REVIEW: The Professional Part 1 [The Game Maker Series] by Kresley Cole

Part 1 of The Game Maker series follows a Russian Mafiya enforcer and a Grad student, and their undeniable attraction to each other as they go about their lives. Sounds too cliche, but I won't be saying more until I get to my review. First off is the summary of The Professional by Kresley Cole (credit to author website):

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes The Professional—the first scorching installment in her Game Maker series, an erotica collection that has readers asking: How hot is too hot?

He makes the rules . . . Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr "The Siberian" Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Sevastyan will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.

Rules are made to be broken . . . PhD student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the breathtakingly gorgeous Sevastyan before the professional hit man whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. With every day she spends under his protection, she falls deeper under his masterful spell.

Are you ready to play? Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true…

Review: [MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]
Are you ready to play?

Truthfully, the first book I've read from Kresley Cole was her YA Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles), and I absolutely loved it. I was hooked by the story and her writing, especially on the romance side. So when I heard about her ebook serial, I was giddy.

For Natalie Porter, finding her biological father was probably what was most important to her. She juggled three jobs, and used most of her money on the DNA test, and was hopeful until she hadn't heard from her investigator. Enter Aleksandr Sevastyan, the mysterious guy, who turned her down at the bar. It was an attraction that Natalie couldn't fathom, but for Sevastyan, as much as he kept denying it, he was far more attracted to her, deeply, and dangerously. AND WHO DOESN'T LOVE DANGER and a menacing look of lust in his eyes that even I, as a reader, could feel the way he looks at Natalie. Which makes me envious of how lucky Natalie is, really...

Sort-of-kidnapping, Russian Mafia, guns, castle, closet inside the wall. We should expect action right? Yes, a lot of action. The tension between Natalya and Sevastyan builds up every turn of the page, and all I could do is continue to the next page as I read what Natalie and Sevastyan were up to, which is very fascinating. In fact, I don't think I can ever look at a cornfield the same way ever again, or closets. He loves to control, especially the girl that drives him crazy lately, and BDSM comes in play.

How hot is too hot, really? A question that I probably wouldn't be able to answer until I finish the third part of the story.

I enjoyed reading this book, and giving this 5 cups of tea, to relax me a bit. Because what I read was intense. Intensely creative, intensely brilliant, and intensely erotic. ;)

----
This is only available as an ebook, and available on
Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, iTunes, and Kobo
for $1.99.

Ally Carter: United We Spy Tour in Miami

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Ally Carter, the woman behind I'd Tell You I Love But Then I'd Have To Kill You, the first book of the Gallagher Girls series, went on a book tour for United We Spy (sadly the last book of the series). And we had the opportunity to meet her again. The first time was when Melissa de la Cruz and her toured a couple years ago for Ally's Heist Society and Mel's, I believe it was Lost in Time (I'm not sure, I have to consult my friend because I forgot). But anyway, this time it was held in Books & Books in Bal Harbour Shops in Miami.

I love her. I love Ally. Ohh there we go! The secret's out! But really, when she was introduced you don't know how excited I was. Actually, how excited my friend and I were. We are huge fans of Ally, and not just Ally but the literary world in general. 

When Ally was on the podium and started talking, she went directly to the "fun part" which was the Q&A part, and of course everyone was happy about, giggling actually. Most of the event participants were much younger than me, and they were the one who asked more questions. There was this girl who actually wrote down her questions, and so Ally started calling her Liz (Hey, my name's Liz too! Well, derived from my real name.) Ally really interacted with her readers, and she gave out advices, and warned everyone about spoilers! 

After that, she was signing books. And I'm so happy I have two books signed by her!!! When we got to her, she asked me where I went to school and how old I was. And of course, as always, got starstruck and sort of stuttered. But, she didn't notice. I hope. We took a picture, and then I mentioned that we met her before with Mel (the same people I was with).

Then, she proceeded with signing my friend's book and asked us about Instagram, and if it posts only pictures and videos, and we said yes. Then we told her she can post a pic on Twitter via Instagram (and also on Tumblr). 

Then the next day, she made an account in Instagram!!! YAYYYY!!! Follow her there by the way, it's @theallycarter

The event was unforgettable. I am hoping to see her again sometime in the near future.

Also, I am going to be signing out as a student of Gallagher Academy once I finish the book.

This has been Candy Musings, reporting and well, musings.

September 2013 Releases OVERLOAD!!!

September is here, and we all know what that means. We're transitioning from Summer to my most awaited season, Fall! And well, school has started and I'm back in college.

Just as the title says, this month's releases are crazy! Not only ONE but THREE of my favorite authors are releasing books this month! My mind's going haywire from that fact.

First off, Melissa de la Cruz, author of The Blue Bloods series which consisted of 7 books and ended with Gates of Paradise. I was dismayed that it was over, but I think it was a really good ending. And now, along with her husband Michael Johnston, they are releasing a new book! I've heard it's the first one of a series, and I am way excited about this. I've read the first couple chapters (I got them because I signed up for Mel's newsletters. Thank God I did!).

Frozen, the first book of her new series called Heart of Dread, comes out September 17 (yesterday). And here is a detailed description of the book; grabbed from goodreads.com

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

Next up is Ally Carter's United We Spy, the Gallagher Girls are on their final mission! I am not going to disclose anymore information. Just read the synopsis and better yet, get the book!

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

I am pleased to tell you I've met Ally just days ago, and I will be sharing my experience in a separate post. I've started reading the book, and I am beyond excited about it. My friends and I are huge fans of the series, and we will surely miss Cammi, Bex, Liz, and the rest of the amazing people in the academy. After I read this, I will be graduating from the Academy.



The third book that I have been waiting for months, just like the aforementioned books, is The Dream Thieves by the amazing fantasy writer (in my opinion, and others should too) Maggie Stiefvater. I have been reading Maggie's books just last year, and although I only got them on ebook, I still ended up falling in love with her characters and stories. I recommend her books if you're interested in the fantasy and magical world, and even paranormal. Here is a short synopsis for The Dream Thieves:

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after... 

I can't wait to get my hands on these books! I know this is a late post, because I have a lot of things to do, so it took me this long to post them.

The Elysium Chronicles: RENEGADE (Book 1)

I wasn't planning on buying this book at all considering I only had $20 in my pocket (okay that wasn't an intentional pun to Thrift Shop...but...). During the Miami International Book Fair last year, 2012, I stumbled upon thousands of books, and so... I passed by the booth where Jessica was at.

Yes, I also met Jessica, the author of The Elysium Chronicles: Renegade. I was caught by the very haunting book cover. It was really awks because I am very terrible when it comes to meeting people for the first time. But... she signed my book!!! :D


Now, onto the book:



SUMMARY:


“MY LIFE IS JUST ABOUT PERFECT.”

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.
But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb… and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.


From reading the first sentence of the summary, it's already foreshadowing everything. Well, you'll realize this after you've read the book. Truthfully, it was the first time I've read something being the setting underwater, and it was really interesting. The people in Elysium have thought of the place as utopia, but while I was reading it, I've always thought it was too perfect, something has to be going on in the background.

The secrets that Mother has been hiding were really shocking. Yes, I wasn't expecting ANY of those!

By the way... I am absolutely infatuated with the book cover. Obviously, it's Evelyn. And look how haunting her background is.

This book's genre are romance, thriller, and quite a mystery. It's really interesting. And so, I am giving it a 5 out of 5. Also because quite a read for a first novel. I am hoping to read the next book by the end of this year! Don't forget to support the author!

Next read! Gates of Paradise

Yes guys, once my finals are done I'll start reading this book! I'm so excited, yet bittersweet about it since this is the last book for the Blue Bloods series.

UNBELIEVABLE Hiatus

Hello readers! Today is a wonderful morning as I was greeted by a chilly Miami morning. A very unusual weather for the city. Although I am quite used to how bipolar Miami's weather is.

Anyway, I am writing this post to sincerely apologize for the lack of updates.

My school comes first because I am struggling with one of my science classes. I've drafted several posts, and all I have to do is polish and add more thoughts, then they'll be ready to be published.

For now, I've signed up on this website, textnovel.com and I would like for you to check out my story: Heart of the City.

Gotta go now, class is starting...

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles Book 1) by Kresley Cole

 Kresley Cole's #1 debut in the Young Adult world is a rave for months now! I stumbled upon Cole's Poison Princess in a poll for whom the award for Best Young Adult Book 2012 will be given too. May contain spoilers, so be warned.

It was Christmas break (2012) when I decided to read this book. Okay, before I delve into the wonders and mystique of this book, let me first share you what it is about: (taken from Kresley Cole's website)

22 Arcana cards. 22 Chosen Teens. Let the cards fall where they may. Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene’s horrific hallucinations predicted the apocalypse, and the end of the world brought her all sorts of new powers. With the earth scorched and few survivors, Evie teams up with handsome and dangerous Jack Deveaux in a race to find answers. They discover that that an ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens have been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…

Evie, the protagonist in the story gets these apocalyptic visions. With no one to talk to she decides to draw them. She can't even tell her own mother because she spent a good summer in an institution! What a way for the popular girl in school to spend summer, so it stayed a secret. She then meets Jackson Deveaux. Am I the only one who loves repeating his last name? Deveaux. Anyway, Evie calls him Jack. And as always... Jack is the bad boy. Like seriously THE bad boy! No doubt about that after reading the book! Wait, why did I even put as always there? Because I must have fallen in love with Jack. Ahh... figures. You guys! You gotta read the book before continuing on this post!!! But if not... then go ahead...

The story about their high school life went on for several chapters. Literally! I was ready to give up because I really thought there would be apocalyptic things, but alas... half-way through the book, it finally happened. I was thinking, why would the author drag on the story for that long, and only to get rid of A LOT of characters in the end. When I finished the book, I thought the first half did make sense, the series is a chronicle, so they have to document pretty much every thing that happens, right? Makes me think that Evie's best friend and ex-boyfriend are alive, but that's impossible now isn't it?

I saw Evie as an annoying brat throughout the first half of the book. She was just an annoying character to begin with. I don't know if it's just me or I have something against popular kids (that just means I was unpopular to begin with in the real world) but seriously though, why didn't she do anything about her visions? Well, it was part of the story so I had to trek through the cornfield and kept on reading. Then it happened. One thing you would want to know about me is that I really reading action scenes. I love it when authors find the perfect descriptive words for a scene.

I'm going to fast forward a bit...

I'm telling you, I didn't expect any of the events and things that happened in the story at all. Well, maybe for the part about Jack coming back for Evie, and his accent. Zombies... or aliens?? I'm not really sure. I'm always up for anything when it comes to zombies. In a way, her visions did give her an advantage. They eventually led her to the other characters in the Arcana. The Tarot Cards. This is the first book I've encountered which evolves around the Tarot Cards. I am not an expert when it comes to tarot cards, because I've only known those cards in the occult (blame all the horror films I've seen throughout my childhood, but kept me interested). So in the Arcana Chronicles, the author is using the Major Arcana (the Trump cards), which consists of 22 cards, hence 22 teens. In Poison Princess, they already introduced four of them. Jack believed that Evie has some kind of powers and more than what she is now. But, what's going to happen when he eventually witnesses how powerful Evie is?

And for that... we have to wait for book two!

So, about Jack. I hate how he acts so bad but deep inside he's actually this strong and sensible guy who speaks Cajun. That night when they celebrated Evie's party, they had a moment there and the scene really pulled me in the book. Then he tries to make Evie jealous right after he failed to make her his that night in the pool. I also hate how he's such an asshole, a jerk, and all a bad-boy could ever be described to Evie! Although he's like that, I am betting he has fallen in love with Evie. Seriously!

Evie's character really build up throughout the story. I really like the ending part of this book. I was blown away by the originality of the story.

Overall I give the book 4 out of 5 star ratings. Taking one out because of that pre-apocalyptic episode in Evie's life. It was too long for me. The rest is all greatness could ever be! Can't wait for book 2!

Any comments or questions, let me know! You might want to ask a specific question because I tend to be a confuzzled (confused and puzzling) person when blogging about something. Everything just pours in. :D

Fifty Shades Of...

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
 
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

This book is intended for mature audiences. - Goodreads 

This might be really odd for the first book I'm going to talk about. Because, usually I'd go for teen fiction. But then I thought about it, and I'm not a teen anymore. Why not talk about this first? The three books were the first adult books I've read in a while. And so, my mind wasn't prepared at all, but I did expect what would be there. I mean, DUH, I read what genre they were. Before I open a book, I usually refer to the genre. So, I decided to read it despite the hype.

In the first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, I really thought it was the color grey/gray they're talking about. But hell no. I was way wrong! In the first few chapters, I was introduced to Ms. Steele and how she's in her last year of university, and how she met Mr. Grey. THE Christian Grey. And then, if you've read the book, you know what happens next.

What pulled me into finishing this book was the curiosity about Christian Grey's life. When I found out (the same time Ana found out about his lifestyle), I knew something was wrong. It wasn't just his hobby. It was the way he lived. Yes, he owns his tech and communication company, and he's looked upon  by other people as God, or Adonis-look-alike (Okay, I made that up... but still, the way the author described him was very detailed, and I'm such a sucker for details. I may or may not have made a pun, if you know what I'm talking about). I could care less about Ms. Steele. Yes, she was a very important character there because she's the only one who actually tolerated Christian Grey's way of life and thinking. The first few obscene scenes piqued my interest, like seriously. I was like, "WHOOOAAA THERE... that's possible???" Seriously. But as they continued to do those acts and kept repeating it, repeating the same concept, it was boring. I actually became bored of the story line. There was nothing else that could make me like the book. And there, I've said it! I didn't like the books.

But then... I still had to finish the other two  books because of Christian Grey and his past. His past really bothered me. I almost ripped my head off because I wanted to know what happened to him and I kept thinking what if he loses his sanity!!! and so I continued to flip through the pages and read, eventually finishing the second book. Then my eyes widened and breathed, and screamed, "THEY'RE ALL PSYCHO!" I didn't really scream it out loud, because I was reading it in the hallway outside my Ethics classroom. I screamed it in my head! I knew the old lady had something to do with what Christian Grey had become. I don't even remember her name, and I don't need to remember it. I just felt really bad for Christian Grey. He had to go through that life, it got worse because of that evil woman. /sicktothebones/. And I became so grateful to Christian's adopted parents and siblings, they were really amazing. Fine, let me include Ana as well.

In the third installment of the story, that's where things heat up, Ana and Christian are already married. Then Ana had to deal with her obsessed-possessive-psycho ex boss, and all the other exes. The only action, that actually involved a gun-fire was too short that it took me by surprise. I'm all for the action, but I think the author doesn't know how to write an action scene (ehemm, action doesn't mean ero things). Although, thinking about it, she had to make it short, because you know... Ana was pregnant. And you can't really expect anything from a pregnant woman expect for her hormonal outbursts. The car chase from book one or book two was really interesting though. I would love to experience a car chase in a vehicle I  absolutely love while I drive, and a Christian Grey look-a-like in the passenger seat grinning and sending me all that sexy pheromones. Uhmmm okay... I... didn't just say that.  Maybe I did...

So yeah... it must have been really hard for Christian to keep the perfect facade on the outside, yet all the darkness and evil lurked in his mind. Although, his subconscious still held an innocent boy that have yet to live his life the right way and to fall in love. That's what I love about Christian Grey. He really did fall in love with Ms. Steele, and she to him. Although, I still couldn't believe everything just happened in the span of weeks. Crazy? Nah. Anything can happen as long as it's fiction and the author desiring it.

All in all, I would give the trilogy a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Oh come on you guys, I know I'm not the only one who enjoyed Christian and Ana's email conversations, Charlie Tango, the vanilla ice cream, the uhhh RRP (YOU KNOW!!), the photographs that he bought featuring Ana herself, Taylor, Christian's family, the blondes in his company, and of course Christian Grey himself.

  I know I'm not a great reviewer, but these are my thoughts and how I interpreted the books.

Wait, I'm gonna talk about the indecent acts in the book (I'm just saying that because I will never really know who reads this blog so I'm just being careful). The book is Erotica, it is a genre, so it's not really a surprise to find something weird especially it revolved around the BDSM topic, and I won't delve into that topic because I have no idea, or any intention to divulge myself with the topic. Non-adult readers would think this book is just plain pronz. (Which at first thought, it actually is, kinda, but aren't adult books supposed to be like that?)

Got some questions though, did Ana ever stepped foot in Christian's workplace ever again? I don't think so, and I found that really odd.

Stay tuned for my next musings!

Laters, baby

The Awkward First Post

Yes, I treat this first post as an awkward post because if this post is a person, he or she would be too awkward to do anything. Meaning, oh heck... just think of something.

See what I mean? No? Well, that's too bad. I'll be dedicating this blog to the books I've read. It might sound like a book review blog, although it seems like it, but no. I'm not the kind of person who makes good reviews because I tell you, I am socially awkward (as I've mentioned before, or not). Nah, not really, I'm just unable to come up with witty comments about my opinions. And, my vocabulary is constrained. It takes determination to come up with descriptive words when describing a scene or characters. I'm always determined anyway...

Nonetheless, this is a new blog, and I hope. I really do hope that I'll be able to maintain this. I'm not expecting anyone to drop by this blog anytime soon (unless I post my link on my twitter).

It's been quite a while since I used blogger, it would take me a couple of minutes to figure out things again. I'll be posting the list of books I'll be talking about on the sidebar (hopefully I'll figure it out soon).

And the list will go on and on and on and on...