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Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

Monday, June 17, 2019

2019 5 Star Review #8 - Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Published Sept 2018 by Gallery Books

Format Read: Print book from Personal Library

Description from Goodreads:
Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

My Review:
A book that will make you laugh out loud.  There was nothing earth-shattering about the plot of this book, but I loved the characters of Josh and Hazel and their interactions SO much that I LOVED this book with all my heart.

I gushed about it at work on my lunch break. I gushed about it in DMs.  I told anyone I thought would like a funny rom-com to try this book. And now I'm telling you.  

This book had me snorting with laughter. It also had me tearing up.  I felt like emotions were just so genuine in this one and I adored every moment I spent reading it.  I hope that I can find other books by this author that hit me just the same way.  

Highly recommended as a beach read or a holidays read (when you need a little destressing) or really an anytime you need a laugh and a heart full of love kind of read!

Monday, March 11, 2019

2019 5 Star Read # 5 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Published Aug 2016 by William Morrow

Format Read: Print book from Personal Library

Description from Goodreads:
Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

My Review: 
So, you know those books that everyone's read and recommends and you think the story just won't live up to the actual hype?  Yeah, this book was one of those for me....and BOY was I wrong.  If you need a little romance in your life, this is the book to pick up, for sure! 

I LOVED Lucy's character with a passion.  She was fun, she was flawed, she was funny, she felt deeply.  She was unapologetic in her Lucy-ness.  Even better, I LOVED Joshua.  Not in the "he's so perfect, you can't help but love him" way, but in the "oh god, he's not perfect, and I love him anyway" kind of way.  These characters were both amazing and their chemistry practically burned the pages in my hands as I was reading.  This book hit the absolute sweet spot of being hot, but without being uncomfortably graphic, and I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.  

This was absolutely a one sitting book for me, and I keep looking at this book trying to decide how fast I want to read it again.  That is RARE.  This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and I felt like my heart swelled with amazing perfect happiness at the end... please give this book a try if you haven't read it yet. 

Friday, February 8, 2019

2019 5 Star Read #2 - Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
All Souls Trilogy, book two
Published July 2012 by Viking Adult

Format Read: Book from Personal Library

Description from Goodreads:
Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.

My Review:
Both books I have read so far in this series have been truly spectacular. They make for slow reading because the author is a historian by trade and her work is jam packed full of facts, but they are also super interesting, intricate reads. I have not for one second regretted the "extra" time it took to read either book. They are intense reads, but so engrossing, and I have not wanted to put them down to go to work! I wish all books left me with that hungry feeling between reading sessions.

Anyway, this book picked up immediately after the ending of the first.
*spoiler alert*

Diana and Matthew utilize her time traveling ability to go back to Elizabethan London to find a powerful witch that can tutor Diana in navigating her powers. There are emotional repercussions to traveling back to an earlier point in Matthew's life, which at first threaten to divide them, but Harkness does an amazing job at believably having the two lovers connect in an even stronger way after recognizing even greater depths of each of their personalities. This book is truly a homage of a type to a deep, abiding love built not on first attraction, not on fate, etc, but on the willingness and faith to push through difficulties and truly accept another person into your life, flaws and all. I LOVED that this was not an easy love story, but a strong, deep one.

Beyond that, there were soooooo many interesting scenes and details of Diana adjusting to life in Elizabethan England. The cast of real, historical characters including Marlowe and Shakespeare, himself, made for a very entertaining diversion into the past. The intersection between history, science, and the elements of the fantasy world that Harkness has created was seamless. As I read, I felt as if I could turn around at any moment and find a new history book denoting important vampires and witches of Europe. It was astounding how real the possibility felt.

*end spoilers*
I finished this book both dying to read the next one and desperate to read something totally different. Something light. The story is so gripping, but the writing is exhausting (in the best possible way). I'm hoping to read The Book of Life sometime in late February or early March.

Monday, January 7, 2019

December Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge
December, a month that feels both endless and passes in a blink! Full of holidays and the anticipation that builds along with them.  I was terrified this month that I wasn't going to get a chance to read anything, but I actually got quite a bit of reading in along the way!

I was super happy that I managed to fit in the two Christmas themed books I'd planned, as I was really feeling in the spirit this year and I wanted the chance to embrace that in my reading. I also finished some great romances that I had flirted with reading in the past so it was a month filled with love and joy.

I hope it felt that way for you, too!

So here's what I read in December:

Audiobooks I Own
Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby
Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper
Getting Schooled by Emma Chase

Audiobooks I Borrowed
All the King's Horses by Lauren Gallagher
Unbreak My Heart by Lauren Blakely
From Here to You by Jaime McGuire

Physical Books I Own 
Wanderlust by Lauren Blakely
The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Vox by Christina Dalcher
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

eBook I Own
Butterface by Avery Flynn

Required Reading
(for review) Hating to Love You by Erin Rylie
(for work) The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay

Borrowed from the Library (to finish my A to Z Reading Challenge!)
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

I've discovered in the last few months that I can actually do a LOT of audiobook listening at home. My husband leaves for work before I even get out of bed most days so while I'm working out, getting ready for work, and eating breakfast I can have an audiobook running.  It's making my "reading" go a lot faster at home. 

I read some really great books this month. I loved Six of Crows and finally understood all the hype it had gotten.  Wanderlust had me sighing out loud in the best way (and what great accents in the audiobook!). Vox was legitimately terrifying to contemplate and Jane, Unlimited felt like it expanded my brain as it unfolded.  I also loved The Christmas Sisters and found that to be the perfect holiday read this year.  I only hope my reading moving into 2019 continues to be this good!!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading all!

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Winterspell by Claire Legrand
Simon Schuster books for Young Readers, 2014 
Owned in personal collection

In 2014 a Librarian friend, Kim, and I attended the Boston Teen Author Festival. It was a wonderful event that I’ve been dying to go back to and haven’t successfully managed since then... anyway, in 2014 I got to hear Claire Legrand speak about her twist on the “Nutcracker” story and I decided I was desperate to read it! I love fairy tale retellings. Generally, the darker and twistier the better. I purchased the gorgeous hardcover on he spot, then promptly buried it on my bookshelves when I got home and apparently neglected it for almost four years!

When I decided to challenge myself to read MY OWN books this was one of the first ones that sprang to mind. Plus last week it was about 10 degrees out every day (if we were lucky!) and it just felt like a good time to read this snowy, Christmas-y twisted tale.

This is a book that will be continuing to live in my personal collection.  It's beautifully written, both conceptually and practically (her word choices and the way the story flowed were stellar).  Legrand has created an intruiging new mythos where fairies utilize technology in all the worst ways.  Though Clara comes from our world in 1899, she ends up in the alternate world of Cane... a land where mechanical spies haunt the population and their Queen keeps them loyal through the introduction of a horrifically addictive drug to ALL of society.  I was fascinated through the entirety of the story and found myself unable to put this book down as Clara went from a downtrodden society debutante trying to survive in a world where she had no power, into a girl who realized that she could defy everyone and claim her own destiny.

This book is a standalone and though oftentimes I enjoy trilogies and series because I want more character development than standalone books generally provide, this book stands alone as strongly as Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races.  There was no need for a sequel, though I'd be happy to visit this world again in short story form...

Highly recommended to those that like twisted fairy tales.

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly Black

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
(Description from Goodreads.com)

This one's been sitting on my shelves for more than a year and a half now...and I'd been stoked to read it when I got it at BEA! I love Holly Black's writing and I knew if I was going to read any more vampire fiction (I've been sort of anti-vampire in the last couple of years...) that she would be the author to trust for quality and a twist on the traditional genre. 

In fact, I started this book by listening to the audio and from the moment that Tana woke up in a bathtub at a Daylight Party gone wrong, I was hooked.  The characters are fascinating.  Each one either trying to hide or embrace the darkest parts of themselves and still not really knowing exactly how dark life (or in this case, the afterlife) can get.  Black manages to keep readers on the edge of their seat, constantly drawing Tana to a place that could mean safety, only to pull the rug out from under her again and again.  

I was awed at how strong a character she was...often I wonder how I would react in the scenes I read. I know that if the events that occurred in Tana's life were to happen to me, I would have instantly been vampire food, but she manages through wit and grim determination to triumph again and again.  She truly is the "Coldest Girl in Coldtown."  I would LOVE to read a follow up to this book to see exactly where the next part of her adventure takes her... to see how she manages to defy what seems to be the only options before her, time and again.  

Is there a book two? Does anyone know?  

Full disclosure: Book from my Personal Library (ARC received at BEA 2013)/Audiobook borrowed from the Library

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Blog Tour - The Traveling Tea Shop: Part Two

I'm very excited to be part of Belinda Jones' The Traveling Tea Shop Blog Tour! This book is a fun, romantic...and snack-inducing read.  In fact, I found it such a sweet read that I've actually already talked about it yesterday and I'm going to talk about it again today! 

The Traveling Tea Shop
by Belinda Jones
Love Travel series, book eleven

Love isn't always a piece of cake...

Laurie Davis has always followed her passion. After escaping family drama to start a new life in New York City, she’s up for whatever challenges life brings. So when an opportunity arises for her to use her travel industry expertise and serve as an assistant and tour guide for her idol, Pamela Lambert-Leigh, star of television’s Tea-Time with Pamela, she jumps at the chance.

But Laurie’s exciting adventure ends up entailing a lot more than scouting locations for the cake queen’s new cookbook when Pamela’s sassy mother and sulky, rebellious daughter tag along for the trip. As they cruise around bakeries in New England trading local delights like Red Velvet Cake and Whoopie Pies for British specialties such as Victoria Sponge and Bakewell Tarts, more secrets than recipes are revealed.


Now, in between rediscovering romance, learning to forgive family, and finding the best dessert on the East Coast, Laurie, Pamela, and the gang might find there’s nothing a nice cup of tea, a sweet treat, and a little bit of friendship can’t heal… (Description from Goodreads.com)

I truly enjoy books that are FUN to read.  That's why the name of my blog has always been "I Read to Relax." Though I appreciate books that make me think and tackle heavy issues, I generally reach for something light or romantic or escapist first.  

This book had such great, fun elements to it.  Delicious descriptions of food (see yesterday's post), fun adventures in picturesque places, people coming together, and hints of romance.  Aside from drooling my way through the read, I found myself touched by the characters' stories, urging them to find their ways back to each other.  To find peace and embrace the joy that their road trip through New England could bring.  I was very pleased with the way that Jones was able to convey a lightness to the story even at small moments when things were going sour. 

 I think I'll be looking for more of Belinda Jones' books this summer. They seem like great beach reads! 

Author website: http://www.va-va-vacation.com/belinda-jones

Full Disclosure: Review Copy received from Publisher through Netgalley

Monday, October 27, 2014

Parched

Parched 
by Georgia Clark

Sixteen-year-old Tess lived in Eden, a seemingly idyllic, domed city where access to information and water is regulated by the governing Trust. After a rogue robot killed her scientist mother, Tess fled with a terrible secret to the desperate, arid Badlands, where she’s recruited by Kudzu, explained to her as a “nonviolent collective working to undermine the Trust and free the Badlands.” Learning Kudzu plans to destroy Aevum, the Trust’s latest advanced robot, Tess reluctantly returns to Eden, where she finds the luxurious life morally unconscionable and secretly trains with Kudzu. Living with her uncle, who’s involved with Aevum, Tess is strangely attracted to his sympathetic assistant, Hunter. During a Kudzu raid on the Trust’s lab, Tess discovers that Aevum will be used to eradicate all inhabitants of the Badlands—and that Hunter’s not what he seems to be. (Description from Goodreads.com

Okay, the very fist thing I am going to say is don't judge this book by it's poorly chosen cover! I don't know who designed it but it is somewhat off-putting. It's very unfortunate, too, because I was hooked on this book from page one! 

Clark is gifted with the ability to set the atmosphere and settings for this book right from the start. I never doubted the desperation of the people starving in the Badlands. I could feel the searing heat and my lips got dry just reading the first section of the book.  Then, when Tess returns to the domed city of Eden, Clark makes the shift to opulent technological excess so smoothly and believably that I felt as if I was in Eden.  The technologies were also clearly based from our own making it very easy to imagine and understand how things were supposed to work in Eden.  

I really enjoyed Tess as the main character.  She had spunk like many other dystphoic heroines, but also was well-rounded in the sense that she seemed truly concerned about others in her society (because she had personal experience living the lives that they did...unlike some other heroines just thrown into their new leadership roles) and the new friends that she made in Eden.  She felt guilty if she put others in danger, she aimed to clean up her own mistakes, and she thought about how her actions would affect the future of her world.  She was determined and brave and also funny.  I rooted for her right from the start.  

This book also had a great sense of immediate danger, though it takes place over the passage of weeks.  Clark threw Tess and her compatriots into some very hairy situations and there were believable consequences.  I was happy to find in the end, though, that things worked out for at least a few of them the way that I'd hoped.  

A book that I flew through, unable to put down, and one that deserves more attention than it may get if not talked up by those who have read it! So...go read it! 

ALSO - STAY TUNED...I have an interview with the author, Georgia Clark, here on Wednesday! 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Publisher 

Monday, October 20, 2014

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
by Kady Cross
Steampunk Chronicles, book two

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling-or dangerous Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper from the clutches of a devious criminal demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him... for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper, and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens and tightens. From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens follows Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship. 

More than ever, Finley must rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley... and will risk his life and reputation to save her. 

Now, to help those she's come to care for so deeply, Finley must infiltrate the criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much... (Description from Goodreads.com)

God, I need to catch up with this series! There's four books now and I'm JUST reading book two *facepalm*.  Not only do I love Kady Cross' (also known as Kate Locke, whose books I DEVOUR) writing, but these are such fun steampunk adventures.  

I really enjoyed not only getting to follow some more of Finlay's adventures, but also getting to learn more about some of the secondary characters, especially Jasper.  Learning more about his origins added a whole new layer to the series and I'd love to see even more of that in the other books...we'll have to see when I catch up! LOL.  There were new nuances to the romantic relationships in this follow-up, as well, which left me grinning and slightly swoony at times.  I can't wait to see Finlay and Griffin finally figure their relationship out!! 

I liked the jump over to America in this one.  I thought it let things sort of start fresh for a few people.  The addition of some key New York inhabitants had me grinning, and I longed to be there at that time (in this steampunk world, of course! I want to ride a dirrigible!!). A great read that has me scrambling to find time to read the next one... 

Full Disclosure: Borrowed from My Library 

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Quickie Novella Review: Goddess in Time

Goddess in Time
by Tera Lynn Childs
Oh. My. Gods Novella 

As a descendant of Greek gods, Nicole has attended the Academy alongside other students with magical powers on a Greek island. Life is pretty perfect—except for the fact that she was sentenced to stay there because of a childhood prank that also resulted in her parents' banishment. When Nicole discovers a book that teaches the forbidden magic of time travel, she knows she must take a chance to right her wrong. With the help of her friends Troy and Phoebe, Nicole sets off on a quest that will take her from the heights of Mt. Olympus to the ocean depths of Poseidon's home and to the bowels of Hades. Can she mend her mistakes? And is changing the past, what she really wants? The past and future combine in thrilling, unpredictable ways—especially when Greek gods are involved! (Description from Goodreads.com)

I was so happy when I finally got to read Nicole's story! Not knowing who her Greek God ancestor was had been driving me crazy with speculation. I loved who it turned out to be, too. Very clever TLC, very clever. It was neat to read a whole story from Nicole's perspective, too. It really fleshed her out into more of a fully-faceted character and made me feel more for her.  I truly loved diving back into this world and my only complaint was that this novella was too short! I hope there's more coming soon!! 

Full Disclosure: Purchased for my Nook 

Friday, October 17, 2014

Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and Park
by Rainbow Rowell

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
(Description from Goodreads.com)

I'm not sure if it's because I read FANGIRL first, or if I just connected more to the main character in that novel, or if it's because I just didn't "live" through the 80s, having been too young to really feel most of the culture of that time, but I didn't have the same overwhelmingly overawed reaction to this book that a lot of people did.  

I enjoyed it.  Rowell is a great writer. I really like how well she can craft a fully fledged character that feels as if I could meet him or her on the street.  I like that each one of her books is different...they take place in different settings and times, and yet, they have a similar feel to them. I know that Rowell wrote them.  

While I didn't love the setting of this book, I found it very believable. This book really felt like it was set in and embraced the 80s.  As I mentioned, I was just a peanut in the 80s so I don't have the same nostalgic connection to it that some older readers might, but I can remember the early 90s pretty well and some things felt eerily similar.  

I think what I liked the most about this book, though, was Park.  Eleanor was a fun and interesting character, but I LOVED Park...and I loved the way that Rowell described him. Here you really felt not only that Eleanor liked Park for his personality, but also that she really and truly wanted him.  Her descriptions of Park's skin as melted honey were truly evocative.  It wasn't just the way that Eleanor viewed him, though, either...Park was a fascinating character in his own right - flawed as any teenage boy would be, but also strong and brave and true.  The book almost broke my heart on Park's behalf, but thankfully Rowell left things in a way that left me satisfied at the end. 

As I said, not my favorite Rowell title, but well worth reading anyway. 

Full Disclosure: Audiobook borrowed from my Library

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Isla and the Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happily Ever After 
by Stephanie Perkins
Anna and the French Kiss, book three

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. (Description from Goodreads.com)

Though my favorite book in this trilogy is still Lola and the Boy Next Door (go Cricket!!), I sincerely recommend this series, any book in the series, ALL the books in the series, to anyone looking for a romantic and joyous read.  

Each book has it's very serious moments, because no real relationship is all sunshine and roses, but you can have confidence that things will work out beautifully in the end.  There's realism and the type of romance we all hope and dream of here. In fact, while  this book focuses primarily on Isla and Josh's romance, the cameos that Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket make are fabulous...and the final reason for their trip to France will leave readers of the entire series beaming! I shed a few happy tears myself. 

What I love best about Perkins' books is that ability to give me as the reader both a light, yet serious read.  The knowledge that there will certainly be sigh-worthy moments, but also ones that will reflect my own life, my own journey to figuring out not only who I was/am as a person, but what I wanted in life.  The questions that I had to answer to find (and keep) the love of my life.  You can feel the full and complex nature of Perkins' characters, relate to them, and cheer them on as they make their major life choices.  

Wonderfully done.  I wish there were more coming, but I will definitely read whatever Stephanie Perkins does next. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library 

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

The Accidental Highwayman

The Accidental Highwayman: Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, a Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides
by Ben Tripp

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, gobling attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….
(Description from Goodreads.com)

The press for this book has firmly compared it to The Princess Bride by William Goldman and I cannot help but agree.  This book has the same fun, adventurous, and romantic spirit as The Princess Bride.  The main character, Kit, is both bumbling and sincere, thrust into a situation that puts him in great peril, but he steps up and becomes the hero that we all wish we could be...a true gentleman rogue. 

With swashbuckling runs from soldiers, amazingly magical escapes from malevolent fairies, and fun friendships with unique characters developed along the way, The Accidental Highwayman was a quick, fun read.  I loved not only Kit and the perilous position that he finds himself in, but the characters, and yes, love interest, that he meets along his journey.  I'm really looking forward to seeing where he's led next, because, of course, the book leaves poor Kit staring right into the maw of his next dangerous adventure... 

As a small aside, the author, Ben Tripp, is the son of the illustrator for the Amelia Bedelia series. The illustrations that he adds to The Accidental Highwayman are perfectly matched to the text.  

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Publisher

Monday, September 29, 2014

Novella Review: In the Storm

In the Storm 
by Karen Metcalf

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay? (Description from Goodreads.com)

This novella captures an intriguing premise.  Carly, trying to escape the horror of her abusive life, takes refuge in another world...only to find that even that haven may not be the wondrous place she'd hoped. Her one salvation may be the mysterious boy who seems to care more for her happiness than anything else in any of the existing worlds. 

Though this novella tackles a tough topic - physical abuse - Metcalf does a good job of creating scenes that are not too graphically violent, yet still keep readers on the edge.  Language can get a little rough, but that's to be expected when dealing with a horrific situation like the one that Carly can't seem to escape.  Metcalf's greatest strength, though, is the way that she weaves hope through the story and finally gives Carly a little peek into what may be a better future ahead.  

A quick, evocative read. Some readers may not like the subject matter, but in general things are handled well and with its short length the emotional toll to readers shouldn't be too overwhelming. 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Author

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Fangirl

Fangirl
by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? 
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? (Description from Goodreads.com

As a fangirl, myself...though I don't write fanfiction...I really loved and connected to Cath.  Not only did I love her geeking out and feeling compelled to be an active part of the fandom, but I also really connected to her as I remembered what it was like to start college.  Thank goodness I met my friends, now my best friends, in the dorms in the first few months, and just like Raegan pulled Cath out of her room and made her interact, my friends encouraged me to do the same.  Without them, my college experience could have been totally different. Quiet, full of nothing but homework, boring... 

This is actually the first Rainbow Rowell book that I've read and I really enjoyed it.  It was sweet and well done in its own right and then had all these nods to fandoms that added an extra layer of fun.  My only complaints were that A - We don't actually get to read "Carry On, Simon" now and B - That even though the fictitious author makes a slight nod to Cath's fanfiction in basically refuting it, there wasn't a more direct sort of acknowledgment of all her hard work.  I know it's not realistic, but honestly I would have loved if Gemma had actually acknowledged Cath in some fashion... 

Now, I REALLY need to read Eleanor and Park, which I've heard is EVEN better! 

Full disclosure: Audio Book borrowed from my Library, eBook purchased for my Nook

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Gold Star Review: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet
by Bernie Su and Kate Rodrick

Based on the Emmy Award–winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Twenty‑four‑year‑old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck‑up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on‑screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie’s world and well beyond the confines of her camera—from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter’s bar, and much more. Lizzie’s private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents’ unstable financial situation, her sister’s budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future—and whom she wants to share it with.
(Description from Goodreads.com


I cannot tell you how perfectly I think that Bernie Su and his team reimagined Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Oh, wait...LOL...when I was desperately binging, I mean catching up on, the Emmy Award winning web series I wrote this gushy post. Then when I heard that they were writing a companion book, I immediately added it to my "I WILL READ THIS IMMEDIATELY WHEN IT COMES OUT" list...which I almost did.  I was bound and determined that I would read this one just for fun and I was not at all disappointed! 

In fact, I was delighted beyond my initial expectations.  Su and Rorick cleverly added even more layers to the story they initially presented to viewers online.  They fleshed out the story through Lizzie's diary and there were moments there that referenced the things we got to see on video, but they built a new story that could just be taken in through this format alone.  In other words, they created perfection AGAIN! *love, love, love, love*  

I felt as if I was revisiting old friends and experiencing their story in a whole new way.  I went back and rewatched some of the videos to see the story with these added bits to flesh things out even more between videos.  

When I saw a very teasing bit in the interview at the end stating that there might be the chance of even more of Lizzie and Darcy's story, my eyes filled with tears...I couldn't help it. I'm so excited.  Whether it's a book or more videos or something in a completely different format once again...I will be there when it debuts. I will happily, greedily gobble it up. No matter what! 

GOLD STAR - BAM!
 




 

 




Full disclosure:Borrowed from my Library (though I'll be buying this one with my next gift card, for sure!)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Imitation

Imitation
by Heather Hildenbrand
Clone Chronicles, book one  

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face.

Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?
(Description from Goodreads.com

Gosh, do I love science fiction books about clones...yes, yes, I do! All you need to do to get me to read a book is to dangle the fact that it's about teenage clones in front of me and I'll pick it up in a heartbeat.  There is just something so shiver-inducing about the fact that we're so close to these scenarios in real life - it creeps me out in a way that pure horror stories really can't.

I love contemplating the ethics of cloning.  The idea behind it is usually altruistic and worthwhile - organ replacement, etc.  When you factor in, though, that you are creating a human being, one who will be walking, talking, thinking, and feeling..that's when things get truly interesting.  Could you kill someone - a thinking, feeling someone - to save the life of someone else that you loved?  What if they had been created solely for that purpose?  Is it right?

Poor Ven.  She was created to be whatever Raven Rogen needed.  An organ donor, a temporary body double - but is asking her to be bait for attempted kidnappers/assassins too much?  Heck yeah! I loved the way that Hildenbrand set this novel up so that you slowly discovered things about it as Ven went into the "real world."  There were lots of surprises, even amid the tropes you knew to expect because the story wouldn't work without them.  Having to speculate about who might or might not be an Imitation and who might or might not want to grab Raven or Ven and why... I was on the edge of my seat for a good portion of this book!  

In fact, as I was trying to contain my drool over the fabulous and quite swoony bodyguard, Linc, I just found myself becoming more and more intrigued with the larger story in Ven's world.  What exactly is the true purpose of Titus Rogen's creating the Imitations? Will Ven ever truly be able to escape? Who can she truly trust?

I cannot wait to see where things head in the next book... So, if you're as intrigued as I am...keep an eye on the blog because pretty soon I'll be hosting an interview with author Heather Hildenbrand right here! 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley, eBook purchased for my Kindle App 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

The Sassy and Sexy Romance Party is Tonight!

So tonight (from 4 - 8 pm Pacific Time) two great authors are celebrating the release of their newest books with a SASSY AND SEXY ROMANCE PARTY on Facebook! Sounds like so much fun...great books to discuss, great people to chat with, and of course...prizes. *grins*










Just look at this lineup!

Join romance authors Tera Lynn Childs and Crystal Perkins and a whole crew of author friends for fun and games to celebrate the releases or Trying Texas (City Chicks #3) and Creating A Love (Griffin Brothers #3). Hang out and discuss sassy heroines and sexy heroes with Diane Alberts/Jen McLaughlin, Sawyer Bennett, Marissa Clarke, Karina Cooper, Shana Galen, Codi Gary, Chris Marie Green, Sophie Jordan, Emily McKay, Alison Packard, and Tracy Wolff.

Tentative schedule as follows:
4:00 Welcome with Crystal and Tera
4:20 Diane Alberts/Jen McLaughlin
4:40 Sawyer Bennett
5:00 Marissa Clarke
5:20 Karina Cooper
5:40 Shana Galen
6:00 Codi Gary
6:20 Chris Marie Green
6:40 Sophie Jordan
7:00 Emily McKay
7:20 Alison Packard
7:40 Tracy Wolff
8:00 Farewell with Crystal and Tera

They're also giving away a full set of Tera's amazing City Chicks series and Crystal's Griffin Brothers' books!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

So....you should check out the party tonight at https://www.facebook.com/events/487586761385175/, but even if you can't, I really recommend you check out Tera and Crystal through social media...and, of course, read the books! LOL

Places to find Tera and Trying Texas:
Her website
On Twitter 
On Facebook
Trying Texas on GoodReads

Places to find Crystal and Creating a Love:
Her website
On Twitter
On Facebook
Creating a Love on GoodReads
Creating a Love on Amazon

Monday, September 1, 2014

Taste of Darkness

Taste of Darkness
By Maria V. Snyder
Healer trilogy, book three

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat: The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.

Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.
(Description from Goodreads.com

I love Maria Snyder's books. She writes such an interesting world - fantastic in the types of magic within it but so believably realistic, too.  I always feel as if I could drop right into the world and actually feel the grass beneath my feet...probably before I'd be running for my life for one reason or another, LOL. The scenery seems to just come to life off the page.  

Her characters are also so multifaceted and entertaining. Not only do the main characters, like Avry and Kerrick, seem to dance so smoothly through my imagination, but she manages to create these fabulous secondary characters that I cannot help but love. I gobble up every scene that Belen, Odd, and Flea make appearances in! It was the same in her Study series! 

No matter what she writes, I will read Snyder's books.  I will say that right now I'm DYING to read the next book in the Study series - Shadow Study. It was sort of a surprise that she went back to those characters, but one that I, at least, am SOOOOO grateful for...Valek! *swoons*

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley, ebook purchased for my Nook 

Monday, August 18, 2014

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry 
by Gabrielle Zevin

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming.
(Description from Goodreads.com

This quirky story is set up in chapters, each headed by a different "review" of a book. As A.J.'s life changes, the reader sees the reflections in the vignettes of his life, and in the ways that the "reviews" change. The story is touching and heartfelt, I could not help but be charmed as cranky A.J. went from being the curmudgeonly bookseller to being a family man and part of the life blood of his small town.    

Zevin is an author that I like in general and I loved this foray into the adult world.  I felt that the characters were interesting and the whole concept was exceedingly well done.  The way the story unfolded was easy to follow and drew me right in, making me much more emotionally invested than I had thought I would be.  This was one of my favorite summer reads. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library