Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Review + Excerpt - Unknown Trilogy by Wendy Higgins



 

From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Wendy Higgins comes a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America brought to life and entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more. UNDONE, the stunning conclusion in the Unknown Trilogy is now available! Grab your copies of the Unknown Trilogy today!




About UNKNOWN (Unknown Trilogy #1):


Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away fro

m

 her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.

When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technology and communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.

In this first installment of NY Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins’s debut New Adult series, a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America is brought to life, entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more.


Excerpt from UNKNOWN, book 1: Amber and Rylen
I sat outside on the old tire swing, lost in thought until late in the night, determined to see them come home. At nearly two my eyes were drooping from boredom. I was just about to go inside when I saw headlights crest over the hill at the top of our street. My stomach wobbled and I held the tire tighter. I’d probably be covered in dirt and black marks, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t recognize the sporty coup that pulled up or the girl in the driver’s seat. I stayed very still until I realized it was Tater in the front with her, and Rylen in the back. Rylen got out and Tater proceeded to swallow the girl’s face. Actually, I couldn’t really tell, but that’s what it looked like from far away. Rylen came straight toward me.
“Saw you when we pulled up,” he said, leaning against the tree. I could smell beer on him. “What are you doing out here in the dark all by yourself?”
“Waiting for you,” I said. The words sent a tremor of nerves through me like roller skates on rough pavement.
A sly grin pulled the side of his mouth upward and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “We’re big boys. You don’t need to wait up for us.”
“Maybe I just wanted to see you again.”
He cocked his head at me, as if trying to study my face in the dark.
The door of the car closed and tires crunched in the driveway as the girl reversed. Tater came loping over and I gritted my teeth in irritation. 
“What are you still doing up?” he slurred. “Dontcha got school ‘omorrow?”
“It’s summer, duh,” I said. “And you’re trashed. You should go drink some water and go to bed.”
Imma eat everything in the fridge first,” Tater said with a big smile. He patted both of my cheeks and squeezed them in his fingers, pinching me. I could smell hard liquor on his breath. “Aw, my wittle sissy.”
“Stop it.” I pulled back, laughing at his stupidness. He grabbed the tire and gave me a hard swing, making me squeal as I flew high. And to my joy he walked toward the house, and Rylen stayed.
When I started to slow, Rylen pushed off from the tree and his hot hands touched my back, gently pushing me. I swung like that for five minutes in the silence of night, looking forward to each downward swoop when his hands would touch me to push me upward again. Then he grasped the tire with a jolt to stop it, and spun it so that I was facing him. He stood close. His eyes glistened in the moonlight, slightly unfocused. I wondered how much he’d had to drink. 
“It’s weird to see you all grown up,” he said softly. 
My stomach did that truffle-shuffle thing as my brain searched for a response and found nothing.
“You know,” he said, “when you were little I used to pretend you were Krystal.” Oh my God…his little sister who he lost. I held my breath as he kept talking. “I used to get mad at my mom for making me take Krystal everywhere I went, like I was her constant babysitter or something. I’d get mad at my mom and take it out on Krystal. I was mean as shit to her.”
“Rylen…” He’d definitely had a lot to drink. He never let himself talk about his past or his feelings. “You were just a boy.”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. And no matter how mean I was, she still stuck to me like a puppy. Loyal.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m sure she knew you loved her.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, just stared off toward his darkened house. “I just always wanted to do right by you.”
“You have,” I whispered. But I’m not your sister, I wanted to say.
He stepped even closer, enough for us to really see each other’s eyes in the starlight. “There’s so much shit out there in the world. So much fucking evil. There’s times where I’m submersed in it and I start to wonder what the point is—of life—of everything. And then I get a letter from you and it’s like…you’re this beam of light shining from across the world. Like a piece of gold, making me remember the good that’s out there. The things that are worth fighting for.”
He thinks of me like gold? Swallow. Breathe. Do not cry. What do I even say to that? 
“If I’m gold, Ry, you’re like…titanium. Stronger than you think.”
My words made him rock back slightly on his heels and he grasped the tire to pull himself forward and study my eyes. When I kept my gaze steadily on his, letting him know I was completely serious, he shook his head in wonder and let out a huff of disbelief. I reached out and touched his chest, gently at first, and then fisting his shirt in my palm, pulling him gently toward me. He stared into my eyes as I urged him closer. He wet his lips and my heart pounded a steady rhythm, chanting finally, finally, finally.

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About UNREST (Unknown Trilogy #2):

Being on the run in the desert means food and sanctuary are hard to come by, but Amber Tate and her crew are not about to give up. Not after having so many of the things they love brutally ripped from them by an unknown enemy who sent their world into the apocalypse.

Survival takes precedence, but once safe shelter is found, their guards fall and the emotions they’ve been holding in are finally released. Anger, insecurities...lust. In their tight quarters, Amber, Rylen, Tater, and Remy can't escape it. The past must be faced, and passions run even stronger in the darkest of times.

In the midst of unrest, their worlds are rocked again when they discover the

 truth about the war that’s ruined their lives. They thought finding out the enemy's identity would give them the edge; instead it’s revealed terrifying dangers they never thought possible.

 Unrest Review:

‘Unrest’ starts off where ‘Unknown’ ended. The whole book sort of The Host by Stephenie Meyer. The pack trek the backroads on their way to Utah where they find a group that’s basically a resistance group. It’s there that they are all given jobs, shelter, and food. After being on the verge of starvation and grief, Amber and the gang quickly become adapted to life underground.

I will say this, this was so much more romantic than the first book. Ry is probably the most clueless man to ever walk the freaking planet. Besides that, I enjoyed watching the tension grow between Ry and Amber. Unrest delves so much deeper in who is attacking and why. It’s so scary to think about. Wendy brings a new take on alien invasion and to be honest, after we finally learn more about the attacks, I fell a little more in love with the story.

It has my mind racing with so many questions. Most importantly though, how in the world will they win? I need my questions answered. I need more of these group of people who I’ve come to care for. Not just Amber but everyone. Now onto what happens in the next book!

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About UNDONE (Unknown Trilogy #3):

Amber Tate never dreamed their heart-wrenching escape from the enemy’s attack would lead them to the most beautiful place she’s ever seen. Like everywhere else in the world, Elmendorf military base in Alaska has been taken over, but it’s time to take it back—all of it—one base, one city at a time. After losing so much, Amber clings to the one precious person she has left, and vows to sacrifice everything to help save the Earth.

Remy Haines is a lover, not a fighter, so when she finds herself in enemy territory, expected to feign allegiance while gathering intel for the rebel cause, she’s never been more out of her element. Tensions only increase when her feelings for Jacob “Tater” Tate won’t go away, and the enemy’s leader takes an interest in her. She’s torn between what her heart wants, and what she knows she should do. As for what her body needs…well, it’s always had a mind of its own.

Undone Review:
After the ending to Unrest, I anxiously dove into the next book. With the way it ended, you can’t help but have your heart in your throat. Terrified. That’s one word that comes to mind when I think of the ending. In Undone, we actually start having the point of view from both Amber and Remy. I thought that was genius. I really love Remy and it was awesome being inside her head.
So Remy, Tater, and Lisette have been taken by the Baelese, the aliens sent to wipe out humanity and make earth their own. It’s there we find out who their leader is and let’s just say, it’s pretty obvious from earlier books who it is. I wasn’t surprised in the least. Remy grew a lot as a character since the first book. She has to play the game in order to beat the Baelese. Even if that involves seducing their leader...maybe.
Amber and Ry are in Alaska at another military base. The two must stop at nothing to get back what was taken from them. This thrilling conclusion with leave you absolutely breathless. The writing is perfection, the characters are better than ever, and the everlasting message of love and hope. My happy tears are streaming down my face. Well done, Wendy!
*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for an unbiased and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Wendy Higgins’s Unknown Trilogy Series Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
December 6th
Candace Reads – Review & Excerpt
Literary Dust – Review
Once Upon a Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Lovely Books – Review & Excerpt
December 7th
By Valia Lind – Review & Excerpt
Ficwishes – Excerpt
Mes Livres – Review
YA Fantasy Worlds – Review & Excerpt
December 8th
Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Review & Excerpt
Sister Sister Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Taylor Fenner’s Bookish World – Review & Excerpt
December 9th
Amy’s Review Obsession – Review & Excerpt
KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt
Rad Babes Read – Review
December 10th
Ceres Books World – Review
Julalicious Book Paradise – Review & Excerpt
December 11th
Lovely reads publishing – Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Soul – Review & Excerpt
Two Chicks on Books – Excerpt
Words We Love By – Excerpt
December 12th
Binding Addiction – Excerpt
For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Review & Excerpt
Moonlighting Scrivener – Review & Excerpt
Reese's Reviews – Review & Excerpt
December 13th
Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt
Jen in Bookland – Excerpt
Milky Way of Books – Review
The Book Maven – Review
December 14th
Books Make Me Happy – Excerpt
Ms. Me28 – Review & Excerpt
December 15th
Novelgrounds – Review
PBC – Excerpt
Sharing Inspired Kreations – Review & Excerpt
The Butterfly Reader – Review & Excerpt



About Wendy Higgins:
Wendy Higgins is a soccer mom and backstage drama mama. Most people in her tiny bayside town don’t know she’s a USA Today and NYT bestselling author of paranormal, fantasy, and science-fiction romances. Wendy is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time in her pajamas, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and little doggie Rue.
Wendy earned a bachelor’s in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University.




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