In My Mailbox #7

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

Hey guys. This week turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought it'd be. Therefore, I went to the library to stock up on books since I'm on Spring Break next week. I'm thrilled with my mailbox this week! 

Grave Mercy
By: Robin LaFevers
Release Date: 04/03/12
Received from NetGalley as a special promotion. A big thanks to Houghton Mifflin!


Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? 

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. 

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?


My thoughts: 

I LOVE the Brittany Coast in France... or Bretagne, whichever you prefer. And I love anything and everything French! I can't wait to read this book!

The Académie

By: Susanne Dunlap

Currently in stores

Received from NetGalley. A big thank you to Bloomsbury!

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Eliza Monroe—daughter of the future president of the United States—is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when—ooh, la-la!—she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies—and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes. 

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

My thoughts:

This apparently is my Francophone week, but I am not complaining! I just had to try out this book because it's set in France during my favorite time period - The Enlightenment. I normally don't go for books that aren't paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi, but this one called out to me.

The Thirteenth Sacrifice

By: Debbie Viguié

Release Date: 04/03/12

Won from Good Reads' First Reads Contest! A big thanks to Good Reads AND Signet Mass Market Publishing!

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

When young women start dying, Boston cop Samantha Ryan is the perfect person to investigate, for only she knows what the archais symbol carved into their flesh means. The last in a long line of ruthless witches, she grew up in a coven seduced by power and greed. And now she's sure that bad witches have returned to Salem. Reluctantly, Samantha goes undercover-into a town obsessed with black magic, into her terrifying past, and into thedark, newly awakened heart of evil.

My thoughts:

For some reason this book just called out to me. I love the cover. Yes, I know it's a creepy cover, but it's amazing nonetheless. I am just terribly excited to see what this book is about! Oh and I LOVE Salem, MA. I want to visit there one day, so I love books set there!

 Breaking Beautiful
By: Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Release Date: 04/24/12
Received from NetGalley. A big thanks to Bloomsbury!

Synopsis from NetGalley:
A gripping murder mystery and satisfying romance drive this powerful debut.
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident-including her memory of the event.  She doesn't remember driving on the cliff road. She doesn't recall jumping from the truck just before Trip lost control. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she's kept hidden for so long, the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
When the police reopen the investigation, it quickly turns on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. As the threats begin and the survivor's guilt takes over, Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?
Fans of dark contemporary stories will feel right at home in the hands of debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf as she takes them on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and ultimately, forgiveness.

My thoughts:
Again, I normally don't do contemporary lit, but this sounded too good to pass up. I have to hand it to Bloomsbury, they have some awesome contemporary titles! I do love a good mystery, and this sounds intensely emotional. I really hope it has a happy ending! 

Romeo Redeemed
By: Stacey Jay
Release Date: 10/09/12
Received from NetGalley. A big thanks to Random House/Delacorte!

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
All will be revealed for fans who have breathlessly awaited the sizzling sequel to Juliet Immortal. This time Romeo takes center stage and gets one chance, and one chance only, to redeem himself. 

Cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, Romeo, known for his ruthless, cutthroat ways, is given the chance to redeem himself by traveling back in time to save the life of Ariel Dragland. Unbeknownst to her, Ariel is important to both the evil Mercenaries and the love-promoting Ambassadors and holds the fate of the world in her hands. Romeo must win her heart and make her believe in love, turning her away from her darker potential before his work is discovered by the Mercenaries. While his seduction begins as yet another lie, it soon becomes his only truth. Romeo vows to protect Ariel from harm, and do whatever it takes to win her heart and soul. But when Ariel is led to believe his love is a deception, she becomes vulnerable to Mercenary manipulation, and her own inner darkness may ultimately rip them apart.


My thoughts:
While I haven't read Juliet Immortal yet, it is on my TBR list. Now I'll HAVE to read it, and I'm glad. I've heard terrific things about it. I'm sure that this sequel is just as amazing as I've heard the first book is!

Speed of Light
By: Amber Kizer
Release Date: 11/13/12
Received from NetGalley. A big thanks to Random House/Delacorte


Synopsis from NetGalley:

Fans will be thrilled with the final novel in the Meridian trilogy as the romance between Meridian and Tens heats up. And Juliet returns, but her obsessions leave her open to evil exploitation.

     Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra, an angel infused human, destined to transition souls into the next world. Together with Tens Valdes, her soulmate and Protector, they've made a home in Indiana, making sure the dead safely enter the light and aren't stolen by the Dark, known as the Nocti.

     Upon rescuing Juliet Ambrose from her terrible childhood, Juliet has become vulnerable without her Protector and grasps at any hope to find her parents, even when it's offered by a proven Nocti, Ms. Asura. Juliet is now faced with the horrible choice between uncovering her past and having a future.

     Meanwhile, time may be running out for the hundreds of thousands preparing for the festivities surrounding the Indianapolis 500 car race. As centuries of secrets are revealed, the battles will pit Light versus Dark. Not all with survive as Meridian, Tens, and Julie join forces to try to thwart a potential tragedy.

My thoughts:

Those of you who have read my other reviews know that I haven't been terribly thrilled with Amber Kizer's writing in the past. However, you'll also note that I love the world she created, and her plots, while sometimes not exactly mysterious, do keep you interested. I've read both books in this trilogy, and I want to finish it off. I'm confident that I will enjoy it more than I did the previous two combined!

Hanging by a Thread

By: Sophie Littlefield

Release Date: 09/11/12

Received from NetGalley. A big thanks to Random House/Delacorte!

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Summer is the best part of the year in Winston, California, and the Fourth of July is the highlight of the season. But the perfect town Clare remembers has changed, and everyone is praying that this summer will be different from the last two—that this year's Fourth of July festival won't see one of their own vanish without a trace, leaving no leads and no suspects. The media are in a frenzy predicting a third disappearance, but the town depends on tourist dollars, so the residents of Winston are trying desperately to pretend nothing's wrong. 

And they're not the only ones hiding something. 

Clare, a seamstress who redesigns vintage clothing, has been blessed—or perhaps cursed—with a gift: she can see people's pasts when she touches their clothes. When she stumbles across a denim jacket that once belonged to Amanda Stavros, last year's Fourth of July victim, Clare sees her perfect town begin to come apart at the seams. 

In a town where appearance means everything, how deep beneath the surface will Clare dig to uncover a murderer?

My thoughts:

I LOVE murder mysteries! Especially paranormal murder mysteries! This sounds like a very intriguing book, and I can't wait to see what happens. 

Graceling

By: Kristin Cashore

Currently in stores

Checked out from library

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.     When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.      With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

My thoughts:

I've heard so many good things about this book that I had to check it out and see for myself just how awesome it is!

Anna and the French Kiss

By: Stephanie Perkins

Currently in stores

Checked out from library

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

My thoughts:

As I stated earlier in this post, this is my Francophone week! Also, I've heard terrific things about this book. Again, I don't normally read contemporary, but I have a feeling this book will be worth it. 

Once a Witch

By: Carolyn MacCullough

Currently in stores

Checked out from library

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

My thoughts:

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to read this book for awhile. The idea sounds somewhat interesting, and the titles are cute how they line up. The first book is Once a Witch and the second book is Always a Witch. Still, I just wasn't 100% sold. This book finally wore me down at the library. I can't wait to start it!

Ruined

By: Paula Morris

Currently in stores

Checked out from library

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

A gripping YA supernatural novel set in New Orleans: TWILIGHT with a ghostly twist.

Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her Aunt Claudia, who reads Tarot cards for a living. And at the snooty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city.

My thoughts:

I usually don't like ghost stories. I normally find them hokey when they're also romances. However, this one seems interesting because no one's falling in love with a ghost. 

Secret Rage

By: Charlaine Harris

Currently in stores

Checked out from library

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Former New York City model Nickie Callahan is looking forward to the easy life when she moves to the sleepy college town of Knolls, Tennessee. But the women of Knolls are not safe. And as Nickie gets swept up in a string of brutally violent crimes, she must take matters of justice into her own hands.

My thoughts:

I do love a mystery, and I also love Harris' writing. We'll see how I feel about her non-paranormal stuff. 

Deadly Little Secret

By: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Currently in stores

Checked out from library

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary. 

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help – but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret. 

My thoughts:

I always thought this book sounded interesting, but I never got around to reading it until now.