Captivate by Vanessa Garden Blog Tour - Book Review & Giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Captivate

By Vanessa Garden

Release date: 1st January 2014

Published by: HarlequinTeen Australia

In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...

For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.

Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.

Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...

ADD ON GOODREADS

Buy Links

Harlequin Books | Amazon | iBooksAUS | Booktopia

About Author

Vanessa Garden lives on the coast of Western Australia with her husband, their three chatty children, and three calming goldfish. When she is not writing, Vanessa can be found at the local bookstore where she works part-time. Being a bookseller as well as an author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not gushing about her favourite reads to customers, or dreaming up her next novel, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves most.

Links

Twitter | Goodreads

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My review 

4 Stars 

 I find nothing more appealing when I can read a book, ogle the cover and see that it reflects what’s inside the pages.  This story is filled with an underwater world and a city within but with secrets of their very own. A smooth flowing storyline, that will keep the reader intrigued till the very end.  Initially the story did start a little slow but the pace certainly picks up not long after.

It’s a fairy-tale of some sorts, awakening in a strange world, strange people yet a very handsome yet scary king.  (I won’t go into too many details I don’t want to spoil the story)

Captivate started slowly for me, but I found as the story progressed so did my interest in the story. I found it a very enjoyable ya story, with a wonderful world that the author has created.

The author has put a spin on the normal mermaid traits, which I really liked; this I found made the plot interesting and the characters well balanced and enjoyable.

The characters were very realistic, Miranda being a normal teenage girl, dreams, hopes and insecurities.  The boys loyal and devoted to the ones they care about. 

The romance was mininal , Id liked to have seen a little more , certain parts predictable . However   I liked the characters put forth and Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and the underwater Tale this author has written

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Event - Grimnirs by Ednah Walters & Giveaway

Book Title:  Grimnirs

Series:  A Runes Novel

Author:  Ednah Walters

Release Date:  December 2^nd 2013

Genre:  YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Firetrail Publishing

BLURB

One lost love.

One lost best friend.

One hot soul reaper.

Straight out of the psyche ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The love of her life, the guy she’s loved from a distance for years, has moved away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing. The connection defies logic. It doesn’t help that Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful, and cocky. A general pain-in-the-butt. Being around him makes her feel more alive than she’s ever felt before. But more important, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Echo is perfect for her. Echo might even be her soul-mate. There is only one problem. Echo is a freaking soul reaper. A Grimnir. The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life. You see, once you fall for a Grimnir, your life will never be the same again.

EXCERPT

Excerpt 1

I saw a few souls here and there on our way home. They all stopped and stared at our car. I slid lower in my seat and wondered whether the arrogant reaper would collect them, too. Maybe he was here to clean up our town. I hoped so. I was tired of being a target.

“You’ve been quiet since we left the store,” Mom said as we got closer to home. We were on Orchard Road, the street that split two of the largest vineyards in Kayville. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged. “Yeah.”

“You know, you can talk to me if anything is bothering you.”

Talking to her was out of the question. Dr. Wendell might prescribe more psych meds or insist on having me admitted again. “I heard you and Dad talk about me this morning. I don’t want to be homeschooled, Mom. I’m going back to school on Monday.”

“Sweetie—”

“No, Mom. I’m better, and I want to do this.”

Her lips pinched in annoyance as she turned onto the road leading to our farm. “Let’s discuss it after dinner.”

Her firm voice said the discussion was closed. I leaned back against my seat and stared out the window. My parents had had me later in life and tended to be overly protective. Most of the time, I listened to them. Not this time. This might be the beginning of a trend. First, homeschooling. Next, not going away to college. The only college in town was a private one, and I planned to go as far away from Kayville as I could. There were way too many bad memories here.

                                              

AUTHOR BIO

EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com

Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She is presently working on book 3, GRIMNIRS (Release date TBA). Read more about this series and the world she's created here www.runestheseries.com

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Amazon Author

Goodreads

B&N Author

Smashwords

Kobo

BOOK LINKS

Amazon

Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway