Smash Attack Reads...Where Smash Attacks Books!

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BookLikes Giveaways are simple. You can take part in them and win a book totally for free as well as create your Giveaways and give away your books. All Giveawys are visible on BookLikes Giveaways page where you can look them through, sort them by those who started them: by all BookLikes members and by Authors (we’re extremely happy that BookLikes authors introduce this new feature with us) and enter to win a book. All book formats are available, including ebooks and audiobooks.

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Today's New BookLikes Giveaway Feature is Open along with BookLikes Authors who offer their book Giveaways. We would like to thank all authors for your engagement and involvement in this book lovers' event and new BookLikes feature launch. Thank you :)

And now let's find great books or start your Giveaway right away. 

Here are book Giveaways by BookLikes Authors (click on the book title to go to single Giveaway page and enter to win):

- Claire O'Brien giveaways Cordelia Codd: Not Just the Blues.  

- Elizabeth Watasin giveaways The Dark Victorian: Risen.

- Lauren B. Davis giveaways Our Daily Bread. 

- Libby Hellmann giveaways Havana Lost. 

- Rayne Hall giveaways Storm Dancer. 

- Suzy Soulé giveaways Unkiss me.

- Gary Corby giveaways Ionia Sanction (paper), Sacred Games (paper) and Sacred Games (ebook). 

- Ned Ned Hayes giveaways COEUR D'ALENE WATERS (paper and ebook) and SINFUL FOLK (paper and ebook).

- Krzysztof Adamski giveaways Rubież and Maski (in Polish).

See all Giveaways on Giveawys Page :-)

If you need more information or have any questions, please read Terms & Conditions on Giveaways Page, visit our FAQ site or write to us. 

I had no clue I was going to become so engaged and invested in this book. It was merely a means to an end, and that end was Lover at Last. What a big surprise! Not only was it nice to be back in the JM and Xhex's personal lives, but I really, really loved getting to know No'One and see her bring Tohr out of his hell hole. And a HUGE bonus to this book is all the Lassiter time. I mean, that angel is a sure thang, ya'll. He is ridiculously funny and I think his role in Tohr's life, especially at the end, makes me want to throw my arms around him and give him my best bear hug.

The Band of Bastards and glymera story lines were quite boring to me, but it appears that Bastard #1, Xcor, is going to become a major player here soon. That is going to be one interesting story! Yikes.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! This book was EVERYTHING I needed it to be. I was over the moon for Qhuinn and Blay, and I was totally sniffling and tearing up at the end. After I was finished, I went back and read all the Qhuay scenes. All the pain and agnst, sex and passion, obliviousness and mixed messages, all the EVERYTHING! This was my first m/m romance book. It isn't something I would typically pick up, not because it disgusts me or anything, but because I'd rather read about f/m since that is my sexual preference. However, witnessing these two amazing characters get their HEA was incredible. I don't think I breathed during their scenes together, or even apart. I was totally engaged and in love with these young men and their love and passion for each other. It's strong and pure. <3

I'm also SO excited at Qhuinn's growth and experiences in this book. He really turned out to be a force, and is full of courage and protectiveness for his new family. GOOD FOR HIM on all the recognition that he received.

The Layla story line threw me for a serious loop! I wasn't expecting it, but at the end of the story, I am quite excited to see this blended family grow and thrive. I know someone in that exact same situation back home, and it is working out beautifully for those people. So yay! Though, she does appear to have some difficult times on the horizon...eeep!

I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOOVE that the Shadows are getting more story time! I have been so curious about Trez and iAm since their first appearance, and I'm really excited that Ward decided to tell their story. 

And as far as the Assail and Xcor story lines...I pretty much skimmed over them. I read enough to know what's going on, but I am so uninterested. It does appear, however, that these two men are going to be way more involved in the coming books...

Favorite quotes:

“You've always had me ... and my heart. My soul. Everything. I wish it hadn't taken this long for me to man up.” 


“Shit. With Qhuinn looking at him like that, he couldn’t remember his own name. Blaysox? Blacklock? Blabberfox? Who the fuck knew…” 


“Our boy looks impressed.” 
“Should be,” Rhage muttered as he jacked the belt on his robe. “We are awesome.”
Multiple groans at that point. Rolled eyes. 
“At least he didn’t pull out the ‘totes amazeballs,’” somebody muttered. 
“That’s Lassiter,” came an answer. 
“Man, that son of a bitch has got to stop watching Nickel-fucking-odeon.”

Holy. Shit. What just happened? I feel like I just stepped out of a horror movie. OH WAIT. I kinda did, but it was a BOOK, not a movie. Dear lawd, what an insane ride of awesome this book was. It was 10 times more gruesome and intense than I Hunt Killers, with double the nail-biting moments. I cannot express how friggin great Barry Lyga is at writing a serial killer. It is both ridiculously eerie and insanely awesome. Mad skillz, yo.

So this installment in the series has Jazz still questioning his grip on humanity. He's still struggling with the fact that he is the son of Billy Dent, serial killer extraordinaire, and that Billy has molded him throughout childhood to be his prodigy. Billy is in Jazz's head constantly, which, let's face it, is enough to drive anyone bat-shit crazy. But now, new thoughts are crowding in, as Jazz is having intense dreams with nondescript sexual innuendo. These sexual urges are bothering him in his waking hours, as well, because the line between sex and killing is a murky one. It is a line that Jazz is desperately afraid to cross. It doesn't make it any easier that he is an adolescent male with a beautiful, spunky girlfriend who is more than ready to love him long time.

Jazz's grandma, the spawn creator of Billy himself, is off the chain. Well, more so than the last book, which is hard to believe. She has truly lost the last marble in her schizophrenic head. It's so bad that Jazz is afraid to leave her alone. He does not want social services involved again, especially after what happened with the last social worker. He is 17 and would like to spend his last year of adolescence out of a foster care situation. When Jazz is asked to come in on a case in NYC (yea, how realistic is this?), he calls on good ol boy, Howie, to come care for his grandmother. Howie is a GEM. I have no words for the awesome this character is. He is the comic relief in a series full of gore, crime and creepy ass situations.. I ADORE HIM.

Meanwhile, Connie is doing some sleuthing of her own, trying so hard to assist Jazz in this "game" he has found himself caught up in. She was acting like a typical teenager, feeling invincible and brave. I wanted to shaker her numerous times but I honestly couldn't find it in myself to be angry at her for her decisions. She loves Jazz and wants to help. And she's a teenager. It's just part of the ole developmental nature of her age to be a flaming idiot. And of course, Dear Old Dad is always part of the scheme, regardless if he's just in Jazz's head or his neighborhood. Conversations with Billy are creeeeeeeeeepy to the max.

The ending! *flails* Did anyone see that coming? AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT CHARACTER? Or should I say, CHARACTERS???? A cliffhanger from the bowels of Hell, people.

I have to admit, this book took forever for me to get engaged. Frankly, I detested the first half of the book. I was pissed off about certain characters becoming prominent and where it took the story. I hated the plot! Thankfully, a certain event had me smiling and I finally found myself happy with the story. I was back in the arms of old friends. Now, this isn't to say that the book isn't worth reading. Laini Taylor has created one of the most brilliant fantasy worlds I've come across, and that world expands in leaps and bounds in this installment. I was just personally uninterested in the way things panned out in the first half of the story. This has not been the case for other people I've spoken with, who were just as enamored with this book as they were with Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Regardless, I am so happy that I did not give up on it because it definitely left me entertained from head to toe. As my Goodreads update states, "This book went from blah to amazeballs."

Karou finds herself in a similar environment, but she has taken over a role that I do not think she ever wanted. Especially because of the asshole who was in charge of things. And because of the people she lost in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. There is a darkness to Karou now where there once was light and joy. She and Akiva are practically enemies in this installment because of the misunderstandings and incredible tragedies of the first book. The journey they take in this installment was tearful and heart-wrenching.

I cannot express my love for Zuzana!!!!!! She is one of the best secondary characters to grace Young Adult Fiction and to experience her at the brilliant hands of narrator Khristine Hvam, was just downright enjoyable. It was Zuzana's presence that saved the story for me, and once she entered into the plot line again, I felt like I was home. I truly love how she and Mick added such light and harmony to dark and treacherous times. What an adorable couple! I adore them so.

This book is all about the war between the Seraphim and Chimera, but it is more than just the physical war that we experience. We see multiple perspectives on the impact of this war on both sides, how the tragedy and loss has become so prevalent that the need for vengeance has completely muddled the entire reason the war was started in the first place. People on both sides are seeking change and want to leave behind the atrocities and carnage. Akiva and Karou both have intense scenes where they attempt to bring down ruthless leaders, and I felt sick to my stomach during those scenes. The psychopathology of these twisted rulers is off the charts.

The ending - that tricky ass ending - was brilliant! I laughed at the devious scheme the characters were able to pull off, and it makes Dreams of Gods and Monsters so intriguing and exciting! I cannot wait to dive in.

Favorite Quotes

“She thought of Akiva, the night he had come to her at the river, the crushing pain and shame in his face, and love, still love - sorrow and love and hope - and she remembered the night of the Warlord's ball, how Akiva had always been the right to Thiago's wrong, the heat to the Wolf's chill, the safety to this monster's menace.”

“Let's just get this out of the way so I can relax. Karou, your friends aren't going to eat us, are they?" No, Karou thought. They are not. She whispered back, "I don't think so. But try not to look delicious, okay?."

Smash: I think Vlad is feeling a bit shunned by us at the moment.

Mel: This is what the third time we rescheduled? Poor, poor Vlad.

Smash: Thankfully, we know how to properly love and obsess over the man.

Mel: There will be gushing. Lots of gushing.

Smash: I think this book opened up on such a somber note. I felt horrible for Leila!

Mel: Not me. I was thinking “Take that,bitch! He’s Mine!!!”

Smash: Word. Don’t fuck with Mel and her hot Romanian, peeps.

Mel: Actually I did feel quite bad for her. After all it’s frakkin Vlad. Who would want to lose all dat, yo?

Smash: Haaaaa. Not I. I was absolutely not ok with the separation in the beginning. All that BS that happened in the beginning was THE SUCK.

Mel: I totally agree with that. I kept thinking where the hell is Vlad and why am I stuck with Maximus?!

Smash: LMAO! Poor Maximus. What a dumb ass.

Mel: Seriously though. Who in their right mind would try to take a girl from Vlad? Crazy!

Smash: Dear Old Max lost his ancient marbles there for a bit. Unlucky for him, Vlad didn’t really mean to separate from Leila permanently. Oopsie.

Mel: I was much happier when that got back on track.

Smash: I think Leila’s misinterpretation of Vlad’s proposal was very logical. He doesn’t think like normal people.

Mel: Vlad and normal are two words I would definitely not put together.

Smash: After all the hullabaloo, I was happy they got back on the same page too. Until Cynthiana steps on the scene.

Mel: She can totally suck it.

Smash: Talk about Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman’s Scorn!

Mel: She takes it to a whole new level of crazy though.

Smash: Holy subway tunnel, Batman! Who let the rats out!!

Mel: That was hella cool as gross as it was. I was thinking where’s Raphael the Rat King from Anita when you need him.

Smash: LOL. Damn. Cynthiana had some serious magic tricks up her sleeve. Leila was so hanging on a thin thread. Thank goodness she and Vlad make a good team, even though they are so damn hard-headed sometime.

Mel: Two words I picked out of that sentence were Vlad and hard!

Smash: I almost spit out my water!

Mel: Glad I could be of service. I do aim to entertain.

Smash: Now I’m thinking of choking and Vlad, and not his hands around my neck either. Damn you, Mel! [You did not see this! It’s all in your head.]

Mel: Why, Smash, you are a dirty, dirty girl! Me likey!!!

Smash: I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ok. Images are floating around my head now, but back to biz!

Mel: I’ll try to behave.

Smash: I like how much we get to see Vlad’s nickname come to life in this book. Well, I can’t say I enjoyed it or anything, but it made for serious friction between Vlad and Leila.

Mel: I thoroughly enjoyed that as well. He wears that name like a badge of honor. I was thrilled to see more flashbacks of him this go round. Especially in his weapons room.

Smash: Those flashbacks were so awesome. It helps you understand him a little more with each one.

Mel: The thing about Leila that broke my heart (well for Vlad anyway) was that she was looking for something different in him. He mentioned her looking for the Knight when he was a Dragon or something like that. I’d take the Dragon over the Knight any damn day.

Smash: I think she would, too. She loves the hell out of that guy, even though he has some serious personality traits that are hard to ignore.

Mel: He’s definitely over the top alpha male. I think the flashbacks really helped her to understand him. As closed off as he is if it wasn’t for her ability, I don’t think she ever would have really known him or how he felt about her. I’m glad that she was able to see through the facade he shields himself with and get to the heart of the man inside.

Smash: So true. It’s not like he’s an open book or anything. I think he’s let his guard down a little now. I have a note in my book journal that says “Damn it, Vlad. Let down the wall!”

Mel: I really like them as a couple. Things changed so much for them over the course of this book. Obviously don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but Leila went somewhere I wasn’t expecting. At least not yet.

Smash: Yes. Leila grows a lot in this book and I really enjoyed her metamorphosis. Now, can we talk about the elephant in the room, also known as CHAPTER 36!

Mel: Hello, hotness!!

Smash: Jeaniene likes her chapter 30-somethings to be hot and heavy!

Mel: Just think, can you image what a chapter 30-something would be in a book featuring Ian? Sorry, I had to throw that out there as he is a serious perv.

Smash: He IS. Ha. I bet it would make you do this O.o a few times.

Mel: I’ll admit that I lurve me a good, hot smex scene and Jeaniene certainly knows how to steam up the pages. Throw in Vlad and a blood bag and WOW!!

Smash: She definitely gave us a serious treat. I don’t think I blinked the entire scene.

Mel: I may have reread that one a time or twelve.

Smash: Didn’t we all. :P

[spoiler]Mel: Something I didn’t see coming was Vlad and Leila’s wedding.

Smash: Same here. I felt it was rather fast for the delicate flower (Vlad) since he doesn’t let women that easily into his life and all.

Mel: I felt it was kinda rushed as well but I guess he needed her to know he was serious. I don’t know. It didn’t seem like a very Vlad thing to me.

Smash: I agree. It was not fitting of her personality, but I think some of his walls are crumbling. Maybe he’s finally met his match. ;)

Mel: Well you know me and that I am a hardcore author stalker on Facebook and Twitter. I follow Jeaniene and she mentioned writing a scene from the wedding in Cat’s POV for the next Cat and Bones book. I’m definitely looking forward to that. I can only imagine the Bones’ snarkfest.

Smash: How fun! Bones is totally going to snark all over that wedding. [/spoiler]Speaking of Cat, I loved her little cameo in this book. Devious lady!

Mel: She is very devious and the only one I could ever see getting away with something like that. Anyone else would have ended up flambayed or on the end of a pole.

Smash: Let’s not make that mistake, Mr. Vlad. K? I don’t want you and Bones to go head to head, ever.

Mel: Well head to head only if there is a pool full of oil or mud of something along those lines. Oh and nakedness. Much nakedness.

Smash: *snort* Up Next on Things You Shouldn’t Share With Your Mother: Jello Wrestling, featuring Vlad the Impaler and Snarky Bones!

Mel: I’d pay for that, yo!!

Favorite Quotes

-Smash

More of that hair-raising energy rolled out of Vlad, until I was rubbing my arms to chase the tingling sensations away. Was this what Marty meant when he told me vampires could measure each others’ strength by feeling their auras? If so, then Vlad’s had Badass: Do Not Engage written all over it.

---

“Hi. Cat was just keeping me company until you came back.”

He glanced in the direction she’d just disappeared to before returning his attention to me. “Fourteen hundred and thirty-one."

I blinked. "What's that?"

"The year I was born, which is not, as you'll note, yesterday.”

---

-Mel

“I muttered a curse as my fangs sprang out again. Now I knew how teenage boys with unwanted erections felt.”

---

“If you introduce yourself to anyone as Mrs. Dracula, I’ll bite you in a manner you won’t enjoy.”

---

“This place stinks.”

“Did the guards forget to spray Febreze?” Vlad asked in mock indignation. Then he gave me a jaded look. “It’s a dungeon, Leila. They’re supposed to smell.”

Mission accomplished. The stench might have actually killed my new appetite. If Hell could fart, it would smell like this.

I need to state that this series on audio has been SO DAMN GOOD. Rebecca Soler has really elevated the story with her inflections, emotions and accents. I have truly enjoyed listening to the tale of Cinder and Scarlet.

Scarlet is feisty and I loved her strong, independent, protective nature. I found myself much more interested in her page time than Cinder. She was protective of her grandmother, and in the end, of Wolf. Wolf was AWESOME. Just awesome. The story behind him and his brethren is not revealed until very late in the game, and his situation kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I was flabbergasted at  the connection between Wolf and other characters in this universe.

Cinder's new friend, Thorne, was a humorous addition to the cast. He was bit of an airhead but he was also useful and loyal. I loved his obsession with "his" spaceship. ICO! Oh, how I adored this android even more in this installment. I don't want to give away her situation in this book, but she really lightened some scenes with her adorable, funny, innocent personality. I am amazed, over and over again, that I adore secondary characters so much more than main characters.

I really, really enjoyed this installment in the series. I found it really creative, engaging and entertaining. There was a LOT of action, a lot of gasping and a lot of cursing. By me. Not the characters. I enjoyed the different story lines of Cinder and Scarlet, and how they merged together in a big way at the end of the book. The plot is moved forward leaps and bounds in this book. There are a lot of dangerous moments for the characters and I was on the edge of my seats during some of the action scenes.

I am WICKED excited to meet Rapunzel in the third book, Cress!

The book lover's dilemma.

Right off the bat you should know this book is hilarious, which is always a good thing whenever you’re trying to talk about bullying and other tough issues with middle grades kids. Marley is so awkward he’s funny, which makes his scenes with Emily (whenever he’s near her he accidentally speaks Klingon) adorable instead of cringe-worthy. His sidekick, Ramen, manages to make 13-year-old bluntness endearing, which I honestly did not think possible. At all...

Read the entire review.

It’s Batch Edit time on BookLikes Shelves.

Use batch edit to make the same edits to many books at the same time. Now you can update reading status, change shelves and remove from your Shelf multiple books at one go.

The entrance to new admin view of your book collection is on admin Shelf page (click upper navigation bar). Once you press Table view, you’ll be moved to your table-organized book collection where you can select several books or all of them and move them to particular shelves, add review, date or change reading status in two seconds. You can also use multi remove option. 

To keep your books organized you can create thematic shelves and keep a single book on many shelves. This helps in organizing your book collection, especially when it’s big and diverse. You can also add missing book covers to green books which lack images as well as add books manually when you don’t find them is a book search box.

Chima packs a punch in this last book. I was on the edge of my seat as Raisa and Han were in peril and fighting to survive against many evil plots. The evil wizards really get ugly in this book, but they are no match for the devious trickster, Hanson "Cuffs" Allister. I cannot profess my love for this guy because frankly, there are no words. Instead, I give you this:

{Flick: By Smyl}

or even this:

{Flickr: By RedHerring1up}

You get the point. This guy is FULL of passion, determination and wit. He was so extremely brave in many scenes and he is truly a hero in my eyes. I absolutely loved his growth throughout the series. Speaking of growth, Raisa is almost unrecognizable to me when I closed the book. She became this amazing, steadfast woman who stuck her ass on the line for her people without a second thought. She struggles with extreme situations, but prevails, over and over again. Han and Raisa both transform into incredible people who I would be honored to call my friends.

Lots of emotions are packed into the pages of this book. Everyone was vulnerable and no one was safe from experiencing loss and trauma. It was high intensity throughout most of the book. The world-building in this last book was SO COOL. I loved the tunnels that Han has to use to sneak around and do his awesome mischievous work. The magic and skill that go into navigating these parts of the terrain were so wicked fun to experience.

The conclusion to the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima was all I hoped it would be, and more. There was absolutely no lull in this series. No second book syndrome. No lame ending. I was engaged from book to book and the entire series is SUPERB. Chima is wonderful with details that don't bore you and the plot twists and devious trickery were so well planned. She breathes life into her characters, who were compelling and electrifying. I am wicked sad to let these characters go. Well, not all of them, but most of them. Overall, I recommend this series to anyone who loves political intrigue, treacherous bastards, magnanimous characters, incredible world-building, wicked magic, epic romance and lots of intense action scenes.

KM from One Page at a Time YA Book Reviews shares her love of Steampunk covers. I loves them ALL. 

If you are looking for a new book tour to join as a host Ruby from Ruby's Reads has created Precious Gem Book Tours! I will be joining one of her first tours, and look forward to seeing all the action!

Why do we always feel this way? Its kinda ridiculous. :P