Mundie Moms

Friday, December 28, 2012

Clockwork Princess Snippet: End of 2012 Present

Jem and Tessa by honeyjadecrab
Cassie treated us all to the best End of 2012 pressie ever:

Because I love you all, here is a snippet from Clockwork Princess for the end of the year. Also because I love you all it’s under a tag because it’s SPOILERY.

This should keep you guys busy for a while. :)

Jem and Tessa …

Tessa reached to brush the damp hair from his forehead. He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing. “Jem—have you ever—” She hesitated. “Have you ever thought of ways to prolong your life that are not a cure for the drug?”

At that his eyelids flew open. “What do you mean?”

She thought of Will, on the floor of the attic, choking on holy water. “Becoming a vampire. You would live forever—”

He scrambled upright against the pillows of the bed. “Tessa, no. Don’t—you can’t think that way.”

“Is the thought of becoming a Downworlder truly so horrible to you?”

“Tessa …” He exhaled slowly. “I am a Shadowhunter. Nephilim. Like my parents before me. It is the heritage I claim, just as I claim my mother’s heritage as part of myself. It does not mean I hate my father. But I honor the gift they gave me, the blood of the Angel, the trust placed in me, the vows I have taken. Nor, I think, would I make a very good vampire. [redacted for spoilers] I would no longer be Will’s parabatai, no longer be welcome in the Institute. No, Tessa. I would rather die and be reborn and see the sun again, than live to the end of the world without daylight.”

“A Silent Brother, then,” she said.

His eyes softened slightly. “The path of Silent Brotherhood is not open to me.”


Ugly cries and Kleenex is what I'm predicting at some point while reading Clockwork Princess. Who agrees with me? But, it's going to be sooooooo good.

Flashback Friday - Ex-mas by Kate Brian

Written by: Kate Brian
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Source: Purchased
Buy: IndieBound | amazon | Barnes and Noble

Rating: 4 stars - Turn on the Xmas lights and sit back, I really liked this story.

Synopsis:  Two Exes. One holiday adventure.

Merry Ex-Mas?

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.

Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau — a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.

It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?

So I picked up this book in early November thinking that it would be perfect for Flashback Friday, the Holiday Edition. I honestly didn't know much about the author except that yes, I've seen the Private series books. They look good, but I never seem to pick them up. Let me tell you, I'll be changing that tone because I really, really liked Kate's writing in Ex-mas. What I thought was going to be a cute, fluffy Christmas story actually turned out to be, well yes, adorable and well written.

First off that opening incident where Lila's parents find out about her party plans and she takes revenge out on her little brother for telling them? HA! So real. And the "revenge" was spot on perfect. Except, well, it backfires in the worst way possible. Lila has to take a road trip-chase to find her brother as well as her ex-boyfriend's brother (they ran off together), and she has to take the trip with Beau, HER EX.

The omgsocute tension filled moments made me smile as much as a cup of hot chocolate (marshmallows only, hold the whip cream) on a snowy day.

Here's a sample of Beau and Lila's chemistry (from chapter 6):
     "I mean, did you even think for five seconds what Cooper might do?" Beau continued. "When you basically told him Santa Claus was in mortal danger?"

     Oh, right. She  should have guessed immediately. The Beau Hodges Blame Game.

     "I don't know," she said, pretending to think it over. Beau drove way too fast down the residential backstreets of their town, headed for the train station at a speed that would get them a hefty speeding ticket if clocked. "I guess I thought that maybe it would be cool to ignore two eight-year-olds for two hours and then act all shocked and surprised that something happened to them while they were unsupervised." She looked at him. "Oh no, wait. That's you."


See what I mean? Their tension and panic jumps right off that page, doesn't it? So if you're not quite done with the holidays, like me, pick up Ex-mas and get ready for a delightful treat of a story. I'm off to buy the first book in the Private series instead of take down any decorations. This Mundie Mom has her priorities straight as usual.


Mundie Moms Best of 2012: Favorite Couples / Literary Crush


Welcome to today's best of 2012 feature! So far we've shared with you what our our favorite series, new series, series that ended this year are along with 13 books we're looking forward to read in 2013, our favorite book covers, characters, and '12 debuts. Today we're sharing with you our favorite couples. Now I know this seems like an impossible task to choose favorite couples, and believe me it is. I don't know why I come up with these lists, because I hate choosing. I always feel like I leave our so many of my favorites when I have to choose. This list was one of these hardest. Of course of at the top of our list is Jace and Clary, but since they're a given, Sophie and I branched out a bit and choose couples from some of our favorite reads this year.

Sophie: Kaleb and Lily from Myra McEntire's TIMEPIECE. Oh my those exchanges and that tension.

Katie: *gets distracted by rereading Kaleb's scenes*

Sophie: Asher and Remy from Corrine Jackson's TOUCHED. Enemies. Partners. Oh, for the love of paranormal romance- this couple is HOT goodness on a page.

Katie: *gets distracted by re-reading Touched* Does that mean I have to pick now? I'll just say "what she said"

Sophie: *re-reads Mr Darcy scenes while waiting patiently for Katie to pick*

Katie: I'll see your Asher and Remy with Ismae and Duval from Robin LaFever's Grave Mercy. They ruffle each other's feathers, unnerve each other, learn to trust one another, and slowly but surely fall in love, and wow is there romance sizzling. Speaking of sizzling, Liani Taylor has the best romance/non romance in Days of Blood and Starlight with Karou and Akiva. Holy hotness batman, I just wanted to shove them together and tell him to kiss already! I'm cheating, I'm picking one more, because I loved the romance between Alina and Mal in Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone. *sigh* It's just so good!

Sophie: *now re-reading Under the Never Sky*

Katie: See, now there's another favorite couple we both love..... Aria and Perry. *sigh* Wait, we also need to add in Roar. Okay, let's also list our favorite All Time Favorite Lit Crush....

Sophie: *doesn't look up from her book* Mr. Darcy

Katie: lol That's a given, but it has to be from this year.

Sophie: So hmmm, it can't be my beloved Mr. Darcy. I'm going with that other (note the spelling) Jase from Huntley Fitzpatrick's MY LIFE NEXT DOOR. All boys-next-door should be like him. Of course when I was was growing up, I lived next door to a family with toddler boys. Not the same at all.

Katie: Did you say Jace?

Sophie: Different Jase, but one you'll still love him, and yes, you need to read him!

Katie: I know, I know. You keep telling me that. I will. I need to meet this Jase. Okay, my favorite lit crush from this year would have to be....  I'm going to say any of Jennifer L. Armentrout's boys. Take your pick between Deity, Pure, Onyx, Opal and even the books she writes for "moms" *coughs*. Aiden, Seth, Daemon, the gamble brothers. I can't pick just one, because she writes her boys in such a Jace like way. They're snarking, swoon worthy, broken in different ways, and driven by the desire to protect the girl they love or in Seth's case want but can't have. So I'm a big fat cheater and saying Jennifer's boys.


What are some of your favorite couples and literary crushes from this year?


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