~~Review~~ Milayna by Michelle K. Pickett

Title: Milayna (Milayna #1)

Author: Michelle K. Pickett

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Publish Date: March 17, 2015

Genre:Paranormal/Romance/YA

Page Count: 287

It’s hard being good all the time. Everyone needs to be bad once in a while. But for seventeen-year-old Milayna, being good isn’t a choice. It’s a job requirement. And it’s a job she can’t quit. Born a demi-angel, Milayna steps in when danger and demons threaten the people around her, but being half angel isn’t all halos and happiness. Azazel, Hell’s demon, wants Milayna’s power and he’ll do anything to get it. But he only has until her eighteenth birthday, after which she becomes untouchable.

With the help of other demi-angels, Milayna thwarts the trouble Azazel sends her way. Fighting by her side is Chay. He’s a demi-angel who's sinfully gorgeous, and Milayna falls hard. But is Chay her true love… or her nemesis in disguise?

When she learns of a traitor in her group, there’s no one she can trust… not even the one she loves.

Milayna is one of those books that captures your attention from the beginning. It has action, romance, angels and demons. Everything you can ask for when reading a paranormal book. The writer does a fantastic job at creating a world that draws you in and keeps you on your toes till the very end. 

Milayna is a character that you want to be your best friend. She is badass and down to earth. She also fights her destiny because all she wants to do is be "normal". I think a lot of readers can connect with her because they too just want to "fit in". 

Chay is dark and brooding and has the bad boy vibe that has the females drooling. Beneath the facade, he is just a guy with a big heart. Definitely making my list of book boyfriends. 

Pickett does a great job in telling this story. It doesn't slow down at all, it keeps pace from beginning to end. The only time I found myself want to skip ahead was when the suspense was building and I just had to know what would happen. No worries, I was a good reader and kept reading. Most writers would be more graphic with the violence when dealing with this genre. Pickett was able to stay true to the story and not overload it with graphic violence. 

This book is not meant for just the YA audience. I think that any reader will find that they enjoy this book. I have to give far warning though, there is a mild cliffhanger that sets you up for the next book. Beware, by the time you are finished with this one, you will be begging for the second book. It is that good. 

5 out of 5 Stars!!!!

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ARC Review: Unspeakable by Michelle K. Pickett

Title: Unspeakable (The Freedom Series #1)
Author: Michelle K. Pickett
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Publish Date: February 10, 2015
Page Count: 304
Genre: YA/Contemporary

**Please Note that I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**


Synopsis:

“Breathe. No one will break me. I’m strong. Breathe. Just breathe.”

On the outside, Willow appears to have it all. She’s beautiful, smart, from an influential family, and she dates the most popular guy in school—Jaden. But she would walk away from it all in a second. Willow is tormented by lies and suffocating guilt, not the hearts and flowers people believe her life is full of.

She carries a dark secret. Plagued by nightmares and pain, the secret dominates her life. If she hadn’t walked away. If she had just…but she didn’t. And now she has to live with her choice. But when someone uncovers her family’s past, they use it against her, crushing her spirit little by little. She tells herself she just has to make it to graduation. Then she can leave Middleton, and her secret, far behind.

When Brody transfers to Cassidy High, he turns Willow’s life upside down. He shows her what it feels like to live again, really live. And suddenly, she isn’t satisfied with just surviving until graduation. She wants a normal life—with Brody—and he wants her. But the closer they become, the more it threatens to unravel the secret she’s worked so hard to hide.

Willow finds true love with Brody. Will she let his love save her, or walk away from him to keep her secret safe?

Writing a review for this book has me conflicted. How can I say how great this book is and not address how it affected me emotionally? I figure the best way to write a review is to tell you how I felt reading it. Unspeakable is an amazing book For me,  I was affected by the storyline because I can see myself in Willow. Willow is a survivor and has lived through hell at the hands of her stepfather. I am a survivor of child abuse and my mother is a domestic violence survivor. To be able and pick up a book and read a character who understands and knows what I am going through is a blessing. Abuse is downplayed and treated as entertainment so much that the victims do not get the justice that they deserve. Pickett created such an emotional storyline and wrote it for us. She wrote it for the victims to say that you are heard, we know your story. Pickett ranks up there with Marie Hall and Maggi Myers as an author who can connect with her audience. This is a story about a young woman’s journey to freedom. It is beautifully written by Ms. Pickett.

This is a book that I think everyone should read. If you do not connect with the characters, you can walk away with more knowledge. Knowledge of what to do if someone you love is in this situation. We should not sit back and wait for things to work themselves out. We need to be there as support and help them through it. The one thing that victims lack a lot of is support.

I know I didn’t write a typical review of the book. I felt that this book deserved more than that. I hope that when the book release everyone picks up a copy. 

5 out of 5 Stars!!!

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Read about Brody's beginning in Finding Willow

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Review: Finding Willow by Michelle K. Pickett

Title: Finding Willow (The Freedom Series #0.5)
Author: Michelle K. Pickett
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Publish Date: October 2, 2014
Page Count: 23
Genre: Romance/YA/Contemporary

Synopsis:

“Finding Willow” is the prequel to “Unspeakable,” the touching romance between Brody and Willow that explores one girl’s quiet strength to survive the unbearable weight of a family secret alone, and the love and resolve of a boy determined to help her.

Brody Victor lives life on the fringes. Moving from school to school with each transfer his mother’s job requires has taught Brody well: If there’s one thing harder than making friends, it’s saying goodbye to them. So he’s learned to close himself off. He’s a loner, and that’s how he likes it.

When his mother accepts a permanent position in Wisconsin, Brody begins to slowly open up. But old habits die hard and, for Brody, making friends doesn’t come easily. That is, until he meets Annabelle. Brody loses himself in her. Their connection runs deep and, for the first time, Brody truly lets someone inside. But life can be cruel. An unexpected job transfer uproots Brody from his home in Wisconsin, and Annabelle.
Vowing not to get involved with another girl after the heartbreak of losing Annabelle, Brody returns to life on the outside looking in. A loner by choice. Until the night he finds Willow. Friendly and beautiful, a guy can’t help but notice her, but Brody notices more than her beauty. When she flashes her full smile, a spark is missing from her hazel eyes and for reasons unknown to him, Brody needs to find the reason.

Along the way, he stumbles across a secret bigger than both of them

Finding Willow is a short prequel to Pickett’s book Unspeakable. In this story we get to peer into Brody’s life and see what makes him tick. He moves around a lot and doesn’t want to give up his heart again. There is something about Willow that will have Brody second guessing that rule.

You find out how great of a character Brody is based on his interaction with Annabelle. He was supposed to go out with her once because of a bet, but sees that there is more to her than her nerdy glasses.

Pickett writes a great story. Her characters are memorable and her writing flows easily. I was sad once I got to the end because I wanted more. I cannot wait to read Unspeakable. 

5 out of 5 Stars!!!

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New Release: Finding Willow by Michelle K. Pickett

NEW RELEASE!!!! NOW AVAILABLE!!!!

FINDING WILLOW by Michelle K. Pickett

(An Unspeakable Novella)

AVAILABLE NOW FOR $0.99 ON AMAZON!

“Finding Willow” is the prequel to “Unspeakable,” the touching romance between Brody and Willow that explores one girl’s quiet strength to survive the unbearable weight of a family secret alone, and the love and resolve of a boy determined to help her.

Brody Victor lives life on the fringes. Moving from school to school with each transfer his mother’s job requires has taught Brody well: If there’s one thing harder than making friends, it’s saying goodbye to them. So he’s learned to close himself off. He’s a loner, and that’s how he likes it.

When his mother accepts a permanent position in Wisconsin, Brody begins to slowly open up. But old habits die hard and, for Brody, making friends doesn’t come easily. That is, until he meets Annabelle. Brody loses himself in her. Their connection runs deep and, for the first time, Brody truly lets someone inside. But life can be cruel. An unexpected job transfer uproots Brody from his home in Wisconsin, and Annabelle.

Vowing not to get involved with another girl after the heartbreak of losing Annabelle, Brody returns to life on the outside looking in. A loner by choice. Until the night he finds Willow. Friendly and beautiful, a guy can’t help but notice her, but Brody notices more than her beauty. When she flashes her full smile, a spark is missing from her hazel eyes and for reasons unknown to him, Brody needs to find the reason.

Along the way, he stumbles across a secret bigger than both of them.

COMING SOON!

UNSPEAKABLE by Michelle K. Pickett

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance (Realistic Fiction) YAm

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Release Date: February 10, 2015

“Breathe. No one will break me. I’m strong. Breathe. Just breathe.”

On the outside, Willow appears to have it all. She’s beautiful, smart, from an influential family, and she dates the most popular guy in school—Jaden. But she would walk away from it all in a second. Willow is tormented by lies and suffocating guilt, not the hearts and flowers people believe her life is full of. 

She carries a dark secret. Plagued by nightmares and pain, the secret dominates her life. If she hadn’t walked away. If she had just… but she didn’t. And now she has to live with her choices. But when someone uncovers her family’s past, they use it against her, crushing her spirit little by little. She tells herself she just has to make it to graduation. Then she can leave Middleton, and her secret, far behind.

When Brody transfers to Cassidy High, he turns Willow’s life upside down. He shows her what it feels like to live again, really live. And suddenly, she isn’t satisfied with just surviving until graduation. She wants a normal life—with Brody—and he wants her. But the closer they become, the more it threatens to unravel the secret she’s worked so hard to hide.

Willow finds true love with Brody. Will she let his love save her, or walk away from him to keep her secret safe?