Defective by Kayla Howarth

He may end up with a crooked nose, but it should've been illegal for him to be that good-looking in the first place. This will just be karmic justice.

Defective is the third and final book in the Institute series and although I am sad to see the end of this series I also feel that it has finished up well and at the right point. Of the three books this was probably my least favourite but that's not to say it was a bad book it just goes to show how awesome the first two were. I think my main problem with this book was the person who was missing. You don't realise how much someone adds to a story until they are gone. I tried over and over again to give Jayce a go and I did love him as a character but to me the romance just wasn't the same. It also really killed me seeing Allira be the way that she was for the first half of the book. Part of my love for this series was Allira and her feistiness and although we did get that part of her back I think it took a little too long to get that part of her back. What can I say i'm an impatient person.

I loved all the usual characters like Drew and Tate and also liked the new editions of Jayce and his family. The story flowed quite nicely but I felt like it dragged a little in some places. I dunno I guess I wanted a bit more action but that probably just comes from having two very action packed books before this one. The twists at the end did surprise me a little bit and the ending was beautiful.

Kayla Howarth has definitely been a standout author for me this year and I am so glad to have found her. I urge you all to give this series a go. The first book The Institute is currently free on kindle and you can pick up the other two books in the trilogy for like $6. Cheap as chips baby! For now though I will have to bide my time and do the occasional stalking to find out when the next book by Kayla Howarth will be getting released.

3 out of 5 Stars!

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Wrong Number, Right Guy by Elle Casey

I'm not ashamed to say that I screech pretty loudly at that point, and it isn't one of those really cute lady-screams either. More like a crazy chicken being unsuccessfully strangled.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I admit that whenever I start a book that I have received for free I feel a little anxious because they can be very hit and miss. Had I known from the start that Elle Casey is the same Elle Casey that wrote Shine Not Burn then I would've known that I had nothing to worry about. So far she is two from two with me and I have loved both books. This book was such an amazing surprise. It has been a long time since a book has had me smiling and laughing out loud while I was reading it. The story flowed rather nicely and I enjoyed the training that May was receiving. I would've liked a little more backstory on the bad guys and maybe some chapters where we could've seen what the baddies were up to and what their thought processes were on May.

May was such a fantastic character who came across as a little ditzy but was actually quite smart, funny and definitely kick ass. I will admit that for the last say 30% of the book she did frustrate me quite a bit with her sudden insecurities and dare I say slight patheticness. As a fellow dog lover I appreciated all the Felix and Sahara moments and loved the interactions and relationships between the leading characters and their pet babies. Ozzie, wow I don't even know where to start with Ozzie except feel free to break me off a piece of that hunky fella. Seriously a kick ass guy who is muscled, and an amazing cook! Oh yeah sign me up right now. 

I love the idea of The Bourbon Street Boys and this is easily a series that I could see myself getting caught up in. I had shamefully forgotten about Elle Casey so now that she is back on my radar again I will definitely be checking out more of her books. 

Wrong Number, Right Guy is being released on the 22nd September so pre-order it now and show some support for such a fantastic author.

4 out of 5 Stars!

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Free Book Friday: Meant To Be by Laramie Briscoe

I know it has been a while since I did an edition of Free Book Friday but I do have my reasons. My TBR Pile is getting out of control and to be honest Friday's have just been crazy lately. The book i've chosen today is actually a book that I read ages ago and I loved it. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that it was still being listed as a free book as it is well worth paying for. This book started my love for not only the series but also the guys at the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club and I have read 5 of the 7 books that are currently out. I'm also looking to pick up the next two as my series reads for the next two months. I would urge all of you to go and pick up this book while it is still free. You won't regret it!

Goodreads Synopsis:

Single mother.

Laid off factory worker.

Drug runner for the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club. 

When Denise Cunningham is served with foreclosure papers on her birthday it’s the last straw in a long line of bad luck. Sitting and crying about things has never been how she solved her problems, but this time she decides to do just that. A phone call interrupts her pity party and changes the course of her life forever.

Loyal brother.

Grease monkey mechanic.

Vice President of the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club. 

William Walker Jr., known as Liam to his club, needs a new recruit that is just naïve enough and desperate enough to do what he asks without question. When Denise Cunningham lands in his lap, he decides to hire her - not because he wants to, because he has to.

Neither are comfortable in their new roles, but he needs help and she can’t stand to lose anything else.

As bullets fly and a local Bowling Green, KY reporter works to bring the club down, Liam and Denise find themselves getting closer to one another. When the stakes get high and outside forces try to keep them away from each other, they have to decide if they really are meant to be.

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I Was Here by Gayle Forman

This story starts off with a bang and instantly breaks your heart when you read Meg's suicide note:

I regret to inform you that I have had to take my own life. This decision has been a long time coming,  and was mine alone to make. I know it will cause you pain, and for that I am sorry, but please know that I needed to end my own pain. This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. It's not your fault.

Meg

It's been a long time since i've picked up a Gayle Forman book and I had completely forgotten just how beautiful her writing is. Her stories are so easy to read and this book was just as fantastic as all her previous books. I liked how all of the friendships and relationships played out and that they weren't just forced on us. The characters were very well defined and they all had their likable moments even the slightly ruder characters like Tree. I wish we could have seen a little more from Richard and was half hoping for a love story between him and Cody. In saying that though I am happy with Cody's relationship choice and how that all played out.

Suicide can often be a very hard thing to write about and it can be hard to get that balance correct so that you don't end out offending anybody. I think that Gayle Forman wrote Cody and Meg's story really, really well. It's such a tough subject and I honestly found myself getting so upset while reading this. To see not only Cody and Ben's grief and guilt but also the grief of the family was just so hard to read about. I got so angry when I was reading about the Final Solution boards and the encouragement on those boards. It really sickens me to think that this is something that could be happening right now online somewhere.

If you haven't already be sure to check out not only this book by Gayle Forman but also her previous books as i've loved every one of them. I can't wait to see what she will be releasing next and whatever it is I can guarantee that I will be picking it up.

4 out of 5 Stars!

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Camirelli Melts Crate - September Unboxing

The smells that were coming from this box were just amazing. This is my second Camirelli Crate and it has quickly become my favourite monthly subscription box. They offer a number of different crates on their site which range from $25 to $40. The first month I purchased the main Camirelli Crate which was $40 and offers you a wide range of all their products. The second month I got the melts crate for $25 which is much better suited to my needs. This subscription box doesn't run concurrently unless you order a 3 month subscription so you need to remember to order each month. I actually like this idea because if you start to accumulate too many products or don't like the monthly theme you can just skip it and not purchase. I like that you're not automatically bound to every box every month. I have already put in my order for next months Melts crate and I think it is a box that I will continue to get monthly. With the monthly melts box you receive two full size melts and 10 sample melts. Which I think is a perfect amount to receive on a monthly basis. You also get a print out saying what is in each melt so you can pick a melt to match your mood. Here is what I received in my box this month which was themed Lush:

Full Size:

1. Bathos: Violet combined with Jasmine and Lemon.

2. Cherry Blossom: Top notes of oranges sweeten this flowery blend, balanced with fern and green notes.

Sample Size:

1. Lady Catrina: Freshly cut limes, neroli and frankincense.

2. Candy Fluff: Strawberry sundae with creme and fluffy marshmallows.

3. Dirty: Spearmint with sandalwood, oakmoss, tarragon, thyme and lavender.

4. American Cream: Vanilla fragrance with herbal notes of clary sage and lavender.

5. Supa Nova: Floral, orange blossom, spice with hints of spearmint, patchouli and musk.

6. The Comforter: Orange and bergamot with a touch of floral combined with clove, cinnamon, patchouli and minty pennyroyal with vanilla and mush at the base of the scent.

7. Snow Fairy: Sweet sugary fairy dust fragrance. 

8. Karma: Patchouli, sweet orange, lemongrass and hints of musk and amber.

9. Jungle: Passionfruit, banana, fig and kumquat and ends on a patchouli base note.

10. Honey Wash The Kids: Crunchy toffee and sweet dripping honey with a touch of bergamot.

I always love reading the clever names on each product from Camirelli and the complex nature and scents of the melts is just amazing. In next months unboxing I will let you know what my favourites were from this box. I am going to use the candy fluff melt tonight and i'm also excited to try the american cream, supa nova and karma. They all sound just amazing though and I can't wait to get started on them. Definitely check out Camirelli Crate as they offer amazing products and are just amazing people. I am yet to be disappointed and like I mentioned previously this has quickly become my favourite subscription box.

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Significance by Shelly Crane

I'm not a baker, so i'm not about to sugar coat it for you.

Well said Gran! Firstly a big thank you to NetGalley and Red Coat PR for providing me with a free copy of this book. I have been trying to read this book for a week now and sadly at 78% of the way in I am just going to DNF it. I've gone to DNF it so many times throughout the past week but was really pushing myself to move forward and finish it. When I say I was pushing myself I truly mean it. It was a struggle to wanna pick up this book. Don't get me wrong it started out okay but the more it went on the more I found myself getting frustrated and just completely disinterested. I was reading the story but at the same time I just couldn't concentrate on it and I was thinking about everything else but the book that I was reading. It honestly just felt like it was going on forever and that I was getting nowhere.

I can't completely fault the book. Maybe me not believing in soulmates is part of the problem. Maybe if I believed in soulmates I would've found this to be a very romantic story rather than just an eye roll fest. I really liked Caleb and Maggie at the start but as the story progressed it became less about themselves and everything was about them as a "we." Kyle would've had to have been the most whiny and annoying character that I have come across in a very long time. I truly believe that if he had've been in front of me I would've smacked the crap out of him. I did enjoy the scenes with all the family together and also any time that Gran was mentioned. 

This book is available to read on NetGalley and is also free on Amazon so if you're big on romance books definitely grab it and give it a whirl. Due to my frustrations with the book I obviously won't be continuing on with the series.

1 out of 5 Stars!

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You by Caroline Kepnes

Sometimes, you just want to go where it's dark, you know.

This book was unlike anything that I have read in a very, very long time. I'm struggling to find all the right words to describe just how this book made me feel. For starters it absolutely creeped me out. Going into this book the main word i'd been hearing to describe it was creepy and I completely agree. After finishing it I would sum it up by saying yeah it's very creepy. Not only is it creepy but Caroline Kepnes also leaves you questioning your own sanity and morals. I mean Joe is a creepy, messed up dude who has no problems with killing people and stalking people and yet I feel sorry for him! How, how is it that you become attached to a character like Joe. How is it that you get so caught up in his emotions that you have to stop yourself from cheering for him because as much as he sucks you in at the end of the day he is still a creepy creeper pervert.

This story was made up by a host of unlikable characters and yet you can't put the book down. I thought that Beck was a terrible character and as messed up as it sounds I couldn't understand why Joe was so obsessed with her. There were so many moments where I thought he was going to realise this but he didn't and I dunno I just didn't find her to be all that stalkable. Which is probably a messed up way of thinking right but that's just how this book get's you thinking. This book also makes you incredibly paranoid. It took me a few days to get through this and I swear just about every male I came across was in my mind a potential Joe. In fact the day I started reading this a guy came up to our office and because we are doing constructions at the office I was on my own and internally I was freaking out and thinking oh my god is this guy a Joe.

I have mixed feelings about the writing and the progression of the story. It took a bit to get used to and I think at first I found the writing to be a bit too clinical. As the story went on though I got used to the writing style and I found it to be very dark and almost poetic like. I'm not ashamed to admit that there was quite a few references that went right over my head and the twitter speak took a bit to get used to. Once you get past those minor things though this really is a fantastic read. The story for the most part was well paced but it did lose me a bit around the Karen and Nicky part. I think the story could've progressed fine without all that extra carry on. I loved the ending and I can not wait to get my hands on Hidden Bodies. There aren't a lot of books that I buy as soon as they are released but I have a feeling that Hidden Bodies will be one of them.

4 out of 5 Stars!

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