Review: Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry

Summary: Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening - especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts!

Jaycie Lerner's family isn't the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie's mom's MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in 'trainer,' is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie's godfather John is more than persuasive - he can literally convince anyone to do anything.

As far as the rest of the world's concerned, Jaycie's on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie's pediatrician father, but she doesn't fit in with 'normal' kids, and she doesn't really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there's one thing she can't control - and that's her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of...

Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose!

Review:  First of all, I thought this was such a great book to read. Second,  I just have to say how jealous I was when reading about Jaycie's telekinetic abilities! If I had a super power, telekinesis would be it....that or the ability to turn invisible! Not sure if I could handle the telepathic powers though. Hearing another person's thoughts would drive me crazy. Not Jaycie though. She is one tough girl. I loved her carefree, positive attitude, and I think she was my favorite character. Honestly all the characters were wonderful, and really created an amazing family. Each person has a special power. Telekinesis, Telepathic, Mind Control, Super strength and speed are just to name a few. Then you have Haley, who has a power that hasn't been fully developed yet. Jaycie tries to adapt to her abilities while maintaining personal relationships. While learning about her powers, she also learns from her dad and John, about the rest of the supernatural world.  Darwin's Children was so exciting, adventurous, and highly entertaining. WARNING! This book will leave you hanging and desperate to find out what's going to happen next.

♥ Shelby

Review: Song of Eidolons by Jessica McHugh

Summary:  Delaney Lortal is a unique breed of girl. She is well spoken, extremely well read, and highly ambitious for love, but it is not those qualities that make her so unique. It's not even because in twenty-two years of life, she has never set foot outside of her grandfather's house. What makes her so unique is the truth behind a mysterious secret that has made her the target of a clandestine Order called the Orisanima.

As wondrous as it is heartbreaking, Song of Eidolons follows Delaney’s journey of enlightenment as she struggles to peel back the layers of deceit to discover the amazing truth about her origins.

Review: Song of Eidolons is such a unique story unlike any I've read so far. It's very complex and beautifully written. Just when I thought I knew where the story was taking me, I would find out I was way off! Delaney is such a pure and innocent character. She was raised by her grandfather, Dags, and was never able to experience anything outside of her home and her books. She thought this was normal, that children didn't venture outside. But when she start to yearn for the chance at finding love, she begins to question why her grandfather really kept her in the dark.  When she is finally able to experience the outside world first hand, Delaney learns that she never really knew who or what she really was. Song of Eidolons is full of emotion, and by the time you finish this story you will realize its greatness. This book was my first by Jessica, and definitely not my last.

♥ Shelby

Review of Toonopolis:Gemini by Jeremy Rodden

Summary: Toonopolis is a cartoon city that is home to the thoughts and ideas of all sentient beings in the universe. As the center of the Tooniverse, it acts as an other-worldly rest stop for these creations.

Gemini is a teenage human boy who is thrust into Toonopolis through his father's scientific research program. He loses part of himself in the process and immediately begins a quest to regain his lost memories with the help of his Tooniverse guide named Jimbob the Talking Eggplant.

After an altercation with a mysterious Shadowy Figure, Gemini's mission is changed, and he begins a new quest to defeat Shadowy Figure and protect Toonopolis from his nefarious destruction. Along the way, he meets new friends, discovers just how diverse and strange Toonopolis is, and learns lessons about compassion, forgiveness, redemption, and being true to oneself.

Review: Oh man...What a really cool book this was to read!!! The author has such a creative imagination, and took me to a whole new world. Who would have thought there was a place for all the cartoons ever created?  A place with PEZ roads, gnomes, superheros, knights, and my favorite....A TALKING EGGPLANT! Yep folks, you heard(read) me right. Jimbob the talking eggplant. He is a guide to Gemini, a young boy placed into this tooniverse by his father. They go on an incredible journey through different places of toonopolis, and they meet so many other toons that help with his quests. Together they battle cartoons gone rogue, and others such as the Gumthulu and the Candemon. This is such a humorous story full of adventure. Even with all the different places and toons throughout this book, it is all strung together perfectly. Toonopolis was such an exciting read for me, and I think people of all ages would enjoy this book.

♥ Shelby

Review: A Kindred Spirit's Sanctuary by Dayna Ross

Summary: The setting of this book takes place in the early 1800's in Missouri when the foundation of the state was still in it's infancy.

Nicolette, the daughter of a wealthy and highly respected bank owner, is a spoiled and rebellious young adult with a carefree spirit that consistently reminds her of the fact that she was not meant to be born into the life that she had been forced to live.

Through her coming of age search for happiness, she happens upon Akash, a mysterious and powerfully built Native American slave.

The story progresses as the two struggle, not only to accept one another, but to fight for the companionship that the two come to find that they cannot live without.



Review: I always love reading about two people who are completely opposite of each other, but fall in love anyway. This story gave me just that. Nicolette is a young woman trying to find out who she is, despite constantly be pressed with the opinions of her parents. Her life is turned upside down when her parents move to a new home far away from her old life and friends. Her father is trying to pressure into the college of his choice, and her mother is too busy worrying about herself. Nicolette has no one that understands her. She meets Akash and is instantly curious about him, although he acts like he could care less about her. He thinks she is just like the other high class people around him who try to pretend he's invisible. He is just a savage after all. Nicolette is taken back at the way Akash treats her, but is adamant to show him she is more than that. After a short time the walls around Akash's heart come down and he lets Nicolette in. This leads to a dangerous adventure that neither of them saw coming, but they were determined to be together. This was wonderful story with passion and excitement. I can't wait to read more work from Dayna.

♥ Shelby



BOOK TOUR, REVIEW, and GIVEAWAY of Mine Until Dawn : Book 2 of the Fitzgerald Family by E. B. Walters

Make sure you check out the giveaway at the end of this review!!

Summary :  She's armed with a new attitude and a kick-ass wardrobe... By age twenty-eight, art historian Jade Fitzgerald has had a marriage from hell and an equally nasty divorce, worked hard to control her weight and her arrhythmia. The last thing she needs is another man messing with her head or shooting her heartbeat off course. That is exactly what she gets when an aloof and mysterious stranger storms into her life. He's cynical and doesn’t take crap from anyone... Former investigative reporter Vince Knight is on a quest to recover a priceless, ancient Mayan artifact, which he believes Jade’s mother stole. He’s skilled at gathering information while remaining emotionally detached, until he meets Jade. The voluptuous woman stirs in him a hunger he hasn’t felt in a long time and a protectiveness he can’t explain. Until, an insane man decides to add Jade to his collection of beautiful and rare things... Neither Vince nor Jade expects passion to flare so fast or danger to dodge their footsteps. To defeat a ruthless art collector with a twisted agenda, Jade and Vince must learn to trust each other and embrace their growing feelings.

Review : Oh how I didn't want this book to end!!!! Mine Until Dawn is an amazing read people! Full of passion, adventure, mystery...If I could live out one book it real life it would be this one. I loved EVERY part of this book, and once again I wish I could be apart of the Fitzgerald family. Jade is such a realistic character and I connected with her instantly. She appears to be strong on the outside, but inside she still struggles with the negativity that her ex embedded in her mind. Then comes Vince (sigh). The perfect description of my ideal man. From the moment Vince and Jade meet there is a pulling attraction between the two of them. They both learn to let their guards down and find their way to each other's hearts. Mine Until Dawn is so creatively written, and the story line was fantastic. The suspense of what happens next kept me reading until the book was finished. I promise you wont be disappointed in this book. Go check it out!!!

♥ Shelby

Giveaway : E. B. Walters has graciously offered an e- copy of Mine Until Dawn to be given away at each blog participating in this tour. 

To Enter for this blog:

1. Be a follower

2. Leave a comment with a valid email address

3. Like E. B. Walters on facebook : http://www.facebook.com/#!/ednahyaauthor

4. Like The Fitzgerald Family on facebook : http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Fitzgerald-Family-series-by-EB-Walters/149204081811639

4. Extra points for liking Words To Follow on facebook : http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Words-To-Follow/167045110034227

5. share this giveaway on facebook. Please leave link with your comment.

Also be sure to check out the other blogs participating in this book tour!! All are giving away an e-copy as well so there are more chances to win! A big thanks to Forbidden Reviews for hosting this giveaway. http://www.forbiddenreviews.com/

NEXT STOP ON THIS TOUR IS: http://amethystdaydreams.blogspot.com/