Tuesday 29 January 2013

THERE IS NO LIGHT IN DARKNESS (DARKNESS #1)

Blurb: 


A past hidden in darkness. Her present cloaked in secrets. The future holds the only truth that cannot be escaped.

After the mysterious and violent death of her parents, Blake Brennan finds comfort with an unconventional family. As the dramatic loss of her parents continues to haunt her—and hinders her from reciprocating love that others give freely—Blake embarks on a harrowing journey in search for the truth.

Living in a constant state of fear and need for control, vivid nightmares reveal details that lead to perilous situations. The past begins to collide with the present, and Blake must decide if the truth is worth losing the ones she loves. 

Can love conquer all as her past comes to light? Or will Blake realize that there is no light in darkness?


Book contains: Explicit language & sexual content. 





Teaser:
“Did you like that I was here all weekend?” he asks as he jabs me in the ribs playfully.
I squeal and shimmy a little. “It was alright,” I say with a shrug.
His chuckle makes me grip the steering wheel a little tighter. When we get to the next red light, I turn my body to face him. Whatever I was thinking about bringing up vanishes when our eyes lock and I see a mix of sadness and longing in his eyes that reflect my own. Honking cars startle us out of our trance, and I clear my throat as I turn my body to continue driving. I park in front of O’Hare International Airport and watch as he gets down and opens the back seat. He puts on a navy sports jacket before reaching in for his bag. I turn in my seat to face forward when he closes the back door.
“I guess I’ll see you ... Thanks for coming,” I say quietly, looking straight ahead. I’ve always been horrible with goodbyes, and goodbyes with Cole aren’t my favorite thing in the world. I hear him sigh loudly and I tilt my head when I feel him get back in the car.
He leans in and my heart goes into overdrive when he picks up the hand I have resting on the gear. “You don’t have to thank me,” he says. “See you soon, baby,” he murmurs softly as he grazes the top of my hand with his lips, liquefying my insides.
I’m not sure how long I sit there staring at the door that Cole walked through before my brain starts functioning again. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and notice a little black velvet box on the passenger seat. My first thought is: Shit. He left something. My stomach turns at the size of the box. It could be a ring. Oh my God, is he going to propose? I can’t even think about that, but damn it, I’m reaching over and pick it up anyway. I don’t know why I love to torture myself like this. I clutch on to the little box with shaky hands before I take in a deep breath and open it.
 



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This was my reaction after I finished it and tried to write a review and I only came up with this (My short review on Goodreads): 
WOW. WOW. WOW. 

Claire has seriously wowed me speechless. I LOVED IT!! SOO SOO MUCH. PEEPS READ IT. LIKE NOW. You won't regret it!! 

Right now my emotions are scattered all over the place. THERE WAS SO MUCH FEELS!! INTENSE. 

I LOVE COLE!!! Man I loved him from the beginning!! <3 <3 

I LOVE BLAKE TOO ;) 

Pretty much every character in the story. Her writing is amazing. The story is SPECTACULAR!! 

A full review to come. 

Happy Reading! 

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This book is absolutely beautiful, intense, gripping and took a piece of my heart through every word. From the very start I was hurled into Blake's world, trying to find answers. All the secrets of her past. She comes to find out that all her life was a lie. There is the darkness of her past that she wants to come to light, so she can understand the death of her parents. Not death but murder. It comes to a point where she will find out, if there is no light in darkness. She has "5 somebodies" that she loves and wouldn't want hurt at all cost.  Her past is what will bring her loved ones darkness into their lives; she knows she can't push them away but will she be able to protect them? Protect herself? 
Find out by reading THERE IS NO LIGHT IN DARKNESS!  
This book I keep going back too! I couldn't read anything else!! 

GO. NOW. READ. 
You won't regret it!   


5 ++++++++++ INTENSE, GRIPPING, AMAZING, HEART MOVING AND CAN'T GET OUT OF MY HEAD STARS!!!  (More like 10 STARS) 





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Poem inspired by THERE IS NO LIGHT IN DARKNESS: 

Heavy dark clouds 
Cover the light 
From coming to sight
Lies, deception and murder 
Leaving a red mark on those involved 
Secrets hidden from wandering eyes

Threats are given out 
When you come any closer to the truth 
You meet dead ends 
Walls and walls of unbreakable steel
When you fight it down
Only to see all leads were wiped out 

Memories start crowding
Every night re-living the nightmare 
That isn't one but the truth 
When no one is willing to answer 

Is there no light in darkness
Or is there a ray a hope 
In this hopeless situation 

(Yup, I wrote it) ;) 
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WARNING: THIS BOOK HAS A MAJOR CLIFFHANGER BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT!!!   

Book 2 will be out sometime this Summer 2013 (Last book for the Darkness series)



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Bio:
Claire is a random, sarcastic, crazy kind of girl who has no filter. She reads an unhealthy amount of books a month. She loves to write because hates having voices in her head. They drive her crazy and the only way they shut up is if she shares their stories.


Life is short, and it's more bitter than sweet, so she tries to smile as often as her face allows. She enjoys writing happy endings, because life is full of way too many unhappy ones.


She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband, two little boys and three dogs. She's is currently working on the second novel in her series.



                                                Email: CContrerasBooks@gmail.com 

Thursday 24 January 2013

HOPELESS

****This post was long overdue. (I had this on my drafts for awhile).  I just wanted to have a really good review that would show what an spectacular book this is. I hope it comes a little up to its standard.****

Hopeless leaves you
                       Breathless
                                 Speechless
                                            Wordless
                                                      Brainless
                                                     Leaving only
                                                Two words
                                          With you
                          Sky and Holder 

Without further ado 




HOPELESS BY COLLEEN HOOVER  

Colleen Hoover has her way around words, as I was reading Hopeless I can literally hear her voice throughout it. I was left senseless and useless. The world around me cease to exist besides the words in front of me. With life breathing down my face.  

Blurb: 

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.







Before I go more into it my thoughts on Hopeless, I just have to say drop whatever you are going and READ HOPELESS!

Lately I have been re-reading a lot of my favourite books because I can hardly find one that satisfies my soul. I kept waiting impatiently (mind you) for Hopeless when Colleen Hoover had generously given me an advanced copy of Hopeless so I got to read it early. (Lucky you! Hey I heard that and yes lucky me) ;) So I obviously jumped right into it.  Right from the beginning Colleen had grabbed my attention she had me hanging on each word on my screen. Than half-way through I wanted to savour it a little longer, so to torture myself I waited for an hour (in that I cleaned, did a couple of things my mom asked me, boring mundane things) than I jumped right back to it saying even if the world was ending no one would stop me from devouring HOPELESS. My heart probably stopped a few times.  My soul was crying, (Colleen did it AGAIN) I cried (few ugly tears came pouring out) near the end.

It's such a beautiful, soulful, moving story. It has a dark side. A scary one. Realistically things like this happen BUT, I wish they never did.

Sky is a passionate young girl but, when life happens, it changes you, you either fight or flight.  She choose the latter. Something happened in her past which she mentally shielded herself from darkest parts of her life. Her life started unraveling when Holder comes into her life.

Dean Holder... what do I say about him that everyone else hasn't already said. He is A-M-A-Z-I-NG, I seriously need to look into the thesaurus and find a new word besides: amazing, awesome, fabulous, wonderful.  Maybe I should come up with my own word, something that just fits where I can always use and its just ONE WORD but it explains everything.

I don't know if its only me but I feel like I always learn a thing or two from reading Colleen Hoover's books. She always gives small partings of her wisdom through her books. I love that I can grab them tightly in my fists and never let go.

A poem I wrote that was inspired by Hopeless. I wrote it a few days after because I just couldn't get Hopeless out of my mind.

So here it is!

The feeling of emptiness
Hollow feeling deep within inside  
Emotions wiped out 
Not a spark 
Nothing ignites within me 
Cold Ice within my veins 

Than a storm comes
Fast, quick and powerful 
Starts with butterflies at the bottom 
Of my stomach 
Slowly evolves 
Changes my life from top 
To bottom 

Giving me answers to questions 
I didn't know I wanted answers to 
Destroys my life COMPLETELY 
I want to SCREAM 
Smash things apart 
Throw the mirror across the room 
That reflects the girl 
I TRIED SO HARD NOT TO BECOME 
That is sobbing hysterically 
I HATE HER 
I HATE HER 
I HATE HER 
I HATE ME

I BREAK APART 
What my life becomes within 
SECONDS 
Of realization 

The sky is only my sanctuary 
From the horrors of my childhood 
I walk pinky in pinky 
With my hopeless boy
Looking at the bright stars 
They saw everything
They held me together  
They kept me going 

The star gazing calms the storms 
Within me

The boy who holds 
All the pieces of my heart
Lights up my life like the stars
In the darkness of the night.  

I think this poem basically explains why this story is that AMAZING. It also the #1 New York Times Best Selling book. (Sold you out yet?)

My Verdict?


             5+++++++++ INTENSE, HEARTBREAKING AND SOUFUL STARS!!!  





For those of my fellow followers who haven't heard about this exciting news Atria picked up the print rights to Hopeless. So it will soon be in stores! The ebook rights stay with Colleen.

Don't read any spoilers and enjoy the journey!

Happy Reading!