Snatched by Karin Slaughter

Please I wanna go home.

That ladies and gentlemen are the words that turn Will inside out. One simple sentence and from that one sentence the chase and hunt begins. I was so undecided on whether or not I was going to read this book. I am loving this series but I really don't like novella's. I know a lot of people like them and i'm probably in the minority here but hey that's just my opinion on them. This series only has the one novella though so I decided to give it a whirl and here we are. I love Will Trent he has quickly become one of my many favourite character's and I just love how he is so awkward but so smart.

I wanted to enjoy this book like I have the other's in this series and I did enjoy it to some extent. It just could've been so much better. It was action packed but was over so quick that I feel like I didn't get enough. I did love the ending with little Abigail and the words that she spoke to Will. I think had this been a full novel it could've been something amazing. Don't get me wrong this was a really good book I was just left wanting so much more.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Snatched from Amazon 

Karin Slaughters Website

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Karin Slaughter's Facebook Page

 

Free Book Friday - Dragonfly by Leigh T Moore

We made it guys!! It is finally Friday and to welcome in the weekend let's have a look at today's Free Book Friday Book. This week I have chosen Dragonfly by Leigh T Moore as I'm really starting to get back into the young adult contemporary books again. This book has some mixed reviews on Goodreads but a lot of positive ratings. The author Leigh mentions in her bio that she is a caffeine addict and chocoholic so we are already off to a good start. From the Goodreads synopsis it sounds like we are going to get a really good mix of characters and I'm wondering if I will have to choose between Jack and Julian. So what will it be rich and sexy or handsome and artistic. I can't wait to find out.

Goodreads Synopsis
 Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy.

Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed her outside her comfort zone and Jack showed her feelings she's never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew.

Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins' distant, single father.

It's a secret that could cost her the boy she loves and permanently change all their lives.

Get Dragonfly from Amazon

Leigh T Moore's Website

Leigh T Moore's Facebook Page 

Leigh T Moore's Goodreads Page

The Last Thing You See by Emma South

There's no training in existence to make you immune to the pain you risk when you give somebody your heart.

 The Last Thing You See was a sweet short story that had so much potential but for me ended out being just an alright book. The first chapter was brilliant and drew you in to the story right from the start. The story itself flowed very nicely and it was a fun, laid back read. Harper was a very likable main character and I couldn't really fault her at all. She had a bit of a tortured past and although she was a celebrity she was still down to earth. I loved that she made most of the the moves. Harper knew what she wanted, she wanted Nick and she went about getting him no ifs or buts about it. Her mum pushed her and she pushed right on back. 

In the words of Harper Bayliss every girl needs a bad boy in her past. We've all been there and we've all got that bad boy. Nick was a fantastic male lead but he certainly wasn't the bad boy that we were all looking for. Nick was so sweet and I feel like his story was sold short. I feel like there was so much more there to be told. I wanted to know more about him and about his scars but it was all brushed over fairly quickly. The same could be said for the ending the story was being built up and then bam ending. 

Emma South did a fantastic job with The Last Thing You See it was just missing those little things that would've made it an amazing book. The romance between Harper and Nick flowed very nicely and certainly wasn't forced. I loved the trip to the group home and maybe a few more visits could've been added to the story as well as more flashbacks from Nick. The letter from Harper's birth mum nearly had me in tears at work and it would've been nice to know what some of the other letters had said. Overall this was a fun read and I will certainly be checking out some other books by Emma South.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Buy The Last Thing You See from Amazon 

Emma South's Website 

Emma South's Facebook Page 

Emma South's Goodreads Page 

Gray Resurrection by Alan McDermott

It was begrudgingly accepted that the SAS were the true masters of special warfare.

I loved the first book in this series and because of that I went into this book with high expectations. After reading the synopsis on Goodreads my excitement dwindled a little but I was still keen to continue on with the series. This book is very different to the first one and it was hard to get into at times. In saying that though there were other times where the action was non-stop and you were on the edge of your seat. I'm not a fan of the romance aspect to the story I felt like both attempts at romance were awkward and just didn't really work. I didn't think that Tom would move on that soon from his wife and then at the end he told a woman that he loved her after them only being together for a matter of days. By the sounds of it Vick is going to be hanging around though so I guess I will have to get used to it.

Gray Resurrection see's Tom Gray (Sam Grant) being kidnapped by terrorists and they aren't the worst of his problems either the British government is also wanting to wash their hands clean of Tom and his former SAS buddies. Tom is slowly losing all his old friends but Sonny and Len are still around and I loved every minute of those guys being around. They are so loyal, funny and capable and just add that little bit extra to the story. Although it can be confusing at times I love that we get to see what's going on from the point of view of both the good guys and the bad guys.

Although I was a little disappointed in this book compared to the first book it was still a good read and I will probably pick up the next book in the series at some stage. The book ended really abruptly. I thought I was only about 75% of the way in and all of a sudden the story just stopped so that was a little frustrating and kinda forces you to have the next book nearby ready to go.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Gray Resurrection from Amazon

Alan McDermott's Facebook Page

Alan McDermott's Goodreads Page

Alan McDermott's Website

Pretty Dancer by Cora Graham

Every little girl should have a dream and a tutu.

Do not let the plain cover fool you this book was amazing and was an absolute roller coaster ride. A huge thank you to Cora Graham for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I knew from the first few chapters that me and Lilly were going to get along just fine. Not sociable, not trusting, people getting on her nerves yup sums me up perfectly as well. I would've loved to have hung out with Lilly and Andrea. Andrea played the best friend role to perfection and I loved her Texan quirkiness. Luke and Carter my oh my I would not want to have to choose between those two guys. They were both amazing and I fell in love with both of them from the start. I felt like all the characters in Pretty Dancer were just done to perfection and it was hard to fault them. Even the "satan's barbies" played their role in the story and played it well.

I was really looking forward to an emotional read for the weekend and Pretty Dancer certainly bought the emotions. My heart broke for Lilly time and time again. To live what she lived through and be hit with all the drama that comes at her throughout the book was just incredible. I loved her completely crazy moments and also any girl that uses a high heel as a weapon is definitely made of awesome in my opinion. The letter from Mitch just wow I don't want to go into too much detail cos you know spoilers and all that but just wow. 

You may be asking yourself why the 4 star rating if I clearly loved the book and the characters so much. Well unfortunately I just felt that it was far too slow and wordsy at times. Things that could've been summarised in a paragraph or two would go on for a few pages. There were times where Lilly was just rambling and the rambling would go on for pages. When the book was at its greatest it was emotion filled and amazing but when we had the wordsy pages it dragged and I would start to lose focus. 

This book was fantastic though and was the perfect weekend read. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for anything else that Cora Graham releases. Also at the time of publishing this review the book was only 98 cents so I urge you all to go pick it up while it's so cheap.

4 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Pretty Dancer from Amazon

Cora Graham's Goodreads Page

Cora Graham's Facebook Page

Shadow of Deception by Sophia L Johnson

Remember who we are and what we're fighting for.

This book wasn't even on my radar until Benjaminoftomes did a video about it on youtube. The reason it caught my eye was because the author is actually donating all the royalties from the first year of sales to the Covenant House charity. Covenant House is dedicated to helping homeless youth across America and I thought that it was just an amazing thing that she is doing. The book only costs $3.06 on Amazon and you are getting a good book out of it so I would urge everyone to check it out.

Right let's move on to the book now. To be honest I kinda felt like I was reading two different books here. The first say 60% was a little hit and miss for me but then the last 40% was simply amazing. I loved the futuristic world that Shadow of Deception was set in and I loved a lot of the futuristic technology. I found the relationship and story line between Kazumi and Alex to be rather odd. When he was there the relationship was rather negative yet when he wasn't there it was made out that their relationship was so much more than it actually was. Kazumi herself was also very hard to like or identify with until you got to about 60% of the way in. Once we get to what I call the "after" part with Kazumi she was just kick ass and I loved everything about her.

The rest of the cast of characters were a little forgettable with the exception of Linda, Marko, Celine and of course Finn. Finn made a pretty good leading male I think. I can't really say that there were too many moments where he frustrated me and he was an amazing leader. I kept imagining Liam as Victor Zsasz from Gotham and was waiting for him to have a complete psychopath moment in the style of Victor Zsasz but sadly it never came. I would love to know more about Marko and i'm assuming he will feature heavily in the next book. I liked the relationship between Finn and Kazumi unlike a lot of other stories their relationship was believable and not all lovey dovey.

Sophia L Johnson can write action like you wouldn't believe. That last 40% or so of the book felt like a 5 star read definitely. It was just a shame that it was let down quite a bit by the first 60% which I liked but also had many issues with. I will be keeping an eye out for the next book.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Shadow of Deception from Amazon

Sophia L Johnson's Website
Sophia L Johnson's Goodreads Page 

Covenant House Website

Benjaminoftomes Youtube Channel
Benjaminoftomes Facebook Page

Designer Brands Quick Colour Nail Polish in Ballerina Pink

I received this nail polish in my Winter Girlfriend Parcel and I admit when I first saw the Designer Brands logo I was not all that optimistic. With the exception of the Designer Brands Extend A Brow I have not had any luck with their products and unfortunately this one was no exception. I tend to wear darker polishes or bright blues and purples so I was excited to receive a lighter colour. I'm trying to add more pastely and lighter colours to my collection so I thought that this colour was perfect. The original plan was that I would wear this for about a week and then give you a final opinion and also detail how it wore throughout the week.

That just isn't going to happen. I did one hand and two coats of this nail polish when I gave up and just took it all off. It did not apply nicely and it looked just terrible. It was horrible to use and there was no way that I was going to waste my time doing the other hand and then walking around for a week with my nails looking horrible. Unfortunately this is not a product that I would re-purchase and I would recommend using maybe Rimmel or Essie nail polishes as they are what I would usually use.

Designer Brands Website 

The Parcel - Girlfriend - Winter Edition

The Parcel is a seasonal subscription box which is delivered to your door once every 3 months. They currently have a number of boxes available and I'm getting the Girlfriend and Marie Claire parcels. The Girlfriend parcel is $19.99 every 3 months and you generally receive 6 products and a bonus product/sample. The Girlfriend parcel is targeted at the younger generation but I still love getting it for nostalgic purposes and because I still like to use a lot of the products.

Here's what was in the winter edition of the girlfriend parcel:

Rubi Bronzer: This bronzer is massive and I don't think it is something that I will be able to use in it's entirety. I have been wearing it on my cheeks to add a bit of colour and warmth but only a very small amount at a time as I have very light skin and don't want to look clownish or anything. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a recommended retail price for this product.

BYS Illuminator: My illuminator came in the shade Glimmer and it is quite dark. I'm not a huge fan of illuminators and don't like putting them on my face. I've actually been using this across my shoulders, decolletage and on my legs and it looks so pretty. It's probably not the best use of the product but hey it's working nicely for me. Recommended retail price of $7.95.

Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash: I love trying out skin care products but with a temperamental face prone to breakouts i'm always a little scared. I will be trying this product out though and hope to have a review up in the next couple of weeks. We received a 50ml bottle and the recommended retail price for 177ml is $24.50

Designer Brands Quick Colour Nail Polish: The Designer Brands products can be so hit and miss. I got the shade Ballerina Pink which I was quite happy with. I don't have a lot of the more pastely lighter colours so I've been trying to add more to my collection. This isn't a brand of nail polish that I would normally use but I will give it a go and have the review up hopefully in a weeks time. Recommended retail price of $7.99.

Revo Lip Balm: I was so excited to try this because I love lip balms. For some reason I thought this was going to be apple flavoured but it was actually watermelon. It smelt and tasted amazing but was just too big and awkward to use. I've put it aside for my neice as I have too many lip balms to get through and need one's that are a little more convenient to use. Recommended retail price of $4.95.

MOR Little Luxuries Hand Cream: Like the lip balms we receive a lot of hand creams in these subscription boxes but I also use a lot of hand cream so it's not an issue for me. I've received a MOR hand cream sample before and I can't remember the scent but I think the packaging was orange coloured and from memory this was a really nice hand cream. I will take it in to work to use over the next couple of weeks and will get a review up for it soon. Recommended retail price of $12.95.

 The bonus item this season was the Moxie Heart Shaped Tampon Tin which is a really, really cute tin. I don't use tampons but I gave this tin to my mum so she was happy with that and the Recommended retail price is $4.99. All in all I think this was a good box not great but good. There were a few products that I was very interested in trying and a couple of products that although I couldn't use them other people enjoyed them which is always nice. I can't wait to see what's going to come in the spring box.

The Parcel Website

Fallen by Karin Slaughter

Despite what you men want to think, we ladies don't sit around talking about y'all all the time.

The awkward charmer Will Trent is back to solve another difficult case and it doesn't get more difficult than when your partner, her children and her mother are involved. Faith was also back in this book and I feel like she has become a stronger character since having little Emma. I loved that Sarah finally made a move and that her and Will did progress somewhat in this book. The book was also helped along by Mrs Levy the dangerous old lady next door and by Roger Ling the demented criminal. I would've loved to have seen more from both those characters but the snippets we got were enjoyable enough. This book saw a lot of characters coming and going both from the police force, those from Evelyn's former corrupt team and a whole heap of gang members. Having so many character's did make it hard to follow at times and also made the story drag in some parts.

It has to be said I still hate Angie. I honestly haven't hated a character this much in such a long time. I wanted to be able to reach into the book and strangle her with my bare hands. The hold she has on Will and the way that she torments him is just horrible. Kudos to Karin Slaughter for making me feel so passionately about a character even if it is a negative feeling. Honestly I could just sit here and gush about Karin Slaughter for days. I don't get tired of her books and eagerly anticipate the next one over and over again. The character's are fabulous and the stories keep you guessing right until the end. This book was let down a bit by the drag that was occasionally felt and by the overabundance of characters that maybe weren't required. It's interesting to see that the next book in the series is only a novella. I tend to steer clear of a series that has too many novellas in it but as it is only the one I guess I will allow it.

4 out of 5 Stars!  

Buy Fallen from Amazon

Karin Slaughters Website
Karin Slaughter's Goodreads Page
Karin Slaughter's Facebook Page

Original Source Shower Gel

I received the watermelon and jojoba oil shower gel in my June Bellabox and I only decided at the last minute that I would do a review on it. I had taken a break during work the other day to grab a few things over at woolworths when I saw that these were on special for $2.04. That is half price people so I grabbed two others to go with my one from Bellabox. I grabbed the Vanilla and Raspberry and the lime shower gel cos who doesn't love a lime scent.

I had a very love/hate relationship with the watermelon and jojoba oil shower gel. I couldn't actually decide if I liked the smell or not and I kept changing my mind on a daily basis. It had that very fake fruity smell to it. I had a similar issue with the vanilla and raspberry shower gel. Some days I loved it and some days I hated it. The lime shower gel though was amazing and reminded me of lime icy poles. As far as shower gels go these are okay. They aren't really anything amazing but they were cheap and do make for a nice enough showering experience. I wouldn't say my skin felt amazing afterwards just normal and average. This is quite a cheap product and you can't argue with the price  when on special of $2.04 even the normal price of $4.09 isn't too bad. It is only a 250ml bottle though so it's not really practical for my husband and is only something that I would grab when it's on special.

3 out of 5 Stars

Original Source Website 

Original Source Facebook Page 

Bellabox Website 

Urban Skincare Co Infuse Body Balm

These Urban Skincare Co products seem to be popping up in all the beauty subscription boxes and just about everywhere at the moment. I've had some very hit and miss experiences with them but the body balm from my May Violet Box has probably been my favourite so far. It moisturises nicely and I have been using it daily for about a week now. With the continuous use I've noticed an improvement in my legs especially compared to some other moisturisers that I have used. The scent is rather interesting and is very strong. It's very herbally and i'm undecided if I actually like the scent or not.

I received the 35ml sample and I got a decent amount of use out of it. I reckon I used it for about a week non stop. A 100ml tube will set you back $12.95 and a 500ml bottle will set you back $34.95. The price seems a little excessive to me but that is taking into account that my Jergens moisturiser is only $5.99 for 250ml. I actually did a test the other night and did one side of my body with the Urban Skincare Co Body Balm and the other side of my body with the Jergens moisturiser. It was near on impossible to find a difference between the two. A couple of hours after putting it on I did another check and I still couldn't really distinguish a difference between them. The Urban Skincare Co Body Balm was maybe slightly better if I really, really had to pick one but in my opinion no where near enough of a difference to justify the price difference.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Urban Skincare Co Website

Violet Box Website

Loving Lauren by Jill Sanders

You're a rancher. A dying breed.You're made of strong stuff, stronger then you will ever know. You have the power to do whatever you want in life. Don't ever let anyone tell you different.

This is probably going to sound really silly but the guy on this cover is totally not how I imagined Chase yet the girl is exactly how I imagined Lauren. Not a huge deal just something that stuck out to me. I love me some good old country romance and this book did not disappoint. It was a little jumpy, jumpy at the start but then the pacing evened out after that. We started with a very dramatic prologue, then fast forwarded to 10 years later and then we jumped a further 7 years later all within the first few chapters. Spoiler alert there is apparently a wedding between the 10 and 7 year gap which didn't make sense to me at all. The whole marriage storyline was just a little forced in my opinion and was probably not needed.

This was a short and sweet country love story with characters that had you smiling and laughing while also leaving you very frustrated at times. Lauren was the main cause of my frustrations but I also liked her as a leading lady. I think Lauren just needed to learn when to not be so stubborn (some advice I could probably take as well haha). Chase was amazing and he was the perfect leading man. I loved all the banter between Lauren and Chase especially at the beginning of the book and I can't wait to read the future books about Alex and Hayley. I also can't wait to read more about Grant, I have a feeling that man is just going to be amazing. This isn't a series I will be rushing to finish in the next month or so but definitely keep an eye out for reviews of the other books as we move through the year.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Loving Lauren from Amazon

Jill Sanders's Website

Jill Sanders's Facebook Page

Jill Sanders's Goodreads Page

Gascoigne and King Love Vanilla Candle

This candle has been my everything for the last week. I have been torn between burning it every day because I absolutely love the smell and not wanting to burn it because I want it to last as long as possible. I received this candle in my June Violet Box and I could smell it through the packaging. The smell is amazing it smells just like vanilla bean ice-cream and has been making my house smell absolutely delicious. It burns really well and it burns evenly so no wastage which is always a bonus. The candles are handmade by Bronwyn Gascoigne and Dean King in their studio near Sydney. You can purchase the 200ml travel size candles which is what I received for $25 or you can purchase the 300ml full size candles for $55.

I've actually just purchased two travel size candles in Aria and Grace which came to $50 including free shipping so I can't wait to see what they are like when they come. I usually purchase all my candles from dusk and although these are quite costly and don't seem to burn as long as the dusk candles I would be tempted to swap to Gascoigne and King permanently if the next two that come are just as good as the Love Vanilla.

5 out of 5 Stars

Gascoigne and King Website

Violet Box Website

Gray Justice by Alan McDermott

In my line of work I have long accepted the fact that death will come so I do not fear it.

Oh how the best made plans can fall apart in an instant. Gray Justice was the book that my husband picked for me to read this month and I must say that it had me super intrigued. Call me crazy but I love a little vigilante justice and the whole voting system setup, just wow, my mind was blown before I even started reading the book. My family have been through something where another family member was horribly wronged and although the people who did it are serving their time you do question whether or not you want revenge and whether or not their punishment truly fit their crime.

This book started off really well and I was emotionally invested from the get go. My heart just broke for Tom and the sudden loss of not only his son but his wife as well. I understood why he set up the the Justice for Britain website and I loved that he had thought of absolutely everything. Tom is extremely smart and well trained and made sure that his plan was going to be tamper proof and that there was no way that the government were going to be able to stop him. The government and other services involved largely underestimated Tom and he proves this to them early on.

The characters were fantastic from Tom himself, to the SAS buddies, the criminal delinquents, the terrorists and even down to Sally and Harvey. The book was action packed and completely unpredictable. There was no way at the start of the book or even half way through the book that you could've picked that ending. I was fully engrossed by this book and before I knew it I had reached the end. I can't wait to continue with this series and see where Alan McDermott will take the story next.

4 out of 5 Stars

Buy Gray Justice from Amazon

Alan McDermott's Facebook Page

Alan McDermott's Goodreads Page

Alan McDermott's Website

Lonvitalite Face Masks

I received 4 face and eye masks through my monthly beauty subscription boxes so over a four week period I decided to use all 4 of them and offer my review on them. I have previously used the Lonvitalite Collagen Crystal Eye Masks and I absoloutly loved them so I was keen to try the face masks as well.

Week 1 - C2 Collagen Firming and Moisturing Facial Mask

This was a cloth mask that was applied to clean skin and left to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing off with water. Although I found it hard to just lay there for 20 minutes I loved the results of this mask. When I first put in on it felt very cold and slimy but once I rinsed it off, my face felt amazing and beautiful.
5 out of 5 stars!

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Week 2 - 24K Active Gold Eye Mask
This eye mask scared the crap out of me. You're meant to leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes but after 5 minutes I had to take this off. Not long after I put it on the area around my eyes started to feel like they were on fire. I thought maybe it was just a little bit of tingling and that I would just need to wait a few minutes for it to settle down. Nope it got worst. Once I took it off, the area where the mask had been was bright, bright red. Even after cleaning my face with cold water it took a while for the burning feeling and heat to leave my face. I have another one of these eye masks to use for week 4 of this review but I can't do it I won't be using this product again. I would recommend that people use the Lonvitalite Collagen Crystal eye masks instead as they are much, much better.
1 out of 5 stars!

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 Week 3 - 24-K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask
 This was another cloth mask that was again applied to clean skin and left to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing off with water. For those that aren't aware it is the middle of winter in Western Australia and this mask was sooo freaking cold and slimy. It was freezing my face when it went on. It was quite tingly to start with and my face did feel a little uncomfortable and warm for a few minutes but it soon settled down. When I took the mask off and washed down my face I could still feel the tingling for a few minutes. My face looked and felt amazing though and I have really struggled with blemishes this week so the after feeling and look was amazing.
4 out of 5 stars!

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I must say I do enjoy using these masks and they are good quality. I probably still prefer the clay masks because I can move around and do things rather than just lay there for 20 minutes. The face masks are definitely worth a try though as the results were amazing. You can purchase the face masks on the Lonvitalite website for $9.95 each or you can purchase a 5 pack for $39.00. I didn't have a good experience with the eye masks this time around but did like the Lonitalite Crystal Eye Masks that I used months ago. You can purchase a six pack of the Crystal Eye Masks on the Lonvitalite website for $32.00.

Lonvitalite Website

Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger

You never love or need anyone in this life like you do your mother. And no one ever quite loves you the same way she does - even if she does go crazy and tries to kill you.

This book has been on my TBR list since the 5th September 2014 which is really quite shocking. I've gone to pick it up a few times and each time i've only felt 50/50 about it. Last week I was deciding whether or not I was going to read this or get rid of it and obviously I chose to read it. It took me a very long time to read this book and that was because I just couldn't get into it. Every time I tried to sit down and read it I was easily distracted or ended out finding other things to do. A few times I even just went to sleep because I didn't want to read this. I've decided not to DNF any books anymore so I made myself read this in the hopes it would get better and it just didn't.

The prologue threw me a little bit but after that the story started to flow a little easier. I think my main problem with the book was that I didn't care for any of the characters. Ian came across as an absolute jackass and for the life of me I don't know how Megan stayed with him. Megan caused me so much frustration and I didn't relate to her or like her that much. Shockingly in these types of books i'm usually drawn to the evil doer but I couldn't even find myself being drawn to Priss. 

The book was told in three different ways. We had things happening in the present, in the past and we also read parts of Ian's graphic novel starring himself and Priss. Normally when books are done this way it frustrates me to no end but it was done well in Crazy Love You and did flow well enough. In books I normally find myself skipping over the extra songs, poems and stories from the character's but I enjoyed reading parts of Ian's graphic novels and would've loved to have seen some panels included from his graphic novel. 

I have one other Lisa Unger book on my shelf to be read and that is In The Blood. After reading this I am hesitant to now read In The Blood but I have been assured that it is a much better read. 

2 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Crazy Love You from Amazon

Lisa Unger's Facebook Page
Lisa Unger's Goodreads Page
Lisa Unger's Website

Mascara Madness!!

Anyone who know's me would know that I own a crazy amount of nail polishes, perfumes and mascara. I don't know what's wrong with me but if I walk past a nail polish or mascara stand I just have to buy one. I've decided to select a handful of mascaras that I currently have on the go to give you guy's a bit of a review and also do a bit of a comparison test.

Avon Super Drama Mascara
My mum is an Avon representative so I often pick up a few things from her. This is a very soft looking mascara. It goes on smoothly but does need to be built up a bit. I often use this mascara when I want to go for a very natural look. The lasting power is quite good, it doesn't flake during the day and still looks nice when I get home from work.
3 out of 5 stars!

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Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin Curves
I admit when I first opened this mascara the wand freaked me out a little as it isn't your traditional wand. It is a swirly, curved wand and just means I have to take more care when applying my mascara. This is my go to mascara especially when I want to impress. I call this my all powerful kicking ass mascara. The lasting power is amazing and it curls your lashes beautifully. It doesn't flake during the day at all and when I get home after work it still looks amazing.
5 out of 5 stars!

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Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara
So i've finally come to the conclusion after many tries that I just need to give up when it comes to this mascara. I'm sorry to say that this would have to be one of the worst mascaras that I have tried in a long time. It does apply okay but it is flakey, it smears easily and it is just really horrible to wear. I wore it to work yesterday and every time I went to the bathroom I just wanted to get it off my face as soon as possible. Sorry to say that this one has now found a home in the bin.
1 out of 5 stars!

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ModelCo Fat Lash Mascara
I order a lot of my cleansers and moisturisers from ModelCo so when I last placed an order I decided to give one of their mascara's a go as well. This one applies quite nicely but I find sometimes I have to give it a couple of coats to give it a full effect look. It lengthens the lashes a little and as the name suggests it fattens your lashes. I really like the way my eyes look when I use this mascara. Its a full look but still quite a natural look.
4 out of 5 stars!

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Avon Big and Daring Mascara
This is a fairly newish mascara to my collection and I must say I have been really enjoying it. It applies quite chunky and clunky but looks amazing throughout the day. I have found that if I'm having a very full on day that it sometimes flakes a little bit towards the end of the day but otherwise it still looks amazing when I get home at the end of the day.
4 out of 5 stars!


If you've got a favourite mascara let me know. I'm always looking to add to my collection and would love to try some more new ones.

Priceline Website 

Avon Website 

ModelCo Website

 

Kawaii Box - June 2015 Box

I have to admit that the Kawaii Box is my favourite of all my subscription boxes. It is easily the best in value and I usually use everything that they send. You generally receive 10 - 12 Kawaii items and the Kawaii Box is set up with a few different subscription options. I am currently signed up to the 6 month subscription which ends out being $17.90 per month. They also do a monthly subscription and that will cost you $18.90 per month. They also have a Japan Candy Box which I have been undecided on far ages now. I'm thinking maybe when my Kawaii subscription runs out I will do 6 months of the Japan Candy box to see what it is like. If you're interested in the Japan Candy box it is $18.90 for 6 months and $19.90 for a monthly subscription. Its funny because even though the Kawaii Box is shipped from overseas it actually arrived on the 1st July with my Violet Box. There has also been months where it has arrived before my beauty boxes have arrived. They also have an online store which I have ordered through and I've never been disappointed. The store is Blippo and if you use the code kawaiilove at checkout you will receive 10% off your order.

Now on to the exciting part. Here is what I received in my box this month:

Okitoki Notebook Set

Meiji Petit Gum

Rilakkuma Mini Letter Set

Chocolate Bar Comb

Alpaca Stickers

Harajuku Crepe Charm

Neon Bow Hair Band

Alpaca Eraser

Panda Colour Pen

Banana Mini Plush

Doughnut Squishy Charm

Alpaca Card Holder

I loved everything about this box which shouldn't really come as a surprise as I love receiving this box and I am yet to be disappointed. I didn't really like the chocolate Bar Comb as I don't use combs and it was a little kiddish. I put this aside for next time I see my niece. I also didn't like the card holder and this has been a common theme for me. We do receive these card holders a lot so it's usually a nothing item to me. My favourite part of this box is always the pens and stickers and this month I was not disappointed.My pen has pink ink and is just adorable and those stickers my goodness just gorgeous. My favourite item this month was the banana plush I have never seen anything so cute in my life. The close runner up was the Crepe Charm. It looked so real and was just gorgeous as well. I am still holding out for pocky haha. Our treat this month was gum which wasn't too bad I mean we did eat it all. I prefer the little biscuits that we normally get. All in all it was another gorgeous box from Kawaii Box and with the exception of two items everything else was used. Can't wait to see what comes next month.

Kawaii Box

Japan Candy Box

Blippo

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

It won't be forever. You'll be in the dark for as long as it takes and then you'll come out

That ending was simply perfection. Sophie Kinsella is one of those author's that I know I can always turn to when I need a fun, quick read that makes me smile and laugh. I admit though it has been a while since I've read some Sophie Kinsella so I was keen to start this one as soon as I got it. From the first chapter there was a smile on my face and it stayed there throughout the whole book. Anxiety is a serious issue that affects so many people including myself and some close friends and family. In fact statistics show that in any given year in Australia more than two million people are affected by Anxiety. I was very interested to see how Sophie Kinsella was going to tackle Anxiety and I have to say she did a pretty perfect job.

Audrey is a 14 year old girl who lives in a crazy, crazy household and suffers from anxiety. We never actually find out what the other girls did to Audrey and at first this bothered me because I was dying to know and to understand but towards the end of the book I completely forgot about it. Audrey's family takes crazy to a whole new level and her mum had me in stitches of laughter time and time again. Her brother Frank reminded me so much of my husband and I reckon if I had of seen him when he was a teenager it would've been Frank all over. Linus was a very interesting character who at times I thought was far too good to be true. At times he came across a bit fake but then towards the end everyone had gelled together nicely.

Sophie Kinsella has done a perfect job of once again taking me on an emotional roller coaster ride. Throughout the book I was smiling and laughing most of the way but then there was also some very sad and tender moments. There was a part where I was on the bus on my way into work and I was nearly crying haha. I was just devastated by what was happening and because I could empathise with Audrey and her frustrations it just wrecked me for a few minutes. I absoloutly loved this book which was no surprise and I will continue to read whatever Sophie Kinsella releases.

4 out of 5 Stars!

Buy Finding Audrey from Amazon

Sophie Kinsella's Facebook Page

Sophie Kinsella's Goodreads Page

Sophie Kinsella's Website

Taking Liberty by Keigh Houghton

Desperation is a logic suppressant. It makes us stupid. And stupidity makes us act impulsively.

This is the final book in the trilogy so I was expecting big things and couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit disappointed. To me this was the weaker and more frustrating book of the 3. There was just too many things happening that were far too unbelievable. Sometimes you have to sacrifice certain characters or make things more realistic in order to progress more nicely. It's hard because I want to keep this spoiler free but it's also hard to explain how I feel about it without giving away spoilers.

From the start I was confused. I felt like there was some chapters missing either from the start of this book or from the end of the previous one. It was kinda like we were thrown straight into the prison story with no explanation and then bam he is out of prison again like nothing happened. Gabe still hasn't learned from his past and still goes rushing into situations no matter the consequences. He frustrates the living crap out of me and yet he still keeps me glued to the pages wanting to know what's going to happen next. With The Maestro taken care of Gabe can focus on The Undertaker and Snakeskin and it isn't long before both of these character's are bought in to the story.

The third book saw an onslaught of new characters and I did get confused a few times over who was who. I loved the return of Mason Stone but didn't feel like we saw enough of him. There was also the return of Tim but again we didn't really get to see enough of him. I did enjoy the little bit of romance that was thrown into this one, it was nice to see that Gabe does have a somewhat softer side. I did enjoy the book but I think this series is definitely finished. I would love to see Keith Houghton write a book entirely from a killer's point of view. I will be keeping an eye out to see if Keith Houghton releases anything further.

3 out of 5 stars!

Buy Taking Liberty from Amazon

Keith Houghton's Website

Violet Box - June 2015 Box

Violet Box is a monthly subscription box which costs $22.95 and you generally receive 5 beauty and skin care products. My box came on the 1st July so it was one day outside of the month but that's not really a huge problem. This was their birthday box so there is a coupon and the birthday boxes are generally higher in quality and value compared to a normal box. For a limited time only if you enter the code Birthday at checkout you will receive 20% off all products in their online store.

This months box included:

- Starlooks Lip Gloss - Undisclosed Sample Size - Recommended Retail Price for full size $14.00
- Doucce Ultra Precision Eye Liner - Full Size Product - Recommended Retail Price $30.00
- Gascoigne & King Candle - Full Size Product - Recommended Retail Price $25.00
- Mullein & Sparrow Tinted Lip & Cheek Balm - Full Size Product - Recommended Retail Price $22.00
- Jing Ai Velvet Shine Lip Jewel Crayon - Full Size Product - Recommended Retail Price $29.00

This box definitely had some expensive products in it and with the exception of the candle and the starlooks lip gloss I wouldn't be paying those prices for the other products. I thought the lip & cheek balm was a sample but after some research online it looks like that might have been full size which for $22 would be a complete rip off in my eyes. I had this box sitting in the office but hadn't opened it because work was just crazy this week and I could smell something but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Turns out it was the candle and I could just smell it through the packaging. I know some people didn't like getting the candle in the box because its a beauty box but I loved it and would love to receive more. I would rather receive a candle every now and then compared to say the overabundance of shampoos, conditioners, lip balms and hand creams. 

I have tried all the products in the box already except for the eye liner. I don't wear eye liner so I passed this straight on to a friend who was very grateful for it. I will start with the candle because I did love that the most. We are a pet kind of house here so I always have candles going. This one was really good quality and smelled amazing.  My second favourite was the lip gloss and this has gone straight into my rotation of lip glosses. It felt nice and the colour matched me perfectly. Definitely something that I would consider buying a full size version of. I'm still undecided on the lip and cheek balm. There is no way in hell that I am using it on my cheeks but I have left it near my computer to touch up my lips until I do decide whether I actually like it or not. The lip crayon was not the right colour for me. I had this problem with the lip product in the Bellabox as well. It is quite a bright pink which I can't pull off so this will be going to my sister.

I had mixed feelings about this box as I usually do but the candle and lip gloss were definite winners for me and I loved both of those products. They were both products that I would consider purchasing. I definitely recommend giving Violet Box a try. I haven't been disappointed yet.

Click here to go to the Violet Box website