Safe Haven By Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis:

 Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again. When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.



 Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Great book. It took the top spot for best Nick Sparks book. It was darker and more mysterious. It wasn't just a straight up romance with a little drama like usual. I really loved it.

Reading of the escape of a woman who suffered from an abusive husband was interesting. Her running away and starting over was amazing. It showed that a woman is stronger than her abusive husband.

Katie and Alexs relationship wasn't an instant one either. She was scared and paranoid and wanted to keep her distance. He made his way into her heart and their relationship was beyond cute. I really liked how Alex was a real dad and widower. Single dads aren't perfect and have a hard time raising children too. He struggled and really wanted to right by his kids. Just amazing.

My heart pounded so hard when Katie's husband found her. He was clearly nuts. I couldn't believe he was actually using the bible and God for doing what he was doing. He really thought that killing Alex and the kids and bringing her back home with him would make everything better and everything would go back to normal. I loved that Katie finally got to stand up to him to his face. I was shocked that he got shot too. Like, Holy balls batman! I didn't see that coming.. I thought he would get arrested or something. Nope, he died!

I would have liked to know what happened to Alex and Katie after she read the letter. Did they get married? Stay together? Either way, great story!

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Without Marcy By Lisa Jackson

Synopsis:

Ever since her father was stabbed to death in a home invasion, Julia “Jules” Farentino has been plagued by nightmares. Her half-sister, Shaylee, now seventeen, has had her own difficulties since the tragedy, earning a rap sheet for drug use, theft, and vandalism. Still, when Jules learns of her mother’s decision to send Shay to an elite boarding school in Oregon, she’s skeptical. The Academy has a reputation for turning wayward kids around—but one of its students went missing six months ago and her body has never been found. There are rumors she may have died during one of the school’s questionable treatments. Once enrolled, Shay grows fearful, convinced her every move is being watched. And the deeper Jules digs, the more concerned she becomes. On impulse, Jules applies for a teaching job at the Academy. Though the facility boasts state-of-the-art equipment and a breathtaking campus, Jules senses cracks in the director’s do-good demeanor. Shortly before Jules arrived, a student was found hanged, and a hysterical Shay believes it was murder. Staff members are wary and unwelcoming—all except Cooper Trent, another recent hire who has his own suspicions, and his own secrets. Then another girl goes missing, and yet another is found dead. There’s no doubt something sinister is at hand—but Jules may be too late to stop it. Behind the Academy’s idyllic veneer lurks an evil force on a brutal and terrifying mission. And Jules has become the next target of a bloodthirsty killer without limits, without remorse, without mercy…



 Without Mercy by Lisa Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was hard to put down. I needed to know who was killing people.


You know it's a good book when you can suspect almost everyone and in the end be shocked as hell! That is what this book did for me. I think I suspected almost everyone. When they finally caught the killer, I was even more shocked to find out that it was the same person that killed Jules' father! What a twist! Well done Ms. Jackson!

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Thoughtless (Thoughtless, #1) By S.C Stephens

Synopsis:

 For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart. Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source – a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes...and none of them will ever be the same.



 Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't wild about most of this book. I think it was mostly because it was about a stupid girl that thought she could cheat on her longtime boyfriend with his bestfriend/their roommate. I did like that this book made it quite clear that you can't have it both ways and that cheating never works out for anyone. Honestly, her thinking and actions really got on my nerves.

I found the relationship between Denny and Kiera kind of boring and I was glad when they broke up. When Denny left, I really liked the 'friendship' that Kellan and Kiera formed. I really thought it was cute. and she hooked up with Kellan, even if they were both kind of drunk. When Denny showed up the next day, it took everything for me to not scream that he was ruining their budding relationship. But they never really stopped their affair. They did it right under Dennys nose. That irked me. Grow some balls and tell the guy! But that would defeat the purpose of the book, I guess.

It felt like this book went on forever and not in a good way. It was awful reading about how awful Kellan was being to Kiera. I kept waiting for Denny to catch them. It drove me a little crazy that they kept getting away with it. They had sex in the room across from his for god sake!

It was obvious after a while that Denny knew and I think he was waiting to trick or catch them. When he finally caught them, I was thrilled. They had gotten away with it for far too long. It progressed to the point that they both admitted to being in love with each other.

I have to say, the book got really good for me once they were found out. I didn't expect Denny to lose his shit on Kellan though. That was a shocker. When Kiera came to in the hospital, I was slightly confused.

My heart did break a little when Denny said it was 100% over and told her he was leaving to go back to Australia. They got to have a good talk and helped her realize her problems in their relationship. What really broke my heart was when Kellan told her it was over as well. I'm not heartless, she got dumped by the man she loved. I mean, she should have known it would happen. She kept toying with his emotions. She couldn't fully commit to being with him. Once she finally did, it was too late.

I think her sister moving to Seattle to live with her was so sweet. Her life post accident and love triangle was just sad. She was just a brokenhearted girl.

When her sister, Anna, dragged her to see Kellans band play, you could see just how much he was hurting and it was sweet. Their reunion was sweet.

While there were good parts in this book, there were more annoying parts. It was hard for me to get through this book. What kept me going was the hope they would get found out and their relationship could really start.

Since this book is a series, I will read the next book. I pray there is no more cheating involved.


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I got the E-book on Kobo.com for $3.99 CND. It's a steal, really.  

The Best Of Me By Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis:


 In the fall of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths. Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for a funeral. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers soon realize that everything they thought they knew-about themselves and the dreams they held dear-was not as it seemed. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?



 The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I will admit, I like Nicholas Sparks books. They're easy to read. I will also admit that they all have the same type of characters and sometimes similar plot lines.

This book was very predictable. I found it slightly boring to read. I wasn't in love with this book. I was able to predict everything that happened before it happened. I don't like books like that. Yes, reading about the two main characters together was cute but honestly, he's written books with way more romantic plot lines.

I didn't like that this story was about a married woman wanting to cheat on her husband. I don't care how awful your husband or marriage is, cheating is not okay. Maybe I just feel that way because I'm married. I don't know.

I won't read this book again. It wasn't the best.

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Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) By Jamie McGuire

Synopsis:

 The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.


 Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My bestfriend, Ashley, suggested I read this book. We have very similar taste so I bought the book and was instantly hooked.

This book feels like it's a bit full of plots. I'm saying that's a bad thing. Usually books tend to lag and feel like there are parts that are utterly boring. This books had none of that. The story just kept going. Just when you thought the book was nearing it's end something else happened.

The story follows a girl named Abby. She meets a guy named Travis at an underground fighting ring, also, who everyone sees as bad news. He's known as the school player. He sets he sights on her and when she constantly refuses to hook up with him, he settles for being her friend.

The hot water in Abby and her bestfriend, Americas dorm goes out, American tells Abby that they're both going to stay with Americas boyfriend/Travis' roommate/cousin. He convinces her to sleep in his bed with him but says he won't try anything, and he didn't.

They did the friend thing for a while but there was always that little bit of a relationship there. He was never a relationship guy so it scared him. You know the type, typical bad boy can't commit and when he wants to, it scares the shit out of him so he acts like a jerk. That is exactly what he did. But to his surprise, Abby didn't want to date him. Well, she did but something from her past was holding her back.

You don't find out exactly what that past is for what feels like way too long into the book. You finally get to see them get together and he changes into a whole new person. He's overprotective and obsessive

The thing about Travis for me was that he may have been hot, but he was so beyond damaged that I just couldn't see why Abby even bothered. He was controlling and obsessive. He's not MY kind of guy.

Travis takes her to his Dads place and they convince her to play poker and she keeps telling them that it wasn't a good idea. She gives in but Travis assumes she can't play and she lets him teach her to play and she totally hustles them. That's when one of Travis' brothers asks what her last name was and that's when the truth comes out about who she is. Her father was a famous poker player but when she turned 13 his luck vanished and she became very lucky, so everyone knew her as Lucky thirteen. They're all in awe of her. Travis was just shocked and oddly thrilled that she was Lucky thirteen.

At a party, her dad shows up saying he needs money. He owes money to Benny, a guy who will kill him if he doesn't pay up. Abby goes to Vegas and tries to win enough money before the deadline so she can pay Benny. When at the casino, her ex boyfriend finds her and tells that he runs the casino for his dad and that she had to have dinner with him the following night and she could stay until midnight or she had to leave ASAP. At midnight, she doesn't have all the money she needs but goes to Benny in hopes that she can work out a deal with him. Travis being the protective guy he is, threatens to beat/kill Benny's guys. He fights 2 guys and wins and Benny tells him that if he fights for him the next night, the debt would be settled.

He fights for Benny and wins and Benny offers him a lot of money to fight. He tells Abby and she tells him what Benny is like but Travis is so blinded by the money he can't think about the fact that Benny is the mob and would kill him if he decided he as done with Benny.

That's when Abby realizes she can't be with Travis. He's too much like her father. They break up and it's ugly. I don't get how you can date someone like that honestly, he's a bit scary. I get that he has issues, but he's really messed up.

Anyway, she agreed to do Thanksgiving dinner at his dads place and even though they're broken up, she agreed to do it. She doesn't go back on promises. They get close again and he blurts out that he's done trying to make her happy and that he will just focus on being friends. That speech came at the moment when she was going to tell him that she wanted to get back together. After that, he walked around happy and she was miserable.



She was out with Parker, a guy she dated briefly, and Travis asked if she would go to his fight with him. She agreed and he had his brother stay with her at the fight so he could make sure she was safe. At the end of the fight, the place caught fire and Travis went one way and Abby and his brother, Trent went another way. Trent followed a group of people and Abby went another way. Travis went back to find her and it was a good thing since she probably would have died. Once they were out, they couldn't find Trent and they thought he died. Turned out, he got out and was worried they hadn't gotten out.

In the end, Abby asked Travis to marry her. To no ones surprise, he already had a ring. They ran off to Vegas and got married and she got a tattoo that said Mrs. Maddox to match Travis' tattoo of her name.

I will say, the story was great. Travis scares the crap out of me and I would never be cause dead even being friends with a guy like that.

It was a good book. I would read it again. It's cute and scary and annoying in a good way.


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Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) By Rachel Hawkins

Synopsis:

 Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident. Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?




 Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This series has been quite forgettable for me. I finished this book last week and just didn't care enough to write a review until now.

The last book ended with a huge fire at Thorne Abby, Sophie went into the portal. You didn't know if people died or not. My assumption was that no one died. I just couldn't see the author killing off pretty much all the characters. So I waited to see when people would show back up. Turns out Sophie is a Brannick, let's just add more confusion to this poor girl, shall we? 'Sophie you're a witch! No you're not, you're a demon! Oh by the way you're mom is a Brannick! You know, those women who kill Prodigium?' Anyway, Sophies powers are locked down in her body. Her dad and Cal show up at the Brannicks but she still doesn't know if Archer or Jenna are alive. The youngest Brannick girl, Izzy, gives Sophie a picture of Jenna in London. She she knows she's safe. I can't seem to remember how, but Archer chatter with her and let her know that he was safe and with the Eye in Italy. They start planning how to take down the army of demons that the Casnoffs have been raising. The plan was to get demonglass from hell. SO they had to go to Ireland to do that. Just as they are getting ready to do that, She gets zapped back to Hex Hall, along with every other person that was enrolled there the year before. That means Jenna, Archer and Cal all get zapped back there too.

Both Casnoffs are there and they tell everyone that they cannot use magic or leave the island. One kid tries and gets killed by the fog that surrounds the island the school is on. They also tell the kids their plan to make them 'stronger'. What they were leaving out was the fact that they would be made into demons. Sophie realizes that she can get her powers back if she touches a certain spell in the grimoire that the Casnoffs have. They go searching for the book and find it a little too easily. Lara tells Sophie that since her father made her bloodline, that she can control Sophie if she had her powers back. So now it seems she wants her to have them back. Sophie tries to resist but eventually gives in and touches the spell and gets her powers back. Jenna tells her that she could possibly fight the control of Lara since she's such a strong demon. So Lara tries to control her and she fights it off.

They're all off the island back in Ireland where they plan on getting the demonglass. They all go in and get it. While down there they all get scenes of horrible events from their life. Archer finds out that his parents were killed by demons, one of which was pregnant. That's when they reveal that Nick (The demonboy) is actually Archers cousin. Truth be told, I was waiting for the reveal that Nick and Archer were related somehow. She gave that away in the last book. They all head to Hex Hall and find that every single kid has been turned into a demon and more are being made. Sophie doesn't want to kill these kids so she wanted to find a way to save them all. The only way to save these kids is to kill the people who raised them but it had to be done in the spot where the demons have been raised and the maker had to be holding the ritual while Sophie read a different ritual. she was successful but she almost died and to my surprise, Cal died. I guess that was the authors best way of solving the love triangle. I was totally Team Cal.

All the kids went back to normal and Sophie was asked to become head of the Council. She agreed under one condition, they reopen Hex Hall, not as it was before but as an actual school for the Prodigium, she could attend the school until she graduates, goes to college. Jenna and Archer agree to stay at the school with her as well.

As for Elodie, She asked Sophie if she could bind her to the school instead of staying with her. She agreed. That's when you find Cal, a ghost, tending to the land at the school. He is bound to the land.

So I guess everyone lived happily ever after, including Sophies parents, who totally got together in the end.

Overall, the story was okay, it was forgettable. perfect for young teens though.


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Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) By Rachel Hawkins

Synopsis:

 Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth. Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers. But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?


 Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was WAY better than the first one in my opinion. Still a very easy read.

I must admit, I made a few predictions in the beginning and I was only half right. A lot more happened in this book than the first one.

Sophie is still dealing with the fact that she loves Archer but he's a member of The Eye, so that means he's the enemy. She really tries to push her feelings for him out and it seems she's trying to replace them with feelings for Cal.

She is spending the summer with her dad in England. When she gets there she finds out that her and her father aren't the only two demons in the world like she thought. Nick and Daisy, the two demons, have no idea who made them. My first thought was maybe when her Great Grandmother was around before she killed her, that maybe she made them. I don't know if a demon can even make more demons through the ritual though.

Nick and Daisy take Sophie and Jenna to a club in London just for the Prodigium. The club is raided by The Eye and Just as Sophie is escaping, Archer catches up to her. He gives her this coin and says he wants to see her again, he said he had information about Nick and Daisy.

Now maybe it's just me, but I've never thought that he actually wanted to kill her. Apparently the coin shows you where to find the person that gave it to you. So Archer waits for her at an old mill on the property but she doesn't go.

She has her birthday party and Archer risks everything and shows up dressed as a waiter. He demanded to see her again and this time she agrees. He takes her back to the island where Hex Hall is but to a different part of the island. He shows her a site of demon raising. Archer said that over the last 18 years, six kids have gone missing from Hex Hall and their parents had spells put on them so they wouldn't report their kids missing. I was slightly surprised to find out that Mrs. Casnoff was clearly in on it. If Mrs. Casnoff was in on it, her sister and council member was in on it too.

Back in England, Archer says “This thing with us is the only real thing I've had in a long time. You're the only real thing. And I'm done pretending I don't want you.” He just declares his love for her. Like a typical girl, I melted just a little bit.

Sophie ends up telling her dad everything she just found out. Daisy attacked Sophie, Which was just a matter of time, and Lara stops her with the excuse of a demon immobilization spell. Now, if you're going to lie about a spell, don't lie to a demon who would know about said spell.

Sophie is set to meet Archer again only to find out that Nick has injured him. She gets Cal to save him and the council members find them all at the old mill.

They're all set to stand 'trial'. Cal was sentenced back to Hex Hall and Archer was sentenced to death and Sophie was to get her powers removed. To no ones surprise, Her dad volunteers instead of her. But they just agreed to removed both of their powers.

Then, Lara and her sister confess that they were indeed the ones who raised the demons and that the rest of the council knew about it. It was hard to pick my jaw up off the floor after that.

Her dad survived the removal, but just as they were bringing her to get her powers removed, news broke that they lost control over Nick and he had killed 20 people and The Eye was on their way to them. The eye shows up and Sophie escapes. She finds Cal, who returned because he just felt like something was wrong. He tells her to run away and find her mother. She didn't know where her mother was, but Cal said: 'Just go to the Brannicks'. The Brannicks are similar to The Eye. I was slightly confused why her mother would be there, But then I remembered that Lara said that Sophie and her dad had a habit of falling for the enemy. So my guess was that her mother was secretly a Brannick. Well holy crap.

So overall, this book was pretty good. I really enjoyed it. 4/5 Stars. I could have done with a bit more fighting scenes.

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