Peri June's Blog, page 2

My Life As I Knew It Excerpt

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to give you an excerpt of My Life As I Knew It available at all Amazon stores as an eBook and a paperback book. Also available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

Links at the end of the post.

Excerpt:

One of my most recurring nightmares as a child was me standing on a long, winding road in the middle of a dark forest somewhere. I had that nightmare so frequently that I had to sleep with the lights on for months at a time. One day it simply stopped coming.
That night, when I drifted off to sleep, I never expected to be revisited by that old nightmare. But, all at once, I stood rooted to the same spot in that familiar, dark forest. Before my inner six-year-old started panicking, I heard two very familiar voices talking nearby. I turned in a circle, trying to pinpoint their exact location. The voices grew steadily louder until they became outright yelling.
With my heart in my throat, I started running in their general direction before coming to an abrupt halt. The yelling had turned into bloodcurdling screams.
I jolted awake and realized that the screaming was coming from downstairs. My heart started pounding and I thought, not again. I threw off the bedcovers and tiptoed to the stairs, wary of the sudden silence.
I made it to the middle of the staircase before I noticed him.
He was so still, he could’ve been a piece of furniture. He was standing over a body soaked in red. Blood, I realized with horror, which explained the dripping knife in his hand.
I tried to scream, but it was like my vocal cords had dried up. My breath was coming in short gasps, my vision started to swim, and he just stood there staring at me, not making a sound.
I could feel myself slipping into oblivion when he took a step toward me.
Then everything went mercifully black.

Links:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5SYA3R
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N5SYA3R
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N5SYA3R
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01N5SYA3R
DE:https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N5SYA3R

Three Blind Dates Review

Three Blind Dates by Meghan Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"...your mind might be blind, but your heart never is."

This book was so much fun!! It was like eating a never-ending box of chocolates!

Noely longs to be in love. When an opportunity arises for her to participate in a brand-new "Going in Blind" dating program, she jumps at the chance to try something new--maybe she'll meet "The One".

The program sets her up with three possible matches:
-Jack aka The Suit.
-Beck aka The Rebel.
-Hayden aka The Jock.

Three entirely different guys; all drool-worthy in their own way. What's a girl to do?

This was romantic comedy at its best. Watching Noely wade into the nerve-wracking--and often frustrating--world of blind dating was nothing short of hilarious. Despite her nerves, she dives into it with an open mind (and an open heart!).

I kept going back and forth over which guy Noely would end up with. The author definitely threw some curve-balls in there, but I was so happy with who Noely fell for in the end.

A great book for me is one that not only has engaging main characters, but also solid secondary characters. Meghan Quinn does a fantastic job of fleshing out the supporting characters. I loved Noely's family and how wacky they were. Her best friend, Dylan, takes the prize for best one-liners.

Loved it so much. Can't wait for the other two guys' books. Keep 'em coming!



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P.S. I Like You Review

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this! Too cute for words.

I loved the anonymous letter writing, how Lily and her pen pal became so close with nothing but a few letters exchanged between them. When she found out exactly who was her "pal", I appreciated the struggle she went through, because it was so much easier to be open when not face-to-face with the other person.

Lily's "crazy" family was my favorite thing here; they made it all much more fun!



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A Poison Dark And Drowning Review

A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was so good and creepy!

Henrietta has now fully embraced her destiny. She's taken on the role of the "chosen" one even though her group of friends and allies are fully aware of the truth. She is racing against the clock, scrambling to find a cure for her beloved Rook before his humanity is swallowed whole by the darkness within him.

I loved all the magical battles in this one--the stakes were definitely upped from the first book. Almost every other chapter had a new plot twist, making my head spin. Each new reveal gave the characters a smidgen of hope that they might be able to defeat the Ancients before it was cheerfully yanked away!

As for the romance, I'm not sure I like Blackwood anymore; he was borderline creepy. I think I'll root for Magnus from now on.

Can't wait for the next one.



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Dear Aaron Review

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this so much.

Mariana Zapata is a master of the slow burn. Ruby and Aaron's story gave me so many feels, it's almost embarrassing!

The first half was told almost entirely through emails and IMs, then the second half turned into your run of the mill narration.

So cute and sweet. Not to be missed.



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Strange The Dreamer Review

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So I basically ignored life until I could finish this book and, I have to say, it was well worth it.

Laini Taylor weaves such a beautiful tapestry with her words, you can't help but be a bit dazzled by it all. She got me to root for the main character within the first few pages; my heart was aching for the little boy who grew into a young man with no identity--he only had his dream.

Everything in this story was fantastical and evocative. I will never be able to articulate how much I loved it, so I'll stop here.

Go read it!



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One Dark Throne Review

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Second books often fall short for me. The world isn't as exciting any more, the plot stalls, and the characters are in limbo waiting for the final book(s).

Not this one.

If possible this book was more gripping than Three Dark Crowns. The relationship between the sisters gets even more complicated and nerve-racking.
Arsinoe proves, yet again, why she is my favorite queen. Her back and forth with Billy made my day!
Katharine is a thousand times more crazy--she creeped me out more than usual here, especially when she aggressively starts to "hunt" her sisters.

Special mention to Jules because she's beyond badass; her loyalty to Arsinoe got me all misty-eyed on more than one occasion.

Cannot believe I have to wait so long for the next book, particularly after that ending!



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Three Dark Crowns Review

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


From my days of reading Anna Dressed in Blood I know how well author Kendare Blake writes a creepy character. Three Dark Crowns is filled to the brim with creepy characters that leave you confused as to whether you love them or hate them.
Imagine a world where every generation, triplet queens are born then separated at six-years-old to be raised apart and weaned on their particular power till they turn sixteen. At that time, the sisters will essentially have to murder each other until only one remains--the one who shall be crowned queen.

We have Mirabella: the most powerful, and the gentlest sister.
Arsinoe: the weak link, the feisty one, and my personal favorite.
Katharine: the youngest, the most brutalized, and the creepiest sister.

I loved this world. For the first few chapters I was confused then horrified at how casually everyone was treating the fact that the sisters will ultimately have to murder each other. The way each sister was preparing to face her enemies (aka sisters) was nothing short of my mind boggling. I loved the multiple POVs--it was a fantastic way to get into the mindset of each sister and their willingness (or reluctance) to commit atrocities for the sake of the crown.
Arsinoe was my favorite character. I loved her spirit and her determination to prove she wasn't the hopeless weakling everyone in her community believed her to be. (Her sense of humor didn't hurt either!)
Mirabella was the typical first born--protective of her sisters even though they were planning her demise.
Katharine was beyond creepy. In spite of her weak powers, she was almost maniac in her need to ascend to the crown and prove her worth by killing her sisters.
If all of this wasn't complex enough, all three sisters were surrounded by "handlers" who, like all politicians, were only concerned with the acquisition of power, regardless of how much they had to manipulate the sisters, or how many innocents they trampled on their way to fulfilling their agendas.

Loved it! This is definitely a keeper.



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The Hundredth Queen Review

The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was so good.

I really didn't expect to love this as much as I did. But yay for random picks!

Kalinda is an orphan ward of the temple of the sisterhood. During one of the temple's Claiming ceremonies, she is picked by the rajah to be his one hundredth wife. No one had seen that coming, least of all Kalinda herself, who had always been a sickly child, prone to constant fevers. Before she could take her place as the one hundredth queen, she is informed she is to fight her challengers to the death. If she is deemed worthy, she will wed the tyrant. If not, it will be a burial ceremony.

As you can imagine, Kalinda was not happy.

One of my book pet peeves is insta love. So when the main characters first met and started making eyes at each other, I rolled my eyes and yelled "oh, come on" at the book. Based on this, and my general annoyance with insta love in other books, I was ready to write this one off. To my utter shock, the author managed to make me side with the characters and their love. Yes, it was bit insta love-y, but it was done in such a way that it was believable. I found myself rooting for Kalinda and the Captain, not mumbling to myself that they should get over themselves (which is my usual reaction to situations like this. Can't you just tell I'm a pure romantic at heart? *rolls eyes*).

I really loved Kalinda's character. She had more on her mind than her doomed love life. She actually wanted to better, not only her life, but the lives of the other women around her. She was not meek or submissive, despite her fear of the despicable rajah. She proved time and again that she was truly made to be queen. I loved how cunning she ended up being, using the rajah's obsession with her to ensure his own destruction, in spite of the sabotage the other women tried to inflict on her and her position.

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

I'm so excited that I already have the second book in this series, so I can start it right away!!!




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Fraternize Review

Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was my first Rachel Van Dyken book and it definitely won't be the last!
Reading this book was like eating a double, hot fudge sundae; you didn't want it to end.

Emerson is the newest cheerleader for a professional football team. Their number one rule? No fraternizing with the players. Emerson is blindsided when her first love is traded to her team, so much for the 'No fraternization' rule, right? Not quite. There are a lot of unresolved issues and secrets between Emerson and her ex, Miller. Add to that one sexy, but adorable, Grant and you've got one very complicated love triangle.

I normally don't go for love triangles, but this one was so well written I couldn't help but be sucked into the story. I loved the dynamic between the two guys and the girl--there were no pissing, macho contests, or backstabbing in an effort to "win" the girl, which was a breath of fresh air when it came to the dreaded love triangle.
The slow reveal of Emerson and Miller's past relationship added tension to the story. I loved how mature everyone was about the whole thing, and how both guys somehow developed a friendship even though they were both in love with the same girl.
I have to say that I didn't expect to root for the guy Emerson does end up with in the beginning, but if it had ended any other way I would've been ticked off.
Can't wait for the next book.




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