January book reviews #50books2014

As most of you are aware, I am aiming to read fifty books this year and I am also hosting the #50books2014 challenge. Thank's to Julie over @ Mama Owl. So far I have read three books already this month & I am currently on my third book. I'm still looking for more books to add to my Book List, so if you have any recommendations for books you think I might like or that I should read, please leave the title in a comment :)



Between Shades Of Grey by Ruta Sepetys.

"Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart." 


One of the best books I have read for a while. Everyone needs to read this book, honestly, it's really good. I couldn't put it down and I read it in less than 24 hours.
I was actually recommended to read this from a friend and I am SO glad I read it. It's incredibly well written and so sad!
It's a holocaust book about a family that get sent to work camps. It's absolutly harrowing and heartbreakinly sad what they endured. And yet it's kind of inspiring. It was hard to read because it was so sad, yet I couldn't help but read on.
What makes this book even sader is that it's based on true events. The author put an awful lots of research, time and effort into this book which makes it unique. I could say so much about this book. Honestly, I don't want to give too much away about this book because it really is very good and I really, really think you should all read it. But prepare yourself, you will need tissues. I will admit - I cried.
This book gets five stars from me. Truly amazing book.

The following books are ADULT books.

Release Me by J. Kenner. {stark #1}

"For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms.

He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist.

Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.

Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart.

But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

Release Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences" 

This is obviously a book intended for adults and is very, very similar to fifty shades of grey and the crossfire series. Except it's written better than fifty shades. A lot better.
It's very intense and passionate but it does have a good story. I really like the characters, especially Nikki. I would say that Damien is likable but to begin with, I didn't like him too much. He grew on me though. He's a very powerful, controlling man.
In some parts of this book I did think it was a little TMI but then I guess that's all part of it being an adult book..
If you liked fifty shades of grey then you will probably like this book.




 Claim Me by J. Kenner. {Stark #2}

 "For Damien, our obsession is a game. For me, it is fiercely, blindingly, real.

Damien Stark’s need is palpable—his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match.

I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both.

But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely.

Release Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences"

The second book in The Stark series. Following on from 'Release Me'
I liked this book a little bit better than the first one, I must admit. We get to find out more about Damien and get to know him a little better. It seems that he see's Nikki as a bit of a game but she is really quite serious about him.
Damien and Nikki's relationship becomes a bit of a rollercoaster of a ride, it's intense, emotional and seemed a bit exhausting IMO. They start off so happy but ends as a massive cliffhanger and there future together seems a little uncertain.


Complete me - J.Kenner.

"This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who’s never had to take “no” for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says “yes” on her own terms.

Our desire runs deep. But our secrets cut close. Beautiful, strong, and commanding, Damien Stark fills a void in me that no other man can touch. His fierce cravings push me beyond the brink of bliss—and unleash a wild passion that utterly consumes us both.

Yet beneath his need for dominance, he carries the wounds of a painful past. Haunted by a legacy of dark secrets and broken trust, he seeks release in our shared ecstasy, the  heat between us burning stronger each day.

Our attraction is undeniable, our obsession inevitable. Yet not even Damien can run from his ghosts, or shield us from the dangers yet to come.

Complete Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences"

I love Damien and Nikki, they make a lovely couple. Although I could've done with much less TMI, the story is good though. There's lots of drama in this book and it's full of emotions but I really enjoyed it! I feel that Damien and Nikki become a lot stronger as a couple, too!
 Again, this is really well written.




 Take me - J.Kenner. (3.5 - stark series)

"I’ve long dreamed of my fairy tale wedding, but it wasn’t until I met Damien Stark—who captured me with his kisses and undid me with his touch—that I began to believe it was my destiny. Though we both carry secrets and scars, our shared passion heals us, binding us together. We have surrendered to each other completely, and our mutual ecstasy is the brightest light in my life.

But darkness still snakes through the cracks in our armor. Ghosts from our past have moved in, bringing fresh pain that cuts deep and threatens to destroy everything we hold dear.

Damien is my anchor to this world, and I am his. But if we are going to keep each other, we have to fight the shadows of our pasts to move forward into our future.

“Take Me” is an erotic romance intended for mature audiencesI’ve long dreamed of my fairy tale wedding, but it wasn’t until I met Damien Stark—who captured me with his kisses and undid me with his touch—that I began to believe it was my destiny. Though we both carry secrets and scars, our shared passion heals us, binding us together. We have surrendered to each other completely, and our mutual ecstasy is the brightest light in my life.

But darkness still snakes through the cracks in our armor. Ghosts from our past have moved in, bringing fresh pain that cuts deep and threatens to destroy everything we hold dear.

Damien is my anchor to this world, and I am his. But if we are going to keep each other, we have to fight the shadows of our pasts to move forward into our future.

“Take Me” is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences"

I am glad that J. Kenner wrote this book, the final book in the series.
I enjoyed reading this one more than the other books, although I did like those, too!
Nikki's mother is finally put in her place! And it's about time, too! I loved hearing about the wedding and loved the fact that Nikki organised most of it herself! I actually now really like Damien and I wasn't too sure about him at the start of the series. I read this book in less than 24 hours (on and off, of course!) and it was a nice finish to the series.



Long Journey Home - Lucy Lipiner

"The summer of 1939 was the last summer in Lucy Lipiner’s childhood. On September 1, when she was just six years old, she was roused from her bed by her parents. Together with them, her older sisters, and her other relatives, they left their hometown of Sucha. They were among the town’s population of 780 Jews. Their decision to leave saved their lives.

Lusia’s Long Journey Home tells the story of their journey of survival from the eyes of a little girl. It is an odyssey of escape and rescue full of hardships and tribulations that takes Lipiner from her idyllic small town life at the foothills of the Tatra Mountains to the frozen wastes of Siberia, and the vast wilderness of Tajikistan. Along the harsh way, she experiences hunger and poverty, desperation and fear, but she survives and perseveres through the adversities. Finally, she arrives in America, and with her memoir she shares the emotional and physical struggles of a ten-year flight to freedom.

In her work, Lipiner gives a detailed and historical account of a little-known and rarely discussed group of Holocaust survivors. Lusia’s Long Journey Home is their story of resilience"

A harrowing Holocaust book. I went thru so many emotions reading this book, sad, happy.. I even cried! This story tells the story of Luscia and her family and how they suffered during the holocaust. They were forced to leave there home.. They go thru two countries, end up in a siberian camp where they are forced to work! This story is very sad so be warned! It's another book I think everyoen should read. It's inspirational! In my opinion it's nicely written and easy to read!



Remeberance - Calloline Billard
"*A Short Story*

One can never expect what twists they will be surprised with during their life.
Wes, a young adult, overlooked the simpler things in life. He was a typical teenager, just wanting to live; to not care about much, to do whatever he could and to keep things interesting. While he was not a terrible person, Wes was ignorant and lived without many cares. Never could he have guessed what was to become of him.

A completely unexpected snow storm caused panic within victimized areas. Applewood, a small town in northern Vermont, was hit with slick ice acting as a shell on the roads and snow covering everywhere else. It being late October, no one was prepared for such a thing.
After an unavoidable car accident, Wes was left in a hospital, lucky to be alive. Seemingly fine besides a couple of cuts and bruises on the surface, everyone was surprised when he woke up, only to find that he had no memory of anyone or anything, besides his mother.
Once fully recovered and released from the hospital, Wes was thrown back into the world with a huge task at hand: re-learn what life is all about.
New insights on society, nature and just the world in general are found as he ventures deeper into newly found thoughts. Even the simplest of things are taken to the heart and have a profound impact on Wes.

Lessons, new wonders, and re-living the best moments one could have, Remembrance is inspired by life and everything that happens in it" 

Hmm. Not really sure what to say about this book. It was alright, it could have been better in my personal opinion. This was one of my recommended reads on goodreads. It's a bit different and very easy to read! It's about a young boy loosing his memory due to a car accident! It's a nice short story and alright if your looking for a quick read! 




A Beautiful wedding by Jamie McGuire (Beautiful 2.5) 


"You know that Abby Abernathy unexpectedly became Mrs. Maddox. But what do you really know?

Why did Abby pop the question?
What secrets were shared before the ceremony?
Where did they spend their wedding night?
Who else knew about it . . . and didn’t tell?

Everything about Abby and Travis’s elopement was top-secret . . . until now. Fans of Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster will get all of their questions answered in this whirlwind tale of the wedding day (and night!)—and as with all good stories, this one will definitely have been worth the wait." 

This is the last in the 'Beautiful' series (I think?). I read the other two books last year. And I LOVED them. 
I really like Abby and Travis as a couple! This book didn't really tell us anything new but I still enjoyed it and I am glad I read it! It filled in some of the gaps about Abby and Travis wedding in Vegas. It did take me a few days to read it. I wasn't as hooked on this as was the last two books but like I said, it is worth reading.  I won't say too much as I know it's on some of my readers 'To read' list and I don't want to spoil any of it for you!

This book was a lovely finish to the series.