Weekly Reading Update 7/22 - 7/28/16!

As always, click the title for more info!

It's going to be a graphic novel heavy week this time around, since I got a bunch in at the library. I figure I will just lump them all in together, though I read them different times throughout the week. I started off with Robin: Son of Batman, Volume 1: The Year of Blood by Patrick Gleason. It was fairly interesting, there were definitely parts I liked. And it was absolutely amazing when compared to Damian: Son of Batman that I read  a few years ago. Next up was Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor volume 1: A Matter of Life and Death by George Mann. I love the Doctor Who graphic novels, and this one was especially fantastic because the Eighth Doctor is one of my all-time favorites. A great story, and I can't wait to see where it goes!


Also this week, I read Ms. Marvel, volume 5: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson.I’m a huge Ms. Marvel fan, so of course I loved this book. I’m actually liking all of Marvel’s heroes reinvented. Lady Thor is awesome, Miles Morales - I like him better than spiderman!, and I can’t wait for the new Iron Man (woman?)! Following that, I read Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out Of Time by Shannon Watters. This is an absolutely adorable series, if you’re interested. Great for tweens and up! I finished my graphic novel binge with Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan. Saga is one of my all-time favorite series, and it’s not even done yet! I was actually lucky enough to find volumes 3-5 for cheap at a local bookstore. Yay!

I also went on a Meg Cooper binge. This is an author I got to meet during the Reader Author Get Together, and I bought a few of her books. I’m finally getting around to reading them, and I’m so glad I did! I read Alien Mail Order Bride: Alyssa, Alien Mail Order Bride: Brandy, Bringing A Ghost To Life, and Doing It Right. These are perfect short stories to curl up with before bed. The Alien mail Order Bride books made me chuckle (and wish for my own Alien Mail Order Bride service I could join!), Bringing a Ghost To Life was very amusing, and Doing It Right was a sweet contemporary romance.

Next I got through some stuff that has been on my to-read list for a little while. I read The Best Goodbye by Abbi Glines. I got to meet her and get some books signed a couple weeks ago, so since then I’ve been working my way through the whole Rosemary Beach series. Just two books and a novella left to read! And if you’re interested, I absolutely loved Up In Flames - the very last Rosemary Beach book. And the best, in my opinion! I also read Chase Me by Tessa Bailey. If you have started reading Novel Addiction within the past year, you’ll have seen several reviews of Tessa’s books - I consistently love them. Chase Me was equally awesome, and I had to instantly buy the next book, because I couldn’t stand the idea of waiting!

I also read It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. I got an e-galley of this, courtesy of the publisher. I cannot wait to talk to people about this book when it releases next week. It’s killing me not to discuss what happened. Luckily a friend of mine also got an e-galley, and we’ve been able to at least put some of our emotions into words. Due to the sensitive, spoiler-y nature of the book, I’m going to hold off on a review until a few days after it releases, at least. There still won’t be spoilers, but at least everyone can go in with absolutely NO pre-conceived notions.

Well, that’s it for this week. There’s some reviews scheduled next week, and I’ll finally be able to clear some stuff off my Netgalley account - thank goodness!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Review: UP IN FLAMES by Abbi Glines

Release Date: June 28th, 2016

Type: New Adult, Series, Series Finale, Book 13, Rosemary Beach, Contemporary, From hate-her to love-her

About the Book: The villain of Rosemary Beach finally gets her own happy ending in the long-awaited final novel of the #1 New York Times bestselling new adult romance series by Abbi Glines.

The blockbuster #1 New York Times bestselling Rosemary Beach series ends with a bang when the troubled character readers love to hate gets her very own happily ever after in this eagerly anticipated and overwhelmingly requested story. Known for causing problems for everyone in Rosemary Beach, Nan has been growing up lately, and she’s finally taking center stage—and finding love with the man she least expected. [Synopsis from Goodreads.com]


My Review: Guys, I can't believe I'm saying this... but I like Nan. She has, for sure, been a huge villain throughout the entire Rosemary Beach series - partially because she's related to a good portion of them, and therefore demanding of her relatives' attention. But I can't believe it. Abbi Glines actually made me feel bad for her. Nan's gotten better towards the end of the series, sure, but she is still a self-centered witch. Or.. she was. And I'm not one for love triangles, that trope has been done to death, but Glines manages to throw a weird wrench into the traditional love triangle plot to make it feel different enough to work.

Nan finds herself torn between Major and Gannon, and frankly, for a while there.. I didn't know who to root for. Honestly, I hated them both, at least a little, and in different ways. But I also saw something good in both of them. I think Major was what Nan thought she wanted, whereas Gannon was what she needed. Anyone familiar with the series knows how much of a handful Nan can be - and Gannon is the perfect foil for her mood swings and catty moments.

Normally, what keeps me reading Glines' books are the characters. I've always found the stories to be okay, but nothing spectacular. But the past few Rosemary Beach books have shown a lot of promise, and even made me look forward to the next one. But Up In Flames had me hooked the whole way through. This was a one-sitting read for me, because I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen, and how everything was going to be solved. And even though this is the final Rosemary Beach book, there better be a spin-off, because what happens to a certain character absolutely cannot be the end!

And for those of you that just keep coming back for the steamy scenes - because yes, Abbi Glines knows her way around some good, hot scenes - trust me, Up In Flames has the best stuff yet.

Cover Lovin': Good. Fits the rest of the series, and it definitely caught my eye while browsing.

Recommendation: As Nan has been a constant character throughout the Rosemary Beach series, and her escapades are therefore widely known - it would help to have some prior knowledge of Nan before reading this.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5)!! I can't believe how much I liked this, especially since how I have been a Nan-hater since the very beginning. But really, this blew me away. And yeah.. whew, Gannon really did it for me. And he really is the perfect foil for Nan. Honestly, I hope we get to visit Rosemary Beach again in the future.

Make sure to pre-order your copy of Up In Flames by Abbi Glines today. You won't want to miss Nan's story!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Review: UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT by Abbi Glines

Release Date: August 25th, 2015

Type: Young Adult, Teen, Series, Book 1, Football, Young Love, Death in the Family, To speak or not to speak?

About the Book:To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go… [Synopsis from Goodreads.com]
My Review: Well this was a serious let down. I'm not the biggest fan of Abbi Glines - I know she has a huge fan-base, and I get it, for the most part, but this is definitely not a shining example of her work. This just felt so bland. I've been on a sports romance kick lately, so I figured this would be a good one to follow in that trend, but it just felt like it was lacking in so many ways.

For example: My grandfather just recently passed away. He raised me, and we were very close. He was ill, and in his last months, I had to help take care of him since there was a lot he couldn't do him self. This is exactly what West was going through with this own father. I was nervous about reading through the painful final days and passing of West's father in case it hit too close to home. And you know what? It didn't. I didn't feel much at all - because there just wasn't any punch to the story. I got more of a "it happened" rather than "THIS IS SO SAD!"

I found the best way to explain it was to say this book is a sanitized version of a real story. The emotions are missing, and the connection with the characters. And I think the development from grief-stricken to coping was so ridiculous. This is the perfect example of "having a man will make everything better" (and vice versa).

Cover Lovin': Good cover. Fits the story. And I know it's weird, but I like that the title is nice and big - I hate it when the author's name takes over everything else.

Recommendation: It's the first of a new series, so no backstory needed! But it would help to love sappy stories.

Final Rating: ONE POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (1.5/5)! Major let down. Missing true character development, and an emotionally moving story.

Get your copy of Until Friday Night from Amazon.com today!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.