Jan 2, 2014

{Blog Tour} Book Review + Giveaway: Savor - Kate Evangelista


Title: Savor (Vicious Feast #1)
Author: Kate Evangelista
Release Date: December 1st 2013
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Age Group: New Adult
Source: ecopy for blog tour
Mature and explicit content. Not recommended for readers below 18-years-old. Yup, you've got to be that old to read my story. Consider yourself warned.
I’m Dakota Collins, a tough talking, eye patch wearing, workaholic photography student. Why am I important? Well, maybe because I get to spend an entire month with Vicious, only the sickest indie rock band out there.
You see, I needed a subject for my Spring Showcase introspective in order to graduate. During a chance encounter at a club I’d been sent to cover for the Daily Gossip, our ironically named college paper, the features writer I usually teamed up with introduced me to the band—by accident, I might add. It involved a run in with a scary, bald bodyguard. Anyway, long story short, I signed a contract to take pictures of Vicious.
I should have known their handsome yet way too serious for his own good bassist, Luka Visraya, wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself. He’s gorgeous and all, but the way he smiles spelled trouble with a capital L. I’m in for a long month with him around.
Crazy shit happens and then some. So, if you want the skinny on Vicious and the events revolving around my stay at Lunar Manor, read my story.
Again, refer to the warning above.
I had very little idea what was going to happen here in Savor because its prequel companion novel (apologies if that label is so incorrect) provided a satisfying closure. I fell in love with Luka in Taste, so you can imagine how happy I was when I learned that he was getting his own book. And now I realized that Savor is actually the first in a freaking series! Oh, yes.

Dakota's voice captured me right from page one and kept me up even though I started reading this at one in the morning. She had this underlying angst that she hid with her carefree, stay-out-of-my-way-and-I'll-stay-out-of-yours attitude, not to mention she kept secrets that I desperately wanted to unravel. What was up with the eye patch? The nightmares? Early on, I knew something twisted her way had come, but I admired how she let all her worries and fears roll off her back and immersed herself in photography. Seeing the world through her camera was her safe haven, an escape from the things chasing after her, and she sure did it well. Even without visual evidence, I knew Dakota's photos were more than good.

Now, Luka. Oh, Luka. Either my memory is deteriorating at an alarming speed or he really did a one-eighty from his Taste!self. I remember all the darkness and whatnot, but not to this degree. I certainly don't remember him acting like a demented, possessive, spoiled brat in that prequel (yes, I'll always think of it as a prequel to this series, like The Hobbit is to The Lord of the Rings), but even then, there's no denying that Luka Visraya is one sexy, sexy man. And he sings! Major swoon, dude.

Dakota and Luka's relationship was nothing if not steamy. All the not-so-pent-up tension between these two damaged people made their interactions even hotter. I'm kind of disappointed, though, that they somehow didn't bring out the best in each other. Dakota used Luka to escape from her demons - granted I enjoyed that because it was hella hot - and she was often the reason why the raging bull in him took over. I hope we'll see more character development but this being the first in a series, I'm positive that there's time enough for that.

I don't know how I got the idea that Luka would be the only character from Taste present in this book, but I sure was pleasantly surprised to encounter the entire gang in here again, albeit how different they are from my memory of them. We don't get much answers and backstory here in Savor so people who've read the prequel may get confused, because I know I am - just a tad bit. I love/hate how the story took a sudden, unexpected twist in the end and I have no idea what direction the story will take, but I am already itching for Relish!

MY FAVORITE PART was Luka performing Poison for the first time. Pretty sure I sighed and giggled :3

RATING:

About the author:
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she lives in the Philippines and writes full time.

Giveaway!
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2 comments:

  1. I shall have to pick up Taste... Wouldn't it be amazing if they did a paperback and included Dakota's photographs? I'd love that! I'm reading JJ Abram's and DD's book right now and all I can say is it's amazing what printers can do today! :-) Also apparently Colleen Hoover's next book with have an album soundtrack - all the songs her characters sing will be on it and in the ebook version they're linked together!

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    1. There is a paperback but I don't think it has Dakota's photos in it :c

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