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 Play by Kylie Scott is...UK!!!!!! 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: Jet
Series: Marked Men #2
Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: US - William Morrow Paperbacks, 416 Pages, (May 28th, 2013), UK - Harper, 368 Pages, (July 3rd 2014)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, The Book Depository

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

About the Author:

I'm supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I'm an natural redhead even though I haven't seen my real hair color in years, I'm a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I've been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that.

I love to write, love to read and all I'm interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. Thanks for taking the time to check my stuff out.... Jay Crownover

Find Jay Online: Website | Blog | Twitter| Facebook|Facebook|Crownover’s Crowd

Let the Wars Begin:

Later this week Book Wars turns TWO!!!!  So to celebrate both myself and Lisa are offering up a £10/$10 giveaway to pick the book of your choice from Book Depository, just enter the rafflecopter form below to be in with a chance of winning.

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

Lisa This weeks choice is so easy for me. When you look at these two side by side... there's not really a choice for me. The UK cover is kind of creepy. It's somewhat off putting and I'm not a fan, sadly. Now the US cover??? It's hot. He's hot. It's not a perfect cover, but I don't mind looking at it that's for sure! So, hands down my vote this week goes to the US cover. Which is YOUR favorite this week? Vote with one click below.

Michelle This is an easy choice for me. While I do think the the US cover portrays the story and the character of Jet well, my heart will always be with the UK cover. The original UK cover for this book was a similar style as the US one, but when they redesigned it and the series so far it was an instant love. I really like how they have gone in the other direction and feature the girls on the covers, letting us see them instead of the boys. I love how eye catching but simple the cover is too. The UK covers also appear softer, which if you have read these books then you know Ayden is not soft or gentle. I love the hot man on the front, but its a UK win for me #girlsrule. Which cover is your favourite, make sure to vote below.

VOTE for YOUR favourite cover of Jet by Jay Crownover NOW!

Giveaway time

Before entering the giveaway we have a few rules that must be followed.

• Please make sure you follow the giveaway policies for both Much Loved Books and A Life Bound By Books. Anyone not following the rules will have thier entries disqualified.
• Giveaway is international where Book Depository ships to you.
• There will be TWO winners, one selected by myself, and one by Lisa.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 US, 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 The Jewel (The Lone City #1) By: Amy Ewing is..... 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: Stay with Me
Series: (Wait for You #3)
Author: J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - William Marrow, 448 Pages (September 23rd, 2014) UK - Harper, 480 Pages (September 25th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she'd left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.

About the Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Author Goodreads

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 When I look at these covers I see so many things I love about them each of them.

The US cover is romantic and sweet while the UK cover is beautiful and leaves me with questions. Both of these covers make me want to pick up the book and read it and both make me want to fall in love because that's what I see when I look at each of these.. a chance to fall in love with the characters and their story.

I think that this week the UK cover just edges out for my vote. It's the questions that this becautiful cover leaves me with that tell me it's this weeks winner for me.

Which is your favorite? Click then quick poll below and tell us.

Michelle I honestly don't really know which one to pick this week. I think the UK is pretty, but looking at the cover and the light effects, if I didn't read the synopsis I would think this was a fantasy book with faeries.

The US one however doesn't really do anything for me. Its not particularly eye catching but I would have some idea about what it is about from the cover alone.

My vote this week goes to the US cover, and that is purely because I fell it represents the book far more than the UK cover does.

Don't forget to vote for YOUR favourite cover, and check out what I thought of the book with my review.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Stay with Me NOW!

QuestionPro

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 US, 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 Rule (Marked Men #1) By: Jay Crownover is..... 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: Be with Me
Series: (Wait for You #2)
Author: J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - William Marrow, 365 Pages (February 4th, 2014) UK - Harper, 416 Pages (February 13th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…

About the Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Author Goodreads

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 I need to admit that Jennifer has some pretty amazing covers and I LOVE both the US and the UK version of this one.

However, this week... there's just something about the UK cover that is just a bit more eye catching and even beautiful when you look at them side by side like this.

It almost looks like she's dancing in the rain and I love it! So without a doubt, this week the UK cover gets my vote. It's just simple but beautiful. Now it's your turn. Click two buttons to cast YOUR vote below!

Michelle This is an easy choice for me. While I do like the USA cover, the UK one gets my vote this week.

I love the effect of the rain and how it looks like she is dancing in it, which is so relevant to the story itself. I also like the rose and the petals falling down.

UK wins this round, now which one wins for you?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Be with Me NOW!

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Before I Go To Sleep

OSCAR® Winners Nicole Kidman* and Colin Firth** deliver riveting performances in this tense thriller based on the best-selling novel that features a shocking twist ending you will never see coming. Kidman plays Christine, a woman who wakes up every day remembering nothing, due to a mysterious accident in her past. But when she tries to piece together her former life, she uncovers terrifying secrets that leave her with no one she can trust, including her doctor (Mark Strong) and even her husband (Firth).

Order the DVD Online: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

Review: 4 Stars - When I was asked to review this movie, I read the synopsis and was sold on three key words – tense, thriller and twist. Some of the best movies (and books) are filled with twists you don’t seen coming. Some of those also are rather tense and I mean being a thriller on top of it all is just the icing on the cake.

I do have to be honest that also when I read what this movie was about I wondered if it’d remind me anything of another movie that I love where the female lead wakes up not remembering anything from her past, even the day before. And it did happen… I did think of this other movie from time to time. It was only when Nicole Kidman’s character was waking up each morning without any memory otherwise there’s nothing else even remotely similar, which was something I was extremely thankful for.

One comment I did have while watching was that Colin Firth’s character was so unlike anything I’ve ever seen him play before. He really did a great job and added such a wonderful layer to this story that I again was remind just how much I love this actor.

There were a few parts in the story that I questioned and it’s this alone that I wouldn’t give the movie a higher rating.

Also, I should mention that I’m a bad reader as I haven’t read this book before watching the movie so I have no idea how closely they followed along with the authors originally story and plot. Yet the movie was very entertaining and did keep me somewhat on the edge of my seat from just about the first scene right through to almost the last.

Future viewers get ready for a crazy mind bending ride that’ll keep you guessing who’s who and what’s going on until the conclusion just like I did.

I recommend this movie to those who love to be kept guessing and like the tense twists and turns. I’ll be eager to give the authors next title a try to see what his writings like. Movie watchers go enjoy!

Before I Go To Sleep Blu-ray

Street Date: January 27, 2014
Prebook Date: December 17, 2014
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: EnglishDTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
U.S. Rating R
Total Run Time: 118 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Before I Go To Sleep DVD

Street Date: January 27, 2014
Prebook Date: December 17, 2014
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: EnglishDD 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
U.S. Rating R
Total Run Time: 118 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Special Features

• Character Illusions: Ben

• Character Illusions: Christine

• Character Illusions: Dr. Nasch

• Forget Me Not

• Theatrical Trailer

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital HD™. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

Title: Before I Go to Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Publisher: Harper, 368 Pages (August 26th, 2014 Paperback tie in)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis:

The sensational New York Times bestseller—now a major motion picture starring Academy Award-winners Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth.

“As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I am still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me... ”

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.

Welcome to Christine’s life.

About the Author:

S J Watson was born in the UK, lives in London and worked in the NHS for a number of years.

In 2011 Watson's debut novel, Before I Go to Sleep, was released to critical acclaim. It has now been published in over 40 languages, and has become an international bestseller, winning numerous awards.

The movie of Before I Go To Sleep, starrring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, is due for worldwide release in Autumn 2014. Watson's second book is out in Spring 2015.

Find S J Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Thank you to 20th Century Fox for providing the copy of this dvd for review. 

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 US, 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 Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1, Study #4, The Chronicles of Ixia #7) By: Maria V. Snyder is..... the UK 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: Wait for You
Series: (Wait for You #1)
Author: J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - William Morrow Paperbacks, 389 Pages (April 2nd, 2013) UK - Harper, 389 Pages (August 15th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: The #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling phenomenon

Some things are worth waiting for . . . 

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at that fateful Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. What she never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing . . . 

Cameron Hamilton is six feet, three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, com-plete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make Avery want things she believed had been irrevocably stolen from her. Getting involved with him is dangerous. Yet ignoring the simmering tension that sparks between them—and brings out a side of her she never knew existed—is impossible.

Some things shouldn't be kept quiet . . . 

But when Avery starts receiving threatening e-mails and phone calls, she's forced to face a past she wants to keep buried and acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. If the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface with one less scar? And will Cam be there to help her?

And some things are worth fighting for . . .

About the Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Author Goodreads

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 Such an easy week for me... I LOVE the US cover. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a stunning couple on covers and this one is pretty amazing to look at. The UK cover sadly doesn't do anything for me. It's nice and all just isn't as striking as the US cover. So, the US gets my vote. Which one gets YOUR vote this week? Let us know in the easy-peasy poll below.

Michelle Living in the UK I got the UK cover as my review copy, and considering it was published in 2013 I have only just got the significance of it. Anyway, back to my thoughts. Looking at these covers it's easy for me to pick the winner, like Lisa, the UK cover doesn't really do much for me at, which my lack of connecting the dots clearly shows.

I can be very hit and miss with couples on covers, but for this wars I much prefer the couple than the stars.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Wait for You NOW!

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"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: The Last Time We Say Goodbye
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Teen, 400 Pages (February 10th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.
As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go.

I love the sound of this title and I can't WAIT to give it a read!

*covers are always subject to change.

How about a cover reveal? YES!

Today I'm lucky to help share the cover for Letting Go By: Molly McAdams! 

Take a look, see what you think of two characters we'll have a chance to meet later this year!!

Letting Go
By: Molly McAdams
Publisher: Harper (November 4th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: When Grey and Ben fell in love at thirteen, they believed they’d be together forever. They never dreamed that three days before their wedding, twenty-year-old Ben would suddenly die from an unknown heart condition, destroying his would-be-bride’s world. Grey would have spent the next two years simply going through the motions if it hadn’t been for their best friend, Jagger. He’s the only one who understands her pain ... the only one who knows what it’s like to force yourself to keep moving when your dreams are shattered.

While everyone else worries over Grey’s fragility, Jagger is the only one who sees her strength, and vows to always be there for her-even if it’s only as her best friend. As much as he wants Grey, he knows her heart will always be with Ben. But when Grey finds out that Jagger has loved her since before he even knew what love was, it might prove to be too much for her to handle.

Grey soon realizes their chemistry is undeniable, and they learn that admitting their feelings for each other means they’ve got to face the past. Is being together what Ben would have wanted . . . or a betrayal of his memory that will eventually destroy them both?