COVER REVEAL: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for EVERY LAST BREATH, the hotly anticipated conclusion to the Dark Elements trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout!!

EVERY LAST BREATH is a Young Adult Paranormal being published by Harlequin Teen and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Dark Elements Series. It is being released on July 28^th, 2015. Pre-order EVERY LAST BREATH and then be sure to read the first books in this amazing series before its release!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

EVERY LAST BREATH Synopsis:

Some loves will last 'til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.
Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction. Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…
“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!” --New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter“Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.” --#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

And we have a surprise for you!
The first books in the series have been given a new look too!!

Don't miss the previous titles in The Dark Elements Series-now with new covers! Readers interested in downloading the new cover jackets for their previously purchased Dark Elements Series titles, can download them HERE!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** BAM ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** Walmart

WHITE HOT KISS synopsis:

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis:

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…
"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

And the Prequel Novella, BITTER SWEET LOVE...

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** BAM ** Kobo

BITTER SWEET LOVE Synopsis:

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace.

It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally. And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…

"With her signature flare for combining humor, romance and action, Armentrout weaves a fast-paced read that will have readers' hearts racing in more ways than one. Like Armentrout's previous heroines, Jasmine is fun and full of attitude, while Dez is as snarky as he is sexy. This is a must read for new and old fans alike!"

-RT Book Reviews

Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math.
Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads | EVERY LAST BREATH Goodreads | STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads | WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads | BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads

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Aristotle and Dane Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

————

I closed my eyes. I guess that was going to be my new thing. I couldn't exactly storm away in anger. I'd just have to close my eyes and shut out the universe.

- Ari and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin A. Sánez

————

One word: Beautiful.

Aristotle and Dante.

Very different in personality, with the exception that they are both loners.
Of course, they become best friends.
We follow both these boys in becoming men in this spectacular coming of age novel.

When I said beautiful, I was so not kidding! The author's writing style was reaaally nice. It wasn't really 'poetic', in a Markus Zusak sort of way, but it held this very weird sadness throughout the book that set the mood pretty well. You should see my quote book I probably used eight pages for this book hehe. Cassie's Book of Deepness. (Yes that's my actual title *flicks hair*)

Aristotle:
I renamed myself Ari. If I switched the letter, my name was Air. I thought it might be a great thing to be the air. I could be something and nothing at the same time. I could be necessary and also invisible.

That about sums his character up. Wants to be necessary, but also invisible. Since he's our narrator, it's only so that we know more about him than Dante. Ari was a sad character, to be honest.. He can't help it, but he's a sad person! Always more of a 'half empty' sort of guy. But you could relate to him really well because his emotions were raaaww. I loved seeing his development as a person throughout the book :D

Dante:
'He needs a friend. Everybody needs a friend.'

Dante was more confusing. He was more complex, and had loads of different sides to him. Ari too, but it wasn't as brought out. I liked him as well! He was just really innocent and everything.

I have to admit, I didn't particularly see eye to eye with the gay aspect in the book. I wasn't against it, just it felt like it would have matched the book a bit better if it was a sense of 'brotherhood' rather than pointing at a relationship. Eh, just my opinion.

So, the secrets of the universe. Everyone wants to know the secrets of the universe, right? Why are we here, why do we exist. Every teen (and adult) goes through that phase of pondering. In this book, it’s just yet another ordinary teen going through his own phase in life. By the end of the book? he’s figured out more than most people do during their own phase, and that’s something I respect. The message was told across quite strongly as well, instead of lightly insinuating like a lot of books. Fitting but maybe a teeeny bit overdone?

Overall though, it was a sweet, consistent, heartbreaking/warming book about growing up and making your own desicions in life. Perfect if you like really deep and mysterious books with a eery (I don’t know why but it felt like that to me) tone. Recommended!

'I mean, when do we start feeling like the world belongs to us?'
I wanted to tell him that the world would never belong to us.
'I don't know,' I said. 'Tomorrow.'

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

(If this is not in the fancy new format, apologies. I actually have no idea how to do that xD But it's been soooo long since anyone has posted :/ So busy nowadays. I'll have to finish up my other drafted reviews quite soon.. )


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Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published on 8th December 2014
300 pages
Genres: new adult, romance, fantasy, paranormal
Source: iBooks
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Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.
Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.
Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.
But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

No. NO. NOOO!!!!!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!!!! YOU CAN'T JUST STOP THERE!!!! *SLAMS FISTS AGAINST DOOR* SO UNFAIRRR. I CAN'T WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR FOR A SEQUEL *SLIDES DOWN DOOR*.....THIS IS TORTUREEEEEE.



Ivy was amazing, as expected. And I will forever think of her was a life-sized Merida (thank you Ren). She's kickass, totally reckless, and understandably closed off (although Ren knocks her walls down with a pickaxe....figuratively speaking, of course).

Ren. Oh Renald. *wink* He was gorgous. And hot. And sweet. And protective. And swoonworthy. And just downright wicked. I loved everything about him, and even though his attraction to Ivy seemed a bit insta-something, I couldn't care less because he's just perfect.

Tink.....*giggles* He's adorable.....in a creepy, totally weird way. And then he has a dirty mind, which completely throws you off the adorable factor. Yeah, he's creepy. But reaallyy entertaining. This (points down) is like, practically my favourite part of the book.

"Well, at least it's not like you have a pet snake, because that shit would be weird. And I guess there are people who have more annoying roommates. I'll be honest, though. I don't trust the little shit, but I respect your decision."
"Well, I don't trust you either, so what-the-fuck-ever," Tink replied with a saucy grin as he stepped out from behind my leg.
Grabbing a scarf off the chair, I threw it at him.
He caught it, clutching it to his chest as he flew into the air. "You gave Tink a scarf. Tink is free!" He flew out into the hallway like a little cracked-out fairy, screeching, "Tink is freeeeee!"
Ren looked at me. "What in the actual fuck?"
I sighed. "He's obsessed with Harry Potter. I'm sorry."
Tink darted back into the room, holding the scarf to his bare chest. "There is no reason to apologize when it comes to Harry Potter."
"You do remember what happened to Dobby, right?" I said.
"Shit." Tink's eyes widened and then he dropped the scarf. "Fuck that shit. I'm hungry. Someone—no name mentioned—ruined my breakfast. So I'll be in the kitchen." He stopped and looked pointedly at Ren. "I got my eyes on you, buddy."
Ren lifted a brow.

The book felt a bit short. But that might (definitely) have to do with the, idk, 8 whole chapters I read on Wattpad before the release. So that's my own fault, really. And besides, I was able to bum-rush through all the remaining chapters, finish the book at 3am, and promptly conk out. So I'm actually pretty proud of myself, since it usually takes at least 2 days to finish a book. I know, I usually suck at readathons because of my turtoise pace.

Now, focusing on the two major plot 'shocks', I have to say they weren't very hard to predict. For me, at least. But then again, I'm pretty good at predicting plot twists, so perhaps the plot twists will be a huuge shock to everyone and I'll be sitting over here shaking my head and sighing sadly. Yup, I'm a lonely soul.
(view spoiler)[I guessed that Ivy could be the Halfling from the moment Ren mentioned that she had been adopted. And yeah, I know that it was unlikely, but I still think it was sorta foolish for Ren to disregard the possibility. He could've taken his stake and checked just to be sure, but perhaps he was too scared to. Perhaps he was already too attached to Ivy and deep down he refused to entertain the idea because he wouldn't go through the same thing with her as he did with his best friend.
And now I'll just sit here and cry my eyes out because Ren is supposed to KILL the Halfling, aka Ivy, and that totally puts a damper on Ivy+Ren=4ever *sniffles into hanky*
I also suspected Val from the moment Ivy told her about Ren. She seemed.....idk, too calm about everything. And then she'd sometimes run off suddenly. Plus that hot date she kept going on about....I felt like that might've been a cover to go meet with the Fae. I didn't want to suspect her, believe me, but out of everyone, she was most obvious traitor. What I wonder about though, is why. Why did she betray them? (hide spoiler)]
And what is the significance of this healing crystal? Because I'm very certain we'll hear more of it in the future.

All in all, Wicked was a swoony, heartfelt, perhaps a bit light, story of a two young adults (in the very early 20s, not YA young adults) with tortured pasts who find each other amid a creeptastic fantasy New Orleans where Fae prowl the streets and come with evil plots to unleash the mighty Otherworld down upon us humans, and a special Order of humans who fight to stop them. (Oh wow, special Order......sounds very Law and Order-ish. You know, the TV show. With the signature music and constant mention the the 'criminal justice system'? Yeaah, that one.)

4 stars <3
—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

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It's Tuesday Everybody!

Lucky for us, it's Tuesday!!! Phew, I would hate to find sharks in my morning cereal.

Anyway, it's catch-up time with my beloved bloggies and bookworms. I know I've been absent on and off for a while now, and I feel extra bad about it. Especially because Fangirling Misses 1st year Blogoversary just passed on the 4th of March. I KNOW. I'm the worst head blogger ever. Excuse me while I go cry in a dusty corner.

However, I'm back! I've been slowly getting back into the bookish scene, reading a book here and there, writing down some musings here or there.....and I think I'm finally ready to start posting again.

It's been a tremendous change for me to start school at an actual physical institute with lots of peers and distractions again, and I'm only just starting to get used to it. It can be hard, because you think you've got it all under control and then you get another set of assignments and it starts all over again. The trick is time management, which is a skill I've spent the last month chasing around like a mad woman. But no matter how hard it gets, it will get better. Eventually.

I ask for you all to bear with me. There will be times that I don't post for a week or two, and now you know why. Currently, I am very behind in many aspects of my blogging 'career'. I have more than a handful ebooks I am overdue to review on Netgalley, as well as a few physical review copies that I was sent by Bloomsbury and a some others. (Special lovee to Bloomsbury for being my hero and sending me A Court of Thorns and Roses. I ADORE YOU BLOOMSBURY. And I will pick ACoTaR back up asap. I feel really bad for not finishing it yet. Sob. It's an amazing book. Sob.)

Also, I've been tagged sooo many times by my fellow bloggers and in some cases I haven't even responded and said thank you. I feel terrible about this in particular. The truth is I feel so honored that anyone in the blogosphere thinks I'm worthy of anything, so I try to be very diligent when it comes to acknowledging them back. If you are one of these bloggers who tagged me for something and I haven't had the time to say thank you, I say thank you RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Lastly, the blog itself is in need of work. The tabs and pages in the top bar are incomplete, I haven't quite decided on my final review template, and I'm still working on the commenting system. I was going to change to Discus because currently you have to have a G+ account to comment on Fangirling Misses, something that I feel is very restricting, and a few of my readers have contacted me and mentioned that they would like to comment but they don't have G+ accounts. However, I would lose all my current comments (QUEUE THE CRYING) and couldn't get Discus to work anyway. So I'm kind of stuck at the moment in that regard. If anyone has any suggestions give me a shout out, I'd love to hear from you.

I suppose I should leave you all now, I think I've exhausted my typing fingers....but just so you know, I'm not dissapearing. I love blogging and I will be up and posting away in no time.

Yours Truly.

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Ignite by Lily Paradis

Ignite by Lily Paradis
Published on 26th Aug 2014
326 pages
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After her father’s untimely demise in a mining accident and her mother’s abandonment, Lauren Lindsay is no stranger to loss. She’s used to living life for one person: herself.
That is, until another family tragedy thrusts three children into her care and uproots her life in ways she could never imagine. 
Lauren's first instinct is to run, until she meets their striking, mysterious neighbor Dean Powell. Their immediate chemistry and his connection with her late father just might be enough to keep her in town long enough to uncover pieces of her past that she never had answers to. Dean’s shady past and her reluctance to trust him could cost her the life she's always been searching for, but will she run back to her old life? 
Or will she choose to stay and live the life her father always imagined for her?

I wanted to like this book, but....I couldn't. I just couldn't.
This whole story was so unrealistic, I couldn't believe a single thing that happened. Not to mention that the drama rivalled a YA Wattpad story. And hey, I'm not saying I don't like Wattpad stories, I do (well, depends on the story), but Watty stories usually need a lot of work. They might have potential, but they're generally extremely raw.

I had so many problems with Ignite. For instance, why were the three little step-siblings dumped on Lauren in the first place? Firstly, she's not (view spoiler)[for the most part (hide spoiler)] blood related. Didn't Linda (the stepmum) have any family? Secondly, just because her Uncle's wife has 'flare ups' – whatever that means, doesn't mean they can't take the kids. It may have been a bit hard, but if push came to shove, they could've taken them. Thirdly, don't they have any Godparents or close family friends? Fourthly, Lauren has a twin brother, who had just as much legal connection to the kids as she does.
So what then, she has to give up her youth to look after three kids who she'd never even properly met just because she's the only apparent female who isn't prone to 'flare ups'? What about the fact that she's 21? What about the fact that she's virtually a stranger? What about the fact that she's halfway through college?
(view spoiler)[And let's face it, if Lauren's dad didn't have this surprise magical money stash that he passed onto her and her twin (wow.....convenient much?), there's no way she could've single-handedly paid for her college fees at the more expensive sister campus (colour me surprised! *note the sarcasm*) that she'd need to attend to look after the kids. And if she couldn't pay for her college fees, she would've had to drop out of college, and then how would she be able to support herself and 3 kids? But of course she was saved by her huge inheritance. An inheritence she didn't even know about. That she finally receives 9 years after her dad actually died. It's completely ludicrous. (hide spoiler)]

Another problem was how much of a weak, dramatic pushover Lauren was.
Her Uncle and his wife literally ordered her to look after the three kids, and she just......let them. Forgetting the 'flare ups' joke, it seemed to me that they just didn't want the responsibility of taking care of the kids even though (1 they're older and Lauren's uncle is a lawyer so they'd have a steady income (2 there's two of them whereas Lauren would have to act like a single mum, and (3 they're much more familiar with the kids while Lauren has never even really met them (I can't help pointing out that it seems that Lauren was estranged from her dad....another reason why it's unlikely she'd be given the kids).

Then you have the love interest. Oh my. It just gets worse and worse. Dean's character fell flat from the get go. He was a total jackass at first (and I don't mean in Daemon's swoony style), and somehow Lauren was attracted to him? There was way too much insta-attraction and insta-jealousy, and Dean and Lauren's connection didn't feel one bit sincere.
Oh, and then there's the matter of his past. What. A. Laugh. (view spoiler)[Son of a drug lord?? Seriously?? (hide spoiler)]

Lauren mentions how Dean 'somehow got through her walls', and that she's some kind of ice queen *snorts*, but tbh I don't think she had any to begin with. She's very.....*cough* emotional. Hell, she started crying because of clam chowder and food poisoning! Yeah, I get it, food poisoning has to suck, but she's 21 and she cries over practically everything. She should start carrying a tissue box.

The only aspect I liked about the story was how the six of them, Lauren, Dean, Callie (the oldest kid), Jenny (Dean's little sister and Callie's best friend), Chase (the middle kid), and of course little Emma (the baby of the three kids), were like one big motley family where Lauren and Dean were halfway between parents and older siblings to the kids/teens. It was cute, I admit.

So yeah, I couldn't get through Ignite, and ended up DNFing it, but quite a few of my blogger friends liked it enough, so I guess it's just me really. I'm glad other's enjoyed it tho :)

DNF.

—Missbloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

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I'm back!

Hello my lovelies! I'm sorry for the huge lack of posts. I've just been so busy with all the blog changes and preparing for school *squee*. I've been editing all the blog pages and I'll also have to edit the blog posts to suit the new design. Yes that's right. Every. Single. Post.

It's exhausting and takes agesss, but so worth it. Although I've managed to make my mum a little mad because I spend all my time in my room typing away like a stereotypical teenage slacker. And well, Hell hath no fury like a mother. Hehe.

Now let's focus on what's changed/changing in this little corner of the bloggersphere. Here's a breakdown:

The new blog design. Well, you'd have to be blind not to notice, but still. I NEED TO FANGIRL SOME MORE!!! I liked the old look, but it was a generic Blogger template, and I really wanted something that was unique and all Fangirling Misses. Which brings us to this new design! Before you ask, no I didn't design it myself. I'd have to be a computer genius for that.....and well, I'm not. *sigh* However the wonderful Kelly at Diva Booknerd is a genius! A very kind, amazing super genius! Thank you so much Kells for helping useless little ol' me and creating my dream blog for me. It's so gorgeous I'm in loveeee!

Our twitter acc is solely mine now and called Belle Shadowraith, but the twitter handle is still @FangirlingMisse since you can't change twitter handles. That I know of *taps chin*. You can find my twitter, as well as Cass's and Tia's, on the blog's new sparkly sidebar! *flourishes arm widely*

I'll be posting less than last year. It's a sad fact, but very true. I'm stopping homeschooling and attending grade 11 at a pre-tertiary college this year, and I need my head in the academic game. But I promise to start scheduling posts so that there's hopefully a new one twice a week. Pinkie promise! With cookies ;)

Another admission (since I'm rocking the trend here), I've hardly commented on a single blog so far this year. With school started and a slowly adjusting body clock, I've been struggling to organise myself for this new year. I feel terrible I've been neglecting my blogger buddies and their wonderful blogs! But now that the blog is (for the most part) ready to rumble again, I can't wait to get caught back up on what wonderful bookish yumminess you've all been concocting in my absence.

Since I'm trying to organise, I might as well list the 2015 challenges I'll be participating in.

Hosted by Maddie over at The Girly Geek.

Hosted by Emily over at Falling For YA. I'm going to try silver so 25 books!

Hosted by Brittany over at The Book Addicts Guide.

And I'm also participating in the 2015 Book Club Challenge run and exclusive to Australian YA Bloggers and Readers.

Lastly, you may have noticed that I'm a very social media type of person, so if you wanna chat about book and blog stuff, or hell, toffee apples (I loooveee toffee apples, just sayin'), just start tweeting or strike up a convo on Instagram or Facebook! Plus when I have something to say but it's not substantial enough to make an entire post on it, I usually post it on IG or Twitter so social media is a great way to keep up to date with all things Fangirling Misses.
Plus I just love chatting with y'all. It's the best feelings to be able to make friends with other bookworms and be worthy of conversation. Don't be shy now. I won't bite.....much.

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Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross
Published on 7th Oct 2014
320 pages
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Life loves a good curveball…
Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.
But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.
But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

Eeeeekk I loved this one so much! Definitely worth those few dollars on iBooks :D
Let me just start off by fangirling over that gorgeous cover! IT'S SO CUTE I WANT TO HUG IT! *SCREAMS AND RUNS IN CIRCLES*
Okay, I'm good now.
No, waait, one more time. IT'S SO FRIGGING SWEET I'M MELTING!



Sorry, I had to do that. Now I'm good. Truly.

Whatever Life Throws at You was a cute heartfelt read that made me laugh or smile every couple of lines. In other words, it was soooo my kind of book.
There was certainly a cliché element to it with Brody and Annie falling for each other and creating a secret/taboo relationship spin to the book. Throw in the media and you have a potential whirlwind of problems that could scream cliché.
But what made the book unique was the depth of the emotional interaction of the characters. It wasn't a simple girl falls for boy and vice versa kind of story. I could feel real palpable emotion and relationships between Annie, Brody, and her dad. It wasn't solely about Annie and Brody and their romance. There was also Annie's relationship with her dad and how it was affected by her mum.
The book was longer than I thought it would be, and it dragged out somewhat, but there was also a lot more depth and feeling than I expected.

I adored Annie. She wasn't anywhere close to the stereotypical YA female who gets flustered by male attention and has a severe lack of self-confidence.
She had a good measure of maturity (I'd say resulting from having a mother like hers *cough* and looking after her family for so long), but she didn't develop a prissy stuck-up attitude. She wasn't afraid to be girly or flirtatious if she felt like it, and I liked that about her. Annie definitely still acted like a teenager and yes, she did have bouts of naivety, but that just made her human, and overall, she's the kind of girl I'd be content to be at 17.

I loved the interaction between Brody and Annie, and even in the beginning when they were constantly bickering they had a mutual sense of comradrie that connected them becuase of their shared interest in keeping Brody and Annie's dad securely in their respective jobs.

Brody wasn't the classic self-important bad-boy man-whore. Yes, he was sexy and witty, but he was also damaged and vulnerable with a serious lack of self-confidence. I loved how we slowly got to know who he truly was as the novel progressed. Brody was such an honest, sweet, gooey-centred romantic and he and Annie are just perfect for each other. And hot damn, do I love my hot foreign-speaking fictional boys!

I respected the sincerity of the story. I think the ending was well written, and also very realistic, for which I'm extremely grateful. If you know me, you'll know that while I can tolerate some unrealistic turn of events, too far is simply too far *cough*Ignite*cough*, and realistic and relatively happy endings are my favourite kind of endings.
Speaking of which, I'm glad the animosity targeted at Brody by his teammates wasn't an issue tackled in the course of the book and was left to simmer down over time. Not all issues can be miraculously settled and sometimes you can't change something overnight.

P.s. And the FB updates are da bomb! So hilarious.

5 stars

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

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