From This Moment On (Blog Tour)

From This Moment On by Bella Andre
Grade: 2.5 stars out of 5
Published: 5-25-13 / Harlequin MIRA / paperback
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Source: ARC provided by Media Muscles for review purposes

Synopsis:

Marcus has always been the responsible older brother, taking care of the family when their father passed away. When Marcus sees Chase and Chloe together, he realizes that maybe what he has with Jill isn't what he dreamed of. He decides to cut loose and enjoy the night. He never expected to Nico, a woman that he wasn't supposed to see or even think about the next morning.

Nicola has been under the scrutiny being a world famous artist. But the image that the tabloids has created isn't the real her. Tonight, however, Nico decides that enough is enough and tires of hiding away in her hotel. She never expected to find a man like Marcus.

Review: I will admit that I enjoyed From This Moment On more The Look of Love. There were far less inconsistencies and characters that made me want to shake them. Bella Andre seems to prefer love-at-first-sight rather than a slow build-up. This might be preferred to some readers as this keeps the plot very fast with a happy ever after in a 200+ page book.

I prefer Marcus and Nico over Chase and Chloe mostly because I struggled with Chloe's immediate actions to Chase. Nico and Marcus, however, do try to behave as though they are uncomfortable with the idea of developing a strong connection and intimacy in a short time. The continuation of their romance was more believable, and I found myself rooting for the two of them.

The struggles that Marcus faced is a situation that many could find themselves in: a child forced to become an adult after a parent's death. Nico's situation on the other hand is a little less common for most people, a pop-star that is placed in a bad spotlight and hurt by someone she once trusted. The two have very little in common (even their age-gap is a decades width), but I found their relationship promising. I enjoyed their  banter and the intensity of their heat and sparks. Again, however, I thought it moved too quickly for my taste.

There isn't a villain to the story so it was a character driven plot that spins in circle at times. The plot is very simplistic, and I fail to see why Bella Andre sees the need to introduce all the Sullivans again in this short book. Since the plot was simple, I found myself bored at times and rushed towards the end. 

In the end, I'm on the edge of Bella Andre's works. I find them okay reads, but not something I will go back and reread.

Blog Tour: The Look of Love

The Look of Love by Bella Andre
Grade: 1.5 stars out of 5
Published: June 2013; MMP / Harlequin
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FTC: unsolicited from publicity firm

For the first time, Bella Andre's The Sullivans' series is out in mass market paperback. First up, Chase Sullivan: world-renowned photographer with looks that even draws the models. He's tired of the one-night stands and looking for a true love. On the way back from his mother's birthday party, he rescues Chloe Peterson on the side of the road after her car gets trapped in a ditch. Running from a hard past and a soul-sucking relationship, the last thing she wants to deal with another man.

Strictly judging the book by its cover, The Look of Love is not something I would typically pick up.The blurbs and reviews, however, pushed me into trying as the majority are very positive. From the start, though, I realized that this book may not be my cup of tea.

Chase is gorgeous, Chloe is gorgeous. Chloe jumps out of a horrible abusive relationship and into the arms of a man she barely knows. And while there is a time gap between her old relationship and Chase, the speediness in which she claims to have fallen in love was alarming. Chase is, of course, the perfect prince in Chloe's eyes. He has had nights with models, but that only alludes to his handsomeness. But overall I found the characters flat, even the main villain was not as intense as I would have liked.

The ending was short. The build up and build up about Chloe's past relationship, and the confrontation is resolved in a measly 4 pages. The epilogue only sets up for the next story and offers some insight to the new couple.

Overall: The Look of Love is cliche, which may not be a bad thing if it fits the mood that the reader is currently looking for. I was not. Insta-love was very instant; lust, okay but love doesn't happen within less than a 24 hour span. The steamy sex scenes were again, cliche. I found the characters at times hypocritical or very unsure what they truly want. It wraps up quickly, like snap of the fingers quick. Again, this is all personal taste. If I was looking for something fast-paced, fun in the sheets action, with simple characters I wouldn't have rated The Look of Love as harshly.

The Golem and the Jinni (TLC Blog Tour)

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Grade: 4 stars out of 5
Published: April 23, 2013; Harper / hardcover
FTC: ARC provided by publishers for tour

"In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York.

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899.

Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and released in New York City, though still not entirely free

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Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker's debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale."

Helene Wecker built a fantastic world in The Golem and the Jinni. In the beginning of the novel, the onslaught of characters was overwhelming. The story does not truly revolve around the golem or the jinni, but rather the communities in which they dwell in. Imagine their tale to be a ball of yarn and slowly it unravels. At the end, all the characters that were introduced, that was originally thought to be irrelevant, were all tied together. Quite honestly, the first half of the novel barely caught my attention, but the last half was a whirlwind of emotions--grief, anger, and finally satisfaction.

Wecker did a wonderful job writing the different lives: Sophia (the wealthy heiress), Saleh (the blind doctor turned ice cream maker), Arbeely (the tinsman), Anna (the charismatic baker), Michael (an atheist and a Rabbi's nephew), Schaalman (an intelligent evil trapped wizard). Somehow or another, Wecker managed to combine this motley crew with the golem and the jinni to create this tale. The golem,named Chava by her guardian Rabbi, was given curiosity  intelligence, and properness, but her growth, given those few traits, was expotential. She is a strong heroine, literally and figuratively, but has weak moments of insecurity. The jinni, named Ahmad by Arbeely, was someone who was difficult to sympathized in the start. He was pompous with a full ego, a frivelous attitute towards women, but had moments like Chava of insecuity and homesickness, that was touching. I grew to empathize Ahmad. Chava and Ahmad's character grew to become someone with human qualities despite being made from earth and fire, respectively. In the end, I enjoyed reading all the characters for not one was truly evil. Wecker added depth to her characters and their tale.

I would recommend The Golem and the Jinni to those who enjoy reading character driven plots. It was slow build to the climax, and the climax was worth it.

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Visit Helene: website / twitter / facebook

 

Helene Wecker grew up in Libertyville, Illinois, a small town north of Chicago, and received her Bachelor’s in English from Carleton College in Minnesota. After graduating, she worked a number of marketing and communications jobs in Minneapolis and Seattle before deciding to return to her first love, fiction writing. Accordingly, she moved to New York to pursue a Master’s in fiction at Columbia University.

She now lives near San Francisco with her husband and daughter. Her first novel, THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI, will be published in April 2013 by HarperCollins.

Three Sisters Blog Tour Review

Three Sisters by Susan Mallery
Grade: 4 stars out of 5
Published: 26, February 2013; Harlequin MIRA paperback
FTC: ARC was provided by Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. as part of blog tour.

"After Andi Gordon is jilted at the altar, she makes the most impetuous decision of her life – buying one of the famed Three Sisters Queen Anne houses on Blackberry Island. Now the proud-ish owner of the ugly duckling of the trio, she plans to open her own pediatric office on the first floor, just as soon as her hunky contractor completes the work. Andi's new future may be coming together, but the truth is she's just as badly in need of a major renovation as her house.

When Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about a suspected affair, she opens up a Pandora's Box of unhappiness. And he claims that she is the problem. The terrible thing is, he's right. In her quest to be the perfect woman, she's lost herself, and she's in danger of losing her entire family if things don't change.

Next door, artist Boston King thought she and her college sweetheart would be married forever. Their passion for one other has always seemed indestructible. But after tragedy tears them apart, she's not so sure. Now it's time for them to move forward, with or without one another.

Thrown together by fate and geography, and bound by the strongest of friendships, these three women will discover what they're really made of: laughter, tears, love and all."

Three Sisters was the perfect blend of humor, love, and angst. Three Sisters reminded me of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but instead of pants connecting the girls together, the houses tied the women together. Even though Andi, Deanna, and Boston don’t have much in common, but their houses, they still work together and help one another. Each tries to comfort the others using humor, snark, or just a good bottle of wine.

Initially, the multiple POVs and jumping right into the story can be daunting, but once you start, it’s had to stop.

For me, I enjoyed reading Deanna’s POV the most. Her story hit me the hardest and I remember lying bed just full on ugly crying by the middle of her story. I enjoyed the juxtapositioning of her need on control of her life by washing herself and the destruction of her family. But Andi and Boston hold their own as well. Both have had experiences that hurt them terribly and unable to move on. I had more trouble relating to them because I never experienced what they went through, but I was sympathetic to their troubles and rooted when lives started to come back together again.

I loved the setting and the sexy men and the fact that even though Three Sisters is the 2nd installment to the Blackberry Island series, I didn’t have to read the 1st book to follow this. I really loved the stories even though Boston had moments when I just wanted to punch her and Andi’s storyline seemed to go off tangents at times. I would definitely pick up another book by Susan Mallery.

You can follow the rest of the tour here: http://blogtoureditors.booktrib.com/2013/02/28/blog-tour-three-sisters-by-susan-mallery/

Visit Susan Marlley: website / facebook/ twitter

The Dark Heroine Blog Tour Review

The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs
Grade: 1.5 stars out of 5
Published: March 5, 2013; trade paperback; William Morrow
FTC: ARC was provided by publisher for blog tour

Oh how I wanted to love this novel. My favorite genre is paranormal romance, and this was up my alley. The synopses was something that I wold pick up in a heartbeat, but as I've learned, the synopses does not always agree with the book. 

When Violet Lee witnesses a killing in front of her, she is taken captive by none other than Kaspar Varn, heir to the throne of a vampire kingdom. Together, Violet and Kaspar will succumb to fate and their passion.

Smack dab on the cover of The Dark Heroine, it is claimed that this is “The Sexist Romance You’ll Read This Year”. Quite honestly, you might say this is indeed sexy; it is full of kisses, sex, rape, and don’t forget the orgies. Vampires, however, don’t seem consider the time and place for most of these actions though. Just a fair warning, all of that does occur. The book was not graphic though, but there are many cusses.

I do enjoy Gibbs’s world building. Her idea of multiple dimensions and parallel connections and a prophecy of nine women tying them all together were intriguing. It is something a little different from the other paranormal romances I’ve read. I also appreciate her slow introduction into the world; there’s nothing more boring than reading pages and pages of information just thrown in your face. The Dark Heroine, however, has only covered 1 dimension in which the vampires reside. The sequel will cover where the magicians reside, so it is a slow world building, but definitely more gratifying than word vomiting.

The pacing to The Dark Heroine was awkward and clunky. The shifts between politics and romance were abrupt. In one chapter there’s talk about going into war and fighting hunters, the next chapter some vampire guy is hitting on Violet and asking her to a dance/ball. What?

Anyhow. Violet Lee is not one of my favorite heroines. She’s a damsel-in-distress and constantly forgets that is a hostage that may cause a war. She’s spunky and has plenty of lip, but I find Violet so frustrating and too naïve. In a hypothetical scenario where I was held captive in a building full of people who can kill me and happily drink my blood, and my death can cause a full on war, I would not play a prank on someone who does seem to like me very much. I love sleep and all, but if it was between my life and not getting a good night’s rest, I would choose life. There is a time and place to play pranks. There is also Violet’s thinking that they should treat her better. I laugh and laugh because she is a hostage and that thought pattern eludes her. Throughout the novel, the vampires do treat her kindly, but when they threaten and are physically rough she cries. Get over it. (As a side not, Violet’s eyes are violet, but there is no real significance to her eye color so I do not quite understand why it was mentioned so often.)

Then there’s Kaspar. I have few more colorful words than jerk, a term most commonly used by Violet in describing Kaspar. (Really, is jerk all that you can come up with?) Kaspar is the typical bad boy turned good guy by the right girl. He is obnoxious, a manslut, arrogant with an ego that can fill the room, with bits (tiny bits) that show him to be gentle and caring. There are some chapters when Kaspar’s emotions are at a high that it will be in his POV which offer some insights. I wished these chapters were more frequent as many of his actions were at odds to what he says and what (he says) he feels.

The romance between Violet and Kaspar appeared to be forced. Riding on the fate track works and calling it love was contrived. I found the foundation of the romance to lean more on lust and the rest (conversations, intimate moments, commonness) hastily thrown  on top.

The side characters on average were eh. I liked some, but many were cliché. Violet’s best friend is of course beautiful and flirty. To the readers, she doesn’t sound like a very good friend. Kaspar’s best friend, Fabian, doesn’t sound quite a great friend either. And I do not, do not, understand why being rejected by a girl is a good to participate in an orgy. I would name more, but the list will get too long.

In all, I would most likely not read the sequel toThe Dark Heroine. While I find the world building fascinating, the characters and writing style did not click for me. I rolled my eyes and scoffed too many times for me to consider this book something I would want to read again.

On another note, The Dark Heroine is pitched for lovers of Twilight and A Discovery of Witches. I have not read A Discovery of Witches so I can vouch for that comparison, but comparing The Dark Heroine to Twilight is pushing it.

Visit the author's Wattpad page, Facebook page, or the Facebook group for Dinner With a Vampire 

-or-

follow the tour

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
Published: February 26, 2013; mass market paperback; Harlequin HQN
Grade: 4 stars out of 5
FTC: book was provided by publicity firm

Why are all the good men taken, gay, or married?

For Faith Holland, Jeremy was the perfect guy. Respectful, sweet, smart, just perfect, but because of Levi Cooper, Faith was left at the altar.

"Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there….

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief—and best friend of her former fiancé. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it's not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rosé, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk down the aisle."

Ever had the feeling where you read so many teen lit that you become desensitized and you just want something different. You want something spicier, a little more mature, but still craving fun and humorous. I found that with The Best Man by Kristan Higgins.

Faith Holland is this blend of nativity, whimsical, in-your-face directness that makes her endearing. If this were an urban fantasy novel, she’ll probably be gutting down demons with her adorable dog at her side. Alas, this is contemporary, but Faith can definitely hold her own against men. Her string of bad luck with men only draws more sympathy and definitely laughs out loud scenes. Faith also has epilepsy, and while 90% of the novel does not focus on it, it does place a heavy burden on Faith’s shoulder. Faith isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and with the death of the mother and her father’s non-interest of getting back into the dating pool, Faith’s guilt and the darker of her personality comes through.    

Levi Cooper, when initially introduced, is an ass. Plain and simple, he is a complete ass. Gradually over the course of the novel, my impression of him changed; he became dynamic, softer, caring, damaged. After several terms in a war, a failed marriage, a deadbeat father, and a childhood where money was very tight all the time, Levi had an edge to him. But as the novel delved deeper into his back-story, his sweet nature started to appear. What appeared to be an act that destroyed a potentially great marriage was actually an act of true friendship. Levi is a true and great friendship that will stick by someone through thick and thin. He has his own sense of justice that showcases his compassion. Granted there are still moments where he is a complete ass, but I believe his intentions are good.

The relationship between the two was a mixture of sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. Their personalities at times can clash as neither fully trusts each other nor can they can admit that they like each other. Actions, however, can speak louder than words so while sweet nothings are hardly ever whispered in their ears it is undeniable that the two have a connection.

Family is huge in this novel and rightfully so. And while I can’t talk much about it without explaining and possibly spoiling the entire novel, I can say that it’s a nice break from the emotional tug-of-war which is love.

The Best Man is a delicious blend of dark, gritty experiences and light, fun humor. Kristan Higgins writing is crisp, easy to follow and straight to the point. I find her writing style appealing and her novels always entertaining. This being my fourth or fifth novel of Higgins I will say that it wasn’t my favorite of hers—mostly for wanting more from Levi in regards to his outright affection for Faith—but The Best Man was still one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristan Higgins writes down-to-earth romantic comedies...real life, true love and lots of laughs.

Find Kristan on Twitter or visit her website.

Purchase your copy of The Best Man on Amazon.

Booktrib.com is also doing a Live Chat with Kristan on March 12 at 3:00 PM EST. You can ask her any questions you might have, and hear about her new projects!!

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Review)

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published: January 22, 2013 (Egmont USA) / Hardcover
Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5

Sixteen year old Claire has always felt invisible and unmemorable, but she never knew why. So when a boy is staring straight at her, Claire is shocked and elated. That is, until the boy points a gun at her.

Nix is a trained assassin. He has never been caught and planned to never be for he is a Nobody –an ignored, unloved, practically invisible being. His next target is said to be Claire: a Null that feels no empathy, no compassion, a defective selfish being. But when his eyes meet hers, he feels a connection. He shouldn’t feel this way for a girl he just met, but he can’t help it. And what he has been told about Claire goes against what he has witnessed. Nix starts to question everything that he has been told….

Together, Claire and Nix will find the truth.

As a huge fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s Raised by Wolves trilogy, I was excited to read an ARC of Nobody. Nobody, however, fell short of expectation, but had moments of wonders and positive glee.

Nobody is a fast-paced novel that can be easily finished in less than a day. If I didn’t have classes to attend I would’ve just kept plowing through the novel. Barnes’s writing draws me into her story and cajoles me to continue even if my mind says to sleep. Barnes’s writing style is brisk, but coupled with long sentences that paint the scene and emotions:

“A new mantra. New words, pumping through his veins, forming a strange duet with the old one.

Less than—
Shadow—
Less than—
Air—
Nothing—
Claire.”

I have a preference for these short brisk sentences mostly because I can be easily distracted. But these sentences have an amplifying effect that builds up emotions—anxiety, fear, happiness, etc. That said and done, Barnes’s writing might be distinct, but shortly finishing Nobody I quickly forgot about it. Perhaps Barnes’s exemplification of her characters being a nobody has extended to her entire novel.

Claire’s metamorphosis from a timid girl to a strong, take-action, fighting woman progressed far too quickly for my liking. Mayhap those traits were always there, but my initial judgment of Claire did not match her actions. Which can be a good thing, but in this case the development of Claire occurred too rapidly, which of course is a bad thing. Aside from that I do value Claire as a good support to Nix. She’s compassionate, understanding, determined and at times stubborn, and not one to be the damsel in distress. She is a multidimensional character whom I find interesting.

Nix, on the other hand, developed at a much relatively “normal” pace. As the book is split into both POVs it was easy to follow Nix’s thinking patterns and his viewpoint on life and his actions. Nix’s POV is more angst ridden than Claire’s and borders on that typically bad boy, “woe is me, you are too good for me” mindset. A Cliché, overdone, becoming a bore type of character. But hey, Nix is a man who takes action; when he says he’ll kill someone he will probably do so. I appreciate that.

Together, Claire and Nix have chemistry that sizzles and sparks. Typically I abhor insta-romance/love, but for Claire and Nix it was easier to believe. As a Nobody, they never experienced attention or affection. This joy of being around someone who sees you can quickly transform into love.

But enough about love.

Overall I find the novel more enjoyable as I read it, but forgettable as I finish. The climax was…shy of being explosive. The ending was neat and compact, leaving very little questions left to be answered. It’s a picture perfect ending for the two of them that makes sense. I repeat: the ending did not come from left-field just to smack you across the face. It makes sense to what Barnes has set up throughout the novel. Hallelujah!

Jennifer Lynn Barnes's website
Purchase your own copy of Nobody: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Indie Bound

Source: thank you Media Masters Publicity and Egmont USA for a review copy

The Golden Lily

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist. When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by
Richelle Mead

Grade: 2 stars out of 5

Oh my... I love Richelle Mead. She is my favorite author, currently. I've read a little bit from each of her series, especially Vampire Academy, and I'm totally in love with her heroines and her writing style. Rose, Eugenie, and Georgina are very similar-- strong, witty, beautiful, full of biting retorts, not always thinking before speaking, etc. So, when I heard that she was going to kinda-sorta continue the Vampire Academy Universe from Sydney's POV, I was REALLY excited. I wanted to read her tell a different sort of character, because Sydney is, as Mead stated herself, the opposite of impulsive Rose. Sydney is always calculating, reserved, thinks ahead, etc. I wanted to see Mead write from out of her comfort zone.

I liked Bloodlines #1. Twas good.

The Golden Lily - kill me, but 3 months later, and I still haven't brought myself to finishing it. For a Mead book, for me, that's UNHEARD of. I think someone's dead... or in trouble. I think there's a love triangle. I don't know... AND I DON'T CARE. I even didn't feel like writing my own summary and stole it from goodreads.com.

Sydney is boring. She's perfect in every way. She's smart, she's pretty, she's skinny, she's kicking ass, she's magical (or something). At least Rose had a couple faults. Adrian (and so many people will be mad at me) is boring. More drinking, more underachieving, I want him to do more than just wallow in his pity and Sydney's hot body. Everyone else has lost their pizzaz, their uniqueness. If Richelle Mead killed them all in the next book (what is it called, Indigo Spell?), I would be like 1000000x less upset then I was at the end of Shadow Kissed, and I was INCREDIBLY sad at the end of Shadow Kissed.

I think Mead's throwing too much into here. The pairings are clear, even with the love triangles. Sydney has too many responsibilities and not enough hours in the day. And frankly, I am just not interested in any super powers she may have (duh, I haven't finished the book).

Maybe I'll crack it open the next time I want to procrastinate on my homework. And I'll come back and finish this review.

Struck

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Grade: 3 stars out of 5
Published: May 8, 2012; hardcover
Source: ARC from publisher

What Jennifer Bosworth wrote is something that is frighteningly possible. A massive religious cult, another massive cult trying to stop the other cult, no government stability, prices on basic needs sky-rocketing, etc. Of course in real life there is no psychics or magical beings who with withhold lightening.

In this dystopian novel, Mia Price is the only one who can either save the world or destroy it. Mia is addicted to being struck by lightening and will chase it in for that one hit. Like a drug addict, she keeps asking for more and it shows. With Lichtenberg Figures dancing all over her body, she dresses in black to not scare anyone. But people know who she is, what she’s done, and what she can do.

Jeremy wants to protect Mia, but from what and exactly from whom?

I’m conflicted with my response to Struck. I think it’s dangerous, sexy, and creative. But then again I think it’s creepy, underdeveloped, and too quick.

My biggest issue was Mia and Jeremy. Mia and Jeremy happened too fast for my liking. I found Jeremy really creepy in the beginning and exasperated at how quickly Mia was able to forgive Jeremy. The foundation to the relationship weak; their connection together too strong given the amount of time together. I found both characters lacking in development and background. Of course this is only part one of a series so I expect more later on.

What I did find fascinating was just the idea behind Struck. It’s something I’ve never read before and something I never expected to read. This book will hit a couple of sore spots for some, but I think overall it’s so interesting and unique that will make people curious and draw them in.

I love that Bosworth takes the most innate part of human and expands it. Why does Mia like to be struck by lightening? Because it gives her a high; it makes her feel alive. Why does the Prophet want to run the world? Because it’s power and control and the need to feel safe from anybody. Why do people join the two different cults? Because it gives them a sense of purpose, it makes them feel needed, they want to survive, they want the weight taken off their shoulder. The basic drive in humans is so powerful that it can cause mayhem. I love it; I love that it’s a raw emotion.

The action scenes were done well. The cult scenes were deliciously strange and haunting. The characters were set apart and individualized ‘cause nothing spells a bad book when I can’t tell where one character ends and another begins.

The climax had a pow to it. The ending was satisfying. Struck was a solid read that has a solid audience.

Cover C+/B-

case of a lightening strike: Lichtenberg Figure

The Summer My Life Began

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5
Published: May 10, 2012; paperback
Source: unsolicited ARC from publisher

What better way to spend your summer than figuring what you want to do for the rest of your life and love it too.

“Elizabeth Margaret--better known as Em--has always known what her life would contain: an internship at her father's firm, a degree from Harvard, and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is, it's not what she wants. So when she gets the opportunity to get away and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em learns that her family has some pretty significant secrets. And then there's Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can't resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels that for the first time ever, she is really living life on her own terms.” 

The Summer My Life Began is a relaxing summer read with light hand of poor family relations.

Em spends her summer doing what she loves and what I somewhat enjoy doing, cooking. While TThe Summer My Life Began doesn’t include recipes, there are some inspirational dishes that can be mimicked. Delicious sounding dishes that I’m sure will make the taste buds tingle.

One thing that I love is how the book juxtaposes Em’s internal conflicts with her external ones. Just as Em finds her calling, family relationship starts to crumble. On one hand, I love that Em’s following her passion and that cooking seems to be so right for her. I, for one, would love to find something I am great at, can make a career from, and have so much passion for it. On the other hand, I don’t envy the pressure from the family to be perfect and something I’m not. Ultimately I was rooting for Em to be a chef and get out from her parents’ steel wings.

Her summer at her aunt’s place that sparked this new Em is a beautiful setting to the novel. I love how Greenland spent some scenes traveling throughout the town and giving it more atmosphere. The blossoming of Em’s new romantic relationship with Cade is sizzling. Cade is the local bad boy with a troubled past and a great future ahead of him. I was slightly iffy about Cade and Em because it seemed almost too soon and too quick, but the relationship grew on me.

The big hush-hush secret that runs through the family can be easily predicted. It is quite hinted throughout the novel. I didn’t mind it as much as others, despite it’s somewhat being a cliché, mostly because I never saw The Summer My Life Began as a life-changing novel. It’s a summer read meant for readers to enjoy, not dissected. I enjoyed it.

Read The Summer My Life Began if you’re looking for something light, but with a surprising hearty bite at the last minute. Some parts of the novel can be fleshed out more and I wished that the emotions can be stronger, but all-in-all a good read.

Cover B-

This is Not a Test

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Grade: 4 stars out of 5
Published: June 19, 2012; paperback
Source: ARC from LibaryThing ER

I have a love affair with Courtney Summers’s books. I’m usually strictly a paranormal gal (I mean, have you seen my bookshelf?), but as soon as Courtney Summers’s has a new book I’m on it like as if it were a cupcake—devoured with a every-man-for-themselves attitude. So when Summer’s announced her new book involving zombies I had to read it!

And thank you jebus that these zombies are not the cuddly, happy-go-lucky zombies that’s French kissing some cheerleader/goth dude. No, this is eating-the-flesh-off-your-face zombie.

Oh yeah.

This is Not a Test is about Sloane and a motley set of teenagers trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. Of course, what’s a Summers’s work if there isn’t emotional tension, angst, and drama. A boring one is what that will be.

This is Not a Test is heart pounding, jaw clenching novel that really leaves you hanging off the edge of your seat. (I know, I know, second POV is bad because it makes me sound obnoxious, but truly, this novel will have you on the edge.) While the zombies attack is an essential part of the novel, it is not the main focus. For This is Not a Test is a character driven novel with Sloane being the instigator. It is about living to survive from abandonment. Learning how to breathe even when the room starts to feel small and closing in. Learning to forgive people.

Summers’s draws forth an emotional response from the reader in every chapter. Even with the first person point of view, there’s an attachment and connection to the other characters. Take a deep breath in, and exhale slowly because it’s easily to get wrapped up in the characters. It’s so easy to get caught up in the loneliness and the despair from Sloane. Sometimes the urge to yell at someone is strong, other times tears sting your eye. There were so many times I had to stop reading, close the book, and take a minute to collect myself before I started to bawl. I became so emotionally invested in Sloane that it surprised me. I wanted to follow her tale till the wee rosy-fingered dawn. But I passed out around midnight so instead I dreamed about it. I wanted her live, but I wanted her to want to live even more.

By now you might have noticed my lack of mentioning of the zombies aside from the initial introduction. There’s a reason for that. Courtney Summers writes fantastic contemporary works of fiction. This is Not a Test reads just like a contemp. book with zombies being in the background. The zombies may be the ones that started the book, but the story of Sloane started before that. What the zombies do is make everything much more intense; it kick-starts the adrenaline. That’s not to say there aren’t any zombie fighting and chasing scenes. And that’s not to say what Summers’s wrote about the zombies wasn’t frightening. Because there were and it was. There is more to This is Not a Test than flesh-eating zombies.

The one part of Summers’s novels that frustrates me: the ending. They are typically open-ended and for me, I need to know what happens. Will they make it? To the new safe house? As a couple? Will Sloane continue to want to live? What happens now!?

With Summers’s terse writing and some unforgettable lines, This is Not a Test will haunt you; it’ll stick with you even after you finished reading it. I want to carry this book with me always so I can smack people in the face and demand that they read it. Now!

Cover A-

Absolutely love the blood splatter and the tilt of the model's head.

Fifty Shades of WTF Did I Read

Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Freed
by E.L. James

Grade: 0.5 stars out of 5
Published: self-pub then Vintage dropped a shiny penny for the series; paperback/kindle
Source: myself (why oh why)
Ages: 18+ but I started reading smexy books earlier so whatever floats your boat.
Cover: B+

Currently in my YA reading slump, I thought I would do a 180 and pick up some books that has been drawing attention: Fifty Shades trilogy. I’m sure every author would love to be in E.L. James’s position right now: a stellar contract, countless weeks on the NYT’s bestseller list, made USA Today’s list, in stores almost everywhere (including WalMart where I just had to gasp!), etcetera etcetera.

For those of you who have living under a rock, or in case of my many friends, just don’t care, the Fifty Shades series is about a guy named Christian Grey (hint hint, Fifty Shades of Grey) who’s a really rich guy that’s part philanthropist, part sexual and overly bearing dominant with an inner 14-year adolescent that’s really horny and afraid of being abandoned. He also has a really bad case of an Oedipus Complex.

Now it’s not all about him, despite the fact that his ego can fill up an entire room, because it takes two to do the dirty deed. Oh, I should mention that this trilogy is a BDSM, erotic, love tale, but more on that later. Now the lovely partner/lover/semi-submissive to the ever dominant Christian is Anastasia Steele. She’s pretty and a brunette and really good at reading/critiquing manuscripts. She also loves her stepfather. There’s nothing really much about her per se except being exceptionally pretty to the point where almost every single straight guy around her is in love with her. Or perhaps they just want to get in her pants.

She also talks to her inner goddess, which is within her subconscious even though the subconscious is something you're unaware of she frequently talks to it. So much so that I would like to stake her inner goddess.

So the whole series is about them being trying to be together. Through the ups (sex), and downs (bad relationships, a “crack whore mom”, a crazy stalker/murderer, a boyfriend who wants to control every aspect of your life, an ex-submissive/dominant/the way older woman who taught you sex, etc) they somehow work things out. Instant love works amazingly well in fiction.

Straight up, I did not like the Fifty Shades trilogy. Shocking really. Firstly, I wish I had never known that this was originally a Twilight fanfiction. I compared it to the original Twilight than I compared it to the really great fanfictions I’ve read. What’s bad was that I caught E.L. James using a certain Twilight character’s real name instead of the name that James’s created. Uh oh. (Luckily I’ve read enough Twilight parodies that I’ve grown used to these mistakes.) Secondly, what a poor set of characters: dislikable and vapid. Thirdly, the plot sucked. Lastly, which I think was the blasphemous of the entire book, the sex…was bland. For a BDSM erotica, I was expecting some steamy, wow sex, but most was very “vanilla” and repetitive that I fell asleep. At 10 PM. I kid you not.

Christian and Anastasia have no idea what they want in each other and it’s horrifyingly embarrassing reading them interact. Cheesy, cliché, and uninspiring dialogue flows between them like verbal diarrhea. The mind says no, but the body screams yes; I can’t live without you; sunshine comes out your ass, yada yada yada. I for one wanted to take the flogger, crop, paddle, and cane to smack them a few times. The conversations they have boils down to Christian wanting Ana to be safe and following what he asks/demands; she, of course, tells Christian that she understands his concerns and will try to take it into consideration. Not 5 hours later does she defy what he asked and then she gets pissed that he’s angry because she blatantly goes against what he says. Then he gets upset that she’s pissed and afraid that she’ll leave. She forgives him; they have sex. And repeat. And repeat. Over and over again and you wonder whatever happened to character development.

At that point I would like sparkly Edward back. (Not something I ever expected to say or type.)

The supporting cast is bland. Ana’s best friend is supposedly rich and intelligent. For the most of the series, she’s off vacationing and banging Christian’s brother who is supposedly cheating, but the author never goes into that. Christian’s sister is hyper and does not know what personal space is. Ana’s parents and friends are flickers of light.

The sex is bland for a BDSM erotica. Forget bondage. Forget doms and subs as that it didn’t last the entire book one of the series. Sadism still alive and kicking, but Ana gives off too many conflicting signals that I don’t doubt why Christian’s half-confused by the type of sex that have. (She likes it rough, but not roughly as if that’s not a vague statement.) There’s a couple of scenes where he spanks her (thank goodness he doesn’t ask, “who’s your daddy” because that would be disturbing on a new lever), they play with a couple of sex toys, and they really like elevators, but other than that it’s mostly typically love scene romance-y vanilla sex. That is not what I asked for.

So what we have so far is bland sex, poor characters, and a weak plot.

The one redeeming thing about the books was the crack whore mom and her impact on Christian. For whatever reason I find his childhood tragic and something I can easily sympathize to.

Stupid curiosity told me to read these books. Gah. Never listening to that again until next week…or at least until Thursday where I will try a chocolate panini.


Listen to Gilbert Gottfriend read Fifty Shades of Grey
Listen to Ellen Degeneres read Fifty Shades of Grey

The Vicious Deep

You’ll have to forgive me for this review; it’s been almost 3 months since I’ve written my last review. Hopefully it’ll be like riding a bike….

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The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova
Grade: 3.8 stars out of 5
Published: May 1st, 2012; harcover
Source: ARC from Sourcebooks for blog tour

You thought your family had secrets. For Tristan Hart, his family’s secret goes deep…deep into the ocean.

For 3 days, Tristan has been swept way in the sea by a crash. He was the only survivor. The big question on everyone’s mind is how? Someone has some explaining to do especially when a goldfish turned merperson comes popping out of the facet.

The first thing that was the most surprising was the fact that The Vicious Deep was written through a male’s POV via first person. Zoraida Cordova pulled it off well. Tristan Hart is one of those guys who is part jerk who knows that he’s hot and part sensitive guy that not many people know about. The first person POV helped immensely when drawing some the more subtle traits of Tristan: protective, loving, word-vomiting guy. But he’s still part jerk. There were moments in the book where I wanted to slap him upside the head, stomp on his toes hard, and say really mean things.

Tristan’s reactions to everything were realistic. The underwater kingdom that Cordova built was crafted amazingly. I enjoy the slight politics and balance between brutish and sophisticated lifestyle that the merfolk cultivated.

For me, I had trouble mostly with the pacing of the story and Layla, Tristan’s best friend and crush. I’m all for independent women, but I hated how she took every “no, don’t do it” as a challenge. There’s a difference between confident and reckless and Layla managed to cross that line for me many times. Tristan wasn’t the only thing I wanted to slap.

I loved the other characters. Love, love, love some of the secondary characters. Would a fifth “love” be excessive? No? Okay, I loovvveee some of them. The dad, mom, friends, and “cousins” brought so much to the book.

The second problem was that the pacing was rather slow for me. There were some scenes that I felt could have been cut out like the mall scene. The excess magical creatures, I hope would play a bigger role later on. Right now, it’s a little too heavy and too much of a wasted chapter. Perhaps I’m just impatient for the big showdown. (I’ve been told I’m quite impatient.)

In all, The Vicious Deep was a great adventure with its own great tale. I won’t look at mermaids/mermen the same way. With splashes of humor, action scenes that I can instantly visualize, and a great set of hero and heroines I look forward to the next installment.

did not like

Cover A

I prefer this cover a lot more. There's a greater appeal to the male readers than the older cover (which featured a girl on the cover), while still having appeal to the female readers. I absolutely love the eye-popping colors and how much it relates to the book. It's freaking awesome.

Alternate Views: 3 Mini-Reviews

Yan and I read some of the same books, but I didn’t want to do a complete review on the same books. It’d be a bit boring, right? But I like attention and I wanted to share my thoughts too! I picked three big ones that I would talk a little about, informally.

Legend by Marie Lu

Grade: 4.8 stars out of 5

I finished this in two days. I got it Sunday on the tour and I finished Monday night (early Tuesday morning) instead of doing DiffEq homework. I want to eat this book. Is that weird? It’s all black and gold and delicious; all mystery and suspense and romantic. I want Day. Where can I find a Day in real life?

“Screw June. Pick meeeeeee. I’m observant too! I got a perfect score [once] too!” It’s not fair. :(

Legend gives me hope for the state of YA fiction after the terribleness of Carrier of the Mark. GiveMeTheSecondOneNow. NAO!

Also, Marie Lu said she liked my name. WIN!

Psst... Yan's review here .

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Isle of Night (The Watcher's #1) by Veronica Wolff
Grade: 2 stars out of 5

If I was violent person, I would hunt down every one who said “Oh it’s like Vampire Academy” and smack them with my copy of VA#6.
There were like two similarities between this monstrosity and VA and it was a) vampire school of guardians and b) hot guy.

I love Rose to death, but do I care about Drew? No; I hope she dies. I don’t want to hear how SOOPER SMRT she is. I don’t want her going on about everyone else is hot and she’s not “boo-hoo”. Taking the vampire aside, how realistic is the idea of beautiful people all over the world who have nothing left and they all have some special talent and are just right to guard vampires? Why do these vampires even need Watchers? Wolff explained it, but I forgot it. I don’t care.

When I’m super bored and I need motivation to write my own novel, I’ll read the sequel. It’ll be like one of those anti-drug campaigns that say “Meth – Not even once” or whatever. Except it will be with Isle of Night and it’ll say “Generic Beautiful Smart Main Character and Generic Beautiful Love Interest – Not even once.”

Yan's review is here. [Comment by Yan: Ouch, tell us how you really feel. My review is much more positive if anyone is curious to read a different POV.]

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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Grade: 4 stars out of 5


If you go back to my Carrier of the Mark review, I mention that in the middle of my rant to my friend Zach, a girl passes by and casually states “Everyone should read Hunger Gamers. It’s the best!” or something. I have a special smile for situations where I should keep my mouth shut, and here it made an appearance. Don’t get me wrong, I like Hunger Games. I was biting my nails all throughout the last half of the book. I like Katniss and Peeta and the other ones. I’m going to see the movie.

I understand why people are fanatical about this series, but I am not. I finished Hunger Games and went back to sleep. I didn’t HUNGER for the second book like I did with Legend. In fact, I started the second book on audio because I was bored, and I got as far as the second chapter before I just said “Meh, don’t care”. I’m not really Team Gale or Team Peeta; I don’t see the love triangle (though many say I should just finish the trilogy).

I think the book would have been so actually been "the best" if they all died. It would have been so much more powerful, a real “Screw you” to the dystopia, and I would have loved it and became a fan girl. But there’s no such thing as a standalone novel nowadays, and it’s better to have a seemingly happy ending and two more books, apparently.

[Comment by Yan: now I'm curious as to why you gave it 4 stars when you seem rather indifferent about the book.]

Carrier of the Mark

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Grade: 2 out of 5 stars

Megan Rosenberg has just moved to Ireland because of her father’s new job. Being the new girl in her school is something that she’s used to, but having hotandsexy Adam DeR¬¬ís’s attention is unusual. Megan can’t believe the rumors her new friend Caitlin says exist about the DeRíses, but Megan can’t ignore the weird events that happen whenever she’s around Adam or his twin sister Áine.

So it’s Saturday and I’m in the library, right? I’m skimming over novels in the teen section because I have time to waste before my train. I pick up books, inspect the cover, read the back, and read the author’s bio, when all of a sudden, like a freaking flood light, this book’s spine pops out at me. Lo and Behold, my first name! Cover is EXTREMELY pretty with a pretty girl in a dress (Yan’s rant on bookcovers). I read the back, and yeah it feels like it’s already been done but I don’t care, I’M EXCITED! I read the author’s bio, and as I suspected, she was raised in Ireland. I take the book home on the train and read it.

On Monday, I walk into my 9am class about 10 minutes early. My friend is already there, and I can no longer contain my rant. I slam the book on the desk and the following conversation takes place.

Fallon: “I hate this book.”

Zach: “Why?”

Fallon: “There’s this chick, and she goes to a new school for the first time and there’s this really hot guy and from across the room their eyes meet and BOOM they’re automatically in love. She doesn’t know him, but she already can’t get him out of her mind. And then he saves her life, and then share intimate moments, even though they’ve never really spoken before. Then it turns out he and his family have super powers, and so does she, because they’re loosely related or something, and then, even they’ve only been dating for about 2 weeks, they are already worried about having kids and people attacking and shit.”

At this point, many others have come into the room, and they want to know what it is I’m talking about, so I explain the pretty cover book with my name on it and how UPSET I am at how terrible it is. (Then some other girl mentions how The Hunger Games is such a good series and I should read it. That’s when I realized I was a book-hipster, as I was going to say “First chapter of Catching Fire sucked”. Good thing I didn’t.)
Anyway, I hate this book. I read a different review of how it’s exactly like Twilight, and I must agree. Lots of “Protect her despite what she thinks” and “I have to ask my boyfriend for permission to hang out with my friends”. Megan’s mother is not in the picture, she takes care of her father, Adam protects her from getting raped, his sister Áine likes her, his brother Rían doesn’t, they have special powers, etc. Then they brought in the elements and I’m like “Wow, so this is like Avatar the Last Airbender.” Then the author tried to explain it using genetics and I lost it, because then it was turning into something like Vampire Academy, especially going crazy when the use of the element of spirit was mentioned. And the entire time I was reading this, even at the end, I felt that it would be okay if they all died because I didn’t see how their powers made any impact on other humans. I WAS ACTUALLY WISHING THE CHARACTERS WOULD DIE.

Megan was bland, Adam was a tad bit too perfect, the Evil Organization was half-assed, and the ending was too unbelievable (Megan got snatched off a horse and kidnapped! LOLOLOL). It was so unrealistic, even for a paranormal romance, and not for the first time I’m wondering just how exactly how hard it should be to get published. I’ve written better lab reports than this.

I give it 2 stars because of the cover, the author’s last name*, the use of elements, the horses, and the fact that it takes place in Ireland. It’s almost too charitable. I’m glad I didn’t buy the book and I feel sorry for the person that reads it after me.

*Edited by Yan: Fallon and Fallon, heh :)

The Disenchantments

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Grade: 4 stars out of 5
Published: February 16, 2012  Buy from Amazon
Source: won from LibraryThing ER

After reading the praise behind Hold Still I caved and read Hold Still. I liked it. I wasn’t jumping off my seat in love with the book. Then I gave the book to someone else because maybe that person will love the book like many people who encouraged me to pick it up.

Then I got The Disenchantments in the mail. My conscience is telling me to pass this book, but a part of my brain says “maybe this is the book that will make you fall in love with LaCour”. And you know what, it wasn’t, but it was on the right track. The Disenchantments is a roadtrip that will break your heart and find redemption.

Colby (which is a guy by the way because yay for unisexual names) and Bev go way back. They’ve been friends for a while time. They’ve made a pact: after graduation they’ll go travel Europe together. No college. So on tour for Bev’s all-girl band, The Disenchantments (who aren’t good at all), Colby expects things to go smoothly with fun before the band goes their separate ways. But when Bev announces that she’s going to college, Colby starts to wonder why and what else has Bev been keeping a secret?

The Disenchantments took me a little over a month to read. It’s been an on-and-off read where I managed to finish almost 10 books in-between the starting and ending point. I couldn't connect to the book; I couldn’t connect to Colby as a narrator. I couldn't understand why Colby liked Bev so much.

Once Bev admitted that she knew Colby liked her, I gave up. Bev was already distant to being with, but when she made the announcement I really had a hard time trying to figure out what made Bev the girl to Colby. She is selfish, she leads people on, she lies. She’s a borderline b’tch. And then have Colby mooning over her for god knows how much longer in the book, I wasn’t going to last. I had to put The Disenchantments down.

After several weeks enough was enough. I put on my big girl pants and dragged myself through the rest of the book. (I was only about a third way finished.) I don’t know where and when it happened, but I hit a spot in The Disenchantments where I really just started to like to.

The little towns where the band was stopping seemed to shape Colby into a much more interesting narrator. Bev started to flesh out as readers find out what secrets Bev has kept hidden. It’s more emotional than I ever expected from the same girl I once considered to be a b’tch. What started as an innocent road trip turns into self discovery, family struggles, and forgiveness. No one is perfect and The Disenchantments point to that, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

The Runaways: Hello Dad! Hello Mom!

I love the intermingling of art (especially finishing up Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley) especially the various forms of art: drawings, paintings, sculpting, music, acting, photography, tattooing, etc. Each of these forms bring in more characters to the novel, and while it normally would irritate me, I found that it worked quite well in The Disenchantments. The characters were different enough that I was able to keep track of them and saw that they had purpose to the novel.

The Disenchantments is a bold novel with bold characters. Bandmates Bev, Meg, and Alexa with tag-along Colby make this roadtrip an unforgettable one.

Cover A-/B+

I love the vibe I get from the cover and how well it translate from the book.

Bittersweet

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5
Published: January 3, 2012 Buy from Amazon
Source: unsolicited ARC from Simon Pulse

I freaking love cupcakes. I’m one of those cupcake eaters that eat the cake first then make my way to the top because I save the best for last—the frosting. Hudson Avery is the Queen of Cupcakes; she’s a gal that I’ll love to be an assistant to. Just pay me in cupcakes and I’ll be happy.

But Hudson’s life right now isn’t so great. Her skating dreams are over; her mom’s dream of owning a diner will tank unless a new review will put Hurley’s Homestyle Diner back on the map; her dad is living a new life that doesn’t include his daughter or son; and Hudson is trapped in little Watonka, New York.

Until, that is, Hudson gets the chance to compete in a skating competition for a $50,000 scholarship.

I’ve been following Sarah Ockler ever since her debut novel, Twenty Boy Summer, and I eagerly wait for what she has for the readers. Bittersweet, formally titled the language of impossible dreams, is what you would expect from Sarah Ockler: good read with characters you wouldn’t expect and a storyline that touches the heart. Yet, for me, there’s always something missing about her books that don’t make me hold the book to my chest, carry it around and shove it in other people’s faces yelling “Read this!”

Maybe it was the characters that I liked, but thought could have been stronger. It’s easy to be empathic to Hudson, but it’s harder to like her. Maybe it’s because you can see a lot of yourself in her and that stuff isn’t so good. Hudson would a difficult friend to have; she locks herself in and is prone to live her own little world. Bittersweet is Hudson’s journey to finding her happiness in life and that journey isn’t smooth.

Will and Josh, co-captains to the Watonka hockey team, are more likeable than Hudson. But Josh, the boy that the reader will definitely pine for is less developed than Will. Since Josh is the main love interest I was disappointed seeing him fade to the back whenever Will comes to the scene. Will is much more dynamic than Josh with a stronger background story and a multifaceted personality.

Then I wished the readers knew more about Dani and Kara. They seemed interesting, but I knew them as Hudon’s friend and former best friend than Dani and Kara.

But I absolutely adore—love!—Bug (Hudson’s baby brother). He’s part mad-scientist, part explorer, part adorable brother who helps around the house, part son-whose-never-really-known-his-father. Bug is the comic relief to Bittersweet and yet he’s fragile enough that you want to protect him from everything that’s bad.

Bittersweet is topsy turvy: I like parts of it so much and other parts I wished were stronger. One thing that I did forget to mention was the cupcake concoctions underneath each chapter heading. Brilliant and delicious.

Bittersweet is just that, bittersweet. The sweetest of the cupcakes and the tingly feelings from young love versus the bitterness of divorce and its crumbling effects.

Cover C+

I much prefer the old cover to the new one because a) Hudson bakes cupcakes, not cookies and b) hot chocolate is part of the story. Well there's also c) that doesn't look like a really good cookie I would eat.

The Thorn and the Blossom

The Thorn and the Blossom: A Two-Sided Love Story by Theodora Goss
Grade: 3.8 stars out of 5
Published: January 17, 2012 Buy from Amazon
Source: Quirk Books

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .

The Thorn and the Blossom is a very short love story so my review won’t be as long as it normally would be (close to 600 words).

The first thing you’ll notice about The Thorn and the Blossom is the way the book is printed. Like an accordion. Like a really cool accordion that doesn’t make music, but rather gives you a nice story to read. I freaked out a bit when I first got it and played with the book for 5 minutes or so. Warning: don’t read book while moving or in a moving vehicle. The book kept falling out my books and the pages were falling everywhere unless I had a death grip connecting the ends together.

taken from author's blog

With the story itself I was a bit let down. It was a bit rushed for my liking and the ending felt…unfinished. If Goss had shown us rather than told us the emotions that went through Evelyn and Brendan, I could have connected better to The Thorn and the Blossom. Then again I wonder how the increase in size will impact the binding of the story. Who knows, it might just collapse or fall apart when the reader opens the first page.

The Thorn and the Blossom packs quite a lot in very little. I read Brendan’s story first followed by Evelyn.  I have to admit that the experience, which I feared would be tiring and redundant, was quite charming, new, and fascinating the second time you read it from a different POV. Those subtle nuances that were dismissed earlier or assumed to be something else, becomes more important than you first believed.

The tale of Green Knight (or Man) and the Queen was hinted just enough for the reader to keep it in the back of their thoughts while still letting the characters be themselves. Rather than Brendan being the Green Knight, Brendan is Brendan. The comparison between the two cursed lovers was laced throughout the rest the novel almost seamlessly.

Evelyn’s story is magical (mixed with an odd psychoanalysis/mental illness explanation) while Brendan’s story is saddening (he has really back luck with girls and people close to him). Together it’s a beautiful haunting tragedy that just may have that happily ever after in the end. The two characters show how to move past a love if it doesn’t work out, but there’s still the possibility of coming back.

Cover B+

P.S. Apparently if you remove the sticker/book synopsis from the back of the slip, there's a picture of the Green Man. So I carefully removed the sticker and it was not worth it. It's just his face and it's about the size of my thumb nail.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez


Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Carmen Bianchi is a 17 year old accomplished violinist who’s dream is to win the Guarneri competition. There are only two main obstacles in her way—her nerves and her male British counterpart Jeremy King. The first obstacle is easily taken care since she takes Inderal to calm herself before performances. But Jeremy is an entirely different story. He’s just as competitive as Carmen, and extremely attractive. When he starts to flirt with her, Carmen is entirely caught off guard. In this novel of teenage rebellion, Carmen begins to question her own skills, her potential love’s motives, and even her mother’s intentions in an attempt to make sense of what it means to love music.

Let me take this opportunity to mention that I’ve been playing piano for 15 years. The first ten or so, I played classical music almost exclusively, and I did a couple concerts. I also played for my high school’s talent show one year. But there’s a reason why I play in public so little; I get incredibly nervous. Even with one person in the room with me, my fingers and rhythm fall apart. So I believe I understand PERFECTLY how Carmen feels when she plays for audiences without Inderal.

Carmen is a brilliant violinist but it’s rather hard to hear the music Carmen plays in the novel, and because music should be a big part of her life, she’s hard to understand. But I did appreciate the growing that Carmen did that shows she is more than just a violinist:

• She decided not to take pills even though her mother insisted.
• She made her own choices instead of just listening to her mother.
• She snuck out with her pseudo-boyfriend.
• She made quasi-educated conclusions about God and religion.

It justifies the ending, so even though I didn’t exactly like the ending, it wasn’t completely out of the blue.

However, her fights with her mother were hard to believe; she never fought with her mother before, and then when her mother says something reasonable that Carmen doesn’t like, Carmen takes that opportunity to start ignoring her mother for the first time in 17 years. Distrust almost overnight? It just feels too sudden.

I also didn’t like the romantic plot. This homeschooled, romantically-naïve girl meets Jeremy King for the first time, he’s rude to her, and then she agrees to go out to dinner with him. Does that make sense? Does anyone else stay out until 1am with a foreigner without telling anyone where your whereabouts? It sounds dangerous to me, but maybe it’s because I’ve never been the adventurous type. Jeremy’s just a tad bit too perfect too. He’s tall, blonde, blue eyed, etc. He’s one of those love interests that automatically falls in love with the main character and when his true side comes out he says standard lines like “I didn’t say anything I didn’t feel.” I wanted a bit more aggression instead of this sappy apologetic guy. It was incredibly human of him to want to win the competition for his disabled brother, and I didn’t want him to almost immediately renege on it. It was one of those statements that blur the lines between right and wrong. It was an exciting complication, but then it just dissolves. *sadface*

I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars, so I just decided to give it 3 and a half. The writing style didn’t make me cringe and it’s a quick read (took me 2 days and I’m a turtle), but the novel is missing something, and it has something to do with the characters personalities.

The cover is gorgeous, even though it’s missing a violin. Heheh