Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.  The Book Wars winner for Down To You was... the US COVER!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Crash
Author: Nicole Williams
Publisher: US - Self Published on CreateSpace , 322 Pages, (July 20th 2012), UK - Simon & Schuster, 365 Pages, (June 2013)
Add to Goodreads: Crash USA | Crash UK
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now. Jude is everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of. For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love is about to become the thing that tears them apart.

About the author:

I'm a wife, a mom, a writer. I started writing because I loved it and I'm still writing because I love it. I write young adult because I still believe in true love, kindred spirits, and happy endings. Here's to staying young at heart *raises champagne glass* . . . care to join me?

Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can contact her at nwilliamsbooks@gmail.com.

Find Nicole Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa For me, my vote this week goes to the US cover. It seems to "fit" more for the story and age of the characters than the UK cover. The UK cover has more of an adult feel to it, which wouldn't put me off reading, however I would be going into reading this title believing it was one thing when in all actuality it's something totally different.

So, my vote this week goes to the original US cover!

Michelle My pick this week goes to the USA cover. This cover is initially what drew me into this book, the cover is simple yet effective and makes you want to know why a ballerina could be linked to tatty pumps. I actually own this book, but with the new USA version (thanks to the cover series change on the final book) The UK seems too much like Fifty Shades type of book, and would actually put me off reading this book if I saw this first. My vote goes to USA this week

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Crash NOW!

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Title: Born to be a Dragon (Dragons Forever, #1)
Author: Eisley Jacobs
Publisher: CreateSpace, 134 Pages (July 20th 2011)
From: the Author, Thank You!

Synopsis: Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup…

This is what Lord Edric wants you to believe. He will do anything in his power to see that humans never come in contact with dragons again. However, he doesn't plan for Meia, the foster child who dreams of dragons, believing they are real. Or Deglan, the ten-year-old dragon who bears the ancient mark that threatens everything Lord Edric has worked for.

Join these two unlikely friends as they discover the truth behind a legend so extraordinary it will alter each of their lives… forever.

Review: 4 Stars - Born to be a Dragon is an exciting new series from self published author Eisley Jacobs. With tween characters, one a Dragon and one a human girl that are mysteriously connected, Jacobs writes a sweet but thrilling story told from the duel perspective.

Deglan’s a Dragon, raised on an island with his family and their clan. He’s 10 years old and about to face some huge choices and some even bigger problems. Lord Edric might be their leader, but he’s far from a good one. With a legend the clan has been worried about for years, and Lord Edric out to “remove” anyone who poses a possible threat because of what the legend has told, Deglan and his family know trouble is right around the corner. Jacobs did a great job of writing this character to feel more like your normal ten year old kid, instead of a Dragon. I often forgot he was Dragon, but I loved that part of it. It made reading this story richer in a way that I was thankful for.

Meia is also 10… and human. She’s been raised in the foster care system since she was a baby, but has always dreamed of Dragons. She just knows they are real. When she’s given a chance to visit a set of islands where Dragons may very well be hiding she jumps at the chance and heads out on a vacation with her Foster parents. She’s sweet and adventurous which was perfect!

With events that neither character could see coming, truths surfacing and a legend that’s going to happen whether the Dragon’s like it or not – Jacobs has a fantastic beginning to a fun, entertaining and well written tween series.

Also, something that I really wanted to talk about in this review was the drawings at the top of each chapter title. I asked Eisley about them and she told me that it all started with a beta reader’s son and his love for the story. Soon more and more kids found their love of the characters and parents mailed in the art that their kids were drawing. Once she figured out she had enough drawings, she added the art to the top of each new chapter! So cute!! I love this idea and am happy to hear that she’s going to continue this with the next book in the series.

All in all, it’s easy to say that I had a great time reading Jacobs tale of Dragons. This might be a quick read once you sit down and become enveloped in the characters and story, but it’s not lacking when it comes to an entertaining read. I highly recommend this to anyone with tweens or younger teens… or fans of a good story with a younger take on Dragons. I, for one will be on the look out for the next book, so Eisley, keep writing and keep’em coming! Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Between
Author: Cyndi Tefft
Publisher: Createspace/Self Published, 246 Pages (April 21st 2011)
From: the Author, Thank You!

Synopsis: It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.

Review: 4 Stars - Between is an emotional story set in the land of Between – hence the title. It’s about a girl – Lindsey – who passed away too soon but found something in the between. It’s about Aiden who’s been transporting souls to heaven for 300 years. It’s about fate and strength, it’s about pain and grief… and so much more.

Between is Lindsey’s and Aiden’s story told through Lindsey’s eyes. She has a great voice in the first half, but really takes hold in the second part of the story. Tefft has written a strong pair in these two characters and made their story and each of the characters extremely emotional and emotionally driven, which grasped on and didn’t let go.

Aiden has been around for over 300 years. He takes souls onto heaven, always the one being left behind. He’s very old fashioned and very Scottish - swoon. His history and aspects of the story, as he’s showing Lindsey via what he calls ‘casting’ made him into a character that felt so real and true. The story he told was rough and sometimes harsh, but it was his truth and the truth of a time so long ago.

The budding relationship between Aiden and Lindsey happened a little fast, and without much reason, however when you don’t know how much time you’ll get to spend with someone you love, the true reality of things tends to take a back seat and love takes over. At least that’s how I saw it through my eyes.

Tefft had me ready to pull my hair at when I was blindsided by something that happened in the book. It totally took me by surprise. Just when I thought I might have some idea what would happen, the rug was pulled out from underneath me and that was where I shed a few tears. It was pretty brilliant where plot twists and the story are concerned.

One thing about this book is, I’d say it has a YA and Adult tug of war feel going on. I can see it being one or the other, really either or. Lindsey is in college, though still a teen… and Aiden, well he might look as he did when he passed, but he’s still over 300 years old. If anything I’d recommend this to older teens and adults. I can see both enjoying this title.

I can honestly say that I didn’t know quiet what to expect when it came to this title. The religious aspect of the story was a bit more than I had imagined, but in the end it didn’t change what I thought or felt about the characters, the story or the book as a whole.( I’m not a religious person at all) By the end of the book, with the turn of the last page, I wasn’t ready for the story between Lindsey and Aiden to end. Lucky for me, Tefft is writing a sequel that I’m already eagerly waiting for. If you are looking for something totally different and ready to shed a few tears, don’t mind the added aspects of religion, then this is the perfect ready for you.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.