Coyer: Summer Vacation recap

Posted September 5, 2014 by Lola in Coyer / 6 Comments

CoyerSummerVacation

So it’s the end of Coyer summer vacation already. I had a lot of fun participating on Coyer Summer Vacation! This posts includes all books I read for this challenge. If you want to see which books I challenged myself to read for this challenge check out my Coyer Summer vacation sign-up post. In total I have read 20 books of which 5 were of my original goal books list. My original goal list contained 10 books, so I think I did well by managing to read half of that list!

third daughterThird Daughter (The Dharian Affairs #1)
by Susan Kaye Quinn

Format: e-copy and paperback
Source: I bought the e-copy and then later on won the paperback
You can find Third Daughter on Goodreads

Blurb:
The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she’ll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince’s proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance takes place in an east-indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

Read my review of Third Daughter here.
This one was one of the books that was in the list of books in my sign-up post and I loved it and am so glad I finally read this book.

claiming callieClaiming Callie
by Paige Rion

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Claiming Callie on Goodreads

Blurb:
Her love of Michael Kors might be her downfall.

Callie Cartwright is a college senior on the verge of graduating and getting the job of her dreams. But her illustrious shopping habit and expensive tastes backfire when her future employer gives her an ultimatum. She has less than six months to lower her debt or she’ll lose the job she’s worked so hard for.

His secret crush may be his undoing.

Dean Michaels has everything going for him. He’s a manager at the local coffee shop, a sophomore in college, star of the university basketball team, and don’t forget, gorgeous. The only thing he needs is the girl of his dreams to make his world complete. And he’s finally ready to go after her. The only problem: it’s his sister’s best friend he’s crushing on. And all she sees in him is the love for a brother.

But desperate times call for desperate measures.

When Callie concocts a crazy plan as a way to make quick money and pay down her debt, Dean’s feelings go into overdrive. It’s time to show her how he feels.

And the plan he proposes, just might be the one to finally catch the girl.

*Claiming Callie is part one of a series of four serial novellas and is approximately 28,000 words in length (about half the length of a full novel).*

Read my review of Claiming Callie here. I hadn’t planned on reading Claiming Callie for this challenge, but I got a review request for it and it sounded like a fun book so i started it immediately. Unfortunately it wasn’t a book for me.

the other meThe Other Me
by Suzanne van Rooyen

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find The Other Me on Goodreads

Blurb:
A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title

Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she’s an alien. She doesn’t fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he’s perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn’t find out she’s a freak.

As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body.

But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel’s baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.

Read my review of The Other Me here. I had planned to read this book for this challenge and I am so glad I did! I really enjoyed this book and it was fresh and original while perfectly capturing those emotions and feels of teenagers.

a lesson in temptationA Lesson in Temptation (A Stanton Family Novella)
by Audra North

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find A Lesson in Temptationon Goodreads

Blurb:
Adam Harkness pulled himself out of poverty to become one of the world’s most respected Finance professors, but at the cost of his personal life. When a well-meaning friend gifts him with a dance course, Adam decides to attend one class out of courtesy, but no more than that. He has work to do, after all – or at least, that’s what he tells himself.

After being bullied in high school, Julie Stanton took refuge in her studies. But now that her hard work has paid off and Julie has found success in her job, it’s time to focus on finding the same happiness in the rest of her life.

When Adam walks into the same tango class that Julie signed up for, she recognizes him immediately as the professor whom she had a crush on in college. Both Adam and Julie have proven themselves to be excellent scholars. But when the attraction between them turns into something more, will they be able to open their hearts and learn a new lesson – how to love.

Read my review of A Lesson in Temptation. I hadn’t planned to read this book for this challenge, but I had to start this as soon as I got my review copy and I am glad I did.

the cullingThe Culling (The Slave Girl Chronicles #1)
by J.C. Andrijeski

Format: e-copy
Source: for review through Netgalley
You can find The Culling on Goodreads

Blurb:
Jet is a 19-year-old skag, one of the humans still living free on Earth following an invasion of creatures called the Nirreth. Squatting in the ruins of Vancouver, Canada, Jet and her family eke out an existence underground, hiding from the culler ships. No one knows where the ships take the people they take, but they never return. When a culler finds Jet, she may discover the truth the hard way.

Read my DNF review of The Culling on Goodreads. This one was on my list to read this summer, but it turned out to be a huge disapointment. I DNF’d this one at 9%.

camp paybackCamp Payback (Camp Boyfriend #2)
by JK Rock

Format: paperback
Source: bought it myself
You can find Camp Payback on Goodreads

Blurb:
Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever. Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she’s headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall.

Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn’t seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp. But Alex’s trouble-magnet personality and Javier’s need to stay in the background don’t mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry.

With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?

Read my review of Camp Payback here. I loved this book as much as the first book in this series and am so happy I finally got around to reading it!

UntamedUntamed (Untamed #1)
by Victoria Green and Jinsey Reese

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Untamed on Goodreads

Blurb:
Rich, beautiful, and wild, Reagan McKinley has everything she needs…but nothing that she wants. That is, until she spends one hot night in the arms of sexy, unbridled Dare Wilde.

She’s a girl trapped in a rigid world she desperately wants to escape, and he’s an untamed artist with an attitude, hell-bent on freeing her—body, mind, and soul. But Reagan’s life is not her own, and Dare is not welcome in it. She can’t include him in her carefully-controlled, extremely public lifestyle…and yet she cannot give him up.

Will a shared passion for art—and, increasingly, each other—be enough to keep them together? Or will it be the thing that ultimately tears them apart?

It’s hot. It’s sexy.

It’s UNTAMED.

Read my review of Untamed here. After reading the first book in this series I just had to read the rest as well. It’s such an addictive series!

out of controlOut of Control (Untamed #2)
by Victoria Green and Jinsey Reese

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Out of Control on Goodreads

Blurb:
Three years have passed since Dare Wilde walked out of Reagan McKinley’s life. Three years of radio silence. Three years of regrets.

But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now, at twenty-two, Reagan has big plans to change her life, and it all starts with a trip to Europe. Instead of heading into Harvard Law like her parents had planned, she’s crossed the ocean to follow her dreams in the art world. Her dreams. For once.

A chance meeting in Paris brings Reagan and Dare face-to-face again, but is it serendipity…or penance? A chasm of unspoken hurt stands between them, but they can’t fight the passion they have for each other. And now that she’s found Dare again—the one person in this world who makes her feel whole—she doesn’t want to let go. Problem is, she may not have a choice.

Two parts. One whole.

Together…they’re out of control.

You can read my review of Out of Control here

escaped artistEscaped Artist (Untamed #3)
by Victoria Green and Jinsey Reese

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Escaped Artist on Goodreads

Blurb:
Dare Wilde is out. The McKinley family has ruined his relationship with Reagan for the last time. He’s in Amsterdam, staying with his rock star brother Dash, ready to move on with his life and get Ree out of his head.

Finally, and for good. Problem is, he loves her.

So when fate leads Reagan to his door again, the two must decide whether their new-found love is worth the risk. Because two fractured parts can’t make a whole, and they must face the demons of Reagan’s past if they are to have a future together.

A muse and her artist. A star-crossed love.

Will the past catch up to them…or have they finally escaped?

Read my review of Escaped Artist here.

silver heartSilver Heart
by Victoria Green

Blurb:
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they must decide which road leads to personal happiness. For Dylan Silver, this is that moment…

For the past twenty-two-years, Dylan has been living in her parents’ carefully crafted world, always putting her own dreams on hold to play the role of a dutiful daughter. When her best friend coaxes her into a winter getaway to a mountain resort, she sees it as a chance to forget about the responsibilities waiting for her at home. At least for a little while.

But then her past catches up to her—in the form of sexy snowboarder, Sawyer Carter. Six long years had passed since Dylan bid goodbye to the only boy she ever truly loved. Now he’s standing right in front of her, bringing up bittersweet memories and igniting suppressed desires as he dares her to be the person she has always wanted to be.

Dylan and Sawyer’s unexpected meeting is a second chance, but will a girl who doesn’t believe in fate and taking risks be able to overcome her fears of losing control and finally embrace the life she desperately wants?

Only one thing is certain: after a week in Whistler, Dylan’s world will never be the same.

Read my review of Silver Heart here.

wild at heartWild at Heart (Untamed #4)
by Victoria Green and Jinsey Reese

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Wild at Heart on Goodreads

Blurb:
With his dad hell-bent on destroying him, Dare’s life hangs in the balance. Fearing the worst, Reagan rushes from Paris to New York, hoping to get to him in time, only to find their entire world collapsing around them.

The threat is too real, risk too high, death too possible. Unfair doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Two wild hearts that belong together, trapped in a world trying to break them apart. But a love this strong has to survive…doesn’t it?

Read my review of Wild at Heart here.

STT webSwimming to Tokyo
by Brenda St. John Brown

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Swimming to Tokyo on Goodreads

Blurb:
The rules for swimming are simple:

Rule #1: There is no lifeguard on duty.

Since her mom died three years ago, nineteen-year-old Zosia Easton’s been treading water. Living at home. Community college. Same old Saturday nights. So when her father breaks the news he’s taken a job transfer—and by the way, it means renting out the house that’s been her refuge—a summer in Tokyo feels like it just might be a chance to start swimming again.

Rule #2: Beware of unexpected currents.

Finn O’Leary has spent God knows how many years trying to drown out his past. Juvenile detention. Bad decisions. Worse choices. He’s managed to turn it around – MIT, Dean’s List, a sexier-than-thou body with a smile to match – at least on the surface. When his mom asks him to spend the summer with her, Tokyo seems as good a place as any to float through the summer.

Rule #3: Swim at your own risk

You can review of Swimming to Tokyo here.

UpsideDown Upside Down (Off the Map #1)
by Lia Riley

Format: e-copy
Source: for review during blog tour
You can find Upside Down on Goodreads

Blurb:
Book #1 in the OFF THE MAP series
New Adult Contemporary Romance

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she’ll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He’s never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

You can review of Upside Down here.

venture cityVenture City: a world of adventure for Fate Core
by Brian Engard and Tazio Bettin

Publisher: Evilhat Productions
Format: e-copy
Source: pay what you want
You can find Venture City on Goodreads

Blurb:
It’s not safe to venture into Venture City…

Looking for a little inspiration for your next Fate Core campaign? Check out Venture City Stories! This adventure toolkit written by Brian Engard will give you everything you need to send your characters on an adventure full of superpowers, villainous corporations, and ruthless gangs in a near-future setting where superpowers are for sale.

This 30-page kit provides everything you need to get started—locations, NPCs, and a sample campaign, not to mention an exciting new take on Fate-style superpowers.

Venture City Stories. Pick a side, pay your bill, and power up.

You can review of Venture City here.

revealed part two coverRevealed Part Two: Plan D, A Failed Proposal, and Jiro’s Surprise (The Nogiku Series 0.2)
by S.J. Pajonas

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Revealed Part Two on Goodreads

Blurb
Picking up the story after REVEALED Part One, Mark Sakai must now complete his mission to bring Sanaa Griffin into his employ. All the plans are in place, and he just has to execute them, but he’s paralyzed with indecision and regrets. While Sakai tries to continue with his job despite his own cowardice, Jiro relives his past failures and watches his brother succeed without him. He didn’t think his life could get any more depressing until his father surprises him with a new student. But not just any student…

REVEALED is a collection of companion short stories to REMOVED, Book ONE of the Nogiku Series. Read REVEALED first or read it later, but don’t miss this look into the other side of Sanaa’s story.

Approximately 15,000 words (Five chapters)

You can review of Revealed here.

reunitedReunited (Nogiku series #3)
by SJ Pajonas

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Reunited on Goodreads

Blurb:
Book Three of the Nogiku Series — COMING August 14, 2014

Yūsei has surprises for Sanaa Itami. The long trip across the stars ends with Mark Sakai delivering bad news from orbit over their new home, and there’s no turning back or moving on. Despite all their misgivings, this is where they will have to stay.

Sanaa, Jiro, and the rest of Earth’s settlers move into a coastal town and stick to their plans to live the colonization life they dreamed of. But Sanaa’s existence won’t be kept secret from her enemies for long. Kazuo promised he would see her in another life, on another world, and he aims to keep his word. Now she will face those who want their revenge and make new enemies while dispensing with old ones on her journey across the fascinating and unfamiliar landscape of Yūsei.

REUNITED, Book THREE of the Nogiku Series, is the third book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can review of Reunited here.

ante upAnte Up (A Sin City Collectors novella)
by Amanda Carlson

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Ante Up on Goodreads

Blurb:
Diesel Jones is a shifter who has issues with the moon, but he quickly finds that Sofia Cabrera, a clever witch who just moved in to town, is his only hope to reach his goal of becoming a Collector. When they pair up to take down an incubus, she not only saves his life, but wins his heart in the process…

You can review of Ante Up here.

adagioAdagio (The Company #1)
by Delancey Stewart

Format: e-copy
Source: for review during blog tour
You can find Adagio Goodreads

Blurb:
The world of professional ballet is built on illusion. The illusion of perfection. The illusion of effortless beauty. The illusion of eternal love.

But backstage, few members of the Union Ballet Company suffer from such illusions.

Anna Glaser has dreamed of nothing but dancing professionally her entire life. And when she’s finally offered a position with Union, she takes it, giving little more than a passing thought to what she might have to give up in exchange. But Sebastian Kaplan, the director who gave her the chance, won’t forget so easily.

When Anna meets Cain, who has been dubbed by the local media as Union’s most eligible bachelor, she realizes that making a deal with the devil might mean that Heaven — in the form of a gorgeous dark-haired man — is forever out of her reach.

Dancers at Union know that something that glitters and shines under the stage lights can still be vicious and evil when the lights go down.

Adagio is the first episode in the series The Company – an engaging drama-filled ride through the darker parts of the ballet and the lives of those who live to dance.

*This book contains explicit content and is suitable for readers over 17

You can review of Adagio here.

Someone Like YouSomeone Like You
by Karen Rock

Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Someone Like You on Goodreads

Blurb:
You can’t program love…or can you?

Kayleigh Renshaw has come up with the idea for a brilliant “compatibility app,” a new kind of matchmaking software. All she needs is a programmer to help her bring the idea to market…and she knows exactly who she wants. But Niall Walsh—a code whiz and her former best friend—has been avoiding her since he returned from Afghanistan. In spite of their history, and some sparks that go beyond friendship, he’s proving reluctant…. Is it her, or is something darker holding him back?

*Wholesome Romance, New York City , Internet Dating , Clean Romance , War Veteran , Wounded Hero

You can review of Someone Like You here.

FollowFollow (Social Media #1)
by JA Huss

Format: e-copy
Source: bought it myself
You can find Follow on Goodreads

Blurb:
#Women.

I fuck them. I use them. I pay them off. I find another. My demands are never denied. My contracts are always signed. They submit to me. Willingly. Completely. Temporarily. This is how it’s always been.

Until I saw that filthy tweet.

@VaughnAsher My bare pussy. Your tongue. #ThingsIThinkAboutToGetOff

“FilthyBlueBird” thinks she can tease me with hashtags and then hide behind a Twitter handle? She thinks I wouldn’t be more than happy to #RockHerFilthyWorld? She’s wrong.

Her online fantasy is about to collide with her public reality, and it’s about to happen… now.

Review will be posted on the blog next monday

Tags:


6 responses to “Coyer: Summer Vacation recap

    • Yeah I don’t do that well with lists, so I am really surprised I managed to read this many from the list. I am more of a mood reader.

    • I wanted to try and make a list even though I knew I probably wouldn’t read that many of them, but I did pick books which i thought I would like to read this summer, so I guess I came close with some of those guesses. Maybe next time I won’t make a list either. I am so happy I participated!

    • Same here, so I was surprised when I actually read quite some books from my original list. I think I made a good estimation of what books I would like to read this summer.
      I actually didn’t enjoy Follow, it just didn’t work for me and some things bothered me. I am looking forward to your review as well, I noticed on goodreads that you had read it, but when I went to your blog to read your review I couldn’t find it yet, guess this explain it ;).

Leave a Reply

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.