{Excerpt Blast} Recklessly Royal by Nichole Chase

RECKLESSLY ROYAL Synopsis:

Catherine has spent her life being the perfect princess. She’s kept her hands clean, her head down, and most importantly—men at arm’s length. After all, most men are after only one thing, and for Cathy there’s a lot more at stake than her bed; she has to worry about the fate of an entire nation. But at the rate she’s going, Cathy is afraid she’ll give the Virgin Queen a run for her money. She is tired of waiting for someone good enough to come along. She has a plan, and it all hinges on seducing the one man who seems utterly unimpressed by all things royal. The one man she is tempted by more than any other . . .

When David arrives at the royal wedding of his friend, the newly ordained Duchess Samantha Rousseau, he expected to feel uncomfortable and out of his element, but he wasn’t prepared to be targeted by Prince Alex’s gorgeous younger sister. With Cathy’s giant blue eyes, killer figure, and sense of humor, it won’t take long before he gives in. But when he finds out just how innocent the crown princess really is, will he play the part of knight in shining armor or the dashing rogue?

RECKLESSLY ROYAL Goodreads

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About Nichole:

Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, and several short stories. She is also the instructor of Say What? a dialogue class at the Romance Academy. 

Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, superhero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises. 

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Excerpt:

Chapter two of RECKLESSLY ROYAL by WilliamMorrowBooks

{Review} Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

{Review} Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Goodreads Description:

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew - about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam - was wrong.

My Review:  Oh holy hell, where do I start? I finished reading this book on Feb. 20 and I still have a book hangover from it. I am having such a hard time wrapping my mind around this book and the series as a whole.
Ignite Me has to be my favorite book to read out of the whole series and it is the perfect ending. I absolutely loved this book. I know there are a lot of fans that were not happy with the way things ended but I thought it was completely perfect.
There were times I did get frustrated with Juliette, as always. She has a real problem with standing up for herself. But when she does, boom!! Burn!! ;-) Everything escalates and comes to head but syncs up quite nicely.
It's hard to write a review without spoilers since this just came out so I'm going to try my hardest not to be spoiler-y. 
I'll go with the characters first....
Adam...well, if you read Fracture Me, you have some inkling into what kind of person he is becoming. I still love him because he still tries his best for what he thinks is right. That's not always the case but he becomes quite a...well...snot. LOL His love for James is unconditional as it should be. But his love for Juliette? Is brought into question and made me think about it for a while.
Warner....is well....okay I am going to say that I think he is a real character. I don't know how exactly to put it really except that....I wish there were a lot more Warners out there in the real world. He is by far one of my all time favorite characters I've read. His feelings for Juliette really shine through this entire novel. Even more than in Unravel Me and Destroy Me. 
Kenji.....as always one of the best characters in the series. Yes, as I've said, he is a comic relief but not just that. He is everything that Juliette needed in a friend and more. One of my favorite lines was when Juliette and Warner were talking and he mentioned Kenji and she said, "He's my best friend." Oh man it touched my heart. LOVED that.
Juliette....She's grown up quite a bit from the first book. It was really cool to see her transition into a strong person. Some of the ways she handled herself in certain situations frustrated me because she doesn't say what she really should have. But by the end, I was so damn proud of her. Wow. 
While I was reading this final book, I kept catching myself thinking about how old all these characters were. Seriously....the was the book projected them, made them seem older than they were. I had to keep reminding myself that they are 17-19 years old. Although I guess when you've been through what they all went through, you age a lot more.
I thought that the ending "battle" was a bit rushed and that the relationships were the real main focus. The ending did almost leave it open in case Mafi ever wants to revisit this series. I honestly don't really want her to because I thought the ending was perfect the way it was.
In closing I will say this: CHAPTER 55. CHAPTER 55. CHAPTER 55. CHAPTER 55!!!
;-)

{Review} Unravel Me & Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

{Review} Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Goodreads Description:

tickticktickticktickit's almosttime for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

My Review: After reading Warner's POV in Destroy Me, I was a little wary on how this one was going to turn out. Warner brought on a new perspective that I didn't see coming. So I was pretty excited to see what Unravel Me had to offer.
I honestly had mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Don't get me wrong, it was action packed and didn't really lag too much but the thing that made me not love it was that Juliette was sort of......whiny? 
During most of the book, she goes inside herself and questions a lot of what she's doing. It gets a little annoying but I do get where she is coming from. I mean, she was incarcerated for most of her life and doesn't quite know how to act or react to things. 
I did, however, enjoy when she would go all crazy powerful. It was pretty badass. Once she let go of her inner turmoil, she shined. I liked that aspect completely.
Kenji is the total saving grace in this entire novel. I loved him so hardcore in this book and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. Yes, he is the comedy relief but he is also, in a weird way, Juliette's strength and pushes her in the right direction. He is too adorable.
Warner, as always, is a contradiction. You know what he feels and yet Juliette doesn't quite get it. I don't know if she plays stupid but she needs to wise up to the fact that Warner is sooooooo into her. Whenever I read something about him I melt a little more.
Adam......confuses me in this book. He was the nice guy in Shatter Me, but in this book, he is showing other signs of someone else. I feel like he doesn't quite get where Juliette is coming from in their "relationship". He doesn't understand that she can't hurt him and I get her point too. But Adam just seems so crazy in this book. I still love him because he tries so hard to be the knight in shining armor but his shine is wearing off a little bit. It's a really cool twist to the story that I wasn't expecting. 
Mafi's writing style, as always, needs to be made clear. She writes unlike any other author. The poetic flow of her words brings everything to a new light and makes me feel completely different than what I expect. It's truly amazing.

{Review} Fracture Me by Taherah Mafi

Goodreads Description:

In this electrifying sixty-page companion novella to the New York Timesbestselling Shatter Me series, discover the fate of the Omega Point rebels as they go up against The Reestablishment. Set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, Fracture Me is told from Adam's perspective.
As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam's focus couldn't be further from the upcoming battle. He's reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friend's life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James's safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It's time for war.
On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor—but taking down Warner, Adam's newly discovered half brother, won't be that easy. The Reestablishment can't tolerate a rebellion, and they'll do anything to crush the resistance . . . including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.
Fracture Me sets the stage for Ignite Me, the explosive finale in Tahereh Mafi's epic dystopian series. It's a novella not to be missed by fans who crave action-packed stories with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu

My Review:
Just as I liked seeing Warner's POV in Destroy Me, I liked reading from Adam's POV. It's a great perspective to see the thoughts and feelings of another character.
Also, just like in Destroy Me, I was surprised at what I saw in this novella. I was all prepared to sympathize with Adam on how heartbroken he was over Juliette and his love for her.
I was quite surprised to find that Adam wasn't all he's cracked up to be. His love for his brother was never in question. But his thoughts on Juliette and her feelings were another story. His disregard to Juliette's feelings was quite a blow.
After everything that happened to Omega Point at the end of Unravel Me, I was quite shocked that Juliette (his true love) wasn't his immediate thought. Yes, I get that his little brother is his first and foremost but Juliette didn't even come into the picture until Kenji brought her up. Kenji was the one who wanted to go and find her.
I have to say that Adam was the epitomy of hero in the first book but now....I'm not so sure what to really see him as. Ignite Me is sure to be a high octane book to tie up all loose ends that are so intertwined in the first 4. I'm excited. So very excited.
I only gave this 3 stars just because I had high hopes of Adam and although I still love him, I'm disappointed in his character. A little heartbroken really.

{Review} Shatter Me & Destroy Me by Taherah Mafi

{Review} Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi  

Goodreads Description:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Review:

Now I originally read this back in 2011 when it first came out and I was blown away. Not only with the story but the writing. I've never read anything like it and I was enthralled. Here is my review from 2011 on Goodreads: REVIEW .

I recently re-read this book to refresh my memory on what exactly happened because I knew Ignite Me came out and I was anxious to read it. So this is just a sort of mini review for Shatter Me.

Even though I've read this book before (3 years ago) I was still amazed by the writing in this book. Yes, the ending was a bit like X-Men but that's ok because I actually love X-Men. It was great to get a refresher on this book because I couldn't wait to read the rest in the series.

Juliette still broke my heart with her scratched out thoughts and Adam was the knight and shining armor that fairy tales are made of. The love scenes were so intense and just so....passionate. I loved every minute of this re-read. I cannot wait to see what happens next. 

Even though everybody says Warner is a jerk, I still think he's hot and I LOVE a good bad boy lol.

{Review} Destroy Me by Taherah Mafi

Goodreads Description:

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .
Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.
Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me,Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45

My Review:

Now going into this book I wasn't too much of a Warner fan. Just because he seemed a little crazy and bipolar. I still have a crush on him because the way Juliette described him was just so perfect. I loved it.

Now, after reading the book, I am completely taken with Warner. Really and truly taken with him. I love Adam too but Warner.....it just....*sigh*. I'm not sure how to express what I think. 

I really enjoyed seeing his side of things. It's a great perspective to see how deep he truly is and where is heart and mind truly lie. 

One of my favorite parts was the scene with the dog. Oh my goodness I think my heart literally melted into a pile of goo all over the floor. I almost cried....almost. Mafi's style of writing just blows me away.

I love little novellas like this so you can see a peek into another character's psyche. Now that I've seen Warner's mind, I don't think I wanted to leave it. I just hope he doesn't turn into a complete douche by the end.

I'll still love him though I'm sure.

         

{Review} The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

{Review} The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Goodreads Description:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

My Review: Where do I start with this book? I will go with a few words that I think describe it pretty well: touching, heartfelt, heartbreaking, perspective changing. I will say that I enjoyed this book. I truly did. I read this with my bestie April. We've both been wanting to read this for a while but never got around to it. Now that it's becoming a movie in the next month or so we thought we would speed it up on our TBR list. Once we saw the trailer for the movie, it had to be the next one in the long line of our "buddy read" list. I'm not going to say I didn't know what to expect. Because, frankly, I knew what was going to happen more or less. But even though I had an idea of what to expect, I still was surprised. Granted, the main reason why I only gave this 4 out of 5 stars is that it seemed a bit too....intellectual for me. Now, I'm not saying I'm ignorant by any means when reading books but there were areas when I had to re-read the excerpt to understand it. I consider myself pretty well rounded in the whole reading category since I read quite a bit. This book made me truly think. I try to read as objectively as I possibly can. This book made that very difficult for a few reasons: 1. I'm a mother. After voxing with April, I realized that I felt the same way as she did. I can put myself in her mother's shoes and read as a mom. Reading that way nearly tore my heart out. How do you deal with something like that? How? You're one and only child is sick and so close to death. How do you do  that? I have no idea what I would do if I were ever in that position. It gave me a new perspective on caregivers. Seriously. Mad props out to those who care for their sick loved ones. All around. 2. I'm a wife. I'm in love. Everyone should have the chance to love someone and have that person return it. Sick or not. To see that these two teenagers love so deeply touched my heart. You don't think about that kind of thing when you see someone with an oxygen tank rolling with them. They are teenagers in the book but their love for each other is so beyond their years because of where they've been. What they've been through.  3. I am a best friend. I have people that I consider my best friend and they (hopefully) consider me theirs. There is a point in TFIOS that I thoroughly agree with. When someone passes away, suddenly all these people coming out of the woodwork saying how sorry they were and what a great person they were. Did they really know them? Truly? If I found out one of my best friends was sick, I'd be there everyday. Just to be there. I thought that was awesome that Green touched on that. This book completely changed my outlook on a few things. I am really glad that I read it and even though it wasn't my favorite, I will read it again. Maybe not soon because my heart is still a little raw, but I will. Not sure if I'll see the movie since movies tend to ruin the book. Or vice versa. The books are always better.  Hazel was fantastic. I loved her sense of humor and her views on life. She was very honest and very blunt. I'm sure she didn't want to hurt people's feelings with what she said but I enjoyed her honesty and her directness. Augustus was...just....*sigh*. I thought he was so very perfect. He really made the book for me. His overwhelming love for Hazel was so touching.  Actually their love for each other was completely perfect. I don't know how to describe it.  I can't really say too much because I don't do spoilers.  John Green's words just jump of the page and are written extremely well. There wasn't any fluff. Everything was just great. I felt this book was very real and very beautiful. 

"It seemed like forever ago, like we'd had this brief but still infinite forever. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.

I strongly encourage you to pick this book up and read it. It really is a good book with a great story.