Book Tour: Crimson Hunt Review

I am a tour stop for Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith, thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours. (click link for more tour stops!

The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith

 Eldaen Light Chronicles #1

November 8, 2012 - Indie Publishing 

340 pages- New Adult, Science Fiction, Romance

http://twentysomethingfictionwriter.blogspot.com/

Facebook:  Yes 

Twitter: @VictoriaSmith76

Source: Xpresso Book Tours 

Purpose: Review 

Disclaimer: A copy of this galley was given to me free, in exchange for my honest review. 

From Goodreads: College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.

Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful. 
So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.
Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.
That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.
Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.

My thoughts: Hmmm... I have to admit that my feelings for this story is not consistent. To be clear, I would say that I'm sitting on the fence. I do think it's worth checking out though. There wasn't a character that I consistently liked. The only character I consistently didn't like was Lila, and I think that was the purpose of her character. If I had to pick a character that was my favorite it would be Piper, but not the Piper we actually met. I liked the Piper Ariel remembered.  The story was interesting, and though there were moments that took me out of it (Ariel's constant lusting over Luca got to be a lot ridiculous) and moments that made me angry (it took way too long to explain what Luca was, and  at first it was unsatisfying). 

It was overall a story that kept you pulled and wanting to know more. I really like how art was pulled into it, and though there were moments where I was impatient or angry or taken out, I couldn't put the book. I still had to know what was going to happen. 

3 Stars ***

I will more than likely follow this series. 

Always Shine, 

Starr K

Derailed Tour: Review and giveaway

Hi all! I am glad for the opportunity to participate in this book tour, hosted by AToMR Book Blog Tours.

Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Clayton Falls #1

260 pages – Contemporary, Fiction, New Adult

September 23, 2012- CreateSpace

http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/

Facebook: Yes

Twitter: @AlyssaRoseIvy

Source: The Publisher via AToMR Book Tours

Purpose: Part of the Blog Tour

Rating: M for Mature Audiences

Summary from GoodreadsWhen you're lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home. Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind. Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible

My Thoughts: Occasionally I find a book that surprises me, sometimes making me glad I’m a book reviewer. This was one of those books. I know that I probably never would have discovered this book or this author any other way. I’m glad for the occasion.

                I was immediately pulled into the mystery of what happened to Adam and why she blamed herself. I knew he was dead, but was unsure of what part she played in it.  But that wasn’t enough to keep me reading. The main character, Molly, did that.  Sometimes she was annoying with her denial and secrets. But it wasn’t overbearing. I really felt for her, because she was obviously struggling but trying to survive. I like Clayton Falls and find that it would probably be a cool place to visit. But everyone knowing everything or wanting to know everything would drive me crazy.

                There were two –very different- guys who were interested in Molly, but it was clear that she was only interested in one of them. So there wasn’t much of a triangle, but I can’t say that she made the right choice. I can’t say that she didn’t either. For the most part, I like him.  There were a couple of quirks/traits of his that Molly found comforting, but I found kind of disturbing. In the back of my mind I kept thinking he was going to go too far and do something twisted.  But alas, not in this book at least.

                Derailed was a fun and a quick to read. The characters were well-developed and the plot engaging enough.

3 Stars ***

What's  Next: Veer

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click link to check out the rest of the tour!

Always Shine, 

Starr K