Review: The Girl With the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

The Girl With the Iron Touch (The Steampunk Chronicles #3) by Kady Cross

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected Publication: May 28th, 2013 by Harlequin TEEN

Source: NetGalley

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....

I have really been enjoying this series a lot and have read them each year diligently before they are released (that never happens, I almost ALWAYS fall behind).  I love the world created in the books and the setting.  The last book took place in America and in this one we are back in London.  Surprisingly I loved the American setting in the last book, but I still found myself happy to be back in London.  Not only that, but Jack Dandy is in London and that is a character that I love to read about!

Now that description hints at a love triangle.  Well, more than hints, and there's not really one.  Finley already knows who her heart belongs to and the person who it doesn't belong to is someone she still cares about but he also understands that she's made her decision.  There's not really any drama concerning them anymore.

The previous books seemed to focus on Finley more and in this one Emily was much more center stage.  We still know what's going on with Finley and all that, but Emily is the one kidnapped and we see everything she goes through and just get to know her better.  She's a really strong and kick butt character and I loved getting to know her better.

I love all the characters in this series.  Finley is great and I loved where the romance started to go in this one.  Not a new turn or anything, it just moves forward.  And Griffin has some major issues to deal with but I felt like we barely touched on them and that will be the focus of the next book.  Sam has grown as a character in finding to accept himself.  In this book Jasper is pretty absent.  When he was there, he wasn't really there.  That made me sad and I hope that we see more of him in the next book and that he might find his HEA.  And Jack Dandy, oh I think Jack Dandy is my most favorite character of all!  It might be that lovely cockney accent (faked accent?) or his terminology and mannerisms, but he is a character I would love to read more about!  We see that Jack may end up with his own HEA... but that's yet to be seen, just my prediction.  Because my lovelies, there's a new character introduced in this book and my lips are sealed!  You must just wait to meet her yourself!

The steampunk aspects of this series are pretty great.  For the most part I really love them.  The things that bug me a tad are that there's some rather 'convenient' devices so they can get in touch (like cell phones, but not) and some other inventions that just seemed a bit out of place and felt more convenient than anything.  It's not a big issue for me though.

The plot of this one moves along rather quickly.  I was surprised at how fast I devoured the book and was never bored or wanting to put the book down.  I'm most definitely eager for the next book, it's sure to be intense!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Bella Andre Summer of Love Beach Bag Contest! Stop by to enter to win your own beach bag of goodies!

Summertime is right around the corner and we are so excited to soak up some sun, especially because Summer 2013 is the Bella Andre Summer of Love! Help us celebrate this spectacular summer of hot reads and the release of the first three books in Bella Andre’s sizzling Sullivans series with the Bella Andre Summer of Love Beach Bag Contest!


Don’t miss THE LOOK OF LOVE (JUNE 2013), FROM THIS MOMENT ON (JULY 2013) and CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (AUGUST 2013).

One lucky winner will receive a fabulous beach bag filled with summertime essentials from hot brands such as O.P.I., Evian, Not Your Mother’s Hair Care, and Unisun Eyewear.  (Enter via Rafflecopter below.)

Also...
It’s the Bella Andre Summer of Love Mixtape Contest!

Visit Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks from May 22nd – May 31st and create your SUMMER OF LOVE Mixtape for a chance to win a trip for YOU and THREE friends to Las Vegas.

*No purchase necessary. Ends May 31, 2013.

Thanks so Harlequin Mira and Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. One lucky winner will receive a fabulous beach bag filled with summertime essentials from hot brands such as O.P.I., Evian, Not Your Mother’s Hair Care, and Unisun Eyewear.

Open to US only.

Must be 16 or older to enter.

Ends June 5th, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

THE LOOK OF LOVE
BELLA ANDRE

Harlequin/MIRA
$5.99 U.S./$5.99 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-1556-8

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. When her car skids off the side of a wet country road and into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

A successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, he realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her, but will she let him?

Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception with every loving look Chase gives her, the attraction between them sparks and sizzles.

Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, and he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether—for Chloe’s heart.

Bella Andre is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, and has sold more than 1.5 million

books.  Her books have appeared on Top 5 lists at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. After signing a groundbreaking seven-figure print only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s Sullivan series will be released in paperback in a major global English language launch in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia in continuous back-to-back releases from June 2013 through April 2014.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages, and her Sullivan books are already Top 20 sellers in Brazil. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and most recently in TIME Magazine. She has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100-year-old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

 

Young Adult Review: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published: May 14th, 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Source: ALAMW

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

As soon as I started reading this book I found myself incredibly anxious to know why Meg and her family are in Witness Protection.  I was so curious I almost flipped to the back, but I knew that would ruin it, so I just kept reading it as normal, but perhaps a little more quickly than I might have if I wasn't dying of curiosity. 

I liked Meg from the get go.  She might have tried to push people away to keep from losing people again, she didn't want to get close to anyone who may disappear from her life in a short time.  But she was never real good at it, at least when it came to cute guy Ethan.  He had this way of seeing through some of her antics and he just pushed forward, determined to know her.  He was great to her, even when she was rude, and he was great with Megs sister who quickly grows close to him.

Ethan was a pretty great character, I enjoyed his personality a lot and liked at how he could see through Meg's antics.  He knew something was up and he was determined to get to the heart of it and figure it all out.  He was sweet and it was his moments with Mary, Meg's sister, that really sold him for me.  He was very good with her and a guy like that is hard to find.  Most are uncomfortable with younger kids and he definitely was not.

The family dynamic in the story was great.  They were really suffering and needed some help.  Meg's father kind of closed everyone out and her mother had turned to drinking and spent all her time drunk.  Meg was what was holding the family together and she feels she's going to crumble at any minute.  Her sister, Mary, has been struggling and is drawing into herself and Meg will do anything to try to heal her family.  The only way to do that is to get out of Witness Protection.

I enjoyed being along for the ride as things start piecing together.  I got creeped out when Meg felt someone was watching her and those moments she knew she was being followed or messed with.  I just wanted to run FOR her, to get away from whoever was there.  As things came together I found myself surprised at a few twists and enjoyed finally figuring everything out.  I was definitely satisfied with how the story wrapped up but still had this little 'something' that could work for a future book.  It could be a stand alone, but it looks like there is a second book scheduled for release next year and that makes me happy.  I definitely recommend this one!

Disclosure: I received this book at ALAMW.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.