November and December Book Haul

I hope you all had a very merry December, and happy holidays everyone. 2014 is literally about to be gone, and here is 2015. Wow. This year went by reallllly quickly. Well, in the new year I wish you all the very best. This is my December book haul, which has a few books from November. I got three books in November but two of them I didn't receive till late November and early December. Which doesn't bother me at all. One package had to come very far and I am just glad that everything and every book arrived safely. If you would like to see my last book haul, it was from September.

The first book that I got is Trust No One* by Jayne Ann Krentz. It's an uncorrected proof copy. As far as I can tell it is a standalone, but Krentz has lot and lots of books out. She has quite a few pseudonyms but the one that I always run into is Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle.

The second book I got is a signed copy of Barely Bewitched* by Kimberly Frost. It is the second book in the Southern Witch series. There are a few different mythical creatures besides witches in it and I can't wait to read this. Though I may go seek out the first book just to read in order.

The last book I got in November but didn't make it to me till December (it had a long way to go!) is Trinity The Prophecy* by Kylie Price. It is also a signed copy. I think there are other books to be added to this one, and it is the first book. How many are going to come I am not sure. There will be a review up of this book, it won't be the next one but it will be the one after that. So be sure to look for it. Price also has one other book out that looks really good.

The first book I got in December is Nocturne by Syrie James. I got it at the Dollar Tree for $1, it sounded good and I thought for $1 it wasn't going to kill me. It looks to be another standalone, but James has multiple other books published.

The second book is I Belong to You by Lisa Renee Jones. I paid $11.25 ($11.93 with tax) at my local Kroger store. It is the fifth book of the Inside Out series, and I do have If I Were You and Being Me reviewed, they are the first two books. I don't think a review for this book will be up any time soon. This is a series I want to read in order and I don't have two books that follow Being Me. I don't have a way to get them either which makes me very sad. But I will eventually get them and read!

The third and final book I got this month is a ebook of The Vampire Keeper by Sabrina Street. It is the only book out by Street thus far. As I have said before I don't really feel like ebooks are really books simply because, if the electrical device decides not to cooperate you can't read your books. For example I received two other ebooks from two different authors and for some reason I can't get them to open on my app. So I can't read them. I contacted my provider and they want me to call or get on chat. I don't have time, so those two go on a back burner until I can get to them.



I could have sworn I got more books in December but I guess not. I think I might start doing bi-monthly book hauls if I get enough books. If I haven't gotten any books there won't be any mention of a haul. I have really slowed down on buying books because I have a lot of them already. I have been on break so that's why there is a steady stream of reviews up. I am still going to college so there will be times where I am not able to get up a review as often. I'm sorry, but if you stick around there will be reviews!

Up next is Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

Thank you for reading!
~Jade



*Note: I received these books through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but in no other way am I being sponsored to make a review on them or even talk about them. I may get to a review of them quickly, I may not. It all depends on what I feel like reading.

Iron King by Julie Kagawa

I've been doing a lot of firsts lately. Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series by Kagawa. It was published back in 2010, I don't remember any hype with this book and I am wondering why there wasn't. It really deserved some sort of acknowledgment, then again maybe it did. I really am never up on the trends, but I don't mind.

Meghan's life has always been just slightly off. There's a secret about her that she doesn't even know. Her father disappeared right in front of her when she was six. She doesn't fit in at school and not really at home either. A dark stranger starts watching her from a distance, and her friend Robbie begins to get weirdly protective of her. Everything's about to change and Meghan sort of knows it. Though when things do change, she couldn't begin to imagine the whole of it. She's the daughter of a fairy king, and just one of the pawns in a war. Through many trials she learns that she will go as far as she can just to save someone dear to her, stop a evil that no one else dares to face, and possibly find love in someone who would probably rather see her dead.

I don't know where to begin...I love this book. I love fairies, mythical creatures, and everything that comes with it. The good and the bad. I love the characters, especially Gimalkin, Ethan reminds me of my nephew at that age so I took an immediate liking to him. Ash and Robbie/Puck took a little warming up to, but for the most part I like them. Robbie/Puck made me laugh on a number of occasions, but I did think he should have known better with a few incidences. *SPOILER-ALERT* Practically right away I knew that Meghan and Ash would end up liking each other in the end. Robbie/Puck is too much of a protector to really be a love interest.*SPOILER-ENDED* Meghan I found to be a little annoying at times, but I think that is more or less from everything that kept getting thrown her way. While reading I got a sense of Alice In Wonderland practically all the time. I believe it was even mentioned once. Which I don't have a problem with, I love Alice In Wonderland. This book also reminded me of the young adult friendly version of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, with the Unseelie and the Seelie courts. Along with other similar connections. Also Shakespeare's A Midnight Summers Dream came into play all throughout the book, which I love Shakespeare so I was happy to read the connections.

As for what I didn't like, it was literally one thing after another. The group would take one step forward and five steps back. I understand that things have to be kept interesting for the reader, but I got really annoyed with this. With smaller things constantly happening, no real action happened until the end and even then it was over in a few pages. Yes, there where lots of little "battles" but the real main action was done and over in a blink, and quite simply too. I was really let down by this. I was expecting this big fight because the Iron King was played up to be this big bad guy and in the end it was a simple wham-bam done. I was kept interested, but after a while I kept reading to see if anything would be done by the end of the book. I really hope that things get better in the next book.

Despite the constant one thing after another, Iron King wasn't that bad of a book. I don't know if someone who doesn't like fairies as much as I do would say the same though. If it weren't for the characters I don't know if I would have finished it, they really made this book for me. I do recommend it, if you can deal with everything I ranted about, then read it. It's far from a bad book, it just could have been better in a way. I would like to own this book, but I think I will read the rest of the series to figure out if I want the whole thing or just certain books.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Page Count: 363 pages (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next: December Book Haul

Thanks for reading! Happy holidays!
~Jade

Wake by Lisa McMann

The first book in the Wake trilogy, and I wonder where the hype for it is? Or maybe I missed it? I am going to go with I missed the hype, because that's usually how it happens. I've had my eye on this trilogy for a little while now, and I have never been able to get the first book until now. I was warned by someone who has read these books to read them in order if I really don't want to spoil anything. I took the warning and I am glad I did. I hope you enjoy.

Seventeen-year old Janie has a lot on her plate, and being sucking into other people dreams isn't helping any. She's getting tired of it, and sadly has no one to talk to about it because honestly who wouldn't think she was crazy if they knew about it? She can't control it either and it doesn't matter what time of day it is, if someone is dreaming around her she is getting pulled into it. But the dream of a kid named Cabel, is different. He dreams of killing someone, but he also dreams of her.

To say I devoured this book is an understatement. I began reading at about 1AM and was half way through by 3:30AM. I slept, woke up, and read the rest of the book in just a hour and a half more. It was a very quick read for me but I think that has to do with how fast paced it was, for the most part. The pace did slow but never for very long, which I loved. It fit the book perfectly. In the POV of Janie, I find that she was very relatable, which is nice for a reader. Anyone who wasn't very privileged, had to work for their things, and almost an outcast could really relate to Janie. I feel if I can't 'connect' with one of the main characters, the book isn't that enjoyable. Unless the author does something amazing. I don't even know how to explain Cabel, he seems like a bad boy but that's just too stereotypical for him. *SPOILER-ALERT* I did not see him working under cover as a agent at his age coming. I had to read a couple of pages over just to be sure. Though in the end it made sense why and how he came to be in that position. *SPOILER-ENDED* I have never read a book before where a character has been drawn into anyone and everyone's dreams, so long as they are in close enough proximity, and awake. It was what drew me in in the first place when I picked it up a while ago, and read the back cover. I got annoyed with Janie and Cabel in the beginning and kept yelling at the book. It was good yelling, and I was cracking myself up.

Quite honestly I don't have any real complaints about Wake. I was upset by how fast I read it, and how small the book is compared to some of the other books I have read. I have a feeling that unless Ms. McMann makes some stereotypical moves for the next two book, I may just love them as well. Even with the shortness.

I loved this book to say the least. It is a great relaxed read for adults. I made my mom read it once I was done with Wake and she really liked it as well. I recommend this book to everyone of all ages, I personally don't see a problem with someone in 8th grade reading this. There are a couple of spots where Janie gets sucked into a sexual dream but even then it isn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I think I could reread Wake a few times before I would get tired of it. I don't own the book but I surely want to one day, as for the rest of the trilogy, that remains to be seen.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 210 (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next Book: Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Command Me by Geneva Lee

Command Me is the first book in The Royals saga by Geneva Lee. I'm going to get this out of the way here and now. This is not a book for those under 18, if mature enough I would say 16 is the youngest. There are hot and heavy sex scenes and it is just going to continue from here in the books to come. If you do not like BDSM related sex, don't read. You've been warned. Also this book doesn't come with the usual summary for a book. So I will do what I don't like to and use what is given (but I do like what was given!). As another little note this book was once called For King and Country so if it sounds familiar it just may be.

When he kissed me, I was shocked. He was a stranger and still so familiar. It wasn't until I woke up to my picture splashed on the cover of tabloids that I realized I knew who he was. Prince Alexander of Cambridge. Royal bad boy. Exiled heir to the throne. He isn't Prince Charming. He's controlling. He's demanding. He's dangerous. And I can't say no to him. We both have secrets—secrets that could tear us apart or drive us closer together—and as the paparazzi exposes each one, I have to decide just how far I'm willing to go for King and Country.

I like this. I like this a lot. Alexander or X, is a very alluring character and I can see why. He's a bad boy and a girl goes through her streak of wanting to tame a bad boy or ride along with him. Only this bad boy is a royal. Clare is our other main character, and she's a very likeable but sometimes an annoying character. Then again so is X. Their relationship is one filled with bumps and trials. I think they could have worked through them a little better, but hey sex is sex and why fight it when it's good? I liked the aspect that everything wasn't great in their relationship. Sometimes I find it a little too good to be true when there is nothing wrong between two people. Especially two people like Clare and X. The story line kept me interested for the most part. X isn't a pampered prince, he has his own deeply scarring troubles. And Clare has her head on her shoulders (for the most part), she went to college and furthered herself. I won't lie, the chemistry between X and Clare is hot, and X is a hot man. As far as lesser but equally important characters, Edward was a doll and I can see a lot of readers liking him. I can also see people wanting to smack Pepper as I did, but every book has to have that one character who you love to hate.

I must say with as much as I did like this book, I did find quite a few things annoying. There where predictable points throughout the book. Clare fell into lusting after X very quickly. Don't get me wrong, lusting after someone is fine, but when they warn you that they only want sex and they don't want a relationship, Don't. Get. Attached. You were told sex only, no relationship. Why are you letting yourself get attached so you can get hurt later? *MINI-RANT* Second, he is a flippen' royal, she is a commoner. It. Isn't. Going. To. Work. It doesn't matter what sort of royal and what sort of commoner, it has never been allowed so why now? Especially when they haven't known each other for very long, and especially after Clare saw how everyone treated her. I would be asking myself if I really wanted to be with someone who was with me just to piss off their family and the person their family is expecting them to get married to. Yeah he doesn't like his betrothed but still, Clare is a commoner. A pompous king isn't going to let that happen.*MINI-RANT OVER* Also there is a cliffhanger ending which always drives me insane, even more so with this book because I really want to know how Lee is going to take this. I think I already know how things are going to end, but I don't want to spoil it.

I enjoyed this book more than I didn't, cliffhanger ending and all. I am really hoping that Lee doesn't take some of the more run of the mill paths when it comes to romance, bad boys and everything else. I recommend this book, but I do put a warning on it, which was mentioned in the very beginning of this review. I would also like to say that this isn't going to be everyone's ideal book. Some are going to think it is complete rubbish but we are all entitled to our opinions. I sort of own this book. I did get my copy for free from amazon, but I don't really count ebooks as "real" books. That's just me, I prefer a hard copy in my hands. The second book is out but that is not free. I will review it when ever I get it and read it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Price: Free on Amazon

Next Book: Wake by Lisa McMann

Thanks for reading!
~Jade