Island Escape by Viv Daniels

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Island Escape by Viv Daniels
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 172
Series: Island Series #0.5
Review Source: eARC for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Adam
Luxury yacht, tropical seas, babes in bikinis…dream job, right? Wrong. The passengers are rich jerks who treat the crew like garbage, when they aren’t pretending we’re their whores. The best day was when that cokehead heiress Kalina tried to fire me just for doing my job. I swore I’d never go back home to my parents and their crazy fundamentalist ranch in the desert, but nothing could be worse than this.

And then the pirates attack.

Kalina
Luxury yacht, tropical seas, billionaire boyfriend…dream trip, right? Wrong. After catching my man getting “extra services” from the maid, I know I’m the laughing stock of passengers and crew. Every time I lay eyes on that quiet, handsome deckhand Adam, I can feel him judging me. I want to die, and when the pirates show up, I think I’m going to.

But Adam… he saves me. Now we’re alone together on a lifeboat in the open ocean. Adam thinks we don’t have a chance, but thanks to him, we’ve made it this far.

And then, in the distance, I spot an island…

My Thoughts:
Island Escape is a prequel to the Island series. While I haven’t yet read Book 1, it’s clear that this Book 0.5 sets up how the island was discovered and why people are living on it now.

One of our main characters, Kalina, starts out as the stereotypical rich party girl. She and her friends aren’t exactly the most endearing, with their behaviour toward the yacht’s staff and their partying drug habits. However, even when I was unsure if I really empathized with Kalina, there was still a softer (and maybe deeper) side to her. We see that she’s a secret romantic and that she has fears relating to the death of her parents. Adam grew up completely away from society, making him pretty much the complete opposite of Kalina. He’s a crew member on the yacht, drooled over by all the rich girls. He hates the wasteful, rich lifestyle and how Kalina's group treats those “lower” than them.

As you can see from the book’s description, Island Escape becomes much more than an opposites attract romance. It’s a survival story, about how Kalina and Adam stay alive in the open water, and then on a deserted island. Personally I love these types of stories. I mean, On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves? Utterly compelling. Island Escape doesn’t disappoint in this regard. It offers up crazy action scenes and dangers that you would expect to encounter.

I really love how Viv Daniels wrote the character changes in this book, especially with Kalina. We knew from the beginning that Surface Kalina wasn’t who Kalina really was, but being on the island forces her to sober up (literally) and examine herself. She transforms into a strong and caring person, and it’s really awesome to watch. The connection between Kalina and Adam was also great. The spark between them starts as lust, but it definitely becomes a real partnership.

Island Escape is a quick read, a great book to pick up if you’re looking for something with romance and the thrills that come with a survival tale. It features a few twists to leave you wondering, and it’s a sweet and sexy book, too. I can’t wait to see where Book 1 in the series takes us.

The Cover:
Pretty hot! Eye catching, I think.

Rating:
[4/5]

Get Island Escape for free:
Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Want more from the Island Series? Pre-Order Island Born on iBooks today!

Island Born releases on February 28.

Island Born by Viv Daniels

Once you come to the island,
You’ll never be the same.

Joshua Truman grew up on a private island in the South Pacific with only his philosophy books and the beauty of his surroundings for company. His billionaire parents raised him to be the perfect man, brilliant of mind and pure of spirit.

You know what? Purity be damned.

When tempting grad student Carrie Young arrives on his island with a group of researchers, Joshua makes his move. He wants her, and he’ll utilize every advantage of his gorgeous surroundings and exquisitely thorough education to seduce her.

Carrie is shocked by the things this supposed innocent is making her feel. But she must resist him, for Carrie is the keeper of dangerous secrets, and her boss has plans more devious than anyone knows…

The first of the 4-book ISLAND series.

About Viv:
Viv Daniels writes love stories for the young and young at heart. Like many of her characters, she met her husband in college, and knows all the ins and outs of navigating that kind of relationship -- from how to date when you're both flat broke to how to fit two people in narrow dorm room bed.

Her favorite new adult authors include Tammara Weber and Sarina Bowen.

Viv can usually be found on her Facebook page or Twitter feed, chatting with readers about her favorite New Adult fiction, or sharing pictures of cute boys.

Where to find Viv:
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Take Them By Storm by Marie Landry

Take Them By Storm by Marie Landry
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 211
Series: Angel Island #3
Review Source: eARC for review from author

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

This book is a standalone companion novel to Waiting for the Storm and After the Storm.

Sadie Fitzgerald has always been different, and not just because she makes her own clothes and would rather stay home watching Doctor Who than party with kids her age. When it’s time to leave Angel Island for college, Sadie is eager to put her old life behind her. Small-minded people and rumors have plagued her for years, but with the love of her adoptive family, the O’Dells, Sadie has learned to embrace who she is. Now she’s not afraid to admit the rumors about her are true: she’s gay.

For the first time in her life, Sadie feels free to be herself. She dives into college life and begins volunteering at the local LGBT center, where she discovers her small-town upbringing left holes in her education about life outside Angel Island.

The world is a bigger and more accepting place than Sadie ever imagined. She’s finally found where she belongs, but with the reappearance of someone from her past, an unexpected new friendship, and a chance at love, Sadie soon realizes she still has a lot to learn about life, friendship, and love.

My Thoughts:
In full disclosure, Marie Landry is a Canadian blogger who I consider a friend. But you guys know that I am all about YA contemp books, and I don’t say it lightly that her Angel Island series is one of my favourites. So needless to say I was eager for more of these characters, but mostly just excited for another book from Marie.

This book is about Sadie, who we first met in After the Storm. I was really excited to hear her story, especially knowing what a tough time she had growing up. I think Marie did a great job of introducing Sadie to new readers, recapping enough that you can definitely read Take Them By Storm as a standalone, but without making it too repetitive for readers of the series.

I didn’t connect with the romance quite as much as I did for the first two books. It’s hard to talk about why, because it would completely spoil the book, but what I can say is that the romance felt like much more of a side plot. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the book has so many other things going for it, but it did stand out to me, mostly because I know how awesome Marie is at writing epically romantic scenes and I wanted more of them!

While there are some sadder parts to this novel, I loved how joyful it was for the most part. I loved seeing Sadie discover even more about herself, owning who she is as a lesbian and as a person. It was so amazing to see her thriving at her college placement and at her design hobby (which led to fun cameos by characters from The Game Changer). I also enjoyed seeing Sadie explore being in love and having a real relationship.

I loved the spirit of the book, and the fact that friendship plays such a huge part in it. There were such fun nods to the couples from the previous two books. I loved seeing how the couples were doing, as well as the five of them being such close friends. Overall, this is such a great book. I know a lot of people are looking for LGBTQ NA, and this is a fabulous example of one. More than that, this is a great book which shares the journey of one brave, awesome girl.

The Cover:
So, so cute! Perfect image for Sadie.

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 336
Series: Untitled Series #1
Review Source: ARC for review from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A fast-paced international escapade, laced with adrenaline, glamour, and romance--perfect for fans of Ally Carter

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

My Thoughts:
I really liked this book for the most part, but I didn't truly love it. The plot was exciting, but the background to it was hard to believe in some instances. Saying that one family caused World War I and World War II? Saying that the problems in the Middle East are because of a family causing trouble that goes into larger society? These statements are highly simplistic, and a bit offensive.

There was a lot about The Conspiracy of Us that I did like, though. The running around Europe part was exciting and fun, even if I did wonder why a girl would run off to France with someone she doesn't know without calling her mom first. The action scenes were especially well done. I could picture those parts like a movie, which isn’t always the case, so I think the author deserves major props for how cinematic the writing was there. I also liked that despite what the book description says, there isn’t really what I would consider a love triangle. There are two guys vying for Avery’s attention in their own way, and it’s a complicated situation -- that is going to get even more complicated in the next book -- but it’s definitely not typical love triangle drama.

The Conspiracy of Us is a great Gallagher Girls read-alike, and I think it will appeal to a lot of people. It’s the first book in a new trilogy, which means there's not a whole lot of resolution. The end is a bit of a cliffhanger, and it opens up a lot of questions for the next volume. Overall I recommend this one.

The Cover:
I loveeeeee it!!

Rating:
[Strong 3/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository