Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Cursed Embrace Blog Tour Review & Giveaway (INT)


A Cursed Embrace (Weird Girls, #2)Author: Cecy Robson
Series: Weird Girls, #2
Release date: July 2nd 2013
Publisher: Signet
Paperback, 368 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon
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Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird…
After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome.
To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.

Here’s a fact I point out very often, but it bears repeating: good urban fantasy is hard to find. And here’s something I don’t point out often enough: Cecy Robson writes good urban fantasy. In many ways, A Cursed Embrace is a better book than its predecessor, and extremely significant for the series as a whole.

The sisters Celia, Shayna, Emme and Taran stunned me with their growth, the complexity of their relationships, their fierceness and strength, but also their emotional vulnerability, dedication and willingness to make sacrifices. Taran in particular exposed her softer side, and while she remained the same loudmouth on the outside, I understood and liked her much better.

On the downside, it seems that Celia’s were boyfriend, Aric, developed a strong case of ericnorthmaneosis*, and I’m terrified that it might be terminal. The symptoms are as follows: uber hotness, alpha status, strong aversion to healthy communication, high-handedness, and worst of all, existence under pressure to marry someone other than our heroine. I was Aric’s biggest fan in Sealed with a Curse, perhaps because he and Celia appeared to be on the same side, but in A Cursed Embrace, I felt that there was Aric’s side and Celia’s side, and I was decidedly Team Celia throughout.

He has his moments, though, our Aric. Left to his own devices, he is a swoon-worthy hero if there ever was one. But when he brings his pack into the equation, things go very wrong very fast. In some ways, I wish he could be more like Misha – Celia’s vampire friend – self-serving and completely independent. But then he wouldn’t be Aric, would he?

Plot-wise, A Cursed Embrace is extremely well thought out. Robson found the perfect balance between an engaging plot and character development. This book is incredibly emotional, yes, and the second part is heartbreaking, but we’re also given an excellent mystery and a villain that is sure to make you tremble with fear.

A Cursed Embrace ends in the middle of a worst possible emotional moment for Celia and it ripped my heart right out. I don’t appreciate cliffhangers, but I was too busy being devastated to get really angry about it. If you like urban fantasy at all, I guarantee you’re going to love this series. As for me, I’m going to sit here all depressed until the next book comes out. Join me, it’s true that misery loves company.

*named after Eric Northman, first known terminal patient


AUTHOR BIO:

Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is an author with Penguin's SIGNET ECLIPSE. She attributes her passion for story-telling back to the rough New Jersey neighborhood she was raised in. As a child, she was rarely allowed to leave the safety of her house and passed her time fantasizing about flying, fairies, and things that go bump in the night. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, she began writing her Urban Fantasy Romance Series, Weird Girls, in May 2009. THE WEIRD GIRLS: A Novella and SEALED WITH A CURSE are now available. A CURSED EMBRACE, releases July 2, 2013 followed by A CURSED MOON: An eSpecial Novella December 2013, and CURSED BY DESTINY, January 2014.

Cecy kindly offered to send out one signed copy of A CURSED EMBRACE + awesome prize pack which includes  a bookmark, a rack card, A CURSED EMBRACE magnet and lip balm, and a signed postcard. Here it is:


If, by any chance, you win this proze pack on a different blog, a different winner will be chosen to be fair to the other contestants. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (major brownie points for Cecy) , so feel free to enter wherever you are.

 Rafflecopter giveaway

44 comments:

  1. It is true that its hard to find a good urban fantasy and I have to agree (again) that this seem like the right one! I'm a big fan of mixed supernatural books they have more depth and especially to the romance between Ceclia and Aric. Thank you so much for sharing, lovely review Maja! :)

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  2. What, a cliffie? Darn. I won't be starting the series now until the next book is out, though it just sounds SO GOOD. I love that there's character growth in this, not to mention flawed characters. Also, that disease sadly affects so many men every year. *shakes head* Another fantastic review, Maja! :)

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  3. AZrf i so hoped to avoid the cliffhanger i really hate those but teh series is so good and the author so kind that i will still take it ( though i will wait to read that's all)

    thank you a lot for this great review and for the giveaway!

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  4. I recently read Sealed with a curse and it is one of the best books I've read this year. I am sad about Aric, I really hoped they would be together. I am dreading the cliffhanger but I am still excited to read it. And I look forward to seeing how Taran and Gemini work out. Great review and thanks for the giveaway :)

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  5. You've gotta hold on tight when you find a good urban fantasy. There's a TON out there and a lot of it is dreck but, when you find a good one, that's AWESOME!! I really liked the first one in this series and look forward to seeing what the sisters are up to next.

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  6. This serie sounds really awesome.
    And I really love Urban Fantasy series. This serie would be very soon a serie for my to read list :)

    Thanks for the chance to win this.
    Mariska

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  7. At least this book made you feel something profound. I of course like happiness but misery is nice cause it shows you care about the story. Amazing review Maja! Ah, Eric northman, terrific character, my fav sookie character so I'm sure I'll like Aric.

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  8. Yay! I love this series I really do and I am so happy you are a fan of it too Maja!!

    I agree, Aric was amazing but also frustrating in this one. I don't want to have to hate him, I really don't because I do love him but that ending was a killer!

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  9. Wow. I'm blown away by your review, Maja. It seems you really understood the purpose of this novel, and how it will affect the series as a whole. And, if it makes you feel better, I cried writing it, and continue to do so when I re-read it. Thank you for the feature. I look forward to you reading Cursed by Destiny.

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  10. Hahaha Ericnorthmaneosis! LOVE IT! I have the first book in this series and I can't wait to read it, but I'm thinking based on your last paragraph and the clear devastation for Celia, that maybe I should wait until at least book 3 is out before I begin. I don't want to have my heart ripped out with no way to stanch the bleeding:)

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  11. Hi Maja! Your blog is now my official "to go" site when I need some good recommendations for some awesome adult urban fantasy books! Haha. I'd never heard of this series but this definitely sounds great although I think I'd wait for the next book to come first before starting this. Heh. And ericnortmaneosis? I love the sound of that. Haha.

    Thanks for the lovely review and recommendation. :)

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  12. Oh no! I'm bummed about Aric! I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

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  13. Loved the first book! Can't wait for the next one!

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  14. Wow, you certainly do love this series! that's awesome. I know I enjoyed the first book in the series a lot...I wish I could remember more specific details. That's my problem with series and not reading them back to back. haha

    -Lauren

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  15. Ooooh!! I hadn't stumbled across these before - but now I have added them to my "TBR-pile"! :D
    Thanks for that! :D

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  16. I havent read this series yet.. i do have the first book which i bought about a couple of weeks ago.. Its in my to be read pile.. thanks for the giveaway!!

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  17. I love the cover, and after reading the review I can;t wait for this new book.

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  18. I can't wait to read this, I love Arik (though I know if it's pack pressuring him then I'm gonna be backing Celia and praying for Arik to tell them to back off, though as I love him I will be open to his side of things!), I'd hate him to be too like Misha, it would be nice if he could be a little selfish when it comes to Celia as I fully believe they're soul mates! I'm gonna chose to have faith in them and make sure I have a tissue on me at all times when reading the second book!

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  19. All these reviews are making me nervous lol. I loved the first book and I to loved Aric, I really hope he can redeem himself if he does what I'm afraid he did in this book.(love- ericnortmaneosis, worst thing ever) She really does know how to write fantastic UF with the perfect mix of story and romance. So few can do it right, its usually either more PNR or UF with no romance but Ms.Robson does it perfectly.

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  20. I have heard only great things about this series. I still can't wait to read the first one and I think that I'll just add Aric to my book boyfriend club even before I start reading this. Great review! :)

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  21. I have this book scheduled right around release. I close out the tour. Very much looking forward to it.Sad though to hear that Aric isn't as swoon worthy. Love that the sisters grow a lot! I just won one of Cecy's prize packs at My Guilty Obsession!

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  22. Well this review was a lot of fun to read, so I will definitely take note of this series. However, I'm going to have to hold off until this cliffhanger is resolved. Thanks for telling me about that!

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  23. I didn't like Sealed with a Curse, and I had expected to love it but the instant relationship between Celia and Aric just turned me right off. I got annoyed everytime I was reading about them lol. Pity!

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  24. Ok I am worried about Aric but I so loved book one and am glad despite this you actually think this is stronger..woot! woot!

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  25. NOooooOOOO! Not a cliffie! Although for some reason it usually bugs me slightly less in UF. *shrugs* I don't know why...

    Oh and I can't wait to dive into these books. Have the first one waiting on me to get to it and I'm more excited to do just that! I'm not looking forward to getting my heart ripped out, but in the end I know I'll enjoy it... oddly enough. LOL Need this book so I have it... okay, know I will need the 3rd now as well... ;)

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  26. Loved the first one! So excited for this one!!

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  27. I...kinda skimmed the review. This book is my next read and I Sooooo can't wait to get to it! :D But glad to see you enjoyed it so. :D

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  28. I have this series on my wishlist! I'm a bit concerned about the "ericnorthmaneosis" but it sounds like a great read regardless. Can't wait to start the series!

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  29. I do love urban fantasy, so I definitely will have to read this series.

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  30. I always am looking for some good books ,and this is awesome ,the first two was amazing and i really sure im dont gonna be dissapointed of this one

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  31. You keep convincing me more and more that apparently I NEED to read this series! Glad to see another good UF series to add to the list... will defintely have to check this out soon! :)

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  32. For some reason I just really love the series title: Weird Girls. Because that's me! Hah. :D Anyways, I agree that urban fantasy is hard to find and be brilliant at the same time.

    The characters all sound epic. Great review, chick! <33

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  33. Their fierceness and complexity sound amazing, and so glad that you found a good urban fantasy

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  34. Haha, love it! Ericnorthmaneosis is a horrid affliction, because nearly all of those symptoms are extremely attractive to me, but a couple of them are deal breakers. :-) Let's hope Aric recovers, because I love the sound of him. I have Sealed With a Curse, and I can't wait to start it, even knowing what cliffhanger angst awaits me in book two. Lovely review!

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  35. Oh is this the series which originally reminded me of the Charmed programme? I'm so glad that you once again had a lot of fun with this book, it's always hard to find a book in a particular genre you love to deliver, but especially when it's the second book in the series. I'm glad that this book has left you wanting more. Wonderful review Maja!

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  36. I'm dying to read this book!!! The first was good but I've heard this one is even better and that I should be scared of something that happens....hmmm and heartbreaking...I'm scared but still I need it now!

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  37. I haven't read this series yet, but I'm really intrigued. Thanks for the chance to win :D

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  38. I've been reading nothing but positive reviews for this series, I cant wait to read it!

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  39. I am so excited to finally read the next chapter in this awesome series. Congrats on this all new release!

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  40. I try to not read all the entire review, since I'm also dying to read A Cursed Embrace. Weird Girls series is one of promising urban fantasy debut. I hope many readers will pick the series!

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  41. I remember your review of the first book in the series, Maja, so it's nice to see that you thought this one was even better. Lol, I had to see what ericnorthmaneosis was; thought it was some real disease for a sec ;)

    I just love the title of this series. It's so easy to remember!

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  42. I love every single character in the first book, especially Celia! And i love all 3 of the covers! I may be a little bit obsessed with the characters. lol. (: thx

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  43. I first heard about this series through a blog I was following, so I grabbed it up the next time I was in Chapters. I'm so glad that I did! The plot is action-packed, the dialogue is hilarious and Cecy has written some amazing characters that I can't help being invested in. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

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