Review: Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell

SUMMARY

For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princesses. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.
Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.

Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way? 

When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.

From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?

RATING

REVIEW

I am a staunch believer in not comparing one book to another. I know that sounds weird. But let's take The Hunger Games and Divergent. Are they similar? Yeah. Sure they are. While some people compare and contrast each book against its "counterpart", I don't really like to do that. I like seeing if a book can stand on it's own without that comparison and still be amazing. All of that being said, Hush is reminiscent of  The Princess Diaries. Is it the same? No ... but if you liked that series, you'll probably like this one as well. Well, it's similar to the movie ... I've never read the PD series. 

Anyhow, this was a really enjoyable novel. There are some parts about rugby that were really confusing to me because I don't know one thing about that game except it has a weird shaped ball, right? And the dudes wear those cute shirts ... yeah, that's pretty much all I know. So the rugby part might as well have been written in Chinese for all that I understood. It's not a negative but I took the time to note it while I was reading so I figured that I would bring it up now. 

While I really enjoyed Hush, I found that quite a few of the situations in the novel really felt stilted at times. I would be really enjoying a scene and then it would just end rather than playing out fully. This actually happened more times than I care to admit. The result was almost like I was a crash-test-dummy ... I'm going 90 miles an hour and excited as hell just to come to the end of the paragraph or chapter and the result was like hitting a brick wall. This could have been a 5 star book in my mind and it would have been so easy to just finish some of those scenes out. Ugh. Reader frustration. 

All of that being said, I REALLY liked the characters. I thought that they were absolutely perfect. The way they interacted with each other, the commentary, just everything was spot on. I liked them so much that I was excited to get to the end of the book because it's a series and there is another book about Blakely and Max, right? Right? RIGHT?!? No. No, there's not. Yes, there is another book but it doesn't follow Blakely and Max. After finding that out, I won't lie, I was more than a bit ticked. I felt like I had been robbed. Le sigh. Oh, well. I was thinking that this would be like The Selection and MAN. So disappointed. I refuse to read the 2nd novel in this series just out of protest. I feel like throwing a tantrum and seeing if the author would change SOMETHING and fix this problem. Proto. Pretty please.

Find Hush here:

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Review: The Marquess Who Loved Me (Muses of Mayfair #3) by Sara Ramsey

SUMMARY

A not-so-merry widow…

The widowed Marchioness of Folkestone is notorious for her parties, her art collection, and her utter disregard for the rules. But Ellie Claiborne knows her destruction is near. The new marquess is her first lover – the man whose sculpted body and sardonic grin haunt her every time she picks up her paintbrush. If he ever returns to claim his inheritance, her heart won’t survive seeing him again.

A man determined to destroy her...

Nicholas Claiborne hasn’t stepped foot in England since watching Ellie marry his cousin. He has no use for the gorgeous, heartless girl who betrayed him, or the title she abandoned him for. But when his business in India turns deadly, Nick must return to London to uncover a murderer – and take revenge on the woman he couldn’t force himself to forget.

A love they can’t escape…

Nick hates Ellie’s transformation from sweet debutante to jaded seductress. Ellie despises him for leaving her behind. Still, the sparks between them reignite the passion that should have been their destiny. As their demands of each other turn darker and a potential killer closes in, they must decide whether to guard the fragile remnants of their hearts — or find a way to fall in love all over again.

RATING

 

REVIEW

There's one thing that I wanted to address before I really got into my review. I always peruse reviews after I write my own. I would hate for what someone else thinks to taint my opinion and thoughts of a fresh read. For some reason, I started reading the reviews before I even flipped a page of this one. There was one reviewer that took me back a bit. They stated that there was a rape scene in this novel. I almost put the book in the Did Not Finish pile right then. Reading about rape just doesn't interest me and I don't think that I would ever read a novel where rape was involved. Kind of a weird thing considering that I can read about grisly murders, but I have my reading limits. Anyhow ... I decided to give the novel a shot anyhow. Dude, there was no rape scene. There wasn't a scene that even REMOTELY resembled rape. This just really chaps my ass. There are a lot of readers out there who don't want to read about rape in a romance novel ... they just want a fun, romantic read and this horrible claim could make someone shy away from this novel. I just think it's crappy of a reviewer to do ... give your opinion but don't make false claims about a novel. 

Okay, I'll jump off of my soap box now. You know, this was an interesting novel. My first reaction to the main character, Ellie, was not good. I didn't like her. I just wanted her to fall at Nicholas' feet and for them to fall in love again. Yeah, I know that that doesn't actually happen in romance novels ... what would be the point of reading it if it were that easy. After a while, I really started to like Ellie though. Both of these characters and the main characters were very well written. I wish that there had been more scenes with Nicholas' brother ... I really liked how he was developing. Maybe he will be the focus in the next novel. 

And that's really all I had to talk about with this one. Nothing really negative stood out to me and I ended up liking it. It wasn't the best historical novel out there but it wasn't the worst and I would probably pick it up again and read another one from this author. 

Find The Marquess Who Loved Me here

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Tens List & Giveaway: Julie Row - Author of Hollywood Scandal

Entangled’s very first imprint, Indulgence, brings us the romance we want. And the fantasy men we can’t get enough of! Their new covers show off those rough and ready cowboys, CEOs, and alpha tycoons we crave. Join us in celebrating the brand new look of Indulgence!

Today we have ….Hollywood Scandal by Julie Rowe!

Top Ten Favorite* Lighthearted National/International Awareness Days/Weeks

(*Julie Rowe’s favorites – feel free to name yours in the comments.

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter draw!)

Ten: Feb 13^th

Women Scorned Day

A ridiculous number of women get dumped on Feb 13^th. I think it’s great to have a day dedicated to getting even.

Nine: May 3^rd

Free Comic Book Day

 So, yeah, who doesn’t like free comic books???!

Eight: Feb 14^th

Think about Sex Day

Hopefully, if you weren’t dumped the day before, you get to have some sex too. 

Seven: May 4^th

Star Wars Day

May the fourth be with you, and that plastic lightsaber you have stashed in your closet.

Six: June 20^th

National Flip Flop Day

Do I need to explain this one? I mean really, flip flops are so freeing after a long cold winter!

Five: Sept 19^th

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Arr matey, and it’s fun swill gin and take prisoners too!

Four: Dec 2^nd

National Mutt Day

I love my dog. He was found on the side of the road in a box. Mutts are the best!!!!

Three: Dec 4^th

Plain English Day

For the love of God, stop using fanciful words and windy phrases!

Two: Oct 13 to 19^th

Chocolate Week

All the chocolate is mine. Get your own. Somewhere else. Far away!

One: (my favorite day of the year!) Jan 27^th

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

Yay! Bubble wrap = love + stress relief.

Cheers, Julie Rowe

New Release by Julie Rowe
 

Hollywood Scandal — She’s almost ready to believe good guys do exist…

Dr. Calla Roberts has seen too much death, destruction and betrayal to ever believe in fairy tales or men who are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Which is why LA Lawyer Alex Hardy irritates the crap out of her. He’s a lawyer who practices radical honesty in a city famous for make believe. When an actor who thinks he can buy or cheat his way out of anything attempts to discredit Calla, Alex (with a crooked nose for trouble) champions her desperate cause. She slowly begins to think that good guys do exist, until she discovers Alex has lied about who he is, and who he loves. 

Find Hollywood Scandal here:

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About the Author

Julie Rowe’s first career as a med lab tech in Canada took her to the North West Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves to include medical details and a lot of adventure in her romance novels. Julie writes contemporary and historical medical romance, and fun romantic suspense. Her writing has also appeared in several magazines such as Today’s Parent, Reader’s Digest (Canada), and Canadian Living.

Connect with Julie Rowe here:

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Brazen New Releases & Giveaway

If you like your heroes hot, the sex hotter, and a swoon-worthy romance to swoop in and save your happily ever after, Brazen has the story for you. Sinfully sexy soldiers. Alpha cops who demand control. Sweet guys with a naughty side in the bedroom. At Brazen, they've got the hero destined to melt your... heart. Visit the Entangled website, the Brazen Blog, follow them on Twitter, Like their Facebook page, and follow them on Pinterest.

Introducing Brazen's May 26th releases:

Work Hard, play harder...

Find out more!

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Let the game of seduction begin...

Find out more!

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Plus don't miss the Brazen Seduction Party

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Predator by Janice Gable Bashman

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

PREDATOR by Janice Gable Bashman

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

"Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she's still got me. I want more!"

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules</ strong>

The hunt is on!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

Title: PREDATOR
Publication date: October 14 , 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Janice Gable Bashman

About the Author

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers' ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

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Giveaway

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Excerpt: Fractured by Leanne Pearson

Summary

For twenty three year old Katrina Smith, the events of one day irrevocably changed her life.

Life in Christchurch, New Zealand, couldn't have been better. She was in love with a wonderful man, had a job she enjoyed, and had her life mapped out before her...

What dawned as a typical summer’s day, changed into a day of devastation and overwhelming loss. An insidious danger lay beneath the benign land surface, seismic tension, like a ticking time-bomb, was counting down to a catastrophe. And Kate and her boyfriend, Daniel, were in its path. It took mere seconds for the world to be ripped out from under her. Suddenly, Kate was deluged by a vortex of Post Traumatic Stress, guilt and crippling anguish.

Dominic Dell’Antonio, an American marine working in New Zealand, was a man hiding from his own demons which lurked behind depth-less blue eyes that read so much, yet yielded so little. He kept himself aloof and isolated. Nightmares regularly plagued him.

As Kate slipped under a suffocating wave of heartache, she blocks out the world behind self imposed walls, drowning in the torrents of grief. Quiet, yet commanding, Dominic connects with Kate on some inexplicably deeper level. He wants to protect her. He wants to make her his.

Two damaged and guarded souls drawn together through tragic circumstances. Two lonely hearts drawn to one another to find comfort.

Excerpt

"Her pain whispers to my very soul, merges with it like an invisible cord, binding us together, so that I not only hear her anguish but I feel it slice into my heart like it were my own."

 

Find Fractured here:

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 About the Author

Leanne Pearson grew up in Durban, South Africa. She later immigrated to New Zealand, where she now lives with her husband, and two children. During her down time, if she's not reading, she can be found relaxing outside, sipping on an apple cider, soaking up the sights and sounds of rural New Zealand. Leanne has had a few feature articles published in the newspaper over the years and has had a flair for creative writing from a very young age.

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Review: In Velvet by Burt Weissbourd

Summary

The northwest corner of Yellowstone Park is closed for bear management, and Rachel, a bear biologist, is discovering some very startling animal behavior—grizzlies denning in June, swans at their wintering grounds in summer, what appear to be Irish Elk, an extinct species, with huge palmated antlers. There are also horrific mutations in the young—elk calves with no front legs, earless bear cubs, and eaglets without wings. What has gone wrong? Why is this area closed? Who’s covering up these animal abnormalities in the Park?

A non-stop thriller set in some of North America’s wildest country, In Velvet takes you deep into the hearts of a hard case local detective and a Chicago cop as they take on a corrupt sheriff, a pathalogical poacher, and a lethal black ops manager to solve this ghastly mystery and restore the natural order in Yellowstone National Park.

Rating

★★★★✩

Review

In Velvet starts off at a break-neck pace. It really had my heart pounding from the first couple of pages. I practically devoured this one and it was in less than 24 hours! It's not very often that I find a book that starts off so well and actually keeps up the pace (and holds my attention) for the entire book. I'd say in 99% of the novels that start off like this have a dropping off point where I really start to question why I enjoy reading so much but this one didn't. I just had to get that out there. 

Before I jump into anything, I just wanted to make it known that I don't really know anything about Yellowstone National Park. I know, I know ... I should at least know something about it, but unfortunately, I didn't. And in all honesty, I had to Google it just to see where exactly it was because I had absolutely no clue ... I knew it was up north but that was it. Anyhow, the author was so thorough with his descriptions, I really felt like I was actually experiencing the park and not just reading about it. It was almost as if I was reliving memories ... that is how descriptive Burt Weissbourd was. Now, there comes a point with descriptive authors where you really start to lose interest but that never happened to me. Even with the scientific stuff, my interest was totally unwavering. 

The characters ... I fell in love with Rachel instantly. Her love of grizzlies was really endearing and she was actually pretty self aware and honest with herself, which made for an interesting read. She was by far, my favorite character and there were a lot to choose from. A-lot-a-lot. I did find myself a little confused a couple of times, not really remembering who was who with some of the lesser characters but that could have been due to my lack of sleep when pounding through this novel.

Overall In Velvet was intriguing. And terribly frightening. To think that something like this could happen is sad and I truly hope that it never does. After reading this and enjoying it so much, I'll probably pick up another novel by this author and give it a go, if it's half as enjoyable as this one, it won't be a waste of time.

Find In Velvet here:

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About the Author

 Burt Weissbourd is a novelist, screenwriter and producer of feature films. He was born in 1949 and graduated cum laude from Yale University, with honors in psychology. During his student years, he volunteered at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and taught English to college students in Thailand. After he graduated, he wrote, directed, and produced educational films for Gilbert Altschul Productions. He began a finance program at the Northwestern University Graduate School of Business, but left to start his own film production company in Los Angeles. He managed that company from 1977 until 1986, producing films including "Ghost Story" starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Patricia Neal, and "Raggedy Man" starring Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepard, which The New York Times called "a movie of sweet, low-keyed charm." In 1987, he founded an investment business, which he still runs. INSIDE PASSAGE is the first in the Corey Logan trilogy.

 Find Burt Weissbourd here:

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Curse of the Granville Fortune

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Curse of the Granville Fortune by Kelly Hashway

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Find the fortune, break the curse!

The hunt is on for an ancient treasure tied to nine-year-old J.B.'s family history. He's been having visions that make him sweaty, lightheaded, and certain he’s turning into some kind of freak—or worse, going insane. But things are worse than he imagined. The visions stem from a family curse. An ancient ancestor was accused of stealing the massive Granville fortune, and now J.B.’s entire family will suffer.

To break the curse, J.B. must find and return the Granville’s stolen property. But he's not the only one searching for the treasure. As he sets out on his journey through a dark and foreboding forest, he'll battle his worst fears and fight terrifying creatures along the way. And when he meets two others who share the missing pieces of his visions and suffer from the same curse, the three soon realize they need to work together to break the curse before it's too late.

Reading is a thing of magic. It has allowed me to enter into worlds I never would have known. I’ve cried, laughed, and been scared right alongside my favorite characters. And my hope is that one day kids will do the same for my characters. I want kids to see that reading is one of the greatest gifts. Luckily, my daughter already agrees with me!

 

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Review: The Find by Gregg Bell

Summary

What can a mother do when she has no money and a dangerously sick kid?

She can make a mistake.

In a moment of desperation, cleaning lady Phoebe Jackson tries to pawn the diamond-bejeweled Rolex she found in a mobster’s locker. Turns out the watch is a fake, but the mobster isn’t—and he’s on to her.

Rating

★★★☆☆

Review

When I was approached to read The Find, I was intrigued. What would I do if I didn't have any money and one of our boys was sick? Would I do something out of character and risk everything? Absolutely. No questions asked. I knew I needed to read this one and find out if the main character, Phoebe, would do the same thing. 

The premise of The Find was interesting and for the most part, I enjoyed it. Everything that was happening on the pages was exciting, there's no doubt about that but sometimes, the story would just take a long, meandering loop around the action rather than just a straight shot. Now, this is fine sometimes, but I want things to surprise me. I want some of the action to happen so fast that my head spins! I think that it just needed to be a bit more direct at times.

The main character, Phoebe, was a bit of a conundrum for me. I mean, you know that she loves her girls but sometimes, she felt a bit detached from them. Her interactions with them were just not as heartfelt as I thought that they should be at times. And then when you get further into the story, there are times when she is this timid little mouse and then in the next breath, she's got this big brass pair and she's ready to take on the world. The shifts in her character were almost polar at times and for me, it read as disingenuous. 

You know, the ending really made me enjoy the book that much more. The last portion of the book redeemed the novel for me (even though I still didn't get Phoebe) and made all the difference in the world. It was interesting, exciting, gripping and a bit romantic. I'm excited to see what else this author has in store for the future. 

Find The Find here:

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New Release: The Warrior by Victoria Scott

Entangled Teen is excited to be announcing the release of Victoria Scott's, The Warrior, the third and final book in the Dante Walker series, which readers are already raving about!

Summary

War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good. Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll. Dante is built for battle, but even he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace something inside himself he never has before—faith.

Find The Warrior here:

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Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe of the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency. She’s the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Poland, Israel, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.

Find Victoria Scott here:

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Tracy Tam: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Tracy doesn’t believe that Santa can deliver all of those presents in one night with out a little help from science. A flying sleigh can only be powered by jet engines, and Santa’s magical abilities can only be the result of altered DNA. In order to test her theories, she sneaks onto Santa’s sleigh and ends up at Santa Command, the place where a team of humans monitors Santa’s big night. When Tracy attempts to hack into their computers, she accidentally introduces a virus to their system. As a result, three states get knocked out of sync with the rest of the world. Before the night is over, Tracy has to fix time and help Santa finish his deliveries. And she has to do it all with Santa’s magic, which she doesn’t believe exists.

Title: TRACY TAM: SANTA COMMAND
Publication date: October 22, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Krystalyn Drown

Krystalyn spent thirteen years working at Walt Disney World in a variety of roles: entertainer, talent coordinator, and character captain. Her degree in theatre as well as many, many hours spent in a dance studio, helped with her job there. Her various other day jobs have included working in zoology at Sea World, as an elementary teacher, and currently as a support technician for a website. In the evenings, she does mad writing challenges with her sister, who is also an author. Krystalyn lives near Orlando, Florida with her husband, son, a were cat, and a Yorkie with a Napoleon complex.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Review: Spotlight by Krista Richmond

Summary

Lily Richards loves a good story. As a journalist, she’s often writing one. As a fan, she’s often reading one—especially when it’s about her favorite celebrity.

The attention he generates fascinates her. As does the role her profession plays in creating the phenomenon that is actor Daniel Brighton. Are the media to blame for the way the paparazzi chase him? Do they provide too much information about his private life to obsessive fans? And are they the cause of all the madness surrounding Daniel’s rumored relationship with a certain former costar?

Personally, Lily would much rather report on Daniel’s latest role than on his latest dining companion. And a chance encounter with the star gives her the opportunity to prove she’s not like every other journalist, or every other “fangirl.”

Nate Brennan—Daniel’s publicist—isn’t convinced of Lily’s altruistic nature. His client’s sudden preference for the no-name columnist baffles him, and when he is forced to concede to Daniel’s wishes and work with her, their professional battles soon lead to personal sparks. While Daniel and Lily grow closer, Nate finds himself caught between mistrust and attraction.

As Lily’s career slowly transitions from the newsroom of her hometown paper to the online world of entertainment media, she must find a balance between the demands of the job and the personal relationships she now holds dear.

Is a photograph worth losing a friend?

Is her next story worth losing the man she loves?

She never knew it would be so hard, standing near the glare of the Spotlight . . .

Rating

★☆☆☆☆

Review

First of all ... longest. Blurb. Ever. Moving on ... I can't even ... (sigh) ... I just don't ... oy vey. 

I was VERY conflicted about the rating because in my head, I wanted to give it one star but my heart wouldn't let me because I did finish this novel. Barely. I made so many notes, I just don't know where to start. 

Right from the beginning, I found Spotlight a bit creepy. And stalker-ish. I just noted that over and over and over again. I mean, the author took great pains to note how the main character wasn't a stalker fangirl and then each sentence following that declaration was just a sign to the contrary. It was page after page of obsession, creepy stalk-ery and stalk-ishness. Maybe it was the constant "Not a fangirl" commentary that really made it stand out in my mind.

After you get through that awkward first section, the book takes this sharp, face-first dive into left field. I was totally confused by change in the focus of the book. I felt like it really came out of no where and and I don't think that the ten page blurb on the back gave any indication that there would be this shift in the plot. Now don't get me wrong ... I'm not saying that I want to know all of the secrets of a book up front. Come on, why would I read if that were the case?!? But I would like for the changes or surprises to actually kinda go with the flow of the book. Two words from my days in Latin class kept coming to mind ... non sequitur. I knew all of those hours studying a dead language would come in handy.

There was also this weird section where it felt like reading a marketing handbook ... again, the book totally shifted focus and it just didn't make sense. Oh, and the company Lily works for had their website plugged so many times in the book that I actually looked it up to see if it was a real company. It felt like it was forced into the book WAY too many times and it became really old. Mentioning it that many times was totally unnecessary and we can talk about it more on my blog, Little Miss Bookmark unless you don't like hearing what my blog, Little Miss Bookmark thinks, in which case, my blog, Little Miss Bookmark will probably go ahead and give you Little Miss Bookmark's (<--- my blog) opinion anyway because (my blog--->) Little Miss Bookmark thinks that her opinion is totally important. You get what I'm saying.

Lastly, it was a boring romance. Dude, it was a total wet blanket. When I pick up a novel, I want to be transported into another life. An interesting one, preferably. I don't want to read something that could happen to one of my friends ... if it's a romance novel, I want the book to make me fall in love again. I want to experience what I felt when I first met my husband. I want to find the pet names endearing and not annoying and fake. I don't want a rubbing-my-feet-on-the-carpet kind of spark ... I want to be struck by lightening. I want to get that giddy feeling of knowing that these two people in the book would be perfect together. I just want to be swept up by it all and not smacked in the face with a dead fish. So frustrating. 

After writing this review, I've totally changed my mind on my rating. Reliving this novel through my notes has made me even more disappointed with everything on its pages. It was a total let down and now I'm going to have to give it only one star. I hate doing that but I think it all comes down to the fact that I just didn't get it. I didn't get the motivation, the struggles, the fanstalkery, the sad romance or anything in between. I hate not liking a book. (Sigh)

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