BEA & the PsyD Blues..

Man when I decided to go back to school for my doctorate in psychology it was something that I wanted forever. I mean seriously forever. However, I did not realize how much it would cut into my personal reading time. I haven't been able to read many books lately and am looking forward to summer! However, what better way to celebrate my first year of doc school done then going to BEA!! I absolutely cannot wait to go to Book Expo America. It is the highlight of my year and I am really looking forward to going all 3 days when it is the last year it will be in NYC.. Not sure if I will be attending Book Con though because I did not have  a great experience last year. Anyways let me know if you are going and when.. Tweet me @JaclynPsyD

Surviving Book Con..

If this is your first year attending Book Con well I have some pointers for you, Sure! Well I usually go to BEA and last year was the first year of BookCon and it was really scary. They over sold it by thousands of people and the Fire Marshall almost had to shut it down. So I would be prepared for large crowds and to make sure you have a meet up point with friends. I'm not kidding. Lol. Um this year BEA is not sharing the floor with BookCon, it is finishing the day before so they are saying the over crowding will not be a problem but I will still play it really safe. It was so crowded last year people couldn't get into panels. 

What I do every year is make an extremely detailed schedule and then highlight who is a must see. Some people spent all day in panels and couldn't even get to the autographing area. Make sure you plan out who you want to see and check early if they are lining people up for that person because they had lines forming 2 hours before a person was scheduled to sign. Wear sneakers. Bring food and water and a phone charger and your schedule. but I honestly can't stress how important it is to plan a head make a schedule get their early and map out the floor..

Welcome!!!

Hi Friends
I am going to be updating a lot more on my blog. I took a little break since I was applying and accepted into a PsyD (Doctorate in Psychology) program at Alfred University! I'm really excited and even though I havent been updating as much as I would like to here, as say my GoodReads, I'm going to be back and better than ever! Also I'm happy to announce that my friend Marissa will be blogging on my site with me now! Check out her Goodreads page! We have a lot of exciting things in the works and can't wait to share them with you!
Love Always
Jaclyn

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Synopsis: Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love

My Review: "Where you go, I shall go; where you die, I shall die, and there will I be buried.." 
Wow, that was a great read! I think the story, world and plot were original and definitly compelling, and most parts I really loved but there were some things I just didnt like. 

What I Loved: I loved Ignifex first off. I fell for him hard and quick just like Nyx. I love that both of these charecters were un-appologetic with their flaws. They were both selfish, impulsive, and had 'poison in their hearts'. Ignifex, being a demon lord and Nyx being the bride raised to kill her enemy. What they dont expect is to find love with one another, or to see in each other beauty and acceptance of their flaws. I really loved this because that was love really is in my opinion, finding someone you love's imperfections perfect. 
I loved all the dark emotions in this book. I loved that Nyx hated her sister, her father, her aunt and her mother. She resented everyone for sending her to her death and it felt so genuine to me. I hated her sister also.

As for the scenes and descriptions they were beautiful. I loved that room where the Heart of Water was. It reminded me of Tangled with all the floating lights. I loved that the house was always changing that kept it fun and interesing. Overall i really loved this book and would recomend it to readers looking for something dark and original. To bad it's a stand alone novel. Maybe we'll get a novella with their story one day

Rating: 4 of 5 stars!!!

Dare You To

 Publisher's Synopsis:
Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

My Review: No one can acuse Kaie McGarry of being a one-hit-wonder that's for sure. I loved this book! It was incredible. I didn't reallyl love Beth from "Pushing the Limits". I always thought she was kind of beastly to Echo and she didnt really win me over so I thought, a book about Beth, great. However, I believed in the strength of KMG writing so much I said OK! and I am so happy that I did. Beth's story was not what I thought it would be. I really felt for her and her struggle and family situation. I loved her relationship with her uncle, who is not much older than her! I think the way she treats his wife is awful but you know what they say, Hurt people hurt people.

Ryan is totally swoon worthy. I think he is so sexy and I wouldve definitly dared him into a date in high school. I loved the complexity of his relationship with his father, mother and brother. What an interesting a rich story within this story. I would recomend this book to fans of KMG first book and anyone riding the contemporary romance wave. It takes alot to drag me out of my PNR cave and this was worth it. On a funny side note, my friend mis-pronounced the title to me as "Dare to you" which i would keep saying to myself, well that doesnt make sense but hey whatever. It took months for me to realize she was switching the words, now I need to try and remember the correct title.. :)

Bottom line: pick up this book!!! I cant wait for Isaiahs story

The Sweetest Dark

Publishers Synopsis: “With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.” 

 
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.  England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny. Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.
 
Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

My Review: I absolutely adored this book!!! It started out a little shaky I'm not gonna lie. It took me a little while to get into the writing style and past the first chapter about London and the Orphanage. Once the Lora arrived at Iverson's school for girls though I was sucked in right away! The details made this world really come to life. From the descriptions of the castle, to the gowns of the girls, how class and society was depicted! I really, really loved this book! Lora has an amazing secret in her blood that she discovers when she arrives at the school. I don't want to give away the surprise but it is handled beautifully, I loved everything about her 'turns' and true forms..

I loved Lora's character, she is a survivor. She has been through a lot and instead of whining about it and waiting to be saved she saves herself and not once did I roll my eyes at her decisions. She has a great head on her shoulders and I loved that about her. I really like Jesse and he said all the right things, however I am definitely rooting for Armand!! He is so amazing and complex, Jesse felt a little one note to me. And though as most of you know I loathe love triangles, I really liked this one. It just made sense in this story (once you read you'll understand why)..Also I loved her and Sophia's semi-frienship and am looking forward to seeing that grow!!

The ending had me tearing up and was really over-come with emotion. It's not a super evil cliff-hanger but also not settled in any way. Looking forward to this series, going on Lora's journey, and rooting for Armand!!

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Fantasy and Historical Romance..

This ARC copy of The Sweetest Dark was given to me by NetGalley & Random House - Bantam in exchange for a honest review. 

4 of 5 stars 

Hello!!!

Hey everyone just checking in, I've had to go on a bit of an unexpected leave from my blogging but will be back in the swing of things now!!! However, My Goodreads account had remained active so hope you checked that out!! I will be uploading lots of reviews over the next few days so check back soon :)

jac xoxo