My book experiences in 2014

I can't believe 2014 is almost over. Time flies by so fast! I had a lot of crazy things happening to me and to be honest, I had some rough moments (school etc). So I'm glad that's behind me.

The good thing about 2014 were my reading experiences. I always loved reading, but this year I picked up my love for books on a completely new level. In the beginning of 2014, I set the challenge of reading 100 books in one year. I remember a friend saying to me I was insane for doing this. That it was impossible. And I proved her wrong, I'm super proud of myself, because I ended up reading even more! I read 119 books this year!

Plus, I've been #1 reviewer in Belgium for a while now! This is freaking unbelievable and I'm secretly very proud of myself. I didn't win anything, but just the feeling. Aaah, so good! ;) PS: If we're still not friends on GR: add me!! I'd love to see what your reading ;)

In May, I also started my book related instagram. An insane amount of people are following me on there and I'm so grateful for this. I love my bookstagram! I love the way I can share what I'm reading and interacting with other booklovers. I received so much love from these people. They helped me getting through the hard moments I had this year. This may sound a little cliché, but this bookstagram truly kept me going. It made me feel good and less 'alone' when I had a hard day.

Then, in August, I finally started another little thing I've always wanted: my book blog. I enjoy editing and writing the posts a lot. I still don't have a lot of followers and I'm sure only 3 or 4 people read my blog regularly, but I don't care. I enjoy doing it. Especially the blog tours, cover reveals and the other promotional posts. I also had the opportunity to read some amazing ARC's and communicate with super lovely authors!

So overall I had quite an amount of good things in 2014! I hope to be able to keep all those things going for a long time!

What were your good moments this year? Feel free to share anything with me!

xoxo, Melissa

Release Day Blitz: After Us by Amber Hart! (+Giveaway!)

Amber Hart's AFTER US is available today, and we couldn't be more thrilled! 

Be sure to grab it today - and get ready to be hooked!

"Beautiful, lyrical writing and a dangerously suspenseful plot. . .an unforgettable novel that readers will love." - Lucy Connors, author of The Lonesome Young

Sometimes secrets kill. Maybe slowly, maybe painfully. Maybe all at once.

Melissa smiles. She flirts. She jokes. But she never shows her scars. Eight months after tragedy ripped her from her closest friend, Melissa is broken. Inside her grows a tumor, fed by grief, rage, and the painful memory of a single forbidden kiss.

Javier has scars of his own: a bullet wound, and the memory of a cousin shot in the heart. Life in the States was supposed to be a new beginning, but a boy obsessed by vengeance has no time for the American dream. To honor his familia, Javier joins the gang who set up his cousin's murder. The entrance price is blood. Death is the only escape.

These two broken souls could make each other whole again--or be shattered forever.
Our time will come. And we'll be ready.

About Amber Hart

Amber Hart grew up in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. She now resides on the Florida coastline with family. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand.

She's the author of BEFORE YOU, AFTER US, UNTIL YOU FIND ME, and sequel to UNTIL YOU FIND ME (untitled as of yet). Represented by Beth Miller of Writers House.

Add it to Goodreads here!
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Follow Amber:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Giveaway

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Review: Secret Surrender by Priscilla West

My rating: ★★★
Genre: Surrender #2
Series: new adult, romance, contemporary

Blurb from Goodreads:

“What gives you a thrill Kristen?”

I knew that giving in to Vincent Sorenson was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. I had hidden my heart for so long and for the first time in a long time, Vincent was close to breaking down the walls.

When a trip to Vincent’s exclusive private island reveals the real Vincent underneath the layers of suave nonchalance, I thought we were close to the start of something special.

Just when things were looking up for us, I would discover the one secret that Vincent never intended for me to find.

My review:

*ARC received through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

 I don’t even know where to start *sighs* Oh man. I’m going to try to keep this short and not too negative.

This book was so freaking long. And I feel like nothing important happened. Near the ending it started to be more eventful and just when it started to be very interesting… bam. The end. Cliffhanger. UGH. I feel so frustrated right now, because I KNOW this could have been so much better.

Priscilla is a good writer when it comes to romances and chemistry between two people, but for some reasons her sequels are kind of boring. Forbidden Surrender was good, exciting, eventful, swoon-worthy, etc.… This sequel is barely sexy or exiting, it’s feels extremely long and often boring. I had the same problem with Reckless and Fearless. Is it just me? Or does someone else think the same way? I KNOW Priscilla is capable to write an amazing story, but I just got frustrated with this book.

Kristen started to annoy me in this book too. She got so whiny ughhhh. Vincent was kind of a *** sometimes, but I still liked him. I mean, he IS still a bad-boy.

I don’t know if I like Kristen and Vincent together anymore… It’s just weird. They are so different and Kristen really pissed me off when she started to whine about ‘feeling invisible’ and blah blah.

I know this is all very negative, but in some way I STILL liked the plot (more like ‘the big picture’). I’m still curious about Marty and whatever is going to happen. I really, really, hope the third book will be better! 

Book of the Week & Release Day Launch: The Pact by Karina Halle! (+ excerpt!)

About The Pact:

The Pact is a standalone, contemporary adult romance.

It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

Beautiful, funny and an ambitious businesswoman (with one hell of an ass), Stephanie Robson is one of Linden McGregor’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as he’s known her.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them are in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounds like fun and games but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.

Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line. 

The pact is about to change everything.

Add it on Goodreads here!

Excerpt:

Her eyes are so blue and wide, like the morning sky, her mouth so perfectly full. I contemplate running my thumb over her lips before I kiss the salt off of them.

I should just do it. I should just fucking do it.

I swallow hard, my throat feeling closed up but I know it’s not from my cold. It’s from want and it’s from fear.

“What are you staring at?” she asks me, her voice shaking slightly.

Just fucking kiss her.

About The Author:

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

Links: Facebook -  Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page

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In collaboration with InkSlinger PR:

Gone Girl: the movie

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, the book:

Who are you?
What have we done to each other?
These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone.
So what did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?

View it on Goodreads here.

Gone Girl, the movie

To be honest, I don't think I will ever read the book, because I just watched the movie.
I read some reviews (about the book) and I think they are quite similar, so please forgive my "rant" about the movie. I just NEED to talk about it, because this was COMPLETELY FUCKED UP!

Ohmygod. Just ohmygod! I've never been into the thriller genre, but this plot intrigued me, but I was never in the mood to read the book so I watched the movie and I- ... I just don't know what to think!! I don't even know if I liked it! This was just SO messed up. The plot is MIND-BLOWING!!

The ending was dumb though. An open ending for this kind of book is just... not acceptable. I never read any psychological thriller, but ending it like this? What. The. Hell?!

Ugh. Okay. I might the read to book. But not soon anyway. Maybe when I forget half of the movie and can't remember how it ends... THEN I'll read it :D

Okay I think I said enough... *sighs* I feel slightly better now :D

Geez, I can't believe I just wrote a "review" about the movie adaptation of a book (without reading the book!à. I feel like I should use this gif on myself:

Instagram picture: If I Stay duology + Tattify!

Source: my instagram: @melissa_reads

Info about my tattoo:

The tattoo is temporary (lasts 4-5 days) and you can purchase it at TATTIFY.COM

I'm part of the Ambassador Crew and promote their new tats. 

They have a large selection of themes: 

feathers, quotes, infinity, animals, nature, arrows, colorful, words, music, FANDOM, BOOKISH tats and so on.

They also have nail wraps and metallic (gold and silver) tats!

Now here comes the good stuff:

- They ship WORLDWIDE for FREE

- If you use my name MELISSA, you get 15% DISCOUNT!

Go check it out! If you aren't convinced yet, go check it out either way. Maybe some of the arts will convince you! 

And remember, it's temporary, so you don't have to worry about any commitments ;) 

Recent Release #12: Inspire by Cora Carmack & Wicked by JLA

Every Friday I share a recent release I’m excited to read. If you want to check out the previous ones, click here. These are all books I'm adding to my growing pile of tbr-books ;) PS: The cover is linked to Goodreads!

Inspire by Cora Carmack

Series: The Muse #1

Genre: new/young adult, romance, fantasy, mythology

Release date: December 15^th 2014

Length: 284 pages

Kalliope lives with one purpose.

To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.

But it breeds madness, too.

INSPIRE is the first book in The Muse series and is intended for readers 18+!

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Wicked Saga #1

Genre: new adult, paranormal romance

Release date: December 8th 2014

Length: 371 pages

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul. 

Instagram picture: My ebooks tbr-jar!

Source: my instagram @melissa_reads

Weekly Recommendation: Hotties on the cover *heart eyes*

NOTE: I’m sorry for not posting a ‘Weekly Rec’ last week! I’ve been so busy with work. I’ll try to keep up with this weekly post, but I can’t promise anything. To compensate, I have a very large recommendation post planned on January 31st, so keep an eye on that ;)

PS: All covers are linked to Goodreads!

Ricochet by Keri Lake

Series: stand-alone

Genre: adult romance, contemporary, dark, suspense, erotica

Release date: 2015

The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.
A beautiful wife.
A son.
A reason for living.
Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.
They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I'm cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.
A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.
I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who's seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.
Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.
An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.
If she doesn’t destroy me first.

Throb by Vi Keeland

Series: stand-alone

Genre: (new) adult, romance, contemporary

Release date: January 26th 2015

The rules:
No dating.
No sex outside of the game.
No disclosing the terms of the contract.
Rules were made to be broken, right?
Eight weeks ago I signed a contract. One that seemed like a good idea at the time. A handsome bachelor, luxury accommodations, and a chance to win a prize my family desperately needed. There were some rules though. Lots of them actually. Follow the script, no dating, sex, or disclosing the terms of the deal. After my self-imposed moratorium on men the last year, it wouldn’t be hard to live up to my end of the bargain…so I thought. Until I realized the deal I’d made was with the devil…and I was in love with his dirty-talking brother.

*Keep an eye on my blog to find out more about this book! I may have a blog tour planned in January/February!

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

Series: Ruin #1

Genre: new adult, romance, drama, sports, college

Release date: August 11th, 2013

I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michals offered to be my light.
I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.
Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.
And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.

The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Titan #1

Genre: new adult, supernatural, mythology, romance

Release date: February 7th 2015

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…

It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.
Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.
But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.
Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Series: Elemental #1

Genre: YA, paranormal, romance, high school

Release date: April 24th, 2012

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.
Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.
And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.
Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.
The storm is coming . . .

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QUESTION: Which one are you more interested in? I LOVE the first one!!

GIVEAWAY!

I reached 3K (THANK YOU!!) on my Instagram so I'm hosting a giveaway again!

Rules and info:

- PRIZE: any book from bookdepository under 15€ (18$/12£)

- INTERNATIONAL but please check if they ship in your country! 

- TO ENTER: repost this picture ONCE with #melissareads3K 

- Must be following me on Instagram (@melissa_reads) 

- EXTRA ENTRY: follow my Facebook page "Casual Book Affair"

- NO giveaway accounts please! 

- Winner will be chosen randomly 

- DEADLINE: January 31, 2015! 

If you have more questions: just ask! ;) Love you all!! 

DIRECT LINK TO IG: click here.

Review: Forbidden Surrender by Priscilla West

Genre: (new) adult, romance, contemporary
Series: Surrender #1

“What gives you a thrill Kristen?”

The minute I saw Vincent Sorenson, I knew he was trouble. Billionaire. Bad boy. And dangerously sexy. He was everything I craved, and nothing I needed.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just avoid him. The higher ups at my company decided they needed his business, and I was on the team to bring him in. Vincent Sorenson didn’t seem as interested in business as he was in me, but I knew that was a door better left unopened. If I got involved with him, it would only unearth the pain I spent years trying to bury.

I thought I had it under control, but I seriously underestimated Vincent’s seductive charm and silver-tongue. I would soon find out how delicious it would feel to let myself fall into this forbidden surrender.

My review: ★★★★

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

I’m not going to say I loved the book/characters, but I still enjoyed them! Kristen is a likable character. I liked her little mystery side, so I’m very curious to find more about her past in the next books.

"You're everything I expected and more."

Vincent is OH SO HOT! I loved how Vincent changed a little though the book. He was so sweet and caring, but still sexy and kind of bossy (in a nice way). He made me smile a few times too. He’s kind of perfect… oh what the hell, he IS perfect. Oh man, maybe I AM in love…. By the way: I think I’m starting to like nipple piercings… oh god…

“I raised a brow. “So you do listen.”

“When it involves your lips, you have my full attention.”

But put Kristen and Vincent in the same room alone and you have fireworks! HOT fireworks! (The desert-scene was SUPER hot by the way ohmygod) Their attraction to each other is sensible through the pages thanks to Priscilla amazing writing. I’ve only read Reckless and Fearless, and although I liked her writing in those two books, I preferred it a lot in this one. The book is very easy and quick to read. A little short, but there are two other books, so I don’t really mind. I’m definitely started the second one immediately!

“He was something in between. Steadfast in pursuit but adaptable. Charming yet respectful. In other words, complex.”

Instagram picture: a rainbow of books!

Source: my book instagram: @melissa_reads

Review: The 100 by Kass Morgan

My rating: ★★★+0.5
Genre: young adult, sci-fi, dystopia
Series: The Hundred #1

Blurb from Goodreads:

In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

My review:

*ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

I kind of don't know what to think of this book, although it was pretty good.

But I keep comparing it to the tv show. Because I like the show way more!

The book was good for a 'background' of the characters of the show, although there are a lot of differences between both of them.

There's no Finn in the book, but Glass. Also Clarke's parents are dead in the book, so we have no info about what's happening with the leaders like in the show with Clarke's mom.

I read a few reviews from people that aren't watching the show. A lot of them said there were too many POV's and that is was very confusing. For that I recommend watching the show first. Then you get a sort of introduction of how everything is happening in space. It helped me a lot and I think it's because of that that the many POV's didn't bothered me.

BUT: The show and the book are completely different in storyline! Both are pretty good ;)

Book Of The Week: Forbidden Surrender by Priscilla West

Every Sunday I share a book I discovered during the week. I think it's a good idea for you guys if you're looking for random recommendations ;)

If you want to see the previous ones, just click here.

Details about this book:

Series: Surrender #1

Genre: new adult, (erotic) romance, contemporary

Length: 218 pages

Release date: November 8^th 2013

Publisher: /

What is the book about?

“What gives you a thrill Kristen?”

The minute I saw Vincent Sorenson, I knew he was trouble. Billionaire. Bad boy. And dangerously sexy. He was everything I craved, and nothing I needed.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just avoid him. The higher ups at my company decided they needed his business, and I was on the team to bring him in. Vincent Sorenson didn’t seem as interested in business as he was in me, but I knew that was a door better left unopened. If I got involved with him, it would only unearth the pain I spent years trying to bury.

I thought I had it under control, but I seriously underestimated Vincent’s seductive charm and silver-tongue. I would soon find out how delicious it would feel to let myself fall into this forbidden surrender.

How did I find this book?

Source: instagram @melissa_reads

I requested this book on Netgalley like… ages ago and I finally got my acceptance mail (not a Hogwarts acceptance letter haha). 

I already started reading this ARC and so far I like it! It’s mysterious and fun. I don’t know what to expect from the ‘erotic’ side though… I haven’t come across a make-out scene yet, but I’ll see ;) 

This is not the first book I read from Priscilla by the way. I read ARC’s from Reckless and Fearless too. And in those books I liked the way she wrote the romance, so I’m curious!

Instagram picture: my JLA collection!

Source: my instagram @melissa_reads

Review: Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My rating: ★★★★
Genre: young adult, supernatural, short story, romance, mythology
Series: Covenant series #0.5

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee!' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life.”

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals--pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. According to her mother, that's a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death... because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill. The daimons have found her.

My review:

“Don’t ask me to give her up before I even really get to know her … Because you’re not going to like my response.”

Daimon is an amazing prequel. I’m usually not that excited about prequels, but JLA did an amazing job like always. The story in this one makes you crave more of the mythology and whatever happens after that ending.

“Was your mom a gardener?” I asked innocently.

“What?” Ren’s mouth hung open slightly.

“Because a face like yours belongs planted on the ground.”

It’s fast-paced with plenty of action. Alex is such a badass character and reading this book made me like her even more. Now I feel like I really understand how she felt about her mon in Half-Blood. That’s the reason why I wish I had read this one before Half-Blood. I knew what was going to happen so it was less exciting. So if you haven’t started this series, start with Daimon! It will blow you away!

“Actually, I was prone to random acts of stupidity. I considered it to be one of my talents.”