Book Review: All In

All In (The Naturals #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Three casinos. Three bodies. Three days.

After a string of brutal murders in Las Vegas, Cassie Hobbes and the Naturals are called in to investigate. But even with the team's unique profiling talents, these murders seem baffling: unlike many serial killers, this one uses different methods every time. All of the victims were killed in public, yet the killer does not show up on any tape. And each victim has a string of numbers tattooed on their wrist. Hidden in the numbers is a code—and the closer the Naturals come to unraveling the mystery, the more perilous the case becomes.

Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing with an equally dangerous and much more painful mystery. For the first time in years, there's been a break in her mother's case. As personal issues and tensions between the team mount, Cassie and the Naturals will be faced with impossible odds—and impossible choices.

Hardcover, 378 pages

Published November 3rd 2015 by Disney-Hyperion

 

MEOW . . . MEOW . . . MEOW

All In really got my mind in wonders, how does Jennifer come up with this kind of stuff or much less find the research? Jennifer created a very complex case for the Naturals, I was kind of right about how each book would tie in with one of the characters in each book. This time it was Sloane who can spout tons of statistical facts in the most random times.

Cassie is now dealing with her own personal agenda, the FBI has information regarding her mother's murder but even Cassie can't face the dark memories that haunts her. Can Cassie be ready to finally be able to closed her mom's unsolved murder?

Apart from the great details to make a great case, some of the other characters like Lia, Michael and Dean were kind of absent. They were present but they became more behind the scene than be front and center like they been in the other books.

Although Cassie and Dean have established an "dating" status, there wasn't much going on between them and they were in Las Vegas of all places! I get that neither of them really know what it means to date but come on how about a little hand holding?? Maybe even a kiss???? There wasn't much going on between them.

The dynamic that Sloane has made me feel that she was someone who thrives to be wanted, to be loved but she never got any of that which might be why she's always closed off with her personality because she was ignore. This case became a little more personal for Sloane, but unfortunately I can't say because it's one of the main key component in the book.

I give All In 4.5 Cat's Paws, as usual I love Jennifer's intrigue writing however it felt like some of the characters became at a standstill.

Top 10 2015: Future 2016 Releases

 

Top 10 of books I look forward to seeing in the year of 2016

This is where it ends by Marieke Nijkamp 

10:00 a.m.

The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent 

For fans of Cassandra Clare and Richelle Mead comes the unputdownable sequel to The Stars Never Rise, a book Rachel Caine, author of the bestselling Morganville Vampires series, called “haunting, unsettling, and eerily beautiful.”

ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.

Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Tess Kendrick, teen fixer extraordinaire, returns in a pulse-pounding thriller about a deadly conspiracy at the heart of Washington.

For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington D.C., fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. When Tess is asked to run a classmate's campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets.

Meanwhile, Tess's guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can--and cannot--be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she's about to discover first-hand that power always comes with a price.

Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Ally Carter, the second book in this thrilling series will leave readers breathless.

Reign of Shadow by Sophie Jordan

 

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

Riders by Veronica Rossi

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him? 
  

Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury 

 
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

City of The Lost by Kelley Armstrong 

 
New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers us to Rockton, a secret little town in the far north where the hunted go to hide. And where a hunter has now come to play.

Casey Duncan once killed a man and got away with it. Since then she’s become a talented police detective, tethered only to her job, her best friend, Diana, and the occasional evening with her sexy, no-strings-attached ex-con lover, Kurt. But then Diana's abusive ex finds her again, despite all Casey has done to help her disappear. And Casey’s own dark past begins to catch up with her. The two women need to run—and Diana’s heard of a place where they won’t be found, a town especially for people like them…
  

Passengers by Alexandra Braxen

passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever. 

The Great Hunt by wendy Higgins 

Kill the beast. Win the girl.

A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale, “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.

MASQUERADE (Menagerie #2) by Rachel Vincent

no description yet 

Top 10 of 2015: Best Boyfriends

Today its time for the best boyfriends nominee of 2015! Well they're not actually nominees but they''re boyfriends from books I read and that the best boyfriend of 2015. 

Also just to make note due to the number of books I read by the same author that her name will often show up when doing all the boyfriends nominees. 

From the Rose Gardner series by Denise Grover Swank, I nominate Mason Deveraux.

From the The Wedding pact "The Player" also by Denise Grover Swank, I nominate Garrett Lowery. 

From the San Fransico wolf pack "Beauty and the Werewolf by Kristin Miller, I nominate Jack MacGrath.

From the Witches of Blackbrook by Tish Thawer, I nominate Jason Hardy. 

From the Losing it series "Losing It" by Cora Carmack, I nominate Garret Taylor.

From the Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent, I nominate Finn.

From the Naturals "Killer Instinct" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I nominate Dean. 

From the Rusk university "All Played Out" also by Cora Carmack, I nominate Mateo Torres.

From the Wicked Saga by Jennifer L Armentrout, I nominate Ren Owens.

From the Selection series "The Heir" by Keira Cass, I nominate Erick. 

I was going to do more on this post but It was SOOOO HARD to find 10 boyfriends from the books that I read this year.

Holiday Blogging: Day Five

 

It's Day Five of Holiday Blogging! Today post is on Holiday traditions. 

There's a few Holiday tradition in my family, they're small but still traditions. 

For years and years we would always buy my mom Kmart Christmas bears (although there are some years missing) But we always buy one or two for her every year or at least we try too. This is this year collection, I actually scored a lot of the years we were missing in a garage sale! and so ALL bears are displayed. 

  

 

When trying to do an offical account on the note I made there's at least 50 bears if not more and there's three more to still add! 

Another BIG BIG tradition is getting me Barbie ornaments, yes almost every years since a kid I have always gotten an Barbie Hallmark Ornament in series. HOWEVER I don't have the ones from the early 90s and I am desperatley missing the 2009 one. 

 

2009 was huge milestone for me, I graduated high school and started college, but I guess that particular barbie was set out in the month of JULY and people went and brought them right away and then if I do ever want to buy that one I'll have to pay an Arm and a leg because they're marking it as close to $100 to $300! 

So that's it for our holiday traditions!

Top 10 of 2015: Best Couples

Today is Best ___ of 2015 and today I chose couples although I'm terrifed of writing this post because a lot of the couples I have a really hard time explaining!

So going from my top favorite to eh I like them but forgot entirely what I like about them (remember a whole year has gone!)

 

1. Bliss and Garret from Losing it by Cora Carmack. 

  Garrett has a BRITISH ACCENT!!! Do I really need to say more?

Bliss is one lucky women!

 

2. Rose and Mason from the Rose Gardner series by Denise Grover Swank 

 Rose and Mason are typically honest with each other and they both love each other unconditional but there's a little heartbreaker in 35 & a half conspiracies that leaves me as a Team Mason fan heartbroken.

3. Caroline and Reed from Off the Subject series also by Denise Grover Swank  

These two seriously are soulmates! 

 

4. Jack and Isabelle from Beauty and the Werewolf by Kristin Miller

 Jack and Isabelle had a lot of hurdles to go through in order to be together and sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the one you love the most.

 

5. Cassie and Dean from The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Now these two just got together, but honestly I saw it coming with these two finally got together. Although with Dean's troubled past it might put up some trust issues between them.

6. Nina and Finn from The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent 

Although these two are kind of in that unsure stages and with Finn's freaky situation, I wonder how it's going to work between them.  But hey at least he's not that easy to kill right?

7.  Kalliope and Wilder from Inspire also by Cora Carmack  

 A muse entangle love, but Wilder certainly feels something more that her inspirations but inspirations can be deathly.  He's determine to show Kalliope that it's true love from the heart.

 

8. Abby and Jace from Lion's Share also by Rachel Vincent 

Honestly this surprise me with the pairing but I'm glad that Jace has found someone and that Abby has been able to trust Jace with her heart.

9. Ivy and Ren from Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout/J Lynn

 AND this one I don't remember too much of but I love the book since I gave it a Purrfect review. 

Is there a number 10? Not based on the books I read this years since a lot of them were focused on the Rose Gardner series.

Top 10 of 2015: Best Covers

The best covers of 2015

These are some of my picks!

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Blogging: Day Four

  

It's Day four of Parajunkee's 7 days of Holiday blogging! Today its about favorite recipes. Although I don't bake hardly ever but I do make something really fun for my family and friends. 

 

Favorite holiday recipes: 

Mainly I'm all for coconuts balls or mound balls is what some people call them, for years I would never eat them until one day one year I took a bite and never looked back. I'm such a picky eater so for me to try something was shocking and one I tried it. I became obsessesed and become known as "the little mouse" around this time of year.

Next it's a recipe insipre by the wonderful addicting Pinterest. I discovered this idea two years ago and they were a great hit the first year I made them, sadly I didn't have any time to make them last year due to my over stressed/overload school studies.

They're called Christmas Mices.  

 

this is the pinterest picture that attracted me to this idea. 

This is my mices from 2013 I actually use pink frosting to determine girl mices with little bows.

One of my cousin taking a bite of the poor mice

 

I made some this year but I still got some finally touches to add, 

So what does making these mices entails? Well the original recipe calls for Cherry (yes Cherry) but I substitute that idea with either coconuts balls and/or peanut butter balls. The 2013 mices had little sliced almonds but those were a pain with a lot of them falling off and the almonds were all different sizes and finding the right thickness???? Shakes head. 

So my revised recipe is using peanut butter mices (this year), Twizzlers licorice peel and pull, and chocolate chips for the ears and using melted chocolate to make the eyes. I basically use melted chocolate as my glue to place the ears, the faces and to stick the tails in the behind of the peanut butter balls. 

I'll post pictures of this year mices when I'm done with them.

Holiday Blogging: Day Three

 

Since Christmas is our family biggest holiday of the year, we typically go all out with Christmas. So Pictures are always getting taken!

 

I wish I could take credit for taking this photo but my cousin is actually the one that took it with my camera.

The Christmas White Bears Collection (I bet you can't even guess on how many we have)

 

This year tree