Review: Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle.

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eveburies the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House ( and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.A trio of today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle- brings all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.

*Containing small spoilers. Nothing major  or revealing the end of the stories*

The Jubilee Express:

This story was so hilarious! The main character Jubilee was just so much fun.  I loved her personality. I would say that her Christmas is not off to a great start, but what happened kind of makes the story even more fun because of the scenario, her parents in jail because of a riot over parts to their Christmas village. That means that Jubilee has to take a train to her grandparents, which when there a snowstorm is not really a great idea  when there's a snowstorm. As you can imagine it all turned out for the better. 

Probably one of my favorite stories. It was really cute and very very funny! 

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle:

Well.. it was not off to a great start with the so called “James Bond” marathon which it wasn’t really since it was Daniel Craig on the screen and he’s just not James Bond- And talking about how he’s “hot”. Or just his upper body- not great.  But since the rest was so great I can overlook it. This story was like an adventure, a Christmas adventure. Three friends out in a snowstorm, trying to get to the waffle house despite all of these challenges with cars breaking down and the race to get there before the others and with the twister game otherwise, no entrance. Since it's three holiday romances there's also some romance there and I really don't want to reveal who or how it happens since it's really cute and I really liked the way it played out. That's all I'm gonna say about that, it's really cute and it doesn't take up too much of the story either which is great because of the whole "adventure" they're on with daring themselves out into the snowstorm. 

The Patron Saints of Pigs:

So this last one was probably my least favorite. It wasn’t bad or anything there were just some small things about it that really annoyed my. At first I was a bit annoyed over the main character, but that actually faded and instead went over to her friends. Or the ones that’s supposed to be her friends. Addie is having a hard time after her break-up so yeah she’s feeling bad for herself of course, but then here comes her friends and does nothing to help, but just makes her feel worse, yeah great job there. They keep going and going over how she’s too self- absorbed and so on. Anyways, she promises to pick up a teacup pig for a friend that her and her other friend got her for Christmas, she promises to do it on her break around the time that the petstore opens. Well it ends up that she’s an hour late picking it up because a bunch of stuff goes down at work, they have a lot of customers and just when she’s being allowed to leave (cause hey she’s not the boss and can’t just leave whenever she wants) another disaster and she calls her friend to talk about, but instead of listening the friend just goes again with her being self-absorbed again- um hello! She was at work and can’t just leave just like that. She might be close to forgetting the pig, but come on! I just couldn’t believe it. So I spend a lot of the story being really just.. grrr about those friends.  Other than that it wasn’t that bad the story itself and I still liked the writing and there were some Christmas in there with the snowstorm and everything. I liked the message that were in the story despsite some of the characters.  

Overall I really liked these three stories. Great to get in the Christmas mood with. I really liked how they were all connected with some of the same characters like Tinfoil guy and even some of the characters from previous stories shows up and you can see how they're doing. You get to see how it is them all handle the snowstorm. I can see myself picking it up again next christmas to get in the christmas mood. 

“I responded to this development with the kind of sophisticated language for which I am famous. "Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid crap.” ― John Green, Let it Snow

“Debbie had to get up and slice me a thick piece of cake before she could answer. And I do mean thick. Harry Potter volume seven thick. I could have knocked out a burglar with this piece of cake. Once I tasted it, though, it seemed just the right size.” ― Maureen Johnson, Let It Snow

“I realize Jubilee is a bit of a stripper name. You probably think I have heard the call of the pole.” ― Maureen Johnson, Let it Snow

“We are all flawed, my dear. Every one of us. And believe me, we've all made mistakes. You've just got to take a good hard look at yourself, change what needs to be changed, and move one, pet.” ― Lauren Myracle, Let it Snow

John Green

Website

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.

Maureen Johnson

Website

Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.
Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Hank and John Green.

Lauren Myracle

Website

Lauren Myracle is the author of numerous young adult novels. She was born in 1969 in North Carolina. Lauren Myracle holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. she has written many novels, including the famous IM books, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r.
Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for the year 2004. It was named by Booklist as one of the "Top Ten Youth Romances" of the year, as well as one of the "Top Ten Books by New Writers." Her middle-grade novel, Eleven, came out 2004, followed by its YA sequels (Twelve, Thirteen, Thirteen Plus One) .

Review: House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty

Title: House of Bathory
Author: Linda Lafferty
Publication: January 7th 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
Cover Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In the early 1600s, Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Blood Countess, ruled Čachtice Castle in the hinterlands of Slovakia. During bizarre nightly rites, she tortured and killed the young women she had taken on as servants. A devil, a demon, the terror of Royal Hungary—she bathed in their blood to preserve her own youth.
400 years later, echoes of the Countess’s legendary brutality reach Aspen, Colorado. Betsy Path, a psychoanalyst of uncommon intuition, has a breakthrough with sullen teenager Daisy Hart. Together, they are haunted by the past, as they struggle to understand its imprint upon the present. Betsy and her troubled but perceptive patient learn the truth: the curse of the House of Bathory lives still and has the power to do evil even now.

The story, brimming with palace intrigue, memorable characters intimately realized, and a wealth of evocative detail, travels back and forth between the familiar, modern world and a seventeenth-century Eastern Europe brought startlingly to life.

Inspired by the actual crimes of Elizabeth Báthory, The House of Bathory is another thrilling historical fiction from Linda Lafferty (The Bloodletter’s Daughter and The Drowning Guard). The novel carries readers along with suspense and the sweep of historical events both repellent and fascinating. 

House of Bathory was absolutely an amazing read. I flew through it in no time because my eyes were glued to the screen of my Kindle. It was that good! I didn't know what I expected starting it but it turned out even better than I had hoped.

I've always been intrigued by the story of Elizabeth Bathory. I love history and I've seen documentaries and movies about her so I was pretty excited to read this book. I'm so glad I got accepted for it via NetGalley. 

This book is my first Linda Lafferty book and I'm so excited to have found a new historical fiction author that I can see myself wanting to read all the books from. Her writing was compelling, never got boring and it was fast-paced. Also it didn't shy away from the horror that Countess Bathory inflicted on so many innocent people.

The story also was just amazing and dark. And very exciting, not knowing what was going to happen next or if my favorite characters would survive...
I loved how it jumped from the 1600's to 2010 and how everything fit together. I just love books like that.
There were a lot of POVs  that may be a little distracting to some. Even I must admit that at first I had to get used to it but I soon got used to it and now I think it was perfectly done that way.

Another thing I loved was how Carl Jung was a big part of this book. In the last year I've come to be a little intrigued also by Jungian psychology. Coincidence. Or not? 

Overall, House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty was a fantastic read. I loved the writing and how the author could suck me right into the story, especially the 1600's chapters. It was like I was there. So amazing!

The most frightening terror in the world was not ghosts, or monsters, not vampires, or any of that nonsense. The most terrifying creature in the world is a madman.

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  The daughter of a naval commander, Linda Lafferty attended fourteen different schools growing up, ultimately graduating from the University of Colorado with a master's degree and a PhD in education. Her peripatetic childhood nourished a lifelong love of travel, and she studied abroad in England, France, Mexico, and Spain. Her uncle introduced her to the sport of polo when she was just ten years old, and she enjoys playing to this day. She also competed on the Lancaster University Riding Team in England in stadium jumping, cross country, and dressage. A veteran school educator, she is the author of The Bloodletter's Daughter and The Drowning Guard. She lives in Colorado.

Review is also posted on Bookfever

Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Perfect Ruin
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles #1
Publication: October 3rd 2013 by HarperVoyager 
Genre: Young Adult ~ Dystopia
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | TBD
Cover Rating: 5/5 (so pretty!)
Overall Rating: 5/5

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Chemical Garden trilogy: On the floating city of Internment, you can be anything you dream. Unless you approach the edge.

Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of Internment, the floating city in the clouds where she lives, can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. If she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in her best friend, Pen, and in Basil, the boy she’s engaged to marry.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, he is the boy being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find – or whom she will lose.

My Thoughts:

Being a huge fan of Lauren DeStefano and her Chemical Garden trilogy, I didn't know quite what to expect of Perfect Ruin. It could be either just as amazing or a huge disappointment. But, really... can Lauren write bad books? I think not. She's a brilliant writer. I absolutely loved Perfect Ruin. I loved every single beautifully written word of it.

Perfect Ruin introduces a whole new world to us. Internment, a floating city in the clouds, where people are betrothed before they are born, worship a sky god and sometimes get lured by the edge and jump from it. This world? It was nothing like I've ever seen before and I read my fair share of dystopian books. 
We also get introduced to Morgan Stockhour who lives there. Her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper but even so she's always been fascinated with the edge of Interntment. Life seems to go on as always until the unthinkable happens. The first murder in a generation of a girl from her academy. This one event makes the city go into chaos. Fires happen, more deaths occur and before Morgan knows it she's in the middle of it all.

I really liked the main character, Morgan, though it took me a couple of chapter to really get a grasp on her. I found her a bit too naive in the beginning but as everything she knows started crumbling around her, the real her was starting to show. I loved it. 
I also love her relationship with her betrothed, Basil. I liked how they were already together and even though their betrothal was set up for a long time, they do have great feelings for one another. Basil, as a character I also liked. I was very much impressed when he chose Morgan and left everything behind for her.

There were a lot of other very interesting characters. My favorite has to be Morgan's brother, Lex. I don't know if it's just me feeling this way but I felt very fascinated with him. I wanted to know more about his experience when he jumped off the edge. I also loved his wife, Alice. She was so sweet and caring for both him and Morgan. I felt absolutely awful when I read about what they made her do when she got pregnant. That was so sad to read.
Aside from Lex and Alice there was also Morgan's best friend Pen and her betrothed Thomas. I'm not so sure I like Pen. I mean, sometimes I liked her spirit, other times she kinda freaked me out. So, eh, I don't know. Thomas was a total different story. I really liked that guy. You can clearly see he adores Pen. I wish she'd treat him better though. 
And less but not least there's Judas and Amy making an appearance. Both of them are intriguing in their own way. I won't say too much as to not spoiler the story but they were pretty awesome. 

I didn't expect at all where this story was going. There were also some serious shocking twists. Where I was throwing my book away and trying to put distance between it and me. Seriously, I did this. But, oh, I love unexpectedness like this. It only makes me want to read faster.
As for world building and character building, it was perfect. Not that I would expect any less. I absolutely loved the scenes where Pen or Morgan would recall a story from the history book which had some remnants of stories even we know. Lauren DeStefano is a genius, people, and oh she can write such awfully gorgeous things!
The ending was pretty unexpected, too. I was so nervous for it and what was going to happen and I didn't see what did happen coming at all. And now I'm wondering how the story will continue. What will happen to them all? It just drives me nut!

Overall, Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano was a stunning and exquisite book. It's definitely a worthy successor to The Chemical Garden trilogy. Gorgeous writing, a brilliant story that's just screaming originality and astonishing twists that rocked this book. Just... wow!

“So many of the things I've wanted are the things I've been taught to fear.”

“He gathers me up and I'm weightless before he sets me on the railing. He's the only thing keeping me from falling back, out of the reach of daylight. I'm not afraid of falling. I don't fear the sky beyond the train tracks like I did before. I can go anywhere just so long as it's with him.”

“I wonder if the people of the ground ever feel that their children are too big for their world, too.”

“He knows that I'm not like the other girls--the normal ones--that a part of me is slipping off this floating city, and he doesn't care. He doesn't care. Maybe we're both beyond saving.”

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Lauren DeStefano was born in New Haven, Connecticut and has never traveled far from the east coast. She received a BA in English from Albertus Magnus College, and has been writing since childhood. She made her authorial debut by writing on the back of children's menus at restaurants and filling up the notepads in her mom's purse. Her very first manuscript was written on a yellow legal pad with red pen, and it was about a haunted shed that ate small children.

Now that she is all grown up (for the most part), she writes fiction for young adults. Her failed career aspirations include: world's worst receptionist, coffee house barista, sympathetic tax collector, and English tutor. When she isn't writing, she's screaming obscenities at her Nintendo DS, freaking her cats out with the laser pen, or rescuing thrift store finds and reconstructing them into killer new outfits.

Also posted on Bookfever!

Review: Terra by Gretchen Powell

Title: Terra
Author: Gretchen Powell
Series: Terrestrials #1
Publication: December 12th 2012 by Hopewell Media
Genre: Young Adult ~ Dystopia
Format: Paperback, 286 pages
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Cover Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.

A discovery that will change everything.

In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth's population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial--a denizen of the barren groundworld--who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra's world is turned upside down.

Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam--a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything--a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.

~My Thoughts:

Wow! Terra was such an awesome read! I was completely hooked by the story. It honestly took me by surprise how much I enjoyed this book. The reason for that mostly was that I've become a little bored and frustrated with the dystopian genre. Pretty much all books in this genre were starting to blend together for me. Same type of world, same type of herone, same type of controlling goverment. Blah, blah, blah. But thankfully Terra wasn't such a book. Yes, the same type of things that in a lot of dystopian novels feature also feature in Terra but unlike some other books, it was all wrapped up in a much better packing. A huge positive part for me was the writing. I love Gretchen Powell's style. Fast-paced, not lingering on unnecessary details and told in the point of view of such an interesting main character. Oh and the chapters weren't too long. That's always a plus for me. Really, what more could I want?

I liked the building of the world as well as Terra's character building. There weren't many overly details like you sometimes get with these type of books, like when the authors try to fit every single details and the past of said world in the first few chapters. Hallelujah! As for Terra, she was very easy to like. I loved the way she cared for her 13 y/o brother, Mica, even though she might not always have been there for him in the past. She has many flaws and knows it, but she tries to do her best. She has also a sense of humor that I appreciate and is strong. Terra's definitely one of the most intriguing new characters that I've read about lately. Mica is totally different from his sister, but it doesn't make me like him even less. He's pretty damn great actually and you can really see him grown through this book, you can especially tell in the end.

There were many other characters in this book. From Terra's fellow scavs to folks she talks to in daily life like Copp to evil goverment people. But I suppose the most important one aside from Terra herself and her brother is one that doesn't fit in her daily life and that was Adam. He comes from somewhere entirely else. As the love interest in this book he did pretty good. I wasn't totally swooning over him but I liked him. He had this whole mysterious vibe about him where you just know he's hiding something and not telling the whole truth. Though there was romance in the book, it didn't overshadow the story at all, which I think in this genre is a must. Go, Gretchen!

Like any great book it had its share of shocking events happening. I do love these twists that you don't see coming as long as they aren't too overly dramatic. And let me tell you that I totally hadn't seen this one thing coming that made this book not only a dystopian read but also kinda scifi. Score! It was all just super awesome, really. And also refreshing reading a book like this because it wasn't all too intense like I know other books in this genre can be. I really liked that.

All in all, Terra by Gretchen Powell turned out really great and unexpected. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I'm so glad I had a chance to read and review it.
Great characters? Check. 
Well-written and intriguing? Check.
Just the right amount of romance? Check.
And an awesome plot with some unexpected twists? Check!

A deserved five stars for a fantastic book. I can't wait to read the sequel!

“Looks like sunsets are growing on you.”

Ten neatly coiffed female attendants stand against the walls, ready and waiting. Wearing starched yellow blouses with pink crossover ties neatly folded under the collar, they look as much a part of the ship’s decoration as the sparkling crystal chandeliers that hang overhead.

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Half-Chinese and the daughter of a US diplomat, Gretchen Powell spent her childhood growing up in far-off places. She made it all the way to her mid-twenties whilst maintaining her deep-seated love for young adult novels, so she decided to write one of her own.

Her creative process involves copious amounts of Sour Patch Kids and sleeping fitfully. Her many interests include anything with polka dots, Harry Potter, and playing the ukulele.

When she isn't crafting devastated futuristic worlds and fiery heroines, Gretchen also writes a healthy living blog, entitled "Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen!"

She lives in Northern Virginia with her two adorable miniature schnauzers. They wear many sweaters.

Also posted on Bookfever!

Review: Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters

Title: Tears of Tess
Author: Pepper Winters
Series: Tears of Tess #1
Publication:  August 28th 2013
Genre: New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance
Format: e-book
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed. I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

~My Thoughts:

I haven't started to write this review three days after I finished the book. And everyday I didn't write it, it seemed harder and harder for me to start but how can I begin to describe my emotions for this complex, dark but totally compelling book?
I kind of knew I was going to love this book right from the moment I heard about it. The description alone had me hooked already and after seeing a few really possitive reviews of it, I bought it. And, oh my god, I loved it so much!

When she's on a vacation in Mexico together with Brax, her boyfriend of two years, Tess Snow gets kidnapped to be sold as a slave. She fights the human traffickers for all she's worth but things just gets worse and worse until eventuelly she's sold to Q Mercer... 

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed. I was sold.”

How can I express my feelings my feelings for Tears of Tess? It was dark, it was delicious. I was enarmored, I was absorbed. 
I ended up reading it in only two days because right from the moment Tess gets taken, I wasn't able to pull away from my Kindle. I just had to know what was going to happen to her. I loved how she fought the human traffickers and at least made a stand instead of just giving up. And then she arrives in France in the possession of Q. 
Tess was a great character to read about. Stubborn, strong, trying to never let anything break her no matter what happened to her and trust me, a lot of awful, disturbing things do happen to her. I loved how in the end she knew exactly what she wanted and who she wanted to be, compared to how her own issues and sexuality frightened her in the beginning.
And then we have Q...
Right from the start it's obvious Q has a lot of issues and dark cravings. But, damn it, I was so intrigued by him. I mean, he was almost everything you expect someone to be who buys or accepts slaves as bribes. Dark, twisted, struggling with demons of his own. And he was all that + downright hot!
I love the take their relationship took. I loved how Tess tried to fight him in every turn and how it disturbed yet  arroused Q terribly.

I wanted a new label. One that said: girlfriend who will do anything to be tied, spanked, and fucked all over rather than adored.

This book wasn't perfect, not at all, but even so I can't give it any less than five stars or should I say five sparrows? Birds have great meaning in Tears of Tess. First of all, all the chapter titles were types of birds. That was just pure brilliance on Pepper Winters part in my opinion. Second, Q has a thing with sparrows that Tess really wanted to find out about (and she did). The symbolism for it, the metaphor, god... it was beautiful. It really was. 
At times I was a little bit annoyed with Tess when one moment she'd feel a lot for Q (in a possitive way) when in the other moment went back to hating him. Drove me a little nuts but I suppose with a man as Q it's no wonder she felt that way. Also some of her actions were a little questionable which led to terrible things for her. But it's just something minor compared to the the whole amazingess of the book.
I must say though that I wouldn't count this book as a normal new adult. It isn't. This book is so taboo, dark and twisted, erotic and I couldn't get enough of it!

Q was deeper than I gave him credit for. Something lurked, dark and vile, but there was a human, as well as a monster, inside.

The writing in this book was just so enthralling, fascinating and simply addicting. I loved the way Pepper Winters formed sentences and wrote the story. Definitely one of the best written new adult books I have read. Genres like this either grip me or not and this gripped me so freaking much I'm sure I scared my friend with freaking out about it so badly while I was reading it. All I can say is, watch out for Pepper Winters. I absolutely see great books happening in her future and I can't wait to read them!

Two things I wanted most in the world: for Q to die a miserable death, and for him to fuck me.

The prologue was in Q's point of view and it was amazing. He told us about what happened to him to make him be who and what he is and I felt like it was a perfect ending to such an amazing book. 
Also I have to say this. I had a little reading fuck where I didn't read for over two weeks and Tears of Tess really pulled me out of it. That's why I read. For books like this that capture and grip my heart and never let me go.

"You may not be mine, but I'm fast becoming yours."

All in all, Tears of Tess was a exquisite, totally different from other books, incredibly stunning read! This debute by Pepper Winters had a huge impac on me. The characters were all interesting and captivating to read about as was the story and the glorious writing just made me keep reading on and on. I can't wait for the sequel, Quintessentially Q, to read more about both Tess and Q! I have definitely found a new favorite series and author. Bravo, Ms. Winters, bravo! 

I put away my fear of being reprimanded, and embraced ferocity. I conjured anger like magic, nursing it deep within, building on it like an impenetrable cape.

The truth hurts less than fibs and fakers.

"I'm offering you my pain. My blood. My pleasure. I'm offering you the right to whip and fuck. To debase and harm. I'm offering to fight your needs with my own. I'm willing to join you in the darkness and find pleasure in excruciating pain. I'm willing to be your monster, Q."

"I promise to protect you, ravage you, hunt those who hurt you, and give you the life you deserve. My fortune is yours. My secrets are yours. And I will give you the corpses of the men who hurt you."

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. Her debut book Tears of Tess will be followed with Quintessentially Q. You didn’t think Q could stop so soon, did you? Her other two titles, Last Shadow and Broken Chance will be coming soon.

Find Pepper also on:

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Purchase Tears of Tess on:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

This review has also been posted on Bookfever.