Music Monday (1)

Music Monday is a weekly event hosted by Lauren over at Always Me.  Every Monday, you share one or two of your favorite songs you've been enjoying that week to help other people discover new music!  Here are my picks for this week:

R&R Tour Review Friday: Sweet Light by Alexia Halliwell

Amazon  Goodreads

The Hazelwood Series #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"Hostile. 

That was one word that summed up Lira Matthews in Kane’s honest-to-god opinion. Actually, calling her hostile was putting it lightly. 

Belligerent. Vicious. Scathing. All wonderful words that could be used to describe Lira. 

Never in his entire life had he met a woman like her. From the very moment she stepped into the small town of Hazelwood she intrigued him. It could have been her guarded, distrusting eyes or her sweet softness hidden underneath her tough façade — all Kane knew was he wanted her. 

To Lira, a Dean’s list medical student, Kane was just another hot mechanic. Sure, he had corded arms that made you gulp in desire and a kindness to him that made your insides melt, but they were from two different worlds. Two worlds that were never meant to meet — they both knew that. 

That was until Lira’s past catches up with her and she must decide whether she can face her fears or let it consume her whole."

Release Day Blitz: Sweet Light by Alexia Halliwell

Hostile.

That was one word that summed up Lira Matthews in Kane’s honest-to-god opinion. Actually, calling her hostile was putting it lightly.

Belligerent. Vicious. Scathing. All wonderful words that could be used to describe Lira.

Never in his entire life had he met a woman like her. From the very moment she stepped into the small town of Hazelwood she intrigued him. It could have been her guarded, distrusting eyes or her sweet softness hidden underneath her tough façade — all Kane knew was he wanted her.

To Lira, a Dean’s list medical student, Kane was just another hot mechanic. Sure, he had corded arms that made you gulp in desire and a kindness to him that made your insides melt, but they were from two different worlds. Two worlds that were never meant to meet — they both knew that.

That was until Lira’s past catches up with her and she must decide whether she can face her fears or let it consume her whole.

R&R Review Friday: The Masterpiecers by Olivia Wildenstein

Amazon  Goodreads

Masterful #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"Nineteen-year-old Ivy Redd’s talent with a needle and thread has earned her a spot on a coveted reality TV art competition set in New York’s Metropolitan Museum. The prize: a significant amount of money and instant acceptance into the Masterpiecers, the school that ensures new artists fame and fortune. Her talent has also thrust her and her twin sister, Aster, into the spotlight. 

Not that Aster needed help with becoming a media favorite. She managed that on her own by running over a wanted mobster. She told the police it was self-defense, because she couldn’t tell them the truth—the truth would make her sister look bad.

Locked in an Indiana jail to await her trial, Aster watches Ivy on the small TV hanging in the dayroom. It’s the highlight of her day, until she finds out what her sister truly thinks of her. Then, observing her sister becomes a punishment far crueler than imprisonment."

Release Day Review Tuesday: That One Moment by Amy Daws

Amazon  Goodreads  Barnes and Noble

London Lovers #2

Goodreads Blurb:

"Life is a series of reoccurring ripples in time. 

The moment I saw her…something shifted. 
The moment my lips touched hers…life got messy. 
The moment my heart got involved…everything changed. 

Vi Harris tests every bit of my strength. 
She is my test. 
My challenge. 
At a time when I should be focusing entirely on myself, this radiant woman with a bright, cheeky smile and a cracked sense of humor waltzes in and spins everything on its axis. 

Vi has the potential to make me weak at a time when I’m determined to show everyone just how bloody strong I am. 
She’s everything I am not…yet somehow, she sees through my darkness. 
My pain. 
My despair. 
She doesn’t see me as broken. 
She sees me as the man I’m fighting so hard to be. 
The man that I’m still struggling to see myself."

Review Friday: Split Second by Kasie West

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Pivot Point #2

Goodreads Blurb:

"Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too... but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories... once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot... and a future that could change everything."

March Wrap-Up and Update

It's time for another monthly wrap-up!  I realize I haven't done one of these in SUCH a long time but I'm trying to get back into the habit of doing them.  I think it'll help if I start a post at the beginning of the month and keep updating it as I finish books.  Then it won't be so hard to track down all of this information at the end of the month.  This month will also be the last month in which I only count books for which I've written and published reviews.  Because I'm a bit behind on my reviews, it seems like I've only read 2 books this month but I can tell you it was far from it.  I have so many notes written but no time to write the actual reviews!  I'll start keeping track of every book I finish.  So without further ado, let's get into it!


Bookish Statistics:

Number of Pages Read: 597
Total Books Read: 2

Distribution of Ratings:
5 star: 0
4-4.5 star: 1
3-3.5 star: 1
2-2.5 star: 0
1-1.5 star: 0

Number of Authors Read: 2
Number of Series Books Read: 1

Number of Stand-alones: 1

The Books:

Kragan by Dennis K. Hausker
Pivot Point by Kasie West (Pivot Point#1)

Summary:
This month, like I said in my intro, I actually read a lot more than two books.  However, I only kept track of the ones I wrote a review for and I got really behind on reviews.  April will be different!  Kragan was the R&R book of the month and Pivot Point was my buddy read of the month.  I rated Kragan a 3 for it's great idea but lack of development.  Pivot Point earned a 4 as it is such a cool idea but there were still fuzzy things.






Life Updates:

Whew!  That month just flew by!  I didn't end up getting all of my R&R's done which is really sad but I'm aiming for this month!  February and March were just so busy with regular life stuff that everything bookish just sort of fell by the way-side.

I also haven't had much time for writing over the past month or so.  I've been writing scholarship essays and figuring out where my life is headed next year.  I hope to do more writing this summer during NaNoWriMo Camp and finish the book that I started during the November NaNoWriMo.

I also finally started going to my real life book club meetings and I've been having fun at them.  I'm not sure when I'll have the reviews up for the books we've read so far but hopefully it'll be soon!  So far, I've read House of Thunder, Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl and Slaughterhouse Five.  I also plan to write a review for Little Women for which I participated in a read-along for back in February (and do the discussion questions that I haven't yet done!).

One last thing!  I do plan to do at least one discussion post this month.  I really miss writing them and it seems like I never have the time to because reviews take first priority.  However, I'm hoping to make time in April!  After all, it is my birthday month :)

I hope you all are doing well!  Happy reading!