Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 464pgs

The Story

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the 

New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

The Review

A big thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

FINALE is the fourth and final installment of the bestselling series Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Having enjoyed the previous three installments in the series - even though we did knock heads at times - I was still delighted to read this final book as it was coming to a close and I was looking forward to seeing what was going to happen to each of the characters, and of course, to see whether Nora and her fallen angel lover Patch would finally get the ending they clearly deserve, especially after all they have been through. In most cases yes . . . everything was achieved but all of the character's actions came with a lot of consequences in their wake. Some good and others bad.

Now I'll admit that this series wasn't perfect. Not in the very least. But considering how much action, romance, tension, and not to mention danger Becca Fitzpatrick managed to put altogether into her final book . . . I have to say FINALE was definitely my favourite book in the entire series and hooked me right from the beginning, and much more than the other books - Hush Hush, Crescendo, and Silence - ever did. For sure there were times where I questioned a lot of the character's actions and wondered why they weren't doing a certain something to make a dire circumstance so much better but the struggles needed to be included to engage the reader and hope for the best for them, so in that case it didn't really matter because we ended up with such a great book and a crazy BANG! for the final Hush Hush book so it was pretty great.

Here's the thing: I love Nora as a main character. She's not the brightest girl out there nor in my top favourites on my heroine lists (it's a well known fact among other readers) but she's a brave one and because of that remarkable quality of hers, I think she certainly shined in this book because of it. So despite her jealous ways when it comes to Patch, her fallen angel boyfriend, and even when she makes decisions that you know are going to lead to trouble . . . but she's the kind of character where we can't help but care about her and we just WANT a happy ending for her no matter what. So take that Nora haters! Haha. As for our fallen angel, Patch, he's one character that does a lot of crazy things in his life too - and still does actually - and yet we still can't help but love him for his bad boy ways, even when he surprisingly delivers very cheesy lover one-liners to Nora (they were pretty cheesy, okay?). But together, Patch and Nora, they make the ultimate couple for readers and never give up on their relationship (even when it seems like they should) which is clearly shown in this particular book, so I was pretty happy on that part.

Overall, FINALE was a great end to a well-loved series despite its ups and downs. While the ending was perfectly wrapped up with a nice and cute little bow, but I will say it wasn't at all how I pictured it to end but it doesn't matter anyway because I enjoyed this book and it definitely was a grand finale for both the story and for its characters. You can't really ask for more than that from a final book, right?

The Rating

5/5 stars

Becca Fitzpatrick Blog Tour: Becca's Top 10 Books

Welcome to the sixth stop of Becca Fitzpatrick's Aussie Blog Tour! Becca is currently visiting our Aussie shores where she'll be signing her books and of course she'll be attending the most-talked about snazzy Black Hand Ball.

Today along with my post, The Rest is Still Unwritten has shared her review of The Black Hand Ball in Sydney. Judging by her post, she had an awesome night with Becca and the angels. So be sure to check out her post when you can and also be on the lookout for the other fellow bloggers with their posts which are listed below.

For today's blog post, Becca has kindly offered a list of her top 10 favourite books which I'm sure you will approve of. And the list is . . .

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - I love this book! I adore it. I love, love, love it! That is all.

2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - After reading the book, I became hooked on YA.

3. Matilda by Roald Dahl - This was the book that made me believe there are world's outside my own. I'm proud to say it's now one of my favourite books.

4. Little House in the Big Woods - I remember winning this book after I finished first place in my second grade read-a-thon. It holds special memories.

5. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown - I love twisty stories, especially when romance is involved. Sarah Brown is a master!

6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - The best book I read in high school. Writing the report didn't feel like homework.

7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery - I cried when I finished the book, I didn't want it to end.

8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Is there anyone who doesn't love this book?

9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K Rowling - The Harry Potter series is magical, but especially this book.

10. Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett - This is the last book I read to my kids before flying to Australia. So of course it's my favourite!

And there you go! I totally approve of Wuthering Heights, Anne of Green Gables, Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter since all of them are my ultimate favourites in fiction.

Follow and catch up with Becca

website // blog // twitter // facebook

Simon & Schuster's YA Facebook page: Read Me, Love Me, Share Me

NEXT STOPS - AUSSIE BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

9th December: Shirley's Books with a full signed series giveaway

10th December: Book Probe with a Melbourne Black Hand Ball review

10th December: Paperback Heart with a Hush Hush movie cast by Becca and Darcy

11th December: Nice Girls Read Books with a Melbourne Black Hand Ball review

A big thanks to Caroline at Simon & Schuster Australia for putting this tour together and for including me on her blogger list, and of course a big thanks to Becca herself for making time to be apart of this blog tour!

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date: 4th October, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 438pgs

The Story

The noise between Patch and Nora has gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust . . . and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and hell.

Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for, and their love, forever.

The Review

A big thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

For fans of the Hush Hush series, you should know already on what happened at the ending of Crescendo, and boy the author was brutally cruel in teasing us so. The major cliffhanger had changed everything that we know about the story and the characters, and like I said, the author was brutal because we had to wait for the next book to find out what happens. Damn these authors of ours nowadays and these tormenting pages. But after a long wait for the third book, readers will finally experience a new thrilling ride where nothing is as it seems and let's just say this time round, Patch and Nora are in more trouble than ever before.

In the third book SILENCE, we find out what happened to Nora Grey. She has not only lost three months of her life but she has no recollection of those three months alone. When she's found again by police - in a dark, creepy cemetery no less - and is back home living with her mother who has changed from the mother she used to know, she soon learns while she was gone, everyone else thought she was kidnapped and thinks god-knows-what-else had happened to her. But what's worse - she can't remember her fallen angel boyfriend Patch nor anything about the angels and nephilim. But as we divulge into the lost answers Nora is looking for, we also solve many other secrets that we didn't see coming. Of hers and Patch's.

I really enjoyed this novel. For the first 150 pages or so, I was a little disappointed with the lack of development in the storyline because nothing was really happening and it drove me off course. But once I flew past the rest of the chapters and realized I hit the ending pages, the plot began to move incredibly fast and I couldn't seem to put the book down after that. There were several fighting scenes that were well-written and I found myself yet again entertained. When it came to the Hush Hush series, I liked Nora's character in the first book but found her way too whiny and a little childish in the sequel. However in SILENCE to my surprise, I found Nora's character has really changed for the better. She's more mature and comes across as really well-rounded character that you can love and have some respect for. Plus she didn't make stupid decisions unlike the decisions she made in the sequel. So two big thumbs up for that.

Now onto Patch's character. I admit, I was peeved off on how he comes and goes in this book and I just wanted him out in the open. And bloody hell . . . damn Nora for not remembering him when he was around. It was so frustrating! But once he was out of the shadows, readers will be thinking "Our Patch is back and is super awesome as always". Because he is. Sure he's like every other guy character who wants to 'protect' the girl they love and while sometimes that doesn't always work out that way, but I still loved Patch just being Patch. To add to his positive side, readers will finally get to see more of his abilities put into action and I fell back in love with his character again. And as for the other characters such as Scott (yes, he's back), Marcie, Vee and that Hank (you know, that douche guy we will forever hate on hating), they were all a great supporting cast to have in this installment and for once they served some purpose in the novel. Especially Scott and Marcie, which surprised me because sometimes I thought they had no purpose at all . . . but thankfully they did in this addition to the series.

Overall, Becca Fitzpatrick has done it again with SILENCE. Offering a part-romantic, thrilling, mysterious and a suspenseful novel with plenty of shocking twists and unsuspecting cracks in this flawless storyline, I'm glad to say that all readers of this series will not be disappointed. And now learning that Fitzpatrick is writing a fourth book, I literally can't wait to get my hands on a copy because there was yet another cliffhanger leaving you speechless and begging for more scorching hotness. So a big thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a review copy of this book! You guys are the best publishers and deserve every bit of credit for publishing SILENCE!

The Rating

5/5 stars

SILENCE COVER REVEAL!

Holy WOW. Holy WOW WOW!

Honestly, this is one of the best covers I've EVER seen on a young adult book and it's the best cover of the Hush Hush series! FINALLY we get to see a cover featuring Patch and Nora - together at last! It's so beautiful, don't you think? The black-and-white photography of a winged, shirtless man in black jeans holding onto a young girl is so . . . magical that I can't even keep my eyes off it! So, consider it a job well done for the cover artist team! You guys totally blew this one out of the water!

Now thanks to Hollywood Crush, they also posted a lovely excerpt to Silence and it's making me feel very annoyed that I don't have a copy in my hands right now:

He closed the distance between us, and just when I thought he'd drawn me against him, he stopped, holding himself in check. I exhaled, trying not to cry. He leaned his elbow on the door jam, just above my ear. He smelled so devastatingly familiar, soap and spice, the heady scent bringing back a rush of memories so pleasurable, it only made the current moment that much more difficult to bear. I was seized by the desire to touch him. To trace my hands over his skin, to feel his arms tighten securely around me. I wanted him to nuzzle my neck, his whisper to tickle my ear as he said private words that belonged only to me. I wanted him near, so near, with no thought of letting go.

"This isn't over," I said. "After everything we've been through, you don't get the right to brush me off. I'm not letting you off that easily." I wasn't sure if it was a threat, my last stab at defiance, or irrational words spoken straight from my splintered heart.

"I want to protect you," Patch said quietly.

He stood so close. All strength and heat and silent power. I couldn't escape him, now or ever. He'd always be there, consuming my every thought, my heart locked in his hands; I was drawn to him by forces I couldn't control, let alone escape.

"But you didn't."

Like I said . . . HOLY WOW. HOLY WOW WOW.