Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name. 

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

The cover of this book is what originally caught my eyes. It's the eyes, there so.....WOW!

The blurb for the book had me intrigued but I felt like it didn't live up to my expectations. I did like, but not as much as I thought I would. 

On the day that Hartley hears rumours that her boyfriend has been cheating on her, she finds an empty condom wrapper in his locker. On top of that she finds the girl that he's been cheating on her with in his wardrobe. 
Dead. 
And what's worse is that her boyfriend, sorry ex-boyfriend, is accused of the murder.
And so begins Hartley's 'investigation' into who killed her. 

Hartley is one determined girl. I must say that if a guy cheated on me I would not be big on helping him. But that just shows how nice Hartley is. Trust me she will not be forgetting that he cheated on her, everyone reminds her of it! Hartley is a rather sarcastic character. One of my favourite quotes in the book is:

"I immediately opened my window, checking outside to make sure Josh had a clear path. The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt on his way to me killing him"

Oh, and this one:

I stared at a spot of lint on my comforter, blinking back a piece of dust in my eye. (Yes, dust. It was not tears. I had allergies. Probably from having hidden under Chace's bed. No way were they tears, and no way did they mean I had any feelings whatsoever for Josh.)

There a lot of funny quotes that I could mention but then you would all get bored so I won't bother!

Josh, Hartley's ex-boyfriend, is a (I literally cannot think of a word to describe him that isn't rude.) His reasons for cheating on her are typical of boys today. He started to redeem himself further on in the book, only slightly though.

Chase has to be my favourite character in the book. He's a 'Bad Boy' with a softer side. All I can say is swoon! 


Sam was a nice character. She supported Hartley throughout the book and on several occasions Hartley rang her and Sam listened to every word, just like a best friend should.

This book had a very modern feel with several mentions to films and t.v shows. At first it did slightly annoy me but I think that it helped to visualize the content of the book more clearly. 

The main reason that I shall be reading the second book is to find out if two certain people get together!

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick: cover reveal! - Leona

Summary of Goodreads:
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean that they will always be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. But now they face their biggest challenge. Can their love survive a seemingly insurmountable divide. And in the end, will there be enough trust left to rebuild what has been broken? The lines are drawn - but which sides are they on?

So I'm not sure if you have ever heard of this little saga called 'Hush, Hush'. I am joking, of course. I am in love with this series and read Silence in about 7 hours.

AND LOOK!!! It's the cover for FINALE!! I am beyond excited for this book!  What do you think of the cover? Do you love Hush, Hush as much as I do? Tell me what you think of the cover and the series.

Giveaway: City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Its time for a giveaway!

We're giving away City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, book one in The Mortal Instruments series.

City Of Bones Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Rules:

You must be over 13 to enter.

You must be a resident of Planet Earth. 

(giveaway INTERNATIONAL)

What you need to do:

Follow this blog.

Leave a comment below on how to contact you. (twitter, blog, email etc)

This giveaway is running from 31st May until 10th June! 

Good luck and happy reading!

Hi everyone!

Hi there, sorry that you haven't heard from us lately but we've been flat out with exams! *Stress levels in overload*. We will be back soon with a guest review, joint review and a giveaway. Stay tuned!



~Leona

Review: Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Summary from Goodreads:
Ugly people don't have feelings. They're not like everyone else. They don't notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn't hurt them. They're not like real people. Or that's what I used to think. Before I learned...


After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna is permanently scarred. She struggles to rebuild her life, but every stare in the street, every time she looks in the mirror, makes her want to retreat further from the world. Until she meets Ryan. Ryan's a traveller. When he and his mother moor their narrow boat on the outskirts of a village, she tells him this time it will be different. He doesn't believe her; he can't imagine why this place shouldn't be as unwelcoming as the rest. Until he meets Jenna. But as Jenna and Ryan grow closer, repercussions from the crash continue to reverberate through the community. And then a body is found..

Skin deep is a book that I have been wanting to read, so I was very excited to see it in my local library. I'm not the biggest fan of romances that don't have a paranormal edge but I quite liked this one.  Skin Deep is a book that isn't just about love against 'the odds', it's about overcoming what people think of you. 

Jenna is struggling to recover from the car crash that left her best friend dead and her with a disfiguring scar  on her face. Jenna is very self conscious about her scar and ts understandable especially as one of the boys that was in the car with her that night taunts her. She can't bear anyone looking at her. Then she meets Ryan, who faces prejudice and abuse because of his background. Ryan is a traveller and understands what its like to be judged and stared at. The two seem perfect for each other and I loved the interaction between them.

Ryan treats Jenna just as she wants to be treated, as if she was a normal girl with no scars. Ryan understands how she feels being stared at in the street and he makes sure that she feels normal when she's with him. 

The one thing that I found hard to understand was the age of the characters. Jenna is FOURTEEN and her family allows her to go out at all times of the night!

The story with the body was very interesting. A nice turn in the plot. I shall not reveal who was killed, you have to read it for yourself!

Laura Jarrat writes a book outlining prejudices that are rife in society, but she deals with them in a sensitive way. 

Overall this is a cute, fun book to read!