Devon Ashley's Blog, page 9

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 
So I tried reading City of Bones back in 2011 and was unsuccessful. In fact, I failed so badly I hardly made it past the initial club scene, which was chapter one. Why, you ask? I honestly couldn't tell you at this point. But I gave up, and it made me hesitant to watch the movie, so I waited until it had been out on DVD for awhile. Turns out I loved the movie. Who knew, right? So it made me curious enough to try the book again. So for fun, this review will be a comparison of what I liked book vs. movie, and which I think won out in the end.  Truer Words Have Never Been Spoken - ie. The Language. Do You Hear The Words Coming Out Of My Mouth?  BOOK: One minute, they were relatable characters, the next, it was thesaurus overkill. Seriously, no fifteen year old girl talks this way. Neither would a bunch of teenage assassins who spent more time training how to kill a demon than opening a book. What were all these words?  My SAT test didn't contain vocabulary this complex. Seriously. If I wanted to kick up my vocabulary ten notches, I'd open a vocabulary book. I simply want to enjoy the book I'm reading, and a huge part of that is understanding what the hell is being said without having to run for the thesaurus. (I wish I would've marked some of these as I went through, but I didn't realize it at the time. If I have time later, I'll do some searching.) MOVIE: Totally relatable and believable for teenagers. Obviously, they pulled a few from the book, but they were so few and far between that it passes right over and doesn't dampen the moment.  Ahh...That First Kiss.  BOOK: WTF was that? Why in the hell did these two people kiss? In reality, their kiss should have been as awkward as this:

Clary's the POV we mostly get, and I'm sorry, but there was nothing going on in her inner monologue that had anything to do with thinking Jace was kiss-worthy. Sure, she asked the occasional question, like had he ever been with Isabel, but they were so left field and not even supported by thoughts of desire to warrant such a question. Seriously. Jace wasn't even on the radar until he kissed her and he fell off it again afterwards. Oh, wait... She did admit he was  good kisser after the fact. <rolls eyes> And what few times we got Jace's POV, ditto on the same problem. So I'm left wondering WHY?! At best they merely tolerate one other.

  MOVIE: Uh...LOVED! There were moments leading up to the kiss that actually made me think these two were growing on one another. Things happened in the movie that just didn't in the book, like catching one another's gaze and holding on for a bit; Clary landing on top of Jace and the two of them again, unable to separate themselves right away; Clary regretting screwing up his first advance and silently chastising herself for it, that she literally jumps him for the second attempt. Alright, a little music to set the mood helps too, but I actually understood why the kiss was coming and smiled when it did.
The Final Smackdown  MOVIE: Loved it. A so-called family collides and their not so cheery reunion becomes an intense battle to the death. Thank you, movie screenwriters, for coming up with an ending that wasn't lackluster like the book. I was happy when they rewrote the ending to Breaking Dawn to actually give it some action (LIKE A FINAL BATTLE SHOULD HAVE - DUH!) and I was happy when they did it to City of Bones. And Clary got to play a significant role in the battle. And being our main character, she should've had that role all along.  BOOK: I'm honestly a little disappointed in this. You could argue that it's because I saw the movie first and was looking for similarities, but that's really not the case. I was underwhelmed, and quite frankly, a little bored for this to be the conclusion. The entire (*coughs) family ends up at the asylum where Valentine is staying. Jace is completely docile, and even though Clary and Luke argue valid points that Valentine is not the man he claims to be, Jace is a little too eager to take him on as his father and refuses to lift a finger against him. That poor boy needs some serious love and affection.   I VOLUNTEER! The only fighting was between Valentine and Luke, leaving out the main characters. So that bums me out that they didn't participate more than Jace trying to hold her back out of the way.

And sorry, but I still don't think Jace is Valentine's son. I think it's highly possible he killed Michael Wayland and took his son to raise him in a way of screwing MW over more. What the hell he did with his real son is still up in the air for me. I'm not sure he would have been psychotic enough to kill him, but he's obviously not with his father, so I'll have to think on it a bit more. ...But I guess I'll find out soon enough as I read the rest of the books.   The Little Things Like with any book to movie release, things have to change to cram a novel into a two hour time slot. Hodge. Hmm. Need I really comment on either book or movie? He was a douche either way. Although it was interesting that he was cursed in the book but not the movie.Alec. Ditto on the douche part. Isabel I prefer in the movie because she's kickass and sassy. In the novel, quite annoying and likes to play with people, and at times I felt she was ready to have Clary sleepover just to pretend they're BFFs and paint her nails and braid her hair like a crazy high school chick.  Alec and Isabel have parents? And they live in the Institute and raised Jace? Say what? Interesting to learn that there were only two portals nearby, and neither were in the Institute like in the movie. One was at Dorthea's and was why Clary's mother chose to live above her, and the other was at an abandoned asylum. I have to say, an asylum would've been a cool place for the final showdown, but I understand budget costs when it comes to locations.Luke went and challenged the local pack leader once Clary's mother went missing just so he could have a bunch of werewolves back his ass up? lol. That's a man worth keeping. (Part man...whatever)Jeesh. Clary has to write runes on the paper to reach in and grab the object? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of just her and her mother having that ability? Wouldn't anyone be able to do it if all it called for was writing the rune? No wonder they skipped that step in the movie. Much cooler without.Uh...Simon is turning into a vampire in the movie but not in the book? Or does this happen later in the series and they're already throwing it out there?Sorry guys, I know it's rare, but in this instance, movie trumphs book for me. I think they took this story and made it better. What do you think?

   Paperbacks pending.eBooks available on Kindle US, UK, DE, FR, IN, IT, ES, CA, BR, JP, MX, AU; Kobo and Nook.

Everything happens for a reason. I just wish I knew the why behind mine.
Five years ago, graduation wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Publicly humiliated, Melanie was more than happy to kiss off her high school sweetheart. But in doing so, she lost more than just her boyfriend, she lost the only other guy she truly cared for – his best friend, Shane.

Shane loathed the idea of returning to his small hometown. He just wanted to get in, help his best friend manage a legal matter, and get the hell back out again. But he wasn’t expecting to run into the one girl who got away, who always held a piece of his heart despite the animosity that lingered. Melanie could’ve been the one, but after everything that happened, trust was a serious issue.

She just wanted to do right by her son. He just wanted to do right by his best friend. And just when they thought they could find the strength to forgive the sins of the past, more secrets and lies bubble to the surface, threatening to push them irrevocably apart.  

Did you know you could simply ask for a review copy of one of my books? If you have a blog, post reviews on GoodReads and other sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo, or have a facebook profile dedicated to books, you qualify for a an ebook. I do have a few rules though: You can only ask for one novel at a time. If you read the first in a series and like it, once you post your review, you're more than welcome to ask for the next, and so on and so on.The more sites you can post your review on or link to your review, the more virtual huggzies I'll have you!Please don't ask for a review copy unless you think your review turn-around-time is less than 6-8 weeks. I know it's tempting, but please don't share the ebooks with anyone. If you have a blog, you're allowed to share with your fellow blog members, but please make sure they understand not to share outside your blog contributors. We indies work hard to bring you these stories and it only takes one person to illegally upload our books to unauthorized sites and pass them around for free. I promise you I'm not rich, nor do I make a lot of money off these books to begin with. I only charge $2.99 for full length novels and $1.25 for novellas, and the three platforms I sell from always take their cut for hosting it. Also, I have a way of identifying each novel as it goes out with something placed randomly within the novel itself, and should it go public, I'll know right away who it was initially gifted to, and I'll have to add you to the blacklist. :( If you're good to go with the rules, scan the books below to see which you'd like to read and review first. To learn more about each of the novels, select the series title on the upper left hand side bar. Once you've chosen, head over to my official Request a Review Copy page to sign up!

A Breath of Frost (The Lovegrove Legacy #1)
Alyxandra Harvey
Pub.: January 7, 2014

In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld.

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies.

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away? 
Lordy. Where to begin? A Breath of Frost begins with three cousins attending a party in historical society. Emma's mother had long gone mad, and found comfort pocketing an old perfume bottle of hers, which accidentally gets broken and unleashes a massive spell that was binding not only Emma's powers, but that of her two cousins. But apparently, it also opens several gateways to the Underworld that change locations every day, and out with them came the Greymalkin sisters, another trio of powerful witches who had already been banished by the Order. And with them come several witch deaths that Emma is drawn to - which is bad luck, because now the Order believes she's the one responsible for offing them so the Greymalkin sisters can steal their powers. The only way to get them temporarily off her back is to board at a finishing school for young witches, and to work with her cousins, a Madcap named Moira and her on-and-off love interest Cormack to figure out who is really behind the attack, and stop it before the Order permanently removes Emma as a threat to society.  A Breath of Frost was actually a bit refreshing. There were a lot of magical things going on that involved two powerful family lines living in historical London, with Emma being the reason everything becomes entwined. The cousins were delightfully entertaining as a trio, and young Cormac struggles constantly between his loyalty to the Order and his interest in Emma. This novel does start off a bit confusing, what with so many characters being introduced to you at once and the constant change in POV that isn't clearly defined. I'll admit it took at least a third of the novel for me to really fully understand who everyone was and their family trees. I did notice that in some situations, characters seemed privy to information I don't think they should've really known about. Like near the end of the novel when Emma had discovered the power of the person behind all the deaths. She knew, but when the POV changed to Cormac, it seemed this knowledge carried to him as if he had been present at the time, too, as he automatically knew it was her and not one of the three sisters doing it. But despite my frustration with these things, it did turn out to be a pretty interesting novel. In fact, if you're a fan of the old series Charmed, this new trio of witches should be right up your alley.  
ARC provided by Walker Childrens for honest review.

 Release Date: January 21st, 2014New Adult Romantic Suspense
Note: Language and Sexual Content  She loves him. He loves her. But sometimes love just isn't that easy... Things always happen for a reason. I just wish I knew the why behind mine.Five years ago, graduation wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Publicly humiliated, Melanie was more than happy to kiss off her high school sweetheart. But in doing so, she lost more than just her boyfriend, she lost the only other guy she truly cared for – his best friend, Shane. Shane loathed the idea of returning to his small hometown. He just wanted to get in, help his best friend manage a legal matter, and get the hell back out again. But he wasn’t expecting to run into the one girl who got away, who always held a piece of his heart despite the animosity that lingered. Melanie could’ve been the one, but after everything that happened, trust was a serious issue. She just wanted to do right by her son. He just wanted to do right by his best friend. And just when they thought they could find the strength to forgive the sins of the past, more secrets and lies bubble to the surface, threatening to push them irrevocably apart.  Guess I knew what my social identifier would be for the rest of my life. Amazing how one little picture could define your high school career. Like nothing ever happened during those four years to contradict that one moment in time, that people would suddenly look at you like you sprouted warts and aimed to shun you for the rest of your life.      One. Little. Picture.      I tried not to think about it much these days, but when I spotted the wedding announcement for two of my former classmates, Hippy and Sparky were the first things that came to mind. Hippy, because Hannah Harris was the only girl in school to wear hemp in some form of fashion on a daily basis, and Sparky, because Mitch Flannigan electrocuted himself in shop class so badly that his hair had the Einstein effect for three weeks.      So apparently, I was no better than the rest of them, because I identified them first and foremost by those lovely social tags. Hell, maybe I was looking for something negative to say about them, because it irked me a little that two people who now lived in California would find it necessary to announce their engagement in our little hometown Tribune even though they couldn’t be bothered to come back for the holidays. It was like they were letting those of us left behind know, Hey! We’re better than you!      I shoved the paper aside just as a voice called, “Can I get a draft?” A quick peek over my shoulder showed a guy around my age at the far end of the bar. I had just turned back and pushed off the wooden counter when it clicked. I twisted my head back, eyes squinting – as if I needed to with perfect vision. My heart skittered about my rib cage as my lungs twitched with a quick burst of incoming air.      Holy hell.      There’d only been a few, but the years had been good to him. He was still incredibly sexy, especially since he’d put on a few more pounds of muscle on the part of his body I could actually see, and he seemed more confident – as if that were possible.      “Shane Michaels.”      Great. I couldn’t even say his name without smiling.      His eyes darted north to meet mine. Yeah, north. And there wasn’t a hint of guilt in those savory greens for being south of my border. Usually, catching a guy staring at my ass pissed me off. We certainly had our fair share of customers who spent their evenings checking us out, but with Shane, I hardly seemed to care. Leave it to him to actually make me feel flattered. Or maybe it was because the guy had already seen me in a bikini so many times I couldn’t count.      For some asinine reason, my finger began wagging at him. “You know, I thought for sure when your family moved out of here senior year we’d never see the likes of you again.”      His smile hitched when he finally glanced at my face and figured it out. As I reached down to the shelf hidden within the bar beneath him to grab a fresh glass, he smoothly replied, “Mel Peterson.” He looked me up and down, again lingering in the sweet spots a little longer than he should have. “Wow. I never thought I’d see you again. What the hell are you doing back?”      “Back?” I asked curiously, filling a glass with our most popular draft.      “Didn’t you go off to school? It was all you used to talk about.”      “Oh. Yeah.” Clearing my throat, I quietly added, “But I decided not to go.” Laying the glass on the bar before him, we locked eyes and just kind of stared for a moment.      “Why not?”      Because my life changed with the blink of an eye. My lips twisted, and after a moment, I said, “You first. What have you been up to?”      Given our history, he was well versed with my evasion tactics. I could tell his curiosity had been piqued, but he kindly answered me anyways. Hardly able to contain his smile, he replied, “I’m going to start law school next fall.” A smile grew across my cheeks as well, but for a different reason. If ever there was an argumentative person, Shane was it.  “In a few years, yours truly will be gracing the courts with his presence.”      I practically snorted. With a tight smile, I playfully asked, “You do realize people don’t generally like lawyers, right?”      “No,” he corrected, pointing his finger at me, “people don’t like corrupt lawyers or jackasses who prosecute the stupidest shit just to make a few bucks.”      “And that’s not going to be you?”      “Nope.”      Silence ensued as we gazed into each other’s eyes again. Was it just me or had we both avoided doing this most of our friendship? That would probably explain how I’d never noticed the way the green seemed to swirl. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on in his head, but seeing him brought back a lot of memories for me. To a time when I used to date his best friend and every weekend the four of us would get lost somewhere outside of Berryville, Texas – the three of us plus whatever flavor of the week Shane was revisiting. In a town with less than a thousand residents, there were only a few girls he’d even consider putting his arm around, and for some reason, those girls didn’t seem to mind taking turns. He never could seem to commit. Guess it worked out for him though, because I didn’t see him bound to this small town with nowhere better to be.      Softly, he spoke, “You’re a smart girl. What are you still doing here? Working in a bar of all places?”      I probably should have taken offense to that, but I understood where he was coming from. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I should’ve been like him. Freshly graduated and beginning the next chapter in my life, whether it was further education, a new job or even beginning a family. If you had asked me five years ago where I expected to be at this point in time, not a single prediction would’ve landed me here at Sully’s Tavern and Grille. Hell, I wasn’t able to step even one foot out of this town before my world imploded.      “I’m the manager, actually.”      “Kind of young, aren’t you?”      I began pouring a generous shot of tequila for myself, my shift close enough to ending that I felt okay with indulging. “Sully was tired of managers coming and going. Said he wanted a lifer, so he gave me a chance.” I motioned my glass in the air for a silent cheers before downing my shot.      “Well, that’s all good and all, but you used to go on and on about heading out of state for college. What the hell happened to make you a lifer in this town?”      I skipped the lime and salt, and absently scratched at my left temple, my eyes drifting towards Joey, the last patron in the bar, who was getting up to leave. He waved goodnight as he crossed the room and I forced a half smile in recognition.      “Life,” I simply stated. Life slapped me down and gave me a reality check. I swallowed – more like gulped – a second shot, enjoying the immediate burn to my throat and stomach. As they drifted around, my eyes set on the silent jukebox in the back. My autopilot kicking in, I made my way through the empty room. I didn’t need to scan the list. Only one song was going to feed the mood I felt invading my senses.      B14. I clicked the program buttons and the smooth, bluesy tones filled the bar, saturating every fiber of my being with a sense of calm and longing. I rarely drank these days, so the tequila was already taking effect, faux courage coursing through my veins.      My hips began to sway, my neck and arms soon joining in. At least a third of the song played through before I realized the hair on the back of my neck was prickling. I knew he was watching. Intensely. And the thought of that made me even more courageous, a wicked half smile taking over my left cheek. I turned to face him, my blue eyes meeting his green, his elbows spread behind him on the bar, lounging as he watched me, like he didn’t have a care in the world.      He probably didn’t. His life was right on track. All the I’s were dotted, all the T’s were crossed. Mine? Fifty-fifty. I didn’t regret my life, but I sure as hell wished my path would correct this unexpected detour already.      It was weird seeing him this way, head all tilted as he took me in. Like, really took me in as my body continued to smoothly groove. His lips grew to match the shape of mine and I recognized the more playful Shane from way back when. The same eyes that twinkled. The same dimple that always got the other girls to swoon and come hither. Trust me. I had a front row seat to his first string line-up. They swooned over those velvety green eyes, killer lips, and scruffy brown locks, which unfortunately were a little more kempt these days.      So I surprised myself when, out of nowhere, my finger motioned that player forward. Even more surprising, he actually obeyed. Without hesitation.      Holy hell.      My throat swelled as a lump took up residence there. Yeah, I had liked him through the years, but never once had I been bold enough to lead him on like this.      Maybe my courage faltered, or maybe I was just playing hard to get without even realizing it, but my eyes seemed to drift to his hips as he slowly swaggered towards me. As he neared, my vision dared to slip upwards, and I began to wonder if his chest looked as buff as memory served. I couldn’t tell you the number of times we all went to the lake and he swam in nothing but trunks, or how often he practiced baseball shirtless. His short sleeved t-shirt let me know exactly how muscular his arms still were, but was loose enough to leave everything else to the imagination. I suddenly wanted to reach out and take my time sliding my hands up his body, but I never got the chance. He slipped around me, hands gently grasping my hips, pressing my body back against his. It took a moment for my brain to realize how intimately he was touching me, but my breath didn’t, immediately escaping my lungs.      My heart thumped erratically, like a jacked-up rabbit scampering wildly about tripped-up on acid. I could feel the heat of his breath behind my ear, long and controlled. So unlike mine. It had been a long time since I let a guy hold me like this. A long time. And damn my body was getting a little too antsy. I could only pray that the tight grip encircling my sides wasn’t privy to the spastic insanity going on beneath the skin.      An eruption was building below my belly, and shivers traveled the length of my spine as I allowed my body to mold into his, our bodies slowly swaying back and forth. But I got a little more than I bargained for, and a sudden stiffness behind me snapped my eyes wide open.      What in the hell was I doing?      I hadn’t seen this guy in years. And even as easily as technology made it for two people to stay in touch, we’d never even bothered to contact one another. No emails. No phone calls. Not even a text or an instant message. Yet here I was ready to grope him at my place of work like nothing ever happened. Like he hadn’t been my ex’s best friend. Holy hell. Of all people, Shane Michaels was definitely off limits.      Unfortunately, the right side of my brain didn’t give two fucks what the left was going on about. All it could focus on was how very right his hands felt on my body. Like they were meant to be permanently affixed there, forcing me to remember how a small part of me always wanted him. But getting in between two best friends was never a good idea. Especially in a small town where everything seemed to be everyone else’s business.      “You probably never knew this,” he said, his nose nuzzling my hair, hands daring to creep up my ribs, “but when you moved into town freshman year, I had every intention of asking you out.” My head slowly rotated towards him, but I still couldn’t see his face, not even his lips, which were still gracing the top of my ear. “But damn it all to hell, Brad beat me to it. And you fucking said yes.”      I involuntarily sighed, my body feeling the same frustration his words were expressing.      Brad. The last thing I wanted to think about at this moment was Bradley Montgomery. Unfortunately, some mistakes could never be forgotten.      My head fell back against his shoulder, softly lamenting, “I really wish you had asked me first.”      The words were mine, but I wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not. As much as I wanted him, certain things had happened in my life that I would never give up. The grass wasn’t exactly green, but it was mine now, and I had grown accustomed to the sporadic patches of brown and yellow that never seemed to recover.      “Well, I’m glad I didn’t.”      It wasn’t his words that caused my forehead to crease, but the coldness in which he said them. So left field that my body came to a complete stop with his.      “When you cheated on Brad,” he spat, “you not only broke his heart, you mindfucked his whole damn life.”

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Unhinged (Splintered #2)
A.G. Howard
Pub.: January 7, 2014

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.
See my review of Splintered (Book #1) here.

While I absolutely loved Splintered, Unhinged fell short of my expectations. And let me say straight away that this had nothing to do with the writing or the story (mostly - prom fell flat for me). The reason I loved the first book so much was because I was transported to the crazy world of Wonderland. Unhinged didn't offer that to me. Instead of getting the fish out of water story I was expecting, a few of the Wonderland elements made their way to Alyssa's world, wreaking a little havoc here and there. And to me, the main focus of the novel just seemed to be Morpheus trying to derail Alyssa's relationship with Jeb instead of the Red Queen's attempt to attack Alyssa. I honestly think that if Morpheus had been given a point a view, I would've enjoyed this novel a lot more - because just getting a peek into that mad little mind of his would be incredibly whack-a-doo.  It was nice to see Alyssa's mom play an important role for once, and now that I know Alyssa will be forced back into Wonderland for the next book, I'm sure my rating will go back up for this series. Check it out peeps. It was just my personal preferences that made me go meh for this book.  ARC provided by Amulet for honest review.

Being Sloane Jacobs
Lauren Morrill
Exp. Pub.: January 7, 2014

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself .
One Sloane Jacobs is having trouble landing her triple spin, another Sloane Jacobs is having trouble shooting the puck. Both are having personal problems and neither are fond of going to Montreal for a month long camp in their respective sports. So when they literally bump into one another at the hotel, it occurs to them that they could each take a break from their lives for a bit. Sure, they'd have to pick up a new sport rather quickly, but neither of them want to face their real issues at the moment.  Being Sloane Jacobs was a rather cute YA read. Since this was a fish-out-of-water / freaky-Friday combo, I sort of wished the two girls had more of a personality clash, because their voices were incredibly similar. I'm not going to lie, even once I finished the novel, I couldn't tell you which one was Sloane Emily vs. Sloan Devon. Even though the chapters are labeled with their name, I had to rely on the secondary characters and the camp to know who was speaking to me. Regardless, it was a light, sweet read with blossoming friendships and boyfriends and learning to overcome whatever's bring you down, so if that's what you need right now, you should pick this up.   ARC provided by Random House Children's for honest review.

AmazonBarnes and NobleKobo For international links, go to Nearly Broken and Dust.

 Expected Release: January 21st, 2014
For those of you who review through AToMR, WAITING ON MY REASON now has 2 signups available: Release Week Event and Independent Review Requests. This is for my upcoming New Adult Romantic Suspense about a single mom and a second chance at the guy she wanted but missed out on. Please sign up if you're interested!

[image error] Welcome to my stop for the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop hosted by Bookhounds and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer.
Happy Holidays to you and your family! And so you can get back to them ASAP, you'll find no hoops to jump here! Good Luck!   Up for grabs: up to $12 at the Book Depository!
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