Book Nerds Across America

Goodreads Description:


For Tobin and Delia, everything was always equal.

A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.

A kiss for a kiss.
Your shirt for mine.
Break my heart, I’ll break yours.

Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.

When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn't healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.

In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?

MARY'S REVIEW:

This book grabs you right off the first page.  Tobin is going through a serious break-down because his brother just died.  On top of that, the love of his life (that moved away a year ago) comes back.  Delia and Tobin have that kind of love that people dream of; however, there are some complications that have drove them apart.

One is Delia's father.  He is a US Senator and moved his family to Washington DC and feels that Tobin is not "good enough" for his daughter.  (I do not like him!)  Then there is Delia's mother, who enjoys the drink (a lot), whom I am sure did not help the situation of keeping Tobin and Delia together.

Two is Tobin and Delia themselves.  Their miscommunication to each other and others are causing them to not look at the whole picture.  Now that Delia was going to be staying town for a little while they cannot help but run into each other and end up in the places that cause memories to come flooding back.

There was a TWIST in the story that I did not see at all and overall the story was great.  I enjoyed the flashbacks because it really helped to tell the story overall.

Goodreads Description:

Emma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe. Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices. Fans of Rebecca Donovan’s debut novel will discover there’s still much to learn about Emma’s life.

MARY'S REVIEW:


If you thought I cried in Reason to Breathe, I cried even harder in this book.

This book picks up 6 months later from the last one.  Emma is now living with Sara and her family after everything that happened in Book 1.  On top of that, the whole town knows what happened.  Emma is now having really bad nightmares and still having issues trusting people.

Well, her mother tries to have a relationship with her and Emma makes the decision to move in with her.  That does not work out so well.  Emma's mom really is not a good mother, she is a drunk.  BUT, we have a new character (whom I did not like) Jonathon.  He is Emma's mother's (much younger) boyfriend.  Emma and Jonathan become friends, just friends.  However, there is something about Jonathan's past that does not settle well with me and I do not really trust him.  Evan and Sara try to be there for Emma but she is still not trusting them fully (which makes me a bit upset).

Of course, there is a HUGE cliff-hanger and I cried through every part of it.  Now, I have to wait until Book 3 comes out.

Good Reads description: 


"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"

He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers…

Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret.

Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.

MARY'S REVIEW:

You all know that I am the crier of the Book Nerds and this book made me cry A LOT!  I read this book in one day because I could not stop reading it, even through the tears.

Emma is the main character who lives with her aunt and uncle because her father is dead and her mother is "unfit" to take care of her.  Her aunt and uncle are so phony! They do not love nor care about Emma.  The only person that Emma has in her life is her best friend, Sara, whom I just loved.  That is until Evan shows up....OMG!!! *hot guy alert*  He really comes in and tries so hard to help her and care for her, but he knows that she is hiding something.

Now I do not want to spoil this book but I will warn you there is abuse in it and it can be a bit disturbing (depending on what your definition of "disturbing" is).  Emma tries to be so strong and the pain that she goes through is unfathomable.  I can not imagine anyone going through her pain.

I was so glad that she had Evan and Sara.  However, this book has the BEST cliff-hanger that I have read in a very long time.

This is a must read ....... with a box of tissues!

Good Reads Description:


Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance.


Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.


When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.


And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.


To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.


Flat-Out Love comes complete with emails, Facebook status updates, and instant messages.


Mary's Review:


I found this book (kind-of) by accident.  It was on my Amazon account recommendation list.  I hardly ever look at that list but I was just looking to see if there was something that I had not read yet.

So, after reading the GoodReads description I thought ... sounds good let's try it.

WOW.....JUST WOW!!  I am so glad that I did.  I really enjoyed this book.

Julie is in Boston to go to college and it does not start out well for her.  Thankfully, her mother's old college roommate, Erin, helps her out and moves Julie into her home.  Now, Erin has 3 children, Finn (who is traveling the world), Matt (middle-child, MIT student, geek) and Celeste (13 years old and goes no where without a huge cut-out of Finn).  Jessica is trying to figure out this whole family all the while talking to Finn, who is traveling the world.  Through out the book there are emails, texts, and Facebook status that just cracked me up and some that made you really think!

Sounds weird right!?!?! Well, it is but I loved how Jessica Park wrote this book.  I did not figure out the "secret" until the very end and I was a bit shocked.  However, Jessica Park really made me fall in love with all these characters and I have to say that I "borrowed" a couple of Finn's and Matt's Facebook status updates....haha!!

This is a good, quick, and lovely read and I would recommend for others to read it!

Jacque's Review:

Shine was a lot different for me than Shade or Shift.  There were some AMAZING moments and I felt like there was a real sense of closure by the end.  It was 5* all the way, but something was missing.  I really am Team Zogan, but I think it all comes down to Logan.  The two parts in this book that did cause my eyes to water involved him.  His lack of a presence was felt by not only Aura, but this reader as well.

I realize that Aura and Zachary needed to move on without Logan...and boy did they ever.  I was very happy for them and I was SHOCKED by some of the things that we learned in this book.   I already apologized to Zachary on twitter, but he deserves an apology here as well.  He may have made a "dishonorable" decision in Shift, but he is a very strong, thoughtful and caring character.  The assumption I made about him was 100% incorrect.  I really connected with his character throughout this book and wish he had more involvement in the first half.  It was heartbreaking to watch Aura and Zachary struggle for so long while they were forced to be apart.  I absolutely FLEW through the last half of the book when they were finally back together.   

There is a lot more action in this story and Zach and Aura's safety is constantly in question.  They aren't really sure who the "bad guys" are, which makes their quest all the more challenging.  Their need to stay apart, even when they are together, for the benefit of their "research" was almost as difficult for them as when they were an ocean apart. 

I really enjoyed discovering more of Aura's Mom's story and exploring Scotland, Ireland, and Newgrange.  These places are so important to who Aura and Zachary are on so many levels.  I enjoyed witnessing their excitement, even in the face of constant danger, as they slowly unraveled the mystery behind the shift.

Overall...I was VERY pleased with how this series concluded and I would recommend it HIGHLY.  I am already adding Jeri Smith-Ready's WVMP Radio Series to my TBR list.  

Teri's Review

**Please dont hate me when you read this..I was so torn in this book**
Ugg...ok...here it is. I have been trying to write this review for weeks now. I had my copy of Shine before it was released thanks to the wonderful Jeri Smith Ready, but I haven't been able to describe how I feel about this. The one thing I am certain..I'm in mourning, I mourned Logan more in Shine than I did at the end of the last book. Yes, I knew he passed on and yes he was referred  to quite a bit in Shine, but fact was, he was missing and so was my heart.
The book started out with a bang, and I thought Jeri was just aiming to do me completely in.. Thank God I kept reading, because trust me I was more than ready to book the book down at that point. So for me the first of the book was a slow read. Aura seemed lacking as a main character without the help of either Logan or Zach. Not only did I find myself mourning Logan, but now I wasn't getting any Zach relief. The story was good tho, lots of spy type stuff that set it apart from the other two books, but for me, the book didnt pick up until Zach appeared.
The biggie here for me was the big build up to Zach and Aura's lovemaking ( yeah dont judge I wanted it) I have been waiting for this...I was totally let down. The 17 minutes when Logan was human and with Aura was totally so much more sexy in my opinion. And the breakups.................uggg.............I just wasnt a happy camper thru most of the book.
As always Jeri's writing was fantastic. The time spent in Ireland was great and made me want to book a flight out in the same instance. The whole memorial concert for Logan and when Zach did the favor for Logan, these were the highlights of the book for me. Maybe I wasn't merely mourning Logan, maybe I was mourning the end of one of my favorite series. I know this, even tho I had complaints with the book it still rated a 5 with me, I just wasn't ready to let go yet

Shelly Crane was so kind to help host this giveaway of her prize packs.

So, without further a do:

The winner of the Devour book is:

TAMMY 


The winner of the 3 signed bookmarks and button is:

Nicc209


The winner of the 3 signed bookmarks is:

DannaMarieG


Please be sure to be checking your emails!!!!

I feel so honored that Misty Provencher asked Book Nerds to be part of the Cornestone Book Tour.  Along with that, there is an amazing interview and a GIVEAWAY.

It was not too long ago that I read this book.  It was much different than most books that I have read.  You can read my review here.  The book has a very unique story line and you will fall in love with the characters.

You can check out the reviews on Good Reads and Amazon.

Misty is so kind to be helping out with this giveaway.  For our international fans Misty will be giving a eBook of Cornerstone.  If you are US fan that you can receive a paper copy.  All you have to do is leave a comment along with your email. I will pick a winner on May 27th, 2012.

INTERVIEW:


When did you realize that you wanted to be an author?  Always.  In grade school we had to write a little story and the teacher turned it into a book.  I loved it so much, I turned in five of them before she told me to knock it off.  In high school, I had to do a paper that would map a geographical route across the U.S. and there had to be expenditures for gas and food along the way.  I turned what had to be a three page paper into a 40 page adventure.  It’s what I do.


Where your characters, Nalena and Garrett, based off of someone??  Not exactly.  The feelings Nalena has for Garrett, however,  are loosely based on this mad crush I had when I was in 7^th grade.   The guy was named Ted and his family would visit his grandparent’s cottage in the summer, just down the street from my house.  He was a little older than me and I hardly knew him, but he was a total hottie and I went to complete idiot bubbles whenever he was around.   So, Nalena and I have that in common.


 How did you come up with the storyline of Cornerstone? It was the process of dreaming backward.  I had a dream eons ago and it was one of those dreams that just sticks with you.  I can still remember a lot of the details from it.  It took several years of floating around in the metal computer before I realized it was a book, waiting to be written.  But the dream was the ending of the story, so I had to trace it back to figure out how the dream would’ve come about.  So, that’s where Cornerstone came from.


 Can you give us any insight into Keystone? Do you know when it will come out? My cover artist is currently working on the Keystone cover, but I keep pushing back the release date because I’ve got a lot of revisions to do before it’s ready to Sorry for the delays, but things have to be right, you know?  I’m hoping to get it out by the fall, if not earlier>We’re going on a quest in Keystone, so fasten your seatbelts.  You’ll see more of Garrett and Nalena, more of the Reese family and the Addo and there will be lots of new characters that I can’t wait for you to meet.  Cornerstone introduced you to the Ianua community, but Keystone is going to show you how the whole shebang works.  


What other projects are you working on, or would like to work on in the future?   I’ve got one story that’s half finished (a dark YA fantasy)  one that is laid out and ready to be written (it’s like The Breakfast Club meets A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and about five more beating on the door.  I’ve learned from Keystone that you really want to push through and get the draft down as quick as you can.  That’s the challenge now- get them down and get them out into the reader’s hands.

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them both legions of faithful fans. (from Goodreads)

Okay, I am about to gush over another John Green book! As you know from my reviews on The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, I really enjoy his clever writing and his realistic, lovable characters. I can also say the same thing about David Levithan, having read Dash & Lily's Book of Dares and seeing Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. So, let me tell you all about the FABULOUSITY of Will Grayson, Will Grayson book in true Tiny Cooper fashion.

Green and Levithan wrote this story in alternating chapters, each one a different Will Grayson. I immediately liked the first Will Grayson from the get-go. I did not like the second Will Grayson from the get-go. Then, a little more than halfway through the book, I decided I didn't really like the first Will Grayson that much and I simply adored the second Will Grayson. In the end, adored them both. Both Green and Levithan did an amazing job portraying real, flawed teenage boys who are struggling with tough life issues and trying to fit in and make sense of their world. They both needed hugs. I wanted to give both Will Graysons hugs and re-assure them that life does get better after high school.

The character of Tiny Cooper played a big part (pun intended) in both Will Grayson's stories. He helped them both to get closer to realizing their true selves and what was important to them. He was also the comic relief and the right amount of optimism that the Wills needed. If you haven't read the book, Tiny Cooper is a large gay man who is writing a musical about his life entitled Tiny Dancer. What's not to love?!?!

If you get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook -- do it! Both the narrators made the story come alive with their delivery -- the pacing was ON KEY and they even sing! At the same time, I was happy to have a copy of the book on hand as well, because  the style of writing was also part of the characters. For example, the second Will Grayson only wrote in lowercase and his conversations were portrayed in IM (Instant Messaging) fashion. In an interview at the end of the book, Levithan explains that this is how Will sees himself.  I was also glad to have the book because eventually it got to the point where I didn't want to stop enjoying the story just because I wasn't driving around anymore. I abandoned the audiobook and read the last 30%. Although, honestly, now that I am done with the book, I am going to keep listening to the end of audiobook.

I loved this book from the first page. If you follow my status updates on Goodreads, they pretty much go like this:

"I am looking forward to loving this book!"
"I love this book!"
"I love this book so much!"

I am not even exaggerating -- those were my updates. Anyway, please do yourself a favor and pick up Will Grayson, Will Grayson. You will laugh at Tiny, you will love the Wills, then hate the Wills, then love the Wills again. You will get misty and its poignancy, feel crushed when the Wills feel crushed, and cheer for certain characters to get together. 

As for me, I am now off to continue my quest of reading everything John Green has ever written. And David Levithan, too. Have you read any of their books? Which ones do you recommend?

Good Reads Description:

Patrick Hayward’s never been a one woman type of guy, that’s why he never dates just one. However, still reeling the loss of the one woman he took a chance on falling in love with to his older brother, Patrick is enrolled—sequestered, if you asked him—at Stanford in hopes of breaking him out of his months long, beard growing, rootbeer chugging, hygiene impaired, funk.

Something breaks when a certain Emma Scarlett storms into his life his first week on campus as he’s suntanning and cat calling when he should be in class. Emma sees through his act and calls him out like she’s seen his kind a million times before, but Patrick knows he isn’t one of a million, he’s one in a million. 

Intrigued by this fascinating creature that is ignorant to his charm, surrounded by four older brothers who look at Patrick like he’s a bug they could squish, and dating the same guy for the past six years who gives new meaning to the term territorial boyfriend, Patrick gravitates to her, knowing she’s everything he shouldn’t fall for.

So, of course, he can’t help himself.

Forcing the stars to realign and slapping fate in the face, Patrick takes matters into his own hands and finds a way to wrangle his way into Emma’s life at every chance. As Emma begins to open up to him, he’s about to discover she’s thwarted by as many secrets as he is. 

But hers are the kind that make you want to keep your light on at night.

Patrick never could have imagined a more unhappy ever after for himself than the one he's about to face.


REVIEW:


If you do not remember I review all of the Eternal Eden series by Nicole Williams a long time ago.  I just loved it!  One of my fave character was Patrick, William's brother.  When Nicole announced that she would be doing a series from Patrick's point of view I was SO EXCITED!


I was a little unsure how the story would go but I knew that Nicole was a very talent author and would not rely on Bryn's and William's story to push this story through.


Anyway, it starts out with Patrick still trying to get over Bryn, but of course is not handling well.  Well, Patrick's father takes it upon himself to send Patrick to college.  Of course, Patrick would be attending Stanford.


It is here that the fun, flirty Patrick meets Emma and Emma's very serious boyfriend, Ty.  We all know that Patrick can handle himself.  He would not have lived for over 200 years if he could not.  However, Emma has a pull on Patrick and he cannot get her off his mind.


Fate pulls Emma and Patrick together and there are some really good twist and turns through out the book. There is one thing that I did not like.  The ending, because I want to see what happens! Of course, Nicole left us in a (some-what) cliffhanger.  


I am not sure when Book 2 will be out but I can guarantee that I will be reading it!

Not long ago I was introduce to this amazing author, Shelly Crane.  The first book I read of hers was Stealing Grace.  Immediately I was brought into this amazing, complex, and intriguing world about human trafficking.

It was then that I learned she had written other books.  So, I bought her Significance Series.  This is how I describe that series.....THE BEST EVER!!  I read all of the books within a matter of just a few days and I am counting down the days to Book #4.  She also has written the Collide series and Devoured series, which are both amazing as well.

I have read a lot of books and meet a lot of authors, but Shelly Crane is in a league of her own.  Her talent of writing these amazing series is purely remarkable and I want to thank her for helping host this giveaway.

There are 3 prize packs that will be given away.  The rules are simple: follow the Book Nerds blog and leave a comment (with your email address). I will choose the winner on MAY 21, 2012.

The first person chosen will receive: a paperback of Devour.  This is the first book of the Devoured series.  The second book Consume will be released soon.

The Good Reads Description of the book is:

Clara has it all. A wrestling star boyfriend, popular friends, all the right school activities...pretty much a perfect life...up until her parents died. Now she lives with the Pastor and his family and though they take good care of her, she feels alone. Then her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of trouble when a new guy, Eli, comes to town. Clara is fascinated with him but hides it until something happens. Eli confesses to her that she gives him something he's never had before...something he needs. Everything is about to change for this normal pretty popular girl in a supernatural way.


The second person chosen will win: a set of 3 book marks that are signed by Shelly Crane and a button that says "THIS CHICK READS INDIE"

I am updating this from my original post.  When I first posted I did post the Good Reads Description.  That was wrong on my part. Jaime McGuire is a remarkable author and I should not have done that.


Good Reads Description: 


She had seen the unspeakable.
She would learn the unknowable.
Now, she would fight the invincible.

In the third and final installment of the Providence series, Nina Grey will marry the wrong man, carry the child that was never supposed to be born, and fight a war she can't win.

Faced with the impossible task of protecting his new wife and unborn child against the throes of Hell, Jared Ryel is allowed no mistakes. Pressured to return the Naissance de Demoniac to Jerusalem, he revisits St. Ann's to learn the answers were in front of him all along. 

Together, they must survive long enough to let their child save them - and the world




First, I am not putting up the Good Reads description because there is a part that I think is wrong in it and I just do not like it.  No offense to Jamie McGuire


Here is what I found with the Good Reads description.  When I originally read that I figured that Nina married someone other than Jared and her pregnancy was miserable but that is incorrect.  Nina was very happy on her wedding day.  Even though the child should not have been born, I did not feel that she regretted her decisions. (This is my opinion and is no offense to the Jamie McGuire)

Let me tell you this: this is an remarkable series and the third and final installment is the best.

Nina and Jared are still trying to figure how to stop the "prophecy" and with their family by their side TRY to not start a war.

That does not work out very well.  Jared, Nina, Ryan, Claire, and Bex are in for the long haul.  There are a few surprises in this book that I was shocked by.  Which proves my point on what a talented writer Jaime McGuire is.

The list 20% of the book is, by far, the best fight scene I have read in a very long time.  Jaime is very detailed and as I was reading it I was out of breath because I felt like I was there with them on their every move. Yes, I even shouted at my Kindle for them to fight harder (that is the truth).

Just like the other two books this was a fast and great read.  I would recommend this to anyone and everyone!

Amazon's Description:


“Jared paced, brooded, and once in a while, when his thoughts were particularly tormented, he winced. The color had long left his face as he played back the different scenarios in his mind. Back and forth he paced, so many times that I watched the floor, wondering when he would wear a trail. His inner turmoil could have set the room on fire. It was unbearable to watch, but I couldn't leave him; not when he was planning my death.”

Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey it was a warning. 

Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father's company. Recurring nightmares about her father's violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan's unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she's wrong.

Worried about Nina's declining health, Jared must steal back Shax's book for answers. Fighting new enemies, and with the help of new friends, Jared's worst fear comes to fruition. Desperate, he is faced with a choice: Fight Hell alone, or start a war with Heaven.


Requiem is the highly anticipated second installment of the Providence series by breakout author Jamie McGuire. Fans who fell in love with the descriptive prose, delicious suspense, and surprising twists and turns of Providence will not be disappointed as they continue in the journey of star-crossed lovers Jared and Nina.


REVIEW:


You thought that Book 1 was all about twist and turns, well you have not seen anything yet!
I knew that Jaime McGuire was a talented author, but ... OMG .... she proved that "talent" was an understatement.  This author has a gift!

Nina and Jared have enough going on their lives but it just keeps coming!  Nina can not sleep because of these strange dreams that she is getting about her father's death.  Jared is trying to get the book back from Shax and figure out the dreams and the "prophecy". On top of that Nina is still in school, trying to work at her father's company (which she will take over), and somewhere in all that have a "normal" relationship with Jared.

Like I said before I have a obsession with religious conspiracy theories and Jaime sucked me right into this series with it.  I loved how she mixed everything together.  I never got bored with the story.  There were no "slow" parts, every ounce of the book was incredible.

Onto Book 3 - Eden!

Good Reads Description:

In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth.

Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.

When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.


REVIEW: (this review is a little bit of a spoiler)

Good Read Description:

How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

What would you sacrifice to kill the one you hate?

Join Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo as they travel to a hidden island on the far edge of China to seek the help of an ancient immortal court. Can they weave their way through the tangled web of centuries-old alliances and ruthless feuds to find what they’ve been looking for? Friends will be revealed, enemies will find them, and a dangerous secret will come to light.

The third book in the Elemental Mysteries series will see Giovanni and Beatrice joined by a group of unlikely allies as they explore the history and myth of the far East. Many have been stolen, but only one holds the key.

The Force of Wind is the third book in the four-part Elemental Mysteries series. It is the sequel to This Same Earth and is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.


REVIEW:

Good Reads Description:


Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for answers.

The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the future. When the world as you knew it has changed forever, is there any way you can turn back?

This Same Earth is the second book in the Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal romance/mystery for adult readers.


REVIEW:

Good Reads description:

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.


REVIEW:


This is Book 1 of the Elemental Mysteries Series.  This book was recommended to me by @JennNun.  


Here is a little back story on me.....I love History.  A LOT! I even hold a master's degree in History because I loved taking the classes so much.  I love every subject matter of History, whether it would be European, Asian, or American.   To be honest, I was a little bit unsure of this book when I first started.  It was a little slow.  However, I was intrigued by the very intelligent (and good-looking) Dr. Giovanni Vecchio and why he would not get into an elevator?  When this book really got into the depth of the subject behind the mystery of Beatrice I was sucked into the book.


Beatrice is a remarkable character in this book.  I love her determination and stubbornness with Gio and the other characters in this book, just to solve this mystery.  But nonetheless, there were parts that I could just feel that Beatrice was just drained and you could not help but feel sorry for her.  

The Book Nerds would like to wish ALL of the Mom's out there a VERY Happy Mother's Day.

A certain Book Nerd would also like to wish our favorite soon to be French Socialite and New York Billionaire a VERY Happy 26th Birthday. Happy Birthday Rob!!  After reading both of these books I can't wait for the release of these films.

Good Reads Description:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends. Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

Good Reads Description:

Seventeen year old Katelyn Richards is a stronger person than anyone will ever know, and that is just the way she wants it. Behind her normal facade lies the reality of a broken home life. Thanks to her abusive mother, a string of deadbeat stepfathers, and an unsympathetic system, Katelyn has learned that the only one she can count on is herself. Her life’s mission has become to shield her nine year old brother, Kevin, and to give him the future that they both wish for. A life with no more abuse, no worries about where their next meal will come from, and no more wondering if they will have a roof over their heads.
When her mother moves them again, this time to a small town in Montana, Katelyn’s resolve is shaken when she meets Max, a cute boy from her new school, who gets a glimpse into her real world. Max slowly manages to break through Katelyn’s wall of distrust, stirring up feelings she never saw coming. Now with her world more complicated than she ever intended, Katelyn struggles with the decision to follow her heart into the arms of the first boy she has ever loved. A decision that could risk the promise she made to protect Kevin, and to give them the ‘someday soon’ that is so close within their grasp.


REVIEW:


This book was recommended to me by my Twitter friend @JennNun and this is what I have to say about this book:


WOW! Just WOW!  I cried through the majority of this book, for a couple reasons.  One, there were parts that reminded me of my own childhood.  Two, Tiffany King really makes you understand the pain that Katelyn goes through and the struggles to take care of Kevin, her brother.  You can feel it every step of the way.  

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night - dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they're for Q. Printz Medalist John Green returns with the trademark brilliant wit and heart-stopping emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers. (from Goodreads)