Shut Up & Read

Summer 2013 Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards   Welcome to the Shut Up & Read blog! We are proud to once again be hosting the Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards.  Here's how it will work: 1. Each book will be listed by categories according to the information given by the author. 2. Anyone and everyone can stop by the Shut Up & Read blog between July 22 and July 25 and vote via blog poll for their favorite book. You can vote for one book from each category. Each IP address can only vote once for each category. 3. Votes will be tallied and winner for each category announced on the last day of the book fair, July 26. 4. Category winners will receive a book fair winner web badge to proudly display on their blog. Thanks for stopping by!  Remember to come back July 22 to vote for your favorite books!   The Blogger Book Fair is hosted by author Kayla Curray . Find out more at http://www.bloggerboo...

Seeing Ghosts by James Garcia Jr. My rating: 4 of 5 stars Three years after losing his wife, Paul is still struggling to let her go. He thinks about her constantly to the point where he has not been able to move on with his own life. When Paul and his brother, Ray, inherit a house from an aunt they do not remember, Paul decides to move in to get away from things. Alone in the secluded house, strange things begin to happen, and Paul soon discovers his wife is not the only ghost hanging around. I love good ghost story, and this one did not disappoint. I felt sorry for Paul and his struggles to live after loving the love of his life, though at times, especially in the beginning, I wanted to yell at him to just get over it. It had been three years…I get it, he loved her, but it is time to move on already. I enjoyed watching his progression throughout the story. He struggled still, but he was trying. The other characters were great as supporting roles, including Ray, the brot...

Blitzkrieg Love by Livia Olteano My rating: 4 of 5 stars Smart, fun, and incredibly sexy, Blitzkrieg Love has all the elements of a great story. Told from the point of view of Bea, a young 20-something dancer in a nightclub, Blitzkrieg Love follows her as she is forced to find her inner strength and overcome her fears. Bea is a great lead. Though far from perfect, she is a young independent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. She dances because she loves how alive it makes her feel and is not ashamed to stick to her morals and not take it any further, even under pressure. Doug and Anthony are great characters, too, and well written. I really wish that there would have been more of the secondary characters in the story. Tony and Justine, in particular, were kind of glossed over even though they potentially played important roles in the book. The heat between Bea and Anthony was fabulously sexy. They had an instant spark that sent chills down my spine. Intense is...

Branded by Abi Ketner My rating: 4 of 5 stars Set in a future post World War V, Branded is the story of Lexi, a young girl accused of one of the seven deadly sins. With no trial, no one daring enough to believe her innocence, and no way to defend herself, Lexi is brought to The Hole to live among the other accused sinners. I love a good strong female lead, and Lexi does not disappoint. She is a fighter – for both her survival and her freedom, and the authors did a great job writing her to seem real. She tough despite past circumstances, or maybe because of them, and she is loyal to those she loves, but she is young and makes mistakes. Cole is a guard charged with watching over the people of The Hole. Assigned to watch over Lexi, Cole brings some humanity to her hellish situation. A great character himself, he is kinder than the other guards and shows compassion in a world where everyone is out for themselves. I loved watching the relationship between Lexi and Cole develo...

Redemption by Susannah Sandlin My rating: 4 of 5 stars You would think with all the different vampire books available I would get tired of their stories after a while. But then I come across a book like Redemption, and I realize that as long as they are all this awesome, I will never get bored with them. Redemption is the story of Aiden, your sexy neighborhood vampire (seriously though, he could bite me any day). After a virus left most human blood deadly to vampires, Aiden keeps his people alive by creating a community where vamps and humans live together side by side. But of course, the story would not be complete without the crazy family member trying to ruin you and yours and the kidnapping of a beautiful woman. Sexy (I realize I already mentioned that once, but it does bear repeating), charismatic, and at times…intense, Aiden is a vampire a girl could fall in love with. He is a natural leader and others look up to him for guidance. He is also fiercely protective of t...

Saved by One, Shared by Two by Sylvia Ryan My rating: 4 of 5 stars A few months after an EMP wipes out all electronics in the US – no power for anything electronic and no vehicles, Julia is on her own and struggling to survive one day at a time in the crazy and violent world left behind. Her path crosses her with Arden and eventually Ben, and together they work to create a safe refuge for themselves. Julia is not your typical romance story weak female waiting for her big strong men to save her. She had previously worked in a prison and knew how to take care of herself. She definitely had a sweet side to her, but also stood up for herself and did not get pushed around. Arden and Ben were each great guys, but neither was exactly what Julia wanted or needed. Together, though, they were perfect. Thrown in together in their fight for survival, despite the odds they wanted to make living together work. What would happen if we lost all electricity, phones, and clean water? Th...

The Necromancer’s Seduction by Mimi Sebastian My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Necromancer's Seduction is an entertaining, sexy story. The main character, Ruby, is a necromancer – a supernatural with the ability to raise the dead. After a series of murders within the supernatural community, Ruby is petitioned to raise a murdered witch in order to help find the killer. However, raising the dead is not a simple thing to do and it seems that everything that could go wrong does. I love a good, strong female lead, and Ruby fits the bill. She is not the outright kick-ass type who takes down everyone and everything in her way, but she can hold her own with some help from her friends, and she learns and strengthens her abilities along the way. Throw in a super sexy, irresistible demon and what you've got is a great story. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews