Review: Diverging Cadence by Katie Hamstead @Katie_Hamstead @YABoundBookTours

    Like I mentioned in the review of the first book, I'm going to be so random and all over the place with these reviews. I just cannot even handle all the thoughts running through my head. This story is so original. 

    This book was everything. I'm not even kidding. I feel the pace was a bit faster and I know that some people were upset because she was back and forth so many times but really, what would you do? She's completely in love with BOTH men. How is that a choice to be taken lightly? I absolutely believe that there is more than just one person that can make you unbelievably happy and we get to see it here. 

    We start when she's landing at her college that's across the country from everyone she knows and loves. I commend that she made the choice to take the hard road and actually continue on the path because it was the whole point of the second chance. We get to see how tough and strenuous the long distance relationship is for her and James. The whole time, she knows she's going to eventually meet Austin but she just can't let James go. I don't blame her, he's amazing. We had a whole book (first one) to fall completely in love with James. In this second book, we get to do the same with Austin. I admit, it's not as much as a whole book but at least we get a sense of why she loved him so much. We then go through the agonizing events that lead up to her choice. I wont lie, I was so tempted to just look up the ending and see who she would choose. I had no idea and I really couldn't stand the heartbreak of either guy. 

     This book is a lot more fast paced and we get a lot more character development from everyone. I mean it takes talent to be able to keep tabs on so many supporting characters in a natural and unforced way. I will admit that the ending of this book was wrapped up rather quickly. I was half way through this book wondering how she was going to get through the rest of this story, so quickly. 

The last 1/3 of the book, I was a mess. This book tore my heart open and had it spilling all over my face (tears). The twists and turns of this story are fabulous and I promise you will not be disappointed. Hamstead did a marvelous job with these characters and the way you just feel everything they are going through. Cadence is a tough cookie because I honestly don't know what I could have done. The way these characters grow and develop in this book is just amazing. I honestly have not read a book/duology this good in quite a while. 

   In recap, great duology and I highly, highly recommend it. Make sure you have both books on hand because you will not want to stop. You will need to know what happens. You will also give your husband and loved ones extra hugs and cuddles. It really makes you appreciate what you have. Tomorrow is never promised, so always remember to treat every day like it is your last. I will definitely be reading the next thing Katie Hamstead comes out with!

I would like to thank Katie Hamstead and YA Bound Book Tours for providing copies of these ebooks for review. Receiving them free, has not influenced my thoughts and opinions, they are my own. 

Review: Deceptive Cadence by Katie Hamstead @Katie_Hamstead @YABoundBookTours

 Okay, I’ve been on a bit of a reading hiatus and just have not been into it. I needed to just read these and get it done to put up my reviews. These books turned into so much more than a deadline. This will be the most random, all over the place review. I just am having the hardest time coming up with how to review these books because they were just so good. I devoured both books in one day. I did absolutely nothing else but read these. So here is the first book…

The premise was so interesting to me but I wasn’t sure how Hamstead was going to pull it off but she nailed it. So in the first book, the emotions hit you from the very beginning. We get Cadence in the hospital after a horrible earthquake that took her husband and child from her. When you go to the morgue with her, you feel what she feels. Hamstead does an AMAZING job making you feel everything in this book. An angel then appears to her, offering her a second chance to save them. Of course, she jumps on this but the catch is that she has to go back into time ten years. Guys, she has to do high school and those horrible teen years all over. No sweat, right?! The thing is she gets to make up for all her regrets and what if’s. All these new changes help her keep her family intact and then open up a path to a new love.

   Oh how I loved James. The way he pursued her for months, never giving up. The way these two loved was just breathtaking. You could feel all the emotions they were having and let me tell you, it could be so intense. The whole time Cadence is just fighting it so hard because she knows; she’s doing this for one reason, to save her husband and daughter. 

   When she finally gives in, it’s just beautiful. I had no idea who I wanted her to end up with. I remembered the beginning and her love and devastation over the loss but James tested that. You have this whole book to completely fall in love with his character.

   Hamstead did an amazing job with the character growth of not only the main characters but all the supporting characters too. Their families were just so much fun. Cadence’s dad was something else too. Man, James really put up with so much to be with her. You really get how much he truly loves her, which makes this so much harder on her and us, as readers.  

   I wasn’t sure how she was going to get all of high school in this book but she did a great job with it. I admit there are times that things are in so much detail, that it kind of drags a bit but I never got bored.  I was always just enthralled with the story and I would look up and an hour was gone. If flowed well and I think that Hamsted has a talent with words. The way she can just make you feel everything and just keep you sucked into the story.

   I enjoyed how every year the Angel would come back and show her the choices she made differently and the two different paths. It was so interesting to see the paths change of those around her. It really makes you think about all the “what ifs” and regrets in your own life. All these small choices make such huge ripples that you would never even think of.

   This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It will take you all over the place emotionally and you will not want to wait to read the next book. I recommend having them both on hand, so you don’t have to wait.

I want to thank Katie Hamstead and Bound Book Tours for review copies of this book. It has in no way, influenced my opinions and thoughts on this book. 

Release Day & Giveaway: Starflight by Melissa Landers @Melissa_Landers @DisneyHyperion

STARFLIGHT Launch Blitz & Giveaway

 

I'm really excited about this book! I actually live 5 minutes from Loveland, Ohio. How cool is that!?! I love her Alienated series, so I can't wait to see what she has in store, with this new book!

 

Hey there, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m thrilled to announce the release of STARFLIGHT, the first in a brand new sci-fi series from Disney-Hyperion. I originally pitched this story to my editor as “Overboard” (one of my favorite romantic comedies) meets “Firefly” (an amazing show that was tragically cancelled after one season). STARFLIGHT follows the misadventures of Solara Brooks, a penniless felon who indentures herself to her high school nemesis, Doran Spaulding, in exchange for passage to a new world. But when Doran’s memory is temporarily erased, Solara convinces him their roles are reversed—that she’s the master and he’s the servant—and leads him onto a renegade spaceship, where intergalactic shenanigans ensue. STARFLIGHT is very different in tone from the Alienated trilogy, but the story is still filled with all the things I love: humor, heart, and adventure.

 

What do reviewers have to say?

“Get ready for blast-off! Action-packed and utterly addictive, nobody writes like Melissa Landers. A smart, satisfying romance set in a vividly detailed world, Starflight was just plain fun!” –New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman

“Teens will be bracing themselves during the swashbuckling action scenes. A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly.” –School Library Journal

“A lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families.” –Booklist

If you like your sci-fi adventure served with a side of romance, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of STARFLIGHT today. It’s now available in stores and online.

 

 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RUTRl2

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1MKVTwt

Book Depository (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1OoN2WD

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1IIMPx7

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a STARFLIGHT swag pack, complete with custom nail wraps, bookmarks, and a mini poster! The giveaway is open internationally. Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn't afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in pulic-- just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, "Sweetheart of Ohio." For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com