In My Mailbox #13

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.*

Hey Bookies! This week will be the thirteenth time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.

Having said that, this week's Mailbox features a few of my #BooksForTrades, when the trend was just catching wind and still worth participating in. Thanks to Angie, Molly, for trading! Take a look below:

Purchased:

*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox #12

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.*

Hey Bookies! This week will be the twelfth time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.

Having said that, I honestly thought about not browsing Amazon for books since I try to go to a book sale every week or every other week ... but, well, I am but a mere mortal when it comes to books. Their power over me is unparalleled by my own willpower. Take a look below:

Purchased:

*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox #11

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.

Hey Bookies! This week will be the eleventh time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.

Having said that, I took a peek around Amazon for these lovelies. They each costed $0.01 plus $3.99 for shipping. Take a look below:

Purchased:

*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox #10

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.

Hey Bookies! This week will be the tenth time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.

Having said that, here is to another week of book sale finds.  The only complaint I have is the missing dust-jacket for The Young Elites. But once I jump into the story I am sure I will get over it. Take a look below:

Purchased:

*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox #9

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.

Hey Bookies! This week will be the ninth time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.

Having said that, a few weeks ago I went on one of my book sale hunts and was luck enough to found some gems. Take a look below:

Purchased:

*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!

Review : After the Rain by Renee Carolina

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Atria Books 
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Pages: 304
Source: ARC

The Story:

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.

When eighteen-year-old Avelina Belo meets a charismatic cowboy the summer before her senior year of high school, she doesn’t know that accepting his invitation to dinner will lead to a whirlwind marriage three months later and an exciting new life on a Montana ranch. She also doesn’t know that, in a few short years, fate will send everything crashing down around her.

A thousand miles away and fresh out of medical school, Nate Meyers is poised to become UCLA’s next superstar heart surgeon. His laser focus is the key to his success, but it’s also his greatest liability. When a routine surgery ends in disaster, derailing his career, he’s confronted with the hard truth: there’s no one waiting for him at home, no one to help him pick up the pieces.

Regrouping on his uncle’s Montana ranch, Nate meets Avelina, a beautiful but mysterious young woman who keeps to herself and barely speaks a word. As he discovers the details of her devastating past, Avelina teaches him more about matters of the heart than he ever knew before. But can they trust each other enough to put everything on the line?

via Amazon

Rating: TWO Gold Stars!!

My Review: 

Opening Line:

My middle name is Jesus.

Plot:

When I read the blurb for After the Rain I was smitten. The beginning with Ava is what I wanted to read about. Teenage Latina with a horse marriage a charming cowboy after a 3-month courtship. 

My type of story ... Until their story was rushed through. 

I was perturbed by this but then I thought Ava and Nate's story would make up for it. The major plot was about two people's path to personal growth, overcoming loss and coming together -- Ava dealing with a short life full of tragedy, Nate dealing with a loss that threatens to make his brilliant career come crashing down. 

Unfortunately though, halfway through the book, I started losing interest in the story and wanted to start a different book. I truly wanted to love this story but I just could not. I had to force myself to finish. Don't get me wrong, the story wasn't bad it simply was not for me but do not let that discourage you from giving After the Rain a shot - it is worth one. 

Character Breakdown:

Avelina Belo - Ava is the embodiment of a lost, tortured soul. I could relate to her character because of the tragedy of losing the people she loved. Ava's pain felt real to me, her coping methods -- and lack thereof --  felt genuine. Having said that, I related most to Ava's character.

Nate Meyers - Nate is the prime example of the sort of doctor with skills every other doctors wants to have and the stereotype of doctor we see in the fictional world -- handsome, works to hard, no personal life, lack of bedside manner.

Meet the Author:

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of New Adult and contemporary women's novels. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY and Latina magazine. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com

***Check out Renee Carolina's website for more information about her and After the Rain: HERE

Happy Reading!

Feature Friday ARC Review : Devils Unto Daughters by Amy Luckavics

*Feature Friday is a meme hosted by The Tattered Page to feature YA books that have not yet been released by reviewing them.

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication date: September 29, 2015

Pages: 240

Source: ARC

The Story:

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries. 

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

- via Amazon

Rating: FOUR Gold Stars!!!!

My Review: 

I loved this book! I could not put Daughters Unto Devils down unless I absolutely had to (only to work to make money to by more books).

Opening Line:

The first time I lay with the post boy was on a Sunday, and I broke three commandments to do it.

Plot:

The premise of Daughters Unto Devils, to me anyway, is Little House on the Prairie meets The Exorcist. I mean, come on, who would not want to read that? I was hooked from the opening line. And what an opening line it was!

The pacing was interesting. While not exactly slow, nothing really scary happened until the end. However, as I was reading I did not notice much. At least not to the extent that I could put the book down for extended periods of time. I mean I zoomed right through it -- granted it was a fairly short book -- but still I was so drawn into the book there was not a moment I did not want more.

Gritty and eloquent, I so loved Lukavics' writing. It was so refreshing to reading something not so prime and proper. Overall, Amy Lukavics is a talented writer and she has made my short auto-buy list. Daughters Unto Devils was real, frightening and I did not want it to end. Without a doubt, I recommend Daughters Unto Devils to anyone who is interested in horror - it is a must-read.

Character Breakdown:

Amanda Verners - Her character was real to me. She drew me into the story. At first, I thought she was completely nuts but as the story continued, I honestly began to sympathize with and see her more as a troubled teen growing up in a very different time. 

She is trying not to sound desperate for my sake, but still i can sense that she is pining for him. And by the way he turns around, looks into her eyes, and steps close enough to kiss her if he wanted, it's clear he feels the same way. This is when I fully realize that the post boy from the mountain never loved me at all. - pages 159-160

Pa Verners -- Oh man, did I not like this man. There were time when he was just plain mean. And I wanted to choke him.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Daughters Unto Devils:

Ma to Amanda: "I tried and tried, but in the end there was no room for me, oh no." 
She stops eating for a moment,tilts her head curosiously. "Because you already have a devil in you, girl. I can see him whispering in your ear right now."

Sinner.  - page 213

Meet the Author:

Amy Lukavics lurks within the pine-topped mountains of Arizona, along with her husband and two precious squidlings. When she isn't reading or writing creepy stories, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing video games. Daughters Unto Devils is her debut novel.

***Check out Amy Lukavics' website for more information about her and Daughters Unto Devils: HERE

Happy Reading!