Happy belated Cinco de Mayo! There are quite a few releases this week, so enjoy! A new book review will be posted on Wednesday. I'm hoping to get back to reviewing movies soon as well. It's been way too long!
Best Wishes,
BOOKS ( 7th May)
ADULT
A Highland Werewolf Wedding (Heart of the Werewolf, #11)
by: Terry Spears
Werewolf laird Cearnach MacNeill isn't happy Elaine ruined his car, but he quickly becomes her protector after a misunderstanding lands her right in the middle of two feuding clans. Now he's out to ensure that this sexy female wolf gets her fair share of her clan's treasure. He knows he should leave well enough alone, but it's too late to leave his heart out of it.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Blush (In Vino Veritas, #1)
by: Lauren Jameson
Alex doesn’t date—at least, not in the traditional sense. Still, he wants Madeline …and his sexual intensity provides her with a much-needed escape. They embark on a tumultuous erotic affair, one that takes them to the pinnacle of obsession and desire. But underneath each explosive encounter lie dangerous secrets waiting to consume them both.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Bound by Danger (Men of Honor, #4)
by: SE Jakes
Playing the role of enforcer in the Killers motorcycle club, all CIA operative Clint “Tomcat” Sommers has to do is make sure he has a body to show for his work. Thanks to his ability to move stealthily and easily between the two worlds, the CIA is damned close to making one of its biggest MC gang busts.
Two years undercover have taken their toll, but there’s no backing out now. Tomcat’s only reprieve from the pressure is fantasizing about the newest member of the gang.
Worry for his cousin’s involvement in the Killers drove Navy SEAL Jace Reynolds to agree to infiltrate the gang to do some short-term surveillance for the FBI. The deal: do the job, and his cousin gets witness protection. When he meets Tomcat, though, his fantasies kick into overdrive. Meeting men while on active duty is tough. Acting on his desires within the club could have deadly consequences.
Despite the risks, Tomcat’s and Jace’s off hours flare hotter than a full-throttle burnout. But the smoke is bound to attract unwanted attention. And when Tomcat suddenly disappears, the secrets both warriors keep could send one of them to the grave.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Dead Man's Deal (The Asylum Tales, #2)
by: Jocelynn Drake
In a world where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires swim free in a sea of humanity, sometimes you need an edge. Looking for a little love? Need some luck? Desperate for revenge? Gage can give you what you need. The most talented tattoo artist in town, he knows the right symbol and the right mix of ingredients and ink to achieve your heart's desire. One tattoo is all it takes. But remember, everything has its price. . . .
Gage learned that lesson long ago, in ways he'd rather not remember. But the cruel and powerful wizards in the dreaded Ivory Towers he escaped aren't about to let him forget. Though Gage has managed to stay out of sight, he can't outrun the past forever.
The wizards know Gage is using forbidden magic, and they intend to punish him for his transgressions. Too bad if innocent humans and monsters-entire cities-get in the way. They will quell a nascent magical uprising and Gage will be the sacrifice they need. First, though, they have to find him...
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Down London Road (On Dublin Street, #2)
by: Samantha Young
It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.
But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.
Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Heart of Iron (London Steampunk, #2)
by: Bec McMaster
Lena Todd makes the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a sympathizer for the humanist movement haunting London’s vicious blue blood elite. Not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can’t twist around her little finger, and the one man whose kiss she can’t forget…
Stricken with the loupe and considered little more than a slave-without-a-collar to the blue bloods, Will wants nothing to do with the Echelon or the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds a coded letter on Lena—a code that matches one he saw on a fire-bombing suspect—he realizes she’s in trouble. To protect her, he must seduce the truth from her.
With the humanists looking to start a war with the Echelon, Lena and Will must race against time—and an automaton army—to stop the humanist plot before it’s too late. But as they fight to save a city on the brink of revolution, the greatest danger might just be to their hearts…
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Sworn to Protect (Sugarland Blue, #1)
by: Jo Davis
Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite cop, has been blindsided by the sudden death of his best friend, NFL star Brad Cooper, and becoming the legal guardian of Brad’s son, Drew—a bitter, angry sixteen-year-old with a dangerous secret. Shane is determined to pry the truth from Drew, but only manages to alienate him—and winds up going head to head with Juvenile Detective Daisy Callahan, whose job is to protect the teen’s best interests.
Shane has always been drawn to Daisy’s beauty and strength, but he’s determined not to allow their intense attraction to interfere with his duty ever again. It’s a vow that will prove difficult to keep, as the realities of Shane and Daisy’s blossoming love and their growing bond with the grieving teen propel Shane headlong into danger for the new family he’s sworn to protect.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Time Thief (Traveller, #1)
by: Katie MacAlister
Peter Faa is a member of the Watch tracking down a murderer, and unfortunately, all clues seem to point toward his own estranged family of Travellers. Any of his cousins could be guilty, but which one? They’re all experts in the art of stealing time...
After surviving a lightning strike, Kiya Mortenson is determined to get just one thing in her life right. And if that means taking a job as nanny to five pugs on a campsite in the Oregon wilderness, then so be it. It doesn’t hurt that the job comes with some spectacular male eye candy, including her new boss’s gorgeous grandson. If only she didn’t keep having this strange sense of deja vu...
When Peter discovers his own family is stealing time from Kiya, all bets are off. While she may drive him crazy at times, it’s clear that it’s not just lightning that’s creating some serious sparks between them. And he’s not going to let secrets, lies, or a devious murderer keep Kiya from where she belongs: at his side.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Undone (Amoveo Legend, #4)
by: Sara Humphreys
Release Date: 7th May 2013
YOUNG ADULT
5th Wave, The
by: Rick Yancey
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Beauty
by: Nancy Ohlin
Ana is nothing like her glamorous mother, Queen Veda, whose hair is black as ravens and whose lips are red as roses. Alas, Queen Veda loathes anyone whose beauty dares to rival her own—including her daughter.
And despite Ana’s attempts to be plain to earn her mother’s affection,
she’s sent away to the kingdom’s exclusive boarding school.
At the Academy, Ana is devastated when her only friend abandons her for the popular girls. Isolated and alone, Ana resolves to look like a true princess to earn the acceptance she desires.
But when she uncovers the dangerous secret that makes all of the girls at the Academy so gorgeous, just how far will Ana go to fit in?
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Coda (Coda, #1)
by: Emma Trevayne
Anthem finds hope and comfort in the twin siblings he cares for, even as he watches the life drain slowly and painfully from his father. Escape is found in his underground rock band, where music sounds free, clear, and unencoded deep in an abandoned basement. But when a band member dies suspiciously from a tracking overdose, Anthem knows that his time has suddenly become limited. Revolution all but sings in the air, and Anthem cannot help but answer the call with the chords of choice and free will. But will the girl he loves help or hinder him?
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Criminal
by: Terra Elan McVoy
Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his heart, and she loves him more than anything. There’s nothing Nikki wouldn’t do for Dee. Absolutely nothing.
So when Dee pulls Nikki into a crime—a crime that ends in murder—Nikki tells herself that it’s all for true love. Nothing can break them apart. Not the police. Not the arrest that lands Nikki in jail. Not even the investigators who want her to testify against him.
But what if Dee had motives that Nikki knew nothing about? Nikki’s love for Dee is supposed to be unconditional…but even true love has a limit. And Nikki just might have reached hers
Release Date: 7th May 2013
End Games, The
by: T. Michael Martin
The world ended.
And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.
Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.
In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.
But The Game is changing.
The Bellows are evolving.
The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.
And the brothers will never be the same.
T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
If I Should Die (Revenants, #3)
by: Amy Plum
Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.
It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.
After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Invisibility
by: Andrea Cremer
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Lucy Variations, The
by: Sara Zarr
That was all before she turned fourteen.
Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?
National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It's about finding joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Nothing But Blue
by: Lisa Jahn-Clough
This morbid chant haunts seventeen-year-old Blue as she trudges through the countryside with just the clothes on her back, heading to her childhood home on the ocean. Something absolutely awful has happened, she knows it, but she doesn’t know what. She can’t even remember her name, so she calls herself Blue. This gripping survival story—peppered with flashbacks to bittersweet times with her boyfriend, Jake—strips life down to its bare bones. Blue learns, with the help of a seemingly magical stray dog and kind people along the road, that the important thing is to live.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Reboot (Reboot, #1)
by: Amy Tintera
Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
Savage Blue, The (The Vicious Deep, #2)
by: Zoraida Cordova
The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.
In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.
Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends' support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he's ever loved.
Release Date: 7th May 2013
MOVIES & TV SERIES (7th May)
MOVIES
Jack Reacher
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter-a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right-and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning-and then beat him shot for shot.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Mama
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro presents Mama, a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their mother was murdered. When they are rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night. The day their father killed their mother, sisters Victoria and Lilly vanished near their suburban neighborhood. For five long years, their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), have been madly searching for them. But when, incredibly, the kids are found alive in a decrepit cabin, the couple wonders if the girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Safe Haven
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman's struggle to love again, Safe Haven is based on the novel from Nicholas Sparks, the best-selling author behind the hit films The Notebook and Dear John. When a mysterious young woman arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Steel Magnolias
Directed by: n/a
In this contemporary version of the beloved stage play and classic film, Steel Magnolias chronicles the lives and friendship of six women in Louisiana. Supporting each other through triumphs and tragedies, they congregate at Truvy's Beauty Spot to ponder the mysteries of life and death, husbands andchildren - all the important issues that truly unite and celebrate women. Funny, wise and richly human, this immensely moving film features a brilliant all-star cast, including Queen Latifah (Chicago), Phylicia Rashad (TV's The Cosby Show), Adepero Oduye (Pariah), Condola Rashad (TV's Smash), Jill Scott (TV's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) and Alfre Woodard (TV's True Blood).
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Starlet
Directed by: Sean Baker
Starlet explores the unlikely friendship between 21 year-old Jane (Dree Hemingway) and 85 year-old Sadie (Besedka Johnson), two women whose worlds collide in California's San Fernando Valley. Jane spends her time getting high with her dysfunctional roommates, Melissa (Stella Maeve) and Mikey (James Ransone), while taking care of her Chihuahua, Starlet. Sadie, an elderly widow, passes her days alone tending to her flower garden. After a confrontation between the two women at Sadie's yard sale, Jane uncovers a hidden stash of money inside a relic from Sadie's past. Jane attempts to befriend the caustic older woman in an effort to solve her dilemma and secrets emerge as their relationship grows.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Upstream Color
Directed by: Shane Carruth
A woman (Amy Seimetz) is abducted and hypnotized with an organic material harvested from a specific flower. When she falls for a man (Carruth), the two come to realize he may also have been subjected to the same process. They search urgently for a place of safety within each other and struggle to assemble the fragments of their wrecked lives, unknowingly drawn into the life cycle of a presence that permeates the microscopic world.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
TV SERIES
30 Rock: Season 7
Celebrate the outrageous seventh and final season of 30 Rock, the Primetime Emmyr, Golden Glober, and Peabody Award-winning series that rocked TV for seven hilarious years. Primetime Emmyr Award winner Tina Fey is back as the indomitable (and occasionally hormone-addled) TGS writer Liz Lemon, who, having found bliss with boyfriend Criss, hopes show success isn't far behind. But if scheming executive Jack Donaghy (Primetime Emmyr and Golden Glober Award winner Alec Baldwin) has his way, he'll either defeat KableTown's teen "successor" or sink the whole company trying. Meanwhile, Jenna (Jane Krakowski) is planning the ultimate surprise wedding, Tracy (Tracy Morgan) gets shocking medical news, and Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) can't comprehend his (gasp!) new girlfriend.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Flashpoint: Season 5
FLASHPOINT is a drama which depicts the emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of cops in the SRU (inspired by Toronto's Emergency Task Force). It's a unique unit that rescues hostages, busts gangs, defuses bombs, climbs the sides of buildings and talks down suicidal teens. Members of a highly-skilled tactical team, they're also trained in negotiating, profiling and getting inside the suspect's head to diffuse the situation to try and save lives.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Fringe: Season 5
The critically acclaimed and fan-favorite series, FRINGE, returns for its fifth and final season to deliver a climactic conclusion.in all worlds. Picking up from events depicted in season four's flash-forward episode, the seemingly peaceful Observers seized control of our universe in 2015. Now, in 2036, they have become ruthless rulers who stand unopposed. What awaits in the future, however, is the Fringe Team's final stand, which will bring together all they have witnessed in preparation for the final battle to protect our world. Joining Fringe scientist Water Bishop, FBI agent Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop and the Fringe team is Olivia and Peter's now-grown daughter, Etta, in a final season filled with struggle, surprises, and sacrifice.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
James A. Michener's Texas: Complete Miniseries
Based on the best-selling novel, the classic James A. Michener mini-series is finally on DVD! ??In a land of beauty and riches that draws those with big dreams and big hearts, Texas tells the epic tale of the extraordinary men and women of the southwestern frontier. Stacy Keach, Patrick Duffy, Chelsea Field, and Benjamin Bratt lead a stellar cast in this tale of the tumultuous years leading up to the Texas Revolution and the famous battle of the Alamo. To claim the land will take bravery. To hold the land will take sacrifice. To create a new way of life... will take passion. An epic this big could only happen in one place...Texas. ??
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Private Practice: Season 6
Prepare yourself for the stunning no holds barred final season of television's most seductive medical drama from the creator of Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes. Feel the passion and relive the heartbreaking moments from every episode of ABC's Private Practice: The Complete Sixth Season. The tight knit family at Seaside Health and Wellness is in for a huge shakeup as a new doctor arrives in the wake of a devastating loss; meanwhile, Addison makes a heart-wrenching choice between Jake and Sam; and more changes are in store for Cooper and Charlotte who discover that life's biggest events come in threes. Lastly, Sheldon finds true happiness in the midst of a traumatic personal challenge. Experience all 13 episodes complete with never-before-seen bonus features on ABC's Private Practice: The Complete Sixth Season!
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Rookie Blue: Season 3
Be careful what you wish for...With two years under their belt, the rookies of 15 Division are well on their way to becoming seasoned cops, but experience isn t everything...and the boundary between job and personal life is no longer as black and white as it once seemed. Bonus Features: Seven Making-of Featurettes plus Behind-the-Scenes and On-Set Cast Interviews.
Release Date: 7 May 2013
Royal Pains: Season 4
Doctor-on-demand Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) and his CFO brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) charmed the affluent Hampton's community with HankMed, but now the duo is discovering that life isn't always a walk on the beach when their sibling rivalry turns into a business power-struggle. Whether it's the return of their unreliable father Eddie (Henry Winkler), Evan's recent engagement to Paige (Brooke D'Orsay), or Jill's (Jill Flint) bittersweet departure from Hamptons Heritage, Hank and Evan are in for an unforgettable summer. Watch every episode of the critically acclaimed fourth season back-to-back and uninterrupted, including the revealing and memorable holiday special!
Release Date: 7 May 2013
