get a little lost because I couldn't understand what they were talking about, but I just trusted that it would work out in the end. One example was the worm that Angel created to counteract or nullify the act of the malicious worm that has brought down the world economy. At first, I couldn't understand it, but it was explained several times (to different people) that I got the gist of it in the end.<br />
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But <i>The Anonymous Signal</i> was a sure thriller that had me smiling when it ended. And also furiously swiping my tablet left because I couldn't believe that it was done! Stebbins sure knows how to hook me on to the next one.<br />
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If you're looking for a techie espionage thriller, I do recommend <i>The Anonymous Signal</i>.<br />
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<b>Are there other bloggers who read thrillers like these? Share me with your favorites! :)</b><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.erecstebbinsbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5990247.Erec_Stebbins" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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Erec Stebbins is a biomedical researcher who writes novels in a variety of genres. He is also an associate professor and head of the Laboratory of Structural Microbiology at the Rockefeller University in New York.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-8389898589632301442015-07-07T17:25:00.000+08:002015-07-18T01:19:18.449+08:00Review: Dressed to Kill [A Tourist Trap Mystery, book 04]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: <a href="http://www.lynncahoon.com/" target="_blank">Lynn Cahoon</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">★★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: </span><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dressed-to-kill-12" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Kobo</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dressed-to-kill-lynn-cahoon/1120611633?ean=9781601834164" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=x_gr_w_bb?keywords=9781601834164&index=books&linkCode=qs&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> | </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/dressed-to-kill/id957180688?mt=11" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">iBooks</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> | </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lynn_Cahoon_Dressed_To_Kill?id=iRFjBgAAQBAJ&hl=en" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Google Play</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Dressed-Kill-Lynn-Cahoon/9781601834164?&a_aid=goodreads" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><i>*Copy received from Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i></span><br />
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I feel a little rusty as I haven't written a review in a long time. Work has been crazy, and for the past three weeks I've been arranging a two-week vacation for my family -- to a destination I haven't been to before! (Shoutout to McLexxie for patiently answering all my vacation questions!)<br />
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But in between breaths, I got caught up in <i>Dressed to Kill</i> by Lynn Cahoon. This is actually the fourth book in A Tourist Trap Mystery, but this is the first one I've read. This felt like it could be a standalone since it wasn't hard to get to know the characters.<br />
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Jill Gardner—owner of Coffee, Books, and More in the tucked-away town of South Cove, California—is not particularly thrilled to be portraying a twenties flapper for the dinner theater murder mystery. Though it is for charity…<br />
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Of course everyone is expecting a “dead” body at the dress rehearsal…but this one isn’t acting! It turns out the main suspect is the late actor’s conniving girlfriend Sherry…who also happens to be the ex-wife of Jill’s main squeeze. Sherry is definitely a master manipulator…but is she a killer? Jill may discover the truth only when the curtain comes up on the final act…and by then, it may be far too late. </div>
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If there's one word to describe <i>Dressed to Kill</i>, it's that it's cozy. It was a book that made me curl up in the sofa and, even though there's a murder to solve, I liked the vibe of the town. Jill was a person I could have been friends with in real life! The book was so easy to read, it made me pause in between my reading of <i>Les Miserables</i> (our <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/163812-no-love-in-this-book-club" target="_blank">book club's</a> choice for the month).<br />
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There were clues dropped along the way, but I was only able to solve it right before the revelation of the culprit. I feel like some sub-plot twists could be better discussed, or that the culprit's reasoning was better explained, but all in all, it was a satisfying ending. It didn't feel like the culprit came out of nowhere.<br />
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If you're looking for a breezy and cozy mystery, <i>Dressed to Kill </i>is a good choice. :)<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-7179096534496226722015-06-15T13:52:00.000+08:002015-06-15T13:52:02.837+08:00Musings and poetry: Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;">Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Author: Dylan Thomas</span><br />
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One thing I haven't talked about in My Books Musings yet is my love for poetry. It first started way back in grade 3 when our class had to recite to the whole student body a poem that I will share in future posts. With a few verses, it moved me, and I was so amazed that in only few, concise words, something beautiful was written, and its message was strongly felt.<br />
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Since then, I've been looking for books of poems that I can read and enjoy. While browsing <i>Poems That Make Grown Men Cry</i>, I came across one of my favorite poems.<br />
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Do not go gentle into that good night,</div>
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Old age should burn and rave at close of day;</div>
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Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</div>
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Though wise men at their end know dark is right,</div>
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Because their words had forked no lightning they</div>
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Do not go gentle into that good night.</div>
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Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright</div>
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Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,</div>
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Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</div>
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Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,</div>
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And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,</div>
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Do not go gentle into that good night.</div>
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Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight</div>
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Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,</div>
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Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</div>
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And you, my father, there on that sad height,</div>
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Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.</div>
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Do not go gentle into that good night.</div>
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Rage, rage against the dying of the light. </div>
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I first studied <i>Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night </i> in third year college when my literature professor, Mr. Calzado, assigned this to us for reading and discussion. There I learned that this was about fighting against succumbing to death, and since I've felt that way many times (you know, the feeling of just wanting to give up), this poem has always reminded me to keep fighting and to keep moving on. I haven't memorized this poem, but <i>Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night's</i> last line has been seared into my memory.<br />
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<i>Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</i><br />
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Are there any poems you love or have inspired you? I'd really love to hear some recommendations!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-31635140640155570592015-05-27T12:30:00.000+08:002015-05-27T12:30:01.041+08:00Review & Giveaway: Passionately Yours [Hellions of High Street, book 03]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Title: </span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20628348-passionately-yours" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Passionately Yours [Hellions of High Street, book 03]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Author: <a href="http://www.caraelliott.com/" target="_blank">Cara Elliott</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">★</span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">1/2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/passionately-yours" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passionately-yours-cara-elliott/1115951929?ean=9781455573264" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passionately-Yours-Hellions-High-Street/dp/1455573264/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_y" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/passionately-yours/id671019036?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cara_Elliott_Passionately_Yours?id=raikAQAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Google Play</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Passionately-Yours/Cara-Elliott/9781455573264?id=6184223906396" target="_blank">BAM</a></span><br />
<i>*ARC provided by Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i></div>
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This is me eating my words that I did not want to read the third book in the Hellions of High Street series, after the second book, <i><a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/2015/05/review-sinfully-yours-hellions-of-high-street.html" target="_blank">Sinfully Yours</a></i>, fell flat of my expectations. <i>Passionately Yours </i>is one of the few books that made me feel so thrilled at how the story was going down. I read a lot of romance, but not a lot of them actually made me feel giddy (or as more aptly termed in Filipino, <i>kilig</i>).<br />
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<i>Proper young ladies of the ton-especially ones who have very small dowries-are not encouraged to have an interest in intellectual pursuits. Indeed, the only things they are encouraged to pursue are eligible bachelors. So, the headstrong Sloane sisters must keep their passions a secret. Ah, but secret passions are wont to lead a lady into trouble . . .</i><br />
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With her older sisters both happily married, Caro Sloane yearns for a romantic adventure of her own. Unfortunately the muddy, sulfur-scented waters of Bath seem the least likely setting for love or excitement. But the aspiring young poet soon finds inspiration when she runs into a familiar-and achingly handsome-Scottish laird.<br />
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Visiting Bath with his sickly sister, Alec McClellan is shocked to be reunited with Caro Sloane. He hasn't been able to forget the English beauty since their brief but exhilarating first meeting. But Bath is not nearly as serene as it appears, and soon Alec must protect Caro from a danger that threatens to extinguish the sparks flying between them. Little does he know that a bit of danger is exactly what Caro is looking for . . .</div>
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In <i><a href="http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/2015/05/review-sinfully-yours-hellions-of-high-street.html" target="_blank">Sinfully Yours</a></i>, I wasn't feeling much love for gruff McClellan. Since I felt more like Caro -- impetuous, stubborn, and with a wide romantic streak -- I also want amiable men. However, McClellan won me over with his struggle to show Caro how he really feels. I understand that men find it hard to reveal how they feel in a language women can understand, but McClellan tried so hard. In the end, I wanted to have a huggable bear like he is.<br />
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I was a little put off by Caro. In the past three books, she hasn't exactly endeared herself to me. She lacked confidence in her instincts, and I hate that (yes, I also hate that part about me heh!). I felt that she needed to grow up some more, and I think McClellan is the man who will allow for her youthfulness as they grow old together.<br />
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The romance between them was hot, and their growing affection for each other was nicely built up. I also liked their interaction with other characters, and the developing relationship between the secondary characters Andover and Isobel.<br />
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What I didn't appreciate much about the story was the long-drawn out affair about what McClellan actually does for Scotland, and I feel that it wasn't sufficiently explained. I also wished that <i>that </i>note that Isobel was delivering had been shared with the reader. There were also parts that I felt could have been removed from the story and it would still have made sense.<br />
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But overall, I'm really glad I didn't let my first impression of <i>Passionately Yours</i> sway me from finishing the series. You should get a copy of this (if not the trilogy!) because if you're looking for an engaging set of characters and really lovely men, Hellions of High Street might just do the trick.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
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Cara Elliott started writing Western novels at the age of five. However, she traded in her cowboy boots for Regency high-top Hessians after reading Pride and Prejudice in junior high school and hasn't looked back. She graduated from Yale University, and she now lives and works in New York City.<br />
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<b>Giveaway!</b><br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-13932624527548816942015-05-26T09:00:00.000+08:002015-07-20T23:12:37.159+08:00Excerpt & giveaway: Perfect Moments [buqo YA, bundle 05]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Title: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Perfect Moments [buqo YA, bundle 05]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Authors: Sue Donymko, Charm Jacinto, Jessica Larsen, KZ Riman, Madelyn Tuviera, Audrine Pascal</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Excerpts: A Moment Like This | </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Something Real</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> </span>| <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Someone to Care</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">The Offside</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Match Point Mishap</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Anything You Want Me To</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><i>*ARC provided by blog tour host in exchange for an honest review</i></span></span><br />
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Sometimes you’ll meet your match: at detention, on the badminton court, in a resort hotel in Davao, at a lab, in a foster home, at an epic party. You’ll never know. But always keep your heart ready for that perfect moment. Read these stories and experience the bliss of first love.</div>
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If you want to sample some YA feels by Filipino authors, the whole bundle is exclusively available at Buqo for the next three months, and for this week is only at P45. That's really quite a steal!<br />
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<b>Excerpts</b><br />
<b><br /></b><i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">A Moment Like This</span></i><br />
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Kris Mercado and Noel Abad are trapped in a posh resort hotel in Davao City during a particularly bad flood. After spending almost everyday together, they realize that they are undeniably attracted to each other. But reality bites as usual, and they now have to decide whether to chalk their romance up to forced circumstances or to explore what could be the sweetest love they've been looking for...</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">A few minutes later, Noel came out wearing shorts and a snug shirt. His legs were quite hairy, and she caught a glimpse of his trim stomach when his t-shirt lifted as he dried his hair. Kris told herself to quit staring or he might think she’s the maniac.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">He laid down on the bed, made himself comfortable, and closed his eyes before acknowledging her statement. “Okay, what do you want?” he said tiredly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">“That’s it, what do I want?” she asked incredulously.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">He looked at her and raised both eyebrows. “It’s not as if I don’t know what to not do such as not stare at your legs if you wear shorts,” he said innocently, but his eyes held a teasing gleam.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Kris flushed. “Touché. Okay, no staring. No going to each other's beds. No undressing in front of each other, no leaving dirty clothes on the floor. I don’t want to see your underwear!”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">“What makes you think I wear any?” he said, closing his eyes again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">She gaped at him until he started smiling.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">He forced himself to sit up and look at her seriously. “I’m really not going to take advantage of you. I know we’re still in our hormonal years, but I do act like a human being ninety percent of the time,” he said.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">This time, she was prepared for his teasing. “And ten percent of the time?” she asked lightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">“That’s when I start scratching my head with my feet, start licking my balls, and howl at the moon,” he said with mock seriousness before laying down on his bed again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Kris couldn’t help but laugh at that imagery. She caught him smiling just before he fell asleep.</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
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<b>Sue Donymko</b><br />
<a href="http://suedonymko.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/suedonymko" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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Sue Donymko lives and works in Manila, Philippines. When not writing or working, or working some more, she eats, watches a lot of television, sings -- much to the neighbors' dismay -- and reads until she falls asleep.<br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Anything You Want Me To</span></i><br />
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Oh, Via. Such in a hurry to have a boyfriend. Now look who got dumped on social media, just before the epic party happening tonight.<br />
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So why is she hanging out with Franco Castañer? It’s all good – Via’s always been immune to all that yummy goodness, him being her best friend’s brother and all.<br />
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But is Franco actually being flirty? Or is she just reading too much into this? How exactly do you decode the species they call boy?<br />
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Vodka shot, anyone?</div>
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"So where's Via's boyfriend?" I catch someone blurt out.<br />
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I'm supposed to debut Kyle Olvera tonight. I’m supposed to introduce him to all my friends. I’m supposed to make them all drool in envy, because he’s gorgeous and rich and totally hot for me. I’m supposed to drink and dance with him by my side. I’m supposed to take a million make out selfies when we’re good and properly smashed.<br />
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Where’s Kyle? The photo saved in my phone flashes before my eyes. Didn’t you see the picture online? It must’ve been shared a million times by now. He's busy. Busy kissing someone else!<br />
<br />
I was already home yesterday when my phone chirped to notify me that Kyle had just created a post. I opened the app to find the picture that would make me stumble backward and stifle an outraged scream. <br />
<br />
It's a close up. There’s Kyle’s unmistakably angular profile and it’s pressed against a face that isn’t mine. Pink lips, delicate cheekbones and unbelievably thick lashes that can only be fake or unfair. The caption: #todaywasafairytale.<br />
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Fairytale? What kind of a banal hashtag is that?<br />
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The girl is tagged in it. Who the expletives-that-would-make-my-dad-faint is Nicole Valencia? Who does she think she is? Doesn't she know anything about Kyle and me?<br />
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He posted it. He wants me to see it. He wants everyone to know.<br />
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A boy breaking up with a girl is already bad. A boy breaking up with a girl, then getting it on with another one, is a jerk. A boy breaking up with a girl via text is listed in the dictionary under the word ‘asshole’.<br />
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But a boy breaking up with a girl, using a picture of him sticking his tongue down someone else’s throat, uploaded on social media?<br />
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OMFG, I want to die.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
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<b>Audrine Pascal</b><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/ReeechBeeetch" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/user/ReeechBeeetch" target="_blank">Wattpad</a><br />
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My heels are sky high. Always.<br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Something Real</span></i><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Hailey's principle is heart over mind. It's Rick or nothing at all. Brett's scholarship comes first. His, was mind over matters of the heart. A laboratory experiment in Physics brought them together making their lives entangled with each other. From lab partners to having a crossfire of misread signals to friendship. Will they ever find the perfect formula when it comes to the principle of love?</div>
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I went to the shoreline barefoot and let the small waves tickle my feet. Biela already made friends and was enjoying the day as much as I did. Ben didn't lie when he said that I will enjoy the beach. The scenery is just so breathtaking. The coast is clear, the skies are blue, powdery sand, and coconut trees are all over the island.<br />
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I can hear a reggae song - B.M.D by Insolence playing in the background, one of my favorite beach songs. I let the gentle sea breeze mess my hair and the cool water splash on my aqua sleeveless dress then I closed my eyes and seized the moment.<br />
<br />
When I opened my eyes, I saw Brett standing in front me with his gorgeous eyes looking into mine.<br />
<br />
"I was gonna tell you that they are all eating at the table" he said in a husky voice.<br />
<br />
I snapped out of my reverie. Looking at Brett right now makes me feel safe and calm. Maybe I was staring too long because Brett started to become worried.<br />
<br />
"Are you okay?"<br />
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"I'm fine. I just remembered I forgot to put the suntan lotion in my bag"<br />
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"Suntan lotion huh?"<br />
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“Yes” I lied. "But seriously, I wanted to thank you for all your effort."<br />
<br />
"Effort for what?”<br />
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"Brett, you have my happy list in your head. The sunflowers, photos, beach, Biela…"<br />
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"And the quiet moment that I interrupted. So, you’ve noticed huh?” He said scratching his head. “Let's just say, I'm saving a lab partner in distress."<br />
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“Well, I’m happy to report that I’m getting back on my feet Sir! But what’s in it for you?” I asked curiously.<br />
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“I’m practicing my skills on how to save a life. I’m a future doctor, remember?”<br />
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“Really Brett? Do you want me to pack up and leave?"<br />
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"No no no you just got here. I was just kidding!” He touched my shoulders lightly. “When you became my lab partner, all I ever do is save you from trouble, not that I’m complaining. You’re one happy chaos in my very organized life."<br />
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“Is that a bad thing?”<br />
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“Not really. I still consider you as my friend.”<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<b>Charm Jacinto</b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://twitter.com/CharmJacinto" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/user/autumn202" target="_blank">Wattpad</a><br />
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Charm Jacinto's first choice of books are historical romances written by Barbara Cartland, Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux way back in college. She graduated as BSBA major in Human Resources Development but had an epiphany that her path leads to still helping people but more on the medical side. Her life became more meaningful because of her husband and daughter who encourages her to be the best that she can be.</div>
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<div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>Match Point Mishap</i></span><br />
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"Shit happens to the best of us," goes a saying, and Lester Torres, a now-starving student-artist, cannot agree more. The family business has reached a steady decline. His parents are distraught. His education is at the risk of being put on hold because tuition's too expensive, impractical. Something they are no longer able to afford. Unwilling to give up, he tries to apply for an athletic scholarship in the hope of keeping the dream alive. He was in the high school badminton varsity team, after all. Might as well put his dormant skill to good use, right? He aces the first few matches, winning them in a breeze, and thinks that he's got this scholarship in the bag already. Easy as pie.<br />
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Enter a talented player by the name of Wency David, and Lester lands the first missed service of his game.</div>
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Wency gave him a long look, sucking in his bottom lip as he did so. He tilted his head, squinted his eyes. It was almost as if he was studying Lester, and maybe he was. Maybe this was what Wency did during down time, between matches – watch people move from one side of the court to another, trying to see if there was anything in their normal actions, gestures, reactions that could allude to the next shot they were going to make, or the block they planned to deflect his shots with.<br />
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"You look familiar," Wency whispered. Slowly, he bent his knees before getting down on all fours, looking up at Lester through the narrow gaps of his bangs. "Very familiar."<br />
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Lester took a deep breath. He was really bad at names, but he was dead sure he hadn't seen Wency prior to the try-outs at the start of the week. His memory of faces and anything visual was impeccable, after all. So it only made sense that if they'd at least bumped into each other in a tournament or in school, Lester would've recognized him, picked him out from the crowd of aspirants hoping to make the badminton team. He didn't have the biggest social circle, but having Jude and Jessica as close friends made him friends with everyone by extension.<br />
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And when he mentioned a certain 'Wency David' to both of them, they'd only said, "Oh wow, you remembered his name. Must've been really good, huh?"</div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>Madelyn Tuviera</b><br />
<a href="https://maddietuv.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/maddietuv" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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Madelyn Tuviera is a twenty-something woman whose ideal way of spending a day is sipping coffee while writing (and trying not to spill coffee on said output). She started writing when she was in fifth grade and hasn’t looked back since. She’s grossly fascinated with drama, romance, and tiny creatures that can be tamed and kept in capsules. She does not grammar on weekends. But she does think of writing 99.9% of the time.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>Someone to Care</i></span><br />
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After her parents die in an accident, Jennelle is passed around by her relatives. Hindi siya tumatagal ng isang taon sa piling ng mga kamag-anak bago siya itulak ng mga ito patungo sa iba. At fifteen, nalibot na yata niya lahat ng isla sa Pilipinas. Not that she cares, because she has learned from the moment she loses her parents that not getting too involved with anyone will keep her from getting hurt. Subalit nagbago ang lahat ng iyon nang makilala niya si Valentine, ang adopted son ng distant relative niya kung saan siya sunod na titira. Like her, Valentine has been orphaned at a young age, but unlike her, Valentine loves to keep everyone close—except her. And as if sharing a home wasn’t enough of a torture, they would also be attending the same school.</div>
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Humigpit ang hawak ko sa dala-dala kong traveling bag nang tumambad sa paningin ko ang malaking yellow two-story house with red roof mula sa kabila ng kinatatayuan kong mataas na metal bars gate. Hinila ko pababa sa knee level skirt ko ang sleeveless tee kong suot at humugot nang malalim na hininga. Tension filled my heart as my fingers hovered over the doorbell, but before I could press it, a teenage boy not far from my age, with tousled black hair and gray eyes, opened the gate. Nanigas ako sa posisyon ko nang magtama ang aming paningin. I saw recognition in his eyes, but before I could speak, a woman’s voice called out.<br />
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“Val, bumalik ka rito!”<br />
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“Sorry mom! Babalik din ako mamaya!” sagot ng binatilyong sa palagay ko ay may taas na 5 feet, 8 inches, given that I stood about four inches below him. He furrowed his brows at me, and without saying anything more, he dashed down the road before the woman got to us.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<b>Jessica Larsen</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.jessicaelarsen.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorJessicaELarsen" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/jessicaelarsen" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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Jessica E. Larsen is a hopeless romantic, who will forever be young at heart. She enjoys traveling a lot, drawing inspiration from places she visits and interesting people she encounters. She loves to read, and writes in different genres and spends hours arguing with her characters. At times she likes playing the villain and gives them a taste of hell when they refused to listen to her demands.<br />
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Jessica was born in the Philippines and lived in Spain since she was eighteen.</div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>The Offside</i></span><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
All I wanted was to move on to sophomore year. And, of course, to have Soccer God Mattheus Estevez back into my life, despite my brother’s incessant demands that I stopped dating jocks. What I didn’t count on, though, was to go through detention work with Geovanne Estevez, Mattheus’ identical twin brother, just so I’d realize both. And what I found baffling about it all was how Geovanne seemed to be putting a lot more effort into it than we had all bargained for, making this detention the best one yet.</div>
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I turned away the moment Geo tried to kiss me. It just didn’t feel right. None of these, however real they felt to me, was right. Everything was so wrong. Everything that led to this night had been lies – that photo wall, that chance to be with Matt again. If it was me who had been blindsided, I didn’t know. What I did know was that he was putting an end to it all.<br />
<br />
“What are you doing?” I asked, my heart thudding against my chest. I’d push him out if I had the strength to do so, but having him that close to me drained me of my will.<br />
<br />
He didn’t move nor did he say a thing after that, but I could feel tension slowly rising between us, the distance too close no matter how much I tried to get away from him. I couldn’t breathe. I felt my knees wobble, and I sat on my bed, calming myself.<br />
<br />
“Zoey, I really like you,” he said.<br />
<br />
“Please don’t.” It was a whisper.<br />
<br />
“But I do. I do like you…”<br />
<br />
“How could you do this to me?” I yelled at him. What kind of a sadistic asshole pushes a girl to the boy of her dreams, does sweet things for her and then tells her that he likes her, too?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>KZ Riman</b><br />
<a href="https://kzriman.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/AuthorKZRiman" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/kzriman" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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This romance, erotica and fantasy author spends each moment of her days writing. She spends her free time -- if she ever gets any pf that -- inside her room, where she reads steamy novels and watches romantic comedies.<br />
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KZ is a pure-bred Filipina who lives with her family in Tarlac City, Philippines. Growing up, she has dreamed of becoming a novelist and screenplay writer, and has written countless stories, which she shares with her friends. Now, she dreams further by sharing her imagination to the world.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-23884161236751500752015-05-12T09:00:00.000+08:002015-05-24T00:34:51.549+08:00Mini review, excerpt & giveaway: Finding Fairytales [buqo YA, bundle 03]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Title: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25441829-buqoya-3" target="_blank">Finding Fairytales [buqo YA, bundle 03]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Authors: Anne Plaza, Kat Sales, R. Linea, Cassandra Javier, Ana Valenzuela, C.P. Santi</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Excerpts: Fall for Grace | </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Just the Way You Are</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"> </span>| <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Love in the Time of Viral Videos</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">The Path of Us</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">The First Time They Met</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">When Cocoy Became Kikay</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/204c03a3-6e1b-40c5-a77a-dfa71335fa37/buqoya-3-finding-fairytales" target="_blank">Buqo</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><i>*ARC provided by blog tour host in exchange for an honest review</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3m5zo3hV7aY0L5BVkb-m75p8AcfqbFGLMDvN2ls3FQnkj_pkr5RcniZSOBM5TTuzhqgYQhLhTsjxMdnRwy5aF74x-n5thoxfoks9Ds-54CsHVP6QJqr19MEjE3cjYlCOHmIl5UXG8Tg/s1600/buqoYA-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3m5zo3hV7aY0L5BVkb-m75p8AcfqbFGLMDvN2ls3FQnkj_pkr5RcniZSOBM5TTuzhqgYQhLhTsjxMdnRwy5aF74x-n5thoxfoks9Ds-54CsHVP6QJqr19MEjE3cjYlCOHmIl5UXG8Tg/s200/buqoYA-3.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
We all want the happy ending, the dream come true. But what if it doesn’t happen? How far would you go to get that “ever after?” Would you change who you are? Would you swallow your pride? Is the story really going to be as perfect as you think? Follow the path of these characters and see where they lead.</div>
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From BuqoYA bundle 3, I knew right away what I wanted to read: C.P. Santi's <i>When Cocoy Became Kikay</i>, and it did not disappoint.<br />
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From Cocoy to her friends Paulo, Dags, and Joel, to her awesome-sounding tita Lucy, I loved every character -- even Jaime and his sort of meddling traditional mother. They sounded real, alive, and different. Even though it was just a short story, you will see their nuances in the way they talk and act. I also loved that no one in their group wanted to date Cocoy, because that would have been so cliche.<br />
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Cocoy had to grow up quickly, and I enjoyed seeing the transformation from Cocoy to <i>Maria. </i>I also love the tactical approach that Cocoy took to ensure her victory (which is, of course, to get the boy). <i>When Cocoy Became Kikay</i> deserves a 4.5 stars, and I found myself smiling in the end. I would love to read more about Cocoy's friends, so C.P. Santi, if you have those stories in your head, write them down please! :)<br />
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If you want to sample some YA feels by Filipino authors, the whole bundle is exclusively available at Buqo for the next three months, and for this week is only at P45. That's really quite a steal!<br />
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And as a prize for being awesome, reader, you get to win a powerbank -- perfect for prolonging the battery of your mobile device so you can read the buqo YA bundles to your heart's content.<br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="dc42906e268" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc42906e268/" id="rcwidget_cugg3527" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<b>Excerpts</b><br />
<b><br /></b><i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Fall for Grace</span></i><br />
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Aso’t pusa, away-bati…<br />
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Sino sa inyo ang unang aamin?<br />
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Meet Grace Almeda—the darling of Luna East Arts Academy—maikukumpara sa isang artista sa hitsura, reputasyon, at katarayan. At heto si Jason Jacinto—the resident school genius—kilala rin sa pagiging go-to person ng mga estudyanteng problemado sa pag-aaral. Nang magkabanggaan ang kanilang maliit at magkaibang mundo, napilitan si Grace na hingin ang tulong ni Jason sa isang mala-life or death na sitwasyon. Mukha ngang pumuti na ang uwak dahil dumating ang araw na kinailangan ni Little Miss Spoiled Brat si Boy Genius. Pero ang hindi alam ni Grace ay may dahilan ang lahat sa likod ng pang-aasar at pambubwisit ni Jason. At sa ‘di inaasahang pangyayari, may isang mahuhulog ang loob para sa isang naghihintay lang ng tamang pagkakataon.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Mabuti na lang at hindi nila kailangang mag-usap habang naglalakad. Mas kailangan nilang pagtuunan ng pansin na hindi masyadong mabasa ng ulan habang sinisigurong hindi liliparin ng hangin ang payong. Sa kahabaan ng kanilang paglalakad ay walang ibang nasa isip si Grace kundi ang pagkakalapit nilang dalawa. Hindi siya gaanong nilamig dahil na rin dito. Kung ganoon lang sana kadali patahanin ang dagundong ng kaniyang dibdib. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Ni minsan ay hindi pa siya pinakitaan ng kagandahang-loob ni Jason. Hindi rin naman niya sinasabi na hindi ito mabait; hindi lang ito naging mabait sa kaniya. Kaya nga medyo hirap siyang intindihin ang mga pangyayari, lalo na ang mga bagong nararamdaman niya sa mga sandaling iyon. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Gaya nga ng sabi nito, hindi malayo ang lakarin. Pag-angat niya ng tingin ay napansin niyang ilang dipa na lang sila mula sa waiting shed. Mabilis nilang tinungo iyon. Nang naroon na ay pinakawalan na siya ni Jason at nanumbalik na siya sa kaniyang katinuan. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">“May Bus 5 na dumadaan dito. ‘Di ba malapit na yun sa inyo?” Pinapagpag ni Jason ang payong. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">“Oo, pero lalakad pa ako nang kaunti.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Tamang-tama, naaninag na nila ang ilaw ng paparating na sasakyan. Walang jeep o tricycle sa lugar at serviced vans lang ang nakakaraan doon dahil isang exclusive property ang buong compound ng Luna East pati ang dating subdivision na tinirhan ng pamilya Almeda. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">“Heto.” Iniabot ni Jason ang payong sa kaniya. Napatitig lang siya dito na para bang nagsalita ito ng ibang lengguwahe. “Sabi mo maglalakad ka pa papunta sa inyo. Kakailanganin mo ‘yan.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">“Paano ka?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Nagkibit-balikat ito. “Hindi naman ako mamamatay kung maulanan ako. ‘Tsaka dadaanan ng bus ‘yung bahay ko.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222;">“Sigurado ka?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Hindi na ito nagpatumpik-tumpik at inilagay ang payong sa mga kamay niya. “Ayan na ang bus. Sige na, nang makauwi ka na. Baka hinahanap ka na sa inyo.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Tumigil ang coaster sa tapat ng shed at sumakay na siya.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Tiyempong may bakante sa tabi ng bintana kaya doon siya naupo. Kinawayan niya si Jason nang umarangkada ang sasakyan. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Kumaway din ito sa kaniya, sabay kindat.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>Anne Plaza</b><br />
<a href="http://thoughtsbrewed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anneplaza2013" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/anneplaza" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<br />
Si Anne Plaza ay mula sa Lungsod Quezon at nakapagsulat ng isang chick lit novella, ang In Over Her Head (2013). Ang Fall for Grace ay ang una niyang kathang YA romance. Nagtatrabaho siya bilang isang marketing associate para sa isang ad agency at malimit siyang nagsusulat kahit hindi pa tapos ang kanyang shift. Nakahiligan na niyang magbasa ng Tagalog romance novels (noong kapanahunan pa nina Helen Meriz, Jo-An Solis, Gilda Olvidado, atbp.) at nakapag-publish na rin ng apat na akda sa ilalim ng My Special Valentine.<br />
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<br />
<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Just the Way You Are</span></i><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Rica Valdez has always been one of the guys, so it was hard for her to find a prom date. When her new friend and crush Joshua Fernandez volunteered to take her to the prom, she wondered if he liked her back too, or was he just being nice?</div>
<br />
Homeroom was Erica Valdez’s favorite time of the day. It allowed her to review the assignments she had due for the day, and if there were none, she could read a little of whatever book she had going on at the moment.<br />
<br />
Her friends teased her a lot about it, but they knew her well so she didn’t mind. They benefited from it anyway, as Rica would look over their homework too.<br />
<br />
The class adviser, Mr. Suarez, was early today. He was sitting at his desk when the students started coming in. It meant something, that was for sure. He never came early. He was always just on time.<br />
<br />
When the clock hit 8:00, Mr. Suarez stood up and looked over the students, as if quietly doing a headcount. Once he was done, he started on the roll call. No one was late, for once, and no absent students either. The young teacher grinned, and half of the girls in the class sighed.<br />
<br />
“Great to see you all. I hope you had a good weekend. We’ve got a couple of announcements that you might like.” He reached back on the desk and picked up a sheaf of papers. “Ok, first, your quarterly exams will be on February 3 to 7. Your teachers will hand out pointers for review within the week.”<br />
<br />
The class groaned, and Rica couldn’t help but grin at that. No one liked quarterly exams, even she who was a pretty ok student.<br />
<br />
Mr. Suarez looked over the paper he held in his hands again and read out the other announcements. He answered the questions the students had. Around thirty minutes later, he checked the clock. “That’s it.” He looked at the paper again. “Oh, I almost forgot. The junior-senior prom will be on Friday, February 14.”<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~ ~ ~</div>
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>Kat Sales</b><br />
<a href="http://www.saberkite.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/saberkite" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<br />
Writer :: Thinker :: Problem Solver<br />
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<br />
<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Love in the Time of Viral Videos</span></i><br />
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Like. Retweet. Follow. Fall in Love?<br />
<br />
They say that that the things we own tend to own us in the long run. Today, at a time when we’re connected 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, social media has helped shaped who we are, how we want to be seen and how we deal with other people. And if that’s the case, then who knows us better than our own social media accounts? This is the story of Patch and Sebastian who met in real life, as told by their digital selves. This is their story in the time of #hashtags, inspiration boards, and viral videos.</div>
<br />
I – Hurley. Chen. Karim.<br />
<br />
Are YOU ready to be famous? This is 15 Seconds of Fame! The show where we give everyone a chance for worldwide popularity and then be forgotten to obscurity. Like all you viewers know, we’re always on the lookout for either the next Ellen DeGeneres discovery or the next evening news exposé. Because here in Fame, fifteen seconds you’re in and the next fifteen, you’re out!<br />
<br />
Grab your popcorn my lovely viewers and get your bandwidth ready for a slew of videos that’s worth your miniscule attention. Right off the bat, we’re serving you the nth version of Let It Go sung by an unknown Filipino! And he not only sings it perfectly, he does it without his shirt on, right in the middle of EDSA traffic! Talk about grit! Oh yes, two things Filipinos are infamous for, traffic inefficiency and hitting the high notes, together in just one video! Could he be the next Oprah protégé? Will his face launch the next thousand memes? Only time could tell!<br />
<br />
And by time, I mean your fifteen seconds is up, Mr. Half-naked Elsa. We now move on to the sequel of one of the forefathers of viral videos. I present to you, Charlie Bit My Finger Part Toe! Awww…look guys. Charlie’s biting his brother’s toes this time. He’s so cute with his googley eyes…as he tears the entire toe off! Oh my freakin’ G! Oh, I can’t watch this. Too much blood! I’m blacking out! I’m blacking out! Oh this isn’t good. Why does their mom just keep on taking the video? Can somebody please hand over my barf bag? Somebody please report this video immediately! Take it down!<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>R. Linea</b></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>The First Time They Met</i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
What’s making Mayumi anxious on her best friend’s birthday party?<br />
<br />
Is it her long time best friend Marie? Marie is now in college, and Mayumi starts to doubt their friendship as Marie meets new people and gets closer to them.<br />
<br />
Or is it this basketball player named Micah? A guy she recently met and who has turned into an overnight confidant.</div>
<br />
“Can I ask you for something?”<br />
<br />
“Sure, anything,” Micah was standing now, on her left, his back on the tree.<br />
<br />
“Could we wait for the sunrise?”<br />
<br />
He looked down on her as he nodded.<br />
<br />
“It’s a photographic cliché, sunrise and sunset,” she said. “For me, the sun rising actually isn’t. It’s a different experience when you see the sun wake up instead of it seeing you get out of bed like everybody else. It’s the start of a new day, and that’s what makes it beautiful.”<br />
<br />
“The first day,” he sounded like he just laughed. He folded his knees as he sat next to her. “I’ll wait with you.”<br />
<br />
Butterflies flew inside Mayumi’s stomach as she stammered, “great play, by the way.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~ ~ ~</div>
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>Ana Valenzuela</b><br />
<a href="http://alicekamatis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/anavalenz" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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Ana Valenzuela is a graduate of AB Literature from UST. She has written for several magazines and online news blogs.<br />
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<br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>The Path of Us</i></span><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Are our paths already laid out for us, or can we make them ourselves?<br />
<br />
Can fairytales actually come true?<br />
<br />
Clara has always been fond of fairytales and grand gestures. She always had a plan of how she’d like her life to turn out, and that’s why she worked hard to be on top of the class, and make sure that she has her real life Prince Charming to boot.<br />
<br />
And then there’s Andrew.<br />
<br />
Andrew’s always been the easy go lucky guy, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not smart and appealing; it’s just that he chooses to go through life in a fuss-free, no nonsense way.<br />
<br />
When Andrew and Clara’s paths meet, things don’t exactly go easy. They hated each other with a passion, but then they got to share unexpected moments, and end high school with a memory that they’ll never forget. In college, they lose each other, and Clara has to go through the hardest things on her own--until a trip back home sends them to each other’s paths again.<br />
<br />
Will they ever be able to understand their role in each other’s lives?<br />
<br />
Or will they just get out of each other’s lives for good?</div>
<br />
"I'm sorry, okay? But Clara, you’ll do great. You’ll do amazing things because that’s who you are. You’ll manage out there because this is what you’ve always wanted, right?”<br />
<br />
He went on, “And you know what’s even better?”<br />
<br />
She looked at him and waited for what he had to say next. <br />
<br />
“You’ll finally be able to get away with Pink or Purple streaks on your hair or whatever.”<br />
<br />
She found herself laughing despite of herself. “Without you ratting me out?”<br />
<br />
It depends.” He quipped, smiling. “I might see you in college.” <br />
<br />
“Oh god no.” <br />
<br />
They laughed. “See? You look so much better when you smile.”<br />
<br />
“I still hate you.”<br />
<br />
He laughed. “If you say so.”<br />
<br />
She didn’t know what came to her mind right at that moment but she found herself inching towards him. In a span of seconds, she was planting a kiss on his lips. It didn’t last long—just a few seconds or so, and she wanted to bask in that moment, feel the butterflies in her stomach, the warmth of the air, the romance that the light of the fireflies gave, but she remembered that a) she had a boyfriend, and b) she hated Andrew—this shouldn’t be happening. <br />
<br />
“Clara—“ <br />
<br />
“I’m sorry.” She said. “I shouldn’t have—“ <br />
<br />
“No.”<br />
<br />
Please.” She said with finality. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.” <br />
<br />
She then ran away, leaving him and High School behind.<br />
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~ ~ ~</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Cassandra Javier</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://sheflieswithfaeries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassandra-Javier/728342600611671" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/LunaAlyeska" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Cass is a cat lady who graduated with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked as a copywriter, a researcher in an IT company, a call center agent and was even a trainee for a time in a television network. She writes articles for a living. When not writing articles, she writes novels, fanfiction, short stories and whatever she may think of. She loves TV series, movies, music, and is a very big bookworm. She's also addicted to butterflies, faeries and Ice Cream.</div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>When Cocoy Became Kikay</i></span><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Cocoy’s not-so-secret dream is to one day become a gun-toting, ass-kicking secret agent. But she has another dream—and this time, even her best friends don’t have a clue—she dreams of being with someone.<br />
<br />
Problem is, she finds out that Jaime Arguelles—a.k.a. the guy she’d been secretly crushing on for years—likes girls who . . . well . . . like pink.<br />
<br />
To Cocoy’s logical mind, there’s only one solution: it’s time to go girly. After all, how hard can it be?</div>
<br />
“Since when did you start having a lablab, Coy?” Dags lifted a brow.<br />
<br />
So much for keeping secrets. “So I like someone. Big deal.”<br />
<br />
“Is . . . is it a guy or a girl?” Paulo asked tentatively.<br />
<br />
I turned incredulous eyes toward him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”<br />
<br />
“Dude, whichever way you roll . . .” Dags shrugged.<br />
<br />
Oh, c’mon. True, I was a T-shirt-and-jeans kind of girl and I hung out with guys, but that didn’t automatically translate to such gender assumptions. Sure, I loathed boy bands. And I loved basketball, camping, and shooting more than the average girl should. Living with my dad hadn’t exactly encouraged girly pursuits. But still.<br />
<br />
I sighed. “Dude, if I were gay, I’d tell you. But I’m not.”<br />
<br />
“So, who is it? You have to tell us,” Paulo protested. He stood to tower over me, arms crossed over his chest.<br />
<br />
“Aw, Coy, aren’t we friends?” Dags cajoled as he strummed the first notes of “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”<br />
<br />
I sighed. Paulo, Dags, Joel, and I had been friends for years. The four of us were the only ones crazy enough to take up a dare issued by our neighborhood playmates—to see if a manananggal indeed left the lower part of its body at the abandoned Siangco house on Lilac Street.<br />
<br />
Over the years, our friendship had been further cemented by bruises and scraped knees, basketball games, camping trips, fish balls, turon, and buko pandan royale, day-long village-hopping bicycle trips, and innumerable fries and Coke floats.<br />
<br />
I never kept secrets from them. Usually.<br />
<br />
“So who is it?” Paulo asked again.<br />
<br />
Fine. I cleared my throat. “It’s . . . it’s Jaime.”<br />
<br />
I counted five seconds of absolute silence.<br />
<br />
Dags frowned. “Jaime?”<br />
<br />
“Jaime Arguelles?” Paulo bent over, laughing. “Cocoy, you are so predictable!”<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~ ~ ~</div>
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>C.P. Santi</b><br />
<a href="http://thejapayukichronicles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CPsantiauthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/arkiCpsanti" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<br />
C.P. Santi is a Filipina author based in Tokyo, Japan. She is a wife to an engineer/musician/jokester and a full-time mom to two energetic boys. She loves cooking and baking, and enjoys feeding people, gorging on chocolate, watching J-doramas, belting it out in the karaoke box, and running around the house playing tickle tag. She also loves dreaming up stories about the people she meets.<br />
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In another life, she is also an architect and academic.<br />
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Her first book, <i>Be Careful What You Wish For</i>, is a contemporary romance based in Tokyo.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856577488850011672.post-13872262921860034462015-05-05T09:00:00.000+08:002015-05-11T18:38:43.099+08:00Mini review, excerpt & giveaway: Sweet Complications [buqo YA, bundle 02]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Title: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25441816-buqoya-2" target="_blank">Sweet Complications [buqo YA, bundle 02]</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Authors: Sassy Fova, Amae Dechavez, Kristel Ann Cruz, Ines Bautista-Yao, Charm Lee, Irish Fleur</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Excerpts: D'01 | </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">One Lovely Summer Day </span>| <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Once Upon a Sticky Note</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Plain Vanilla</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Same</span> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3856577488850011672#withinposts"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Travel of Two</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">Availability: <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/13540ce7-bcd4-4554-b15a-2a831c0a10a9/buqoya-2-sweet-complications" target="_blank">Buqo</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;"><i>*ARC provided by blog tour host in exchange for an honest review</i></span></span><br />
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Would you do a set of dares to prove someone wrong? Would you risk your friendship so you can find love? Would you admit your real feelings? There are a lot of complications when it comes to finding love. Get the feels when you read these sweet stories.</div>
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Today's my stop for the Buqo YA bundle 2: Sweet Complications. From this bundle, we get six stories (four in English and two in Filipino). One that really stood out for me and gave me so much feels was <i>Plain Vanilla</i> by Ines Bautista-Yao.<br />
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The Juan family sounded so wacky and hyperactive and I wanted to be so much a part of them. I actually don't like themed parties as I don't have anything to wear, but all that sounds like real fun.<br />
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I also liked the supporting characters, Tempest's cousins Clara and Margarita. They sound so supportive, and their temperament on opposite ends of the spectrum. I also liked that Tempest was different but brave and adventurous. The 'dares' were on the safe side but age-appropriate.<br />
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What I didn't like was Paco asking someone else to his prom. Sure, you're nice and she's really hot, but that just sends waaay mixed signals, dude. If a guy who likes me asked someone else to prom, I'd be pretty pissed off. Also, it took him a long time to talk to Tempest, especially since he liked her for<br />
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However, the ending was swoon-worthy and I liked the tremendous effort he exerted to make up for his foolishness. So I'm giving this 4 stars and I'm hoping to read more from this author.<br />
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If you want to sample some YA feels by Filipino authors, the whole bundle is exclusively available at Buqo for the next three months, and for this week is only at P45. That's really quite a steal!<br />
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And as a prize for being awesome, reader, you get to win a powerbank -- perfect for prolonging the battery of your mobile device so you can read the buqo YA bundles to your heart's content.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="dc42906e267" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc42906e267/" id="rcwidget_xu5bn7rq" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<b>Excerpts</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">D'01</span></i><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Kat Arcanghel has just turned 18 and she feels that it is the right time to fall in love. She finds herself falling for Alech Crisologo, but she has always thought of herself as adeviant/rebel and there’s nothing more mainstream than crushing on the guy that everybody loves, thus she fights her feelings and tries to search for the right one—just not him.<br />
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Will Kat continue rebelling against her own heart, or will she let her heart conquer the battle and let it lead the way? She’ll find the answer when she meets D’01.</div>
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For once, I didn’t hit the snooze button.<br />
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At 6 o’clock, I got up as soon as my alarm clock went off. Today is the day that I have to start acting mature: whether they be small matters like the alarm or other things that are more important, I have to be responsible for anything that I set. Because today, I’m officially of legal age.<br />
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I’ve made a list of stuff I just HAVE to do when I turn eighteen – get a driver’s license, go to a bar and drink beer, French kiss somebody, lose my virginity (maybe), and so many other things that someone can decide to do without their parents’ consent – but the most important thing on my list is this: I HAVE TO FALL IN LOVE.<br />
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I guess I’m what they call NBSB, or No Boyfriend Since Birth. I’ve had crushes before – nothing too serious, and all of it short-lived. I used to not care. But now… I think I’m ready to be in a relationship. So I tried to conjure a mental picture of the boys at school who might be boyfriend-material… but only one comes to mind.<br />
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Alech Crisologo.<br />
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As soon as is smiling face popped into my head, I shake it off immediately – that will never ever happen, not even in my wildest dreams. Anyone but him. I open my Facebook page and post a status: I’m so ready to fall in love.<br />
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I slide my windows open and take in deep breaths of air. Is this how freedom smells like? Like longganisa and fried eggs? Nah, that’s just breakfast that our stay-in housemaid, Helen, is cooking. I resist the urge to shout, “Good morning world!” and make a total fool of myself. I sit on the windowsill instead and admire the view.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
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<b>Sassy Fova</b><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SassyFovawrites" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SassyFova" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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Sassy Fova is just your average girl from Ilocos Norte, PH. Sassy is a hopeless romantic who’s got her head in the clouds, and comes back down just long enough to write about it. Being an Ilocana, she is thrifty, but she spares none when it comes to sharing all the love.<br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">One Lovely Summer</span></i><br />
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Kwento ng Pag-Ibig, Pangarap, at Pag-asa... Sa Pila, Laguna, bakasyon at abala ang lahat sa bahay nila Tiya Isidra—“general cleaning” ika ng matanda. Bukod pa roon ay darating si Maylie, ang paboritong pamangkin niyang galing ng Maynila. Gaya ng inaasahan, naroon si Ethan para tumulong sa paglilinis at paghahanda. Bagamat mukhang tahimik ang dalaga, unang sulyap pa lang ay agad na nagandahan at nabaitan si Ethan sa kaniya. Naging matalik na magkaibigan ang dalawa. Sa isang di inaasahang pangyayari at proyektong kailangang lutasin nilang dalawa, lalong napalapit si Ethan at Maylie sa isa-isa. Gayun pa man, alam ni Ethan na isang araw ay aalis din si Maylie at maiiwan siya. Sasabihin ba niya kay Maylie ang nararamdaman niya?</div>
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Habang naglalakad sila ay naalala ni Ethan ang sinabi ng nagtitindang ale kanina. ‘Mabuti at may girlfriend ka na.’ Bakit nga ba hindi ko tanungin si Maylie ngayon kung pwede ko ba siyang maging nobya?<br />
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“Silong muna tayo sa may loob ng simbahan, Maylie. Ang init eh,” wika ni Ethan.<br />
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Halos walang tao sa loob ng simbahan. Lahat ay nasa labas, nanonood sa mga palabas. Pagka-upo ay agad na nagsalita si Ethan.<br />
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“Ahm... Maylie.”<br />
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“Ano ‘yon, Ethan?”<br />
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“Ahm, naisipan mo na bang sabihin sa mga magulang mo na ayaw mo na ng palipat-lipat ng tirahan?”<br />
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“Ah... hindi pa. Kailangan ko bang sabihin sa kanila?”<br />
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“Bakit hindi?”<br />
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“Umm...”<br />
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“Maylie.”<br />
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“Ano ‘yon?”<br />
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“Gusto ko kasing sabihin na...”<br />
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“Na...?”<br />
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“Ma...ha... Mahabang usapan pero gusto ko lang sanang magpasalamat.”<br />
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“Magpasalamat?”<br />
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“Oo, magpapasalamat lang ako. ‘Yon lang ang gusto kong sabihin sa’yo.”<br />
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“Salamat saan?”<br />
<br />
“Sa mga sinabi mong advice sa akin kahapon.”<br />
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“Ah, ‘sus. Wala ‘yon. May sasabihin ka pa?”<br />
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“Ahm... wala na. Umuwi na tayo. Gutom na ‘ko, gusto ko nang mananghalian.”<br />
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Umuwi na sina Maylie at Ethan at kapagka-pananghalian ay pumasok si Ethan agad sa kuwarto niya.<br />
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‘Ang torpe mo, Ethan,’ sambit ni Ethan sa sarili niya.<br />
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Kinuha niya sa drawer ang maliit na salamin at tinignan niya ang sarili niya.<br />
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“Sabihin mo, MA-HAL. MAAA-HAAAL... Mahal kita!”<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
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<b>Amae Dechavez</b><br />
<a href="http://amaeauthor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/amaeauthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/amaeauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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Amae Dechavez (amaeauthor) is a blogger, fiction author, YA novelist, and children's book writer. She was born in Quezon City, Manila in 1983 and has a Penn Foster diploma in Child Daycare Management. She has been authoring for several digital distributor hubs in (the Philippines) and has been writing for many free online/ social media platforms. When not hugging or arguing with her dog, you can find her at Writerscafe.org.<br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Once Upon a Sticky Note</span></i><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Nate and Tanya have been “talk all day, every day” best friends for years but on the eve of Nate’s birthday, Tanya realized she has started developing more-than-platonic feelings him. They’re going off to college soon so confessing anything that might make things complicated between them doesn’t sound like a good plan, especially now that Campus Sweetie Armi has entered the picture. What would Tanya do? Could she? Should she? Grab a sticky note and place your bets.</div>
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Of course it also doesn’t hurt that he is nice to look at. I have always pegged Nate as a pretty boy, but his unassuming ways make him look more attractive. I like his thick eyebrows, his smiling eyes, and the dimple on his left cheek that mirrors mine. I can’t even tell you how many jealous stares I have fielded when we walk through the school together, or how my heart secretly swells seeing these.<br />
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It’s quite melodramatic to say that our lives have never been the same since we became closer because we are still very young, but that fact doesn’t make it any less true. I will feel so lost when the time comes he or I would have to go our separate ways. Graduation is coming soon and to be honest, I’m dreading college. I wonder if we will be as close as we are now or whether I will be left behind, a mere footnote to carefree high school days.<br />
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It was almost morning when I realized I am in love with my best friend.<br />
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~ ~ ~</div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<b>Kristel Ann Cruz</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/krissyfied" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/krissyfied" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
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It boggles the mind how someone so shy and awkward found herself in Public Relations, but somehow Krissy makes it work. If she were a fictional character, she’d be a female Ted Mosby. Whether it be prose, poetry, a watercolor painting, or a craft project, she is happiest when she makes. Talk about books, movies, and lipsticks with her on www.krissyfied.com.</div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>Plain Vanilla</i></span><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Despite her quirky name and equally quirky family, 16-year-old Tempest Juan knows she's ordinary. After reading a comment on Facebook which likened her to vanilla ice cream, Tempest decides she has to do something about it or be forever branded as plain, lukewarm, and well, vanilla. It doesn't help that the comment was made by Paco Lorenzo, her cousin’s cute friend (no longer cute in her book!). When she happens upon a book of dares, she decides to attempt each one, no matter how hard. This is her personality at stake, after all. But somehow, Paco, the cause of all this, finds a way to be at every dare Tempest attempts, confusing her and forcing her to question what’s really going on inside her heart.</div>
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“But what about Margarita?”<br />
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“She sped off in another direction.” He shrugged, still pulling her along. But this time, he wasn’t holding her arm anymore. His hand found its way into hers. And she told herself she didn’t let go because it was dark and she didn’t want to trip on anything.<br />
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When they got to the covered courts, they didn’t bother to find a place to hide. It was so dark, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Paco sat on one of the benches and pulled Tempest down next to him. She was tempted to pull her hand away, but he still hadn’t let go. What was the protocol when it came to something like this? Do you let go when you’re about to do something like look at your watch or scratch an itch? Or do you just keep holding on till both your hands get too sweaty? And why did it have to be so complicated? <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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“I think this is awesome, what you’re doing.” He smiled at her. Or at least she assumed he was. It was too dark to tell.<br />
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“Sitting in the dark, holding your hand?” Tempest couldn’t pretend it wasn’t happening, so might as well call attention to it.<br />
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Paco surprised her by squeezing her hand and still not letting go. “Well, yeah, this too.” He laughed easily. “But I was talking about the dares. I mean, daring other people is something Marga and I do all the time, but daring yourself is cool. Why didn’t you tell me about it last night? I could have helped you do some of them while we were just hanging out. What’s on your list anyway?”<br />
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Tempest didn’t tell him that the dares had only materialized today because of him. “Well, nighttime hide and seek, sleeping under the stars, and glow-in-the-dark bowling are part of it. That pathetic excuse for chalk art this afternoon was too.”<br />
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“That wasn’t pathetic.”<br />
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“Whatever.” Tempest snorted. “There’s also doing a color run which I am seriously thinking of swapping with something else, running through sprinklers, flying a kite, making a slushie—”<br />
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“You’ve never made a slushie?” Astonishment.<br />
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“I lead a very dull life, okay?”<br />
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“Or flown a kite?” More astonishment.<br />
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“Fine, Mr. I’ve Done Everything Fun in the World, what haven’t you done? If you were to give yourself a list of dares, what would you put on your list?”<br />
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“Well, I wouldn’t mind breaking into an all-girls high school after dark and playing hide and seek.” She could hear the smile in his voice.<br />
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“Boring. I’ve done that already.”<br />
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Paco burst out laughing. Tempest’s insides began to feel all warm and gooey. It felt good to make him laugh. And to have his complete attention. And to still be holding his hand. </div>
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~ ~ ~</div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
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<b>Ines Bautista-Yao</b><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/inesbyao" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/inesbautistayao" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/inesbyao" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
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Ines Bautista-Yao is the author of One Crazy Summer, What’s in your Heart, and Only a Kiss. She has also written two short stories, “Flashbacks and Echoes,” which is part of a compilation called All This Wanting and “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in Sola Musica: Love Notes from a Festival.<br />
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She is the former editor-in-chief of Candy and K-Zone magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher. She is also a wife and mom and blogs about the many challenges and joys of motherhood at theeverydayprojectblog.com. She has recently launched The Author Project, a section in her current blog devoted to the stories in her head: http://theeverydayprojectblog.com/inesbyao-author-project/<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>Same</i></span><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
March 2.<br />
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Of all places, Atasha never thought that she would end up in a hospital on this specific day. Rush was looking forward to just enjoying the day.<br />
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But with the white walls and medical noises around them, two young and very different souls cross paths. Rush and Atasha discover that even if they are as alike as night and day, they aren’t as different as they thought after all.</div>
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I woke up today thinking that everything will be normal. I got out of bed at around 10am, and caught my reflection on my vanity mirror. Ugh, my long hair is all frizzy. I tried to comb my hair through it to kind of manage it but it didn’t work. Oh well.<br />
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I’m excited. I can’t wait to watch the new movie that everyone has been talking about. I wonder if it lives up to all the buzz that I have been hearing. I think I still have time after the movie to check out Robert’s. It’s Saturday so there is a new shipment of books that I can check out.<br />
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I can hear songs now blasting off from my mom’s room. It’s her favorite band. I ignore it. I’m looking for clothes to wear when my mom enters my room and asks me if I want to go with her and my dad to my aunt’s house. They just need to get something for my grandparents, then we can go to the department store after to buy some stuff that we need since we are renovating.<br />
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“Pass. I’m going to Robert’s.” I feel awkward whenever I hang out with my parents. I just feel like we have nothing in common and we won’t have anything to talk about. I hate social situations like that so I avoid it as much as possible.<br />
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I see the disappointment in my mom’s face, says okay and left me alone. I feel the guilt creeping in but I shrug it off.<br />
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She asked and I chose. She gave me an out so it’s okay.<br />
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I proceeded in getting ready for my alone day. After I’m all ready, I went downstairs to check on what I can eat on the go as I don’t really want to sit down and eat breakfast with them. I spy the peanut butter and bread. Perfect.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span></div>
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<b>Charm Lee</b></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/sharmonster" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/sharmonster" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
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Aspiring hero wanting to save the world. tv show addict. all around shy girl.</div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><i>Travel of Two</i></span><br />
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<div style="background: rgb(255, 182, 193); border: 3px dashed rgb(255, 240, 245); padding: 5px 8px;">
Biyahe mag-isa? Check! Isa na namang item sa bucket list ni Isobel ang matutupad. Sino bang hindi magiging masaya kapag nagawa mo na ang gusto mo? Pero hindi lang pala si Isobel ang nagso-solo travel--si Arty rin. Si Arty na suplado, na-friendzone, makulit, at nakilala ni Isobel sa paglalakbay niya. At kahit ganito si Arty, mas naging exciting ang pagbiyahe ni Isobel.<br />
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So, magka-boyfriend... mache-check din nga ba ito ni Isobel sa sa bucket list niya?</div>
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Tamang-tama at binaba nga kosa lugar na sinabi ko. Nagpaalam ako kay Arty. Nakatalikod na ako at nakailang hakbang na nang marinig kong ang pangalan ko. Paglingon ko ay nakita ko si Arty patakbo papunta sa akin. Napanganga ako.<br />
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"O bakit? Nagulat ka, ‘no? ‘Lika na sa inyo, nauuhaw na ako," hinihingal niyang sabi sabay akbay sa akin.<br />
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"Baliw ka ano?!" at inialis ko ang akbay niya sa akin.<br />
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“Huwag kang mag-alala, alam ko kung paano pumunta ng Tibiao galing dito sa inyo. I just want to spend more time with you,” sabi niya. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi nya, siya naman ngingiti-ngiti lang. Pero infairness ha, kinilig ako sa sinabi niya.<br />
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“Ang drama mo din eh. Bakit, type mo ba ako?”<br />
<br />
Tinignan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa at nilagay pa ang kanyang kamay sa ilalim ng baba na tila nag-iisip.<br />
<br />
“Well… Aaminin ko na: maganda ka. I mean, maganda ka in a simple way.”<br />
<br />
“Binigay ko na sayo yung number ko, pwede mo naman ako kontakin anytime. Tsaka may mga plano ka rin, right?”<br />
<br />
“Ayaw mo bang ma-extend ang pagsasama natin? Pwede kitang ipasyal sa Tibiao para sulit naman ang bakasyon mo.”<br />
<br />
Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako at hinayaan kong sumabay sa akin si Arty. Afterall, wala naman sigurong mangyayaring masama; gusto lang naman ni Arty makipagkaibigan.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">About the Author</span><br />
<br />
<b>Irish Fleur</b><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/irishhandprints" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<br />
Irish Fleur is a Licensed Pharmacist, cat lover and travel junkie who loves writing since she was seven years old.<br />
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Goldie @ My Book Musingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com0