Thursday, January 31, 2019

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

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Life goes on, but the way we measure it varies depending on our point of view.  One of my favorites ways is PAGE BY PAGE, and that brings us to today's title in the spotlight.  It's a book that celebrated its BIRTHDAY this week (*blows party horn*) from an author whose work I fell in love with at first read.  Remember THE HATING GAME?  Yeah, so do I and it was SO GOOD!  Loved it so much I almost wanted to marry it...okay, well maybe not, but you get my meaning...so when I saw another release from this talented writer initially "coming soon", I made room on my wish list.  Having just come off the high of reading it cover to cover, I'm filled to the brim with reactions and feelings...some of which surprised even me...but I digress.  Let's introduce this starlet properly.  Today's book of choice is...


by
Sally Thorne
ARC:  9780062911674
FINAL:  9780062439611
William Morrow

About the book...
Crush: a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s traveled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that's inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers. 




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Okay, here's the skinny...
...I LOVED the pieces, but not the overall picture...
...now, let me explain.

Darcy Barrett was a force to be reckoned with, a take no prisoners, kick-a** ex (sorta) photographer and sometimes bartender that can certainly handle herself, but needs that one-on-one contact (friendly or otherwise) to fulfill her hunger.  Sounds more sexual than it was meant, but then again...there was THAT angle too.  Anywho...she's a strong female lead to be proud of, and while I'd like to wash her mouth/mind out with soap (sorry, but she's a bit too crass for my taste...and yes, I'd say the same if it was the male lead with the mouth), she definitely keeps things interesting.

Tom Valeska...perfect man specimen, if ever there was, that has the looks, the modesty, the balanced ambition, correct priorities...and if you think it's a "too good to be true" situation, it is, but only on the most minimum of levels.  He's known Darcy and her twin brother (Jamie) since childhood, been the benefactor of their generosity (whether he wanted it or not) day in and day out, and been harboring feelings for one of them just...as...long.  That's A LOT of tension to build up, and despite the fact that someone else made an appearance on his arm for some length of time, some flames can't be doused...only FED.  He's a sweetheart that puts way too much pressure on himself, but memorable.

Here's the catch...they're both great, and their connection palpable, but the pieces set to connect them from point A to point B...I wasn't as sold on.  For me, the drama of "should they, shouldn't they" was drawn out, I didn't quite buy the twin connection/fight nor did I particularly care for Jamie, and the grand finale wasn't as grand as I was hoping.  I've been told (or rather saw online) that the final print includes an epilogue that the ARC does not...perhaps that solves my last "issue".  In the end, while I wanted to be blown away, I was simply entertained.  Grant it, that's not a bad thing, but it also left me wanting.  Cie la vie...while it wasn't my all time favorite, it just may be yours, so do GO OUT AND GET IN THE PAGES of your own copy, just make sure you're adult age because yeah, there's words, and fantasies, and situations that are more than blush worthy.



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About the author...

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Sally Thorne lives in Canberra, Australia, and spends her days writing funding submissions and drafting contracts (yawn!) so it's not surprising that after hours she climbs into colorful fictional worlds of her own creation. Sally believes that romance readers are always searching for intensity in their next favorite book--and it isn't always so easy to find. The Hating Game is her first novel.


SITE  |  TWITTER



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Special thanks to the William Morrow team for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  Remember, this title just celebrated its book birthday this Tuesday, so be on the look out for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing...and share a little celebratory love with the author on your favorite social media channel!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

TLC Book Tours presents... THE EXPEDITION by Chris Babu

Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're playing host to a stop along the TLC Book Tours promotion starring the latest release from an author you need to know.  It's the second in a planned trilogy/series that falls squarely in the YA Dystopian genre, but has plenty of appeal for the older set as well.  Don't believe me?  Well, I never said to simply take my word for it, hence we shall commence with the reviews!  Yes, that's right.  I used a plural.  What?  Hey, just because I'm in a funk does not mean I can resist checking out BOTH titles in a series when offered.  So, if you're ready, here's a quick peek at where it all began....


36334133
by
Chris Babu
9781682615935
Permuted Press

Once upon a time...is SO not that right beginning for this story, but we're gonna utilize it just the same. *ahem*  Once upon a time, Drayden's life in New America (formerly Manhattan) was ideal.  Okay, well it wasn't ideal ideal, but it was better than it could be, yet not as good as it should be (exiled for seemingly no reason at all?  *gulp*).  Sounds like something to strive to change, right?  Yes and no.  

In this new world, everyone is equal.  Everyone makes the same pay, receives the same rations, and has the same advantages as the next person, so where's the incentive to move up?  Enter...the Initiation.  I liken it to a hunger games-esque contest with more closed circuit viewing, deadly to a new level consequences, and a bigger emphasis on teamwork.  Oh, and you're not offered up to participate, you enter yourself.  The prize?  Life for you and yours in the protective "arms" of the Bureau, the ruling body of their day and age...but is the price worth the gain especially when the "tests" seem more like ways to pick them off one at a time versus reveal the best candidate?  Oh, and some of them are totally cringe worthy... *-*

This is where we meet Drayden, Tim, Alex, Charlie, Catrice, and Sidney...up close and personal.  This is where we learn their strengths and weaknesses.  Their minds will be tested, their bodies pushed to the limits, their fears laid bare for all to see, and bonds forged for better or worse.  Success or failure, life or death, the outcome is in their hands...or is it?



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...okay, we've built intrigue, time for the star of today's post, BOOK TWO....


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The Expedition
by
Chris Babu
9781682618356
Permuted Press

About the book...
They survived the Initiation. Now the real test begins.

Drayden and his friends thought nothing could be harder than the Initiation. Little did they know it had only been a warmup for the challenge that lay ahead.

With New America’s situation dire, Drayden and the pledges venture into the unexplored world beyond the walls, escorted by a team of elite Guardians. The group seeks to contact another civilization in what remains of Boston, but Drayden has secret goals of his own.

Dangers abound in the outside world, including Aeru, the deadly superbug that wiped out humanity. While they battle the elements of a desolate landscape, a power struggle emerges within their ranks. The Guardians seem to be carrying out a covert mission themselves, and the quest turns everything they thought they knew about New America upside down.




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We pick up just after the first book ends (and what an ending it was!), and ready for a life in the lap of...wait, luxury?  I thought everyone was equal?  What gives?  Yeah, well surprise surprise, some DO get to have their cake and eat it too.

Drayden wants to uncover the truth behind his mother's exile (but can he handle the truth?), Sidney is ready to welcome her sister with open arms, Charlie wants to join the Guardians asap, and Catrice is sorting through her feelings at having reached her goal while making some friends along the way.  Oh, and that love triangle of sorts from book one, totally carries over to book two, just with a new player in the mix.  Anywho, they should be living the dream now...only this Initiation wasn't just to get them into the Bureau.  The powers that be used it as a means to find the newest members of their special team set to solve New America's energy and food problems with an outreach program into the outside world.  A noble cause to save them all...and if you believe that, I've got some swampland to sell you too.

Needless to say, after the trials and tribulations (and losses!) they faced in book one, this is going to be anything but a walk in the park. In fact, it's gonna be a walk through a landmine filled he** with secret agendas, dangerous forces, and revelations you won't see coming.  The bonds they forged will be put to the test, while you're kept guessing as who exactly is safe to put your trust in.  Then. just when you think everything is settling down, one of their own may be delivered a death sentence....but I shan't say whom, or why, or how; that's for readers to know, and you to discover!


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All in all, I really got into BOTH novels heart and soul.  Book one did well to set the stage, build the world, and turn your stomach (I'm sorry, but some of those tests...UGH!), leaving you chomping at the bit for more. Book two leaves you with much more knowledge than you had initially, and an uncertain future on the horizon...which of course means book three will have a spot on the old wish list whenever it reaches publication because really, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?  My only low point for the second title lays with Drayden and his wishy-washy infatuation for the two love interests in his life.  OMG boy, you survived ALL THAT CRAP, but you can't stop whining about the girls and your feelings?  Decide, or internalize, or SOMETHING.  Being sensitive is awesome, but you've got A LOT more going on right now that has to rate a little higher on the demands of your attention.



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About the author...

Chris Babu

Chris Babu grew up in North Haven, CT, playing soccer and the violin in his free time. After devouring The Shining under the covers with a flashlight when he was eight, Chris was hooked on fiction. He’s always had a thing for young adult books. But he’s also a major science and math nerd—physics being his favorite—and he has a math degree from MIT.

For nineteen years, he worked as a bond trader on Wall Street, riding the subway to and from work every day. He traded mortgage-backed securities for Bank of America and then Deutsche Bank, where he eventually ran the MBS trading desk. Now Chris writes full-time, always with his trusted assistant Buddy, a 130-pound Great Dane, who can usually be found on his lap. They split their time between New York City and the east end of Long Island. Their omnipresence at home drives his wife Michelle and daughter Lily crazy



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Special thanks to Trish at TLC Book Tours and Devon at Permuted Press for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copies for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the titles, the author, the publisher, or this tour, feel free to click through the links provided above. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE TOUR IN THE BLOGOSPHERE AND OVER ON INSTAGRAM!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Friday, January 25, 2019

Be on the lookout for... WATCH HOLLOW by Gregory Funaro!

Hi there.
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Thanks for stopping by and continuing to hold the faith, while I find my way back to the bloggy world through all this chaos and mayhem.  Good news, as previously stated, I AM READING...and it feels much like welcoming an old friend after a long absence.  Grant it, it's not as voraciously as before, but still...I'm getting there, one day/page at a time.  Anywho, let's get to the focus of the day...




It's a COMING SOON Middle Grade title via HarperCollins from author Gregory Funaro.  Recognize the name?  Does Alistair Grim ring a bell?  Yep...that'd be another work of this talented fellow, and the title in the spotlight today is his latest SPOOKY fun story slated to release NEXT MONTH (February 12, 2019 as of this post).  So, if you're ready, let's slip between the pages of today's book of choice....


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Tinkers are a family that's been through the mill, what with them falling on hard times, and the loss of one of their one, if a world could be shades of grey, theirs would be fading to black. One day, an offer that's SO GOOD it can't possibly be hiding anything dark or sinister (yeah, right, and my name is George Washington) is laid at the feet of their father. He's a kind, loving man, who just wants to see his family out of debt, while somehow rediscovering their joy of life, of togetherness, despite the cloud of sadness they remain cloaked in. Accepting the "gift" fate has granted him, he takes on the task of fixing a massive clock (with abilities much beyond that of telling time!) in a mysterious old house, in the mysterious (and perhaps enchanted?) dark woods of Watch Hollow. What could go wrong... *-*

Right from the start, I felt for Lucy and Oliver. No, I've not had the sadness of my heart breaking in the same way as theirs, but I definitely feel their pain in my own way. They were finding their way through the dark days that absence created and while getting on each other's nerves, they were also constantly on the look out for the other. It was utterly endearing and played an integral part throughout the story, including the DANGEROUS and SUSPENSE FILLED END. Though Oliver liked to reason his way through things, being close to teen-dom, he wasn't always thinking clearly...add in a dose of morose to the heart, and it's easy to see how the wool was pulled over his eyes, and yet I can't find room in my heart to totally write him off as a "bad guy" for his choices. Lucy is an equally lovable character, though prickly in her own right. Worried about worrying everyone else, she kept too many things to herself, but her heart was ever so much in the right place. Her kindness, her caring, her utter desire to do the right thing even when it was the hard thing to do, kept her shining in my eyes, even when her own self-esteem faltered.

All in all, it was DARK, and ENCHANTING, filled with HOPE and with DESTRUCTION, but in the end, it reminds us to love the ones we're with, try not to regret the past but most certainly learn from it, and always spare a bit of kindness for a stranger...just, you know, don't invite the darkness in.

**ecopy received for review




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Special thanks to author Gregory Funaro for the invite to read and share this forthcoming release.  (THANKS!)  Feel free to click through the links to discover more about the author, the work, or the publisher.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Monday, January 14, 2019

Rick Riordan Presents... DRAGON PEARL by Yoon Ha Lee

Hi guys and gals.
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

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So, for those of you wondering (or who actually care, *hugs to you*), I'm still around.  Despite the efforts of a particular storm from you-know-where, I haven't offed myself or fallen victim to any other unfortunate circumstances.  While I've been offline in most ways, I've peeked in off and on, and the reading has continued...grant it not nearly as heavily, but still, I'm getting back in the groove of things, like today's post.  It's a book I saw last year out with and the new year in with, finishing up about January 3rd, give or take an hour or so.  It's a Children's Fiction title that sits squarely in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category with a great cultural exploration taken that's both teach and entertain.  So, if you're ready, let's take a look at a title that's ready to hit bookstore shelves TOMORROW via Rick Riordan Presents (Disney Publishing Worldwide) and just happens to be today's book of choice...


Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Dragon Pearl...Myth. Legend. Reality?
Perhaps, but whether it is the creator or destroyer of worlds all depends on the hands in which it dwells. Once upon a time, there was an artifact of legend that fell into darkness. It's location remained unknown for so long, many doubted it ever existed, but there are always those looking for a challenge...though their intentions are as varied as their heritage.

When you crack the spine on this one, be ready for adventure in all its beautiful colors. There's high flying space battles with fiery ends, otherworldly mysteries that could crystallize the most stalwart of souls, and family bonds so precious no distance can keep them apart. There are new acquaintances made with family formerly unknown (with good reason, as we learn), so many lies told it'll be hard to keep the truth in sight, gi's tested to their limits, and enough latrines scrubbed this girl
open her own cleaning service! Seriously though, it's much more than it may at first seem and it already spikes your interest at first glance, so that's saying something...but beyond the Fiction, there's a lot of FACT with the lessons it teaches us about the world being better off in harmony, keeping our deceptions to a minimum, and accepting others for who they are not what you may have heard. Keep an eye out for the different types of spirits and magic running about, as they each have their own "flavor", their own razzle dazzle, and their own set of rules they live by.

In short, I loved the world building, the histories, the magic, and everything in between. What begins as a simple story to uncover the fate of a beloved brother, turns into a fight for not just their lives, but those of every other WORLD. Power is a funny beast...in the right hands, the possibilities are endless, but in the wrong hands, the devastation is unimaginable. Prepare for battle when you crack the spine on this one and strap in for one heck of a ride!


**ARC received for review, eaten by Hurricane Michael, but outsmarted by this reader by nabbing an ecopy on NetGalley

View all my reviews




Special thanks to Cassie for the ARC for review, and to the Disney Publishing team for approving my NetGalley request for a replacement copy.  (THANKS!)

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!