Book Review: Me Before You (Me Before You #1) by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

The literary world seems to have just blown up because of this book. Everyone is just tripping over themselves to shove it into someone's hand. That's a great thing. I'm all for getting non-readers to pick up a book and this book has accomplished that. But I'm also all for a book that can stand up to the hype for me. This one just didn't. And I wish that it had. 

I didn't know what to expect when picking this book up. Well, that's not true. From what everyone was saying, I expected to fall in love with this book and just bawl my eyes out. I didn't on either account. After I finished the last page, I just felt ... nothing. I immediately went online to check out Goodreads to see what all of my friends had thought. I read review after review from people that just adored Me Before You. They all said something about crying and needing a box of tissues and I'm sitting over here, dry-eyed and irritated. 

I started this book with a hopeful heart. I was hoping for an earth-shattering reading experience. But what I actually got was a very slow first half of the book. I had to force myself to go to the next page. Now, some books are just like that ... they take a while to set everything up and then BAM! you find yourself in the middle of the best read of the year. This wasn't one of those books. I kept reading hoping that something would click. That something would make me say, "WOW! This is why..." but that didn't happen. It felt like I was chasing a mirage the whole time. 

Basically, I ended up feeling like a heartless witch when I finally reached the ending. I didn't cry, not one tear. I didn't have the urge to cry and I feel pretty horrible. Did I miss something? Am I just completely uncaring since I couldn't cry at the absolutely earth-shattering situations these poor characters are going through? I have no heart. That has to be it.

All of that being said, the book was really well written. The characters had a depth that most authors strive for and the story wasn't missing any detail that I wish that I had had while reading. I just didn't connect with it. I understood the plight of the characters but I had absolutely no attachment to any of them. I wanted to love this one. Maybe I would have if I wasn't so obviously dead inside. 

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Review: All I've Never Wanted by Ana Huang

The Scions were the four richest, most powerful guys at Valesca Academy, and they ruled the school with iron fists. Everyone wanted to date them or be them...everyone, that is, except Maya Lindberg, who just wanted to avoid them until she could graduate.

She almost succeeded, until an ill-advised outburst on her part put her right in the Scions' path. Just like that, one became her fake boyfriend, one her unwanted matchmaker, one her guardian angel, and the one she couldn't stand the most? Yeah, he's her new housemate.

Maya is just a wallflower. At least, that's what she thought she was. Her mission was to make it through high school without drawing any attention to herself. She was so close to accomplishing her goal before everything blew up in her face, she became the center of attention and the girl every girl wanted to be or be friends with. The Scions changed everything. 

I'm pretty conflicted on this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed All I've Never Wanted ... I enjoyed the back and forth between the characters and most of the storyline. But on the other hand, it was a little much in some places. The story felt bogged down by everything that was going on within these pages. Just when it felt like the story was picking up, it would start slowing down again. There was just so much going on. I don't want to get into everything that was happening because I don't want to spoil the surprises for anyone else but keep in mind that there are like 10 subplots going on with this main storyline.

I'm a big fan of Cinderella stories (like many other ladies) but I think that there is a point when it can be pointed out too often how rich someone is compared to their potential love interest. I get it. These kids (The Scions) are powerful ... they come from very wealthy and powerful families, they get special treatment at school, they fly private jets during their lunch hour at school, have yachts, wipe their asses with $1000 bills. They are wealthy. Got it. It felt like that piece of info was force fed to the reader a little bit. Was it important to the story? Absolutely. But there's no reason to beat a dead horse. They're rich. Got it. 

All of that being said, I did find myself growing attached to Maya. She was a wonderfully written main character and I really enjoyed experiencing things with her. Most of the time, she balanced out the richy rich talk within the novel with her down-to-earth outlook and behaviors. The other characters were okay ... I wasn't nearly as attached to them as I was Maya though. 

There are a lot of reviewers who are comparing this to another series ... I think it was some kind of manga ... and instead of reviewing just this book, they are doing a comparison of the two. Sometimes that isn't fair at all. From what I understand, there are some similarities or something and people are losing their shit over it. I've never heard of that manga series or whatever but if you're looking for a nice summer read, give this one a try. Don't worry about what others are saying, you should try it out for yourself. You just might find a new author to follow. 

* I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
 

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of those books that I really went back and forth on for the rating. The difference is with this one, my amount of stars went from 1 to 5 to 2 to 5 to 4 and over and over. I just really didn't know what to think of this novel. 

 

Gosh ... where to start ... when you begin reading Gone Girl, you think that you have this whole thing pegged within the first page. But then you read the third page and your views change and THEN you think you have it all figured out. It was almost with every page that something would change and you would think that you knew what was going on just to have your ass handed to you in the next paragraph and to be totally confused. Here ... it's like that game you play where you put your forehead on a baseball bat that is on the ground and you try to run around it then after so many rotations, you have to drop the bat and run to your team or whatever. That game is how this book makes you feel. You watch other people read this and you think that you can handle it and you won't get confused because you've been around the block - you've read so many books that you think the author can't pull the wool over your eyes. Well I call bullshit. I can guarantee that you can't figure this book out. It will keep you totally in the dark until the very last page. 

 

The characters ... I can't say much because I don't want to give anything away so this will be difficult. Okay ... the characters are ... endearing. And deplorable. And the victim and the aggressor and the con-artist and so many other very contradictory words. I can't really talk about the characters. This feels like Fight Club. Rule #1 ...

 

I'll just say this, Gillian Flynn is completely twisted. She can write a book like none I've ever read. But a totally screwed up mind is the only one that could come up with the crap on these pages. That's all I've got. I can't say any more. I think that I'm glad I jumped on the bandwagon for this one and decided to pick Gone Girl up. And I'll probably read this one again because I'm sure there are things that I missed in my rush to read as quickly as possible so that I could find out what in the hell was going on. Geez. This is a messed up book. 

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Review: The Boys of Summer (Summer #1) by C.J. Duggan

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember. 

This was my first but definitely not my last encounter with a C.J. Duggan novel. Why, in the name of everything sweet and cuddly, have I not ever heard of this author?!? I just don't get it. I. Don't. Get it. But that changes as of today. If the rest of this series is as good as this first book, this series will be in my top 5. Most definitely my favorite New Adult. By a long shot. And that's saying a bunch since I've been on a serious New Adult kick lately and I've read some amazing novels.

This one was just so good. It was so ... real. I mean, you're following this girl named Tess. Now, Tess is what I would consider your almost-every-teenage-girl-next-door. She's dated a jerk, she is super insecure, she's boy crazy and she's borderline obsessed with a guy that she's mooned over for years. I saw a lot of myself in Tess. Maybe that's why I connected with this novel so much. Duggan wrote Tess with this awesome sassy/spunky attitude - Tess has a very quick wit and a smartass comment for just about everything and I loved it. She's one of those characters that you instantly connect with and find just truly endearing.

Tess was so well written, along with all of the other characters. Each of them had such a depth, such a back story that really filled them out completely and left you with no unanswered questions about their history or why they behaved the way that they did.

The story also flowed seamlessly. There weren't any sentences, paragraphs or chapters that were unnecessary ... there just wasn't any fluff. I didn't find myself skimming paragraphs or jumping pages just to get to the good parts because it was ALL good parts.

I just really enjoyed everything about The Boys of Summer. Everything. There were so many hilarious moments, so many heart wrenching moments. It's a coming of age novel that most females can totally identify with. Such a sweet young-love story! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!! Now stop reading my silly review and get started on this book!!

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Review: The Wanderers by Jessica Miller

Summary

What do you do when you learn your family is the one who's holding all the secrets? Secrets that could get you killed...

Ella is looking forward to starting college in the fall with her best friend Josie. She’s looking for a place where she can get away from her overbearing parents and two older annoying brothers. Unfortunately Ella realizes that sometimes the past comes back to haunt you.

Ella soon learns that the man who terrorizes her dreams is in fact real and coming after her.

When one of her classmates is murdered, Ella slowly recognizes this is not some strange coincidence. Ella fears that the boy she’s falling in love with is the one who stalks her dreams and no longer knows who she can trust.

When she finally learns the truth of her family's deepest secret, Ella has to face her demons by taking out one of the people she thought she could trust…before they kill her.

Rating

Review

I was truly surprised with The Wanderers. The author really keeps all of the secrets off of the blurb on the back of the book. You pick up this book thinking it's about one thing and BOOM! It's not. Now don't take that the wrong way. It's nice to be honestly surprised sometimes when reading. All too often, the blurb will give away too many surprises ... which is why I only read the summary of a book only once - just to see if it's interesting and then I'll put the book down until I forget what it's about. I know, weird. Anyway ... in the beginning, I was really entertained with The Wanderers. The author seems to have channeled what it is like to be a teenager and in that awkward phase of your life, with all of the pressures and influences that you're surrounded with. The plot is really mysterious and you just can't put a finger on what exactly is going on. Good stuff. 

I found the main character, Ella, to be endearing and sweet but then she would have the bursts of petulant immaturity which were a bit annoying but I'm assuming that it was put in to make her seem like a teenager? I don't know. It felt like it was almost on the verge of being a full blown temper tantrum and if that had happened, I would have just put the book down. I'm not really interested in reading about spoiled kids who throw tantrums. It didn't come to that, thank goodness. A bit into the book, Ella became self-righteous and she started scolding people ... I don't know. Is it that big of a deal? No. But it bothered me enough during the story to make me write a note about it so I figured it was worth mentioning. For the most part, the characters were really well written. I enjoyed the interactions between them and actually looked forward to the next scenes just to see what they would say to each other.

While the mystery surrounding the plot was intriguing during the beginning, about halfway through, I found it really tiresome. I just wanted to throw my own tantrum because I wanted it to get to the point. Dragging out the mystery is great ... until it's too long. Hell, I'm not an author. I can't imagine all of the hard work that goes into writing a novel but I am a reader and I know what I like. I like mystery but not too much because it becomes boring and I'll put the novel down. Which is what happened this time. I needed a breather to see if maybe I was just impatient and not wanting to fully invest ... which I didn't think was the case because I really like the story. I like the meat of The Wanderers and even after the few issues that I had, I still enjoyed it and I'll probably pick up the next installment. 

Probably. But I'm a little torn. There were just some grammar issues that made me want to scream and I hope that the your/you're and then/than issues are resolved in the next novel. Basically, pick it up. It's a good paranormal novel and it will keep you entertained and wishing for more when you get to the end. I'm pretty curious as to how this plays out next ...

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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.

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Review: More (More #1) by T.M. Franklin

RATING

★★★★☆ 

SUMMARY

Ava Michaels used to think she was special.

As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.

Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass Physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core.

Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.

Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.

She's a little bit more.

REVIEW

Unfortunately, I've had this book sitting on my Kindle for almost a year. Almost a year. Well, that was a huge mistake on my part. If I had known what magic was hidden within those pages ... man. I should have read this long ago. You know, this is my first novel from Franklin. She was pretty unknown to me before picking this novel up but I'm really excited to see what is in store for the future of this series. 

More does start off a little slow ... at first, I was thinking that it might take me forever to get through the book but after you get a couple of chapters in, it's REALLY engaging. There were bunches of unexpected twists and surprises. The book had a super nice flow to it after the first shaky section and I didn't find any more slow spots. It actually starts to move at almost a break-neck speed and it pulls you along with it. 

I will definitely be looking into some more novels by this author and the likelihood that I'll read this one again is extremely high. This is one that I'll be adding to my must read list for my friends and family. 

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Review: Mortal Fire (Secret of the Journal, #1)

Summary

Twenty-nine-year-old, independent, and self-assured Cambridge history professor Emma D'Eresby has one obsession in life: the curious journal of a seventeenth-century Englishman, a portion of which was left to her by her late grandfather.

When an unexpected opportunity to study the journal in its entirety presents itself, Emma finds herself leaving Cambridge to take up a year-long position at a prestigious university in Maine. Anticipating a quiet year of research, Emma quickly discovers her work impeded by a range of unforeseen complications. From the start, there is the well-intentioned matchmaking of her vivacious Russian colleague, Elena Smalova, and the unexpected jailing of one of her post-graduate students. More troublesome, however, are the unsolved, brutal night attacks on women near the university and Emma's suspicion that they might be linked to the sinister English professor, Kort Staahl. But, most diverting and disconcerting of all, is Emma's growing attraction to the strikingly handsome Dr. Matthew Lyons, whose kind but deliberately distant demeanor puzzles her.

Suspense and dread mount when Kort begins to take a persistent and unsettling interest in Emma. What are Kort's intentions, and what is he capable of? And the mystery surrounding Matthew only deepens when Emma discovers a link between him and the journal. What is Matthew trying to hide?

Rating & Review

Where to start ... unfortunately, I'm having a difficult time finding a good place to start on this one. I've tried. It's taken me a couple of days to read this book ... 6 to be exact. That's not normal. It shouldn't take me that long to finish a book. The problem was that I just wasn't interested. 

And I may be way off base on this one, there are a lot of people who really like this book. From the very first sentence, I just found it to be uninteresting. It's sad when I couldn't care less what is in store for characters. Usually, I get too invested in them but not this time. I didn't care at all.

I found the phrasing really weird in a lot of places, the humor wasn't ... funny ... or even amusing. There was a stiffness when it came to the conversations between the characters. It was almost as if the conversations weren't with real people, if that makes any sense. Now, I know that they aren't real people but when I'm reading a book, I expect for the characters to come across like like a real flesh covered person. But they all read like characters. There was nothing personable about them, nothing endearing, nothing. Just nothing. 

This just was not a book for me. I was really interested when I read the blurb but this book and I were not a perfect fit. I mean, it was like trying to push a pizza through a credit card reader. We just didn't mesh.

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Review: Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1)

Summary

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

Rating & Review

Even as I type this, I'm deciding what rating I will give this book. I can't even remember how many times I've rewritten this review ... twenty or thirty times? ... maybe more. My feelings are just so conflicted. Man. First of all, I have so many books piled up to read that by looking at them, I don't know what they are all about. When that one lucky book gets chosen for reading, I don't read the blurb on the back of the book. If I thought it was good enough to read before, reading the back of the book before I dive in isn't going to change anything ... so why spoil any surprises?!? 

I really didn't have any clue as to what was going to be within the pages of this one. It doesn't help that from the first page, you're thrown into Kacey and Livie's lives like you've been there the whole time. I was confused at first, a confusion that won't happen if you're smarter than me and read the back of the book. That beginning confusion lasted only a few short pages but then a real and gritty confusion lasts for a while but it's not for the book ... it's for the characters. K.A. Tucker really took me for a ride. I became totally immersed in the characters. Anytime the story was focused on Kacey, I WAS Kacey and the same goes with Livie and all of the other characters. It was really the weirdest damn thing that I've ever encountered while reading. I was just invested so fast that it was confusing and quite startling, to be honest. 

This novel is one of those that really pulls you down with it. Now don't take that in a bad way. Authors want you to feel. I think they all strive for you to become one with their book like they have. They want you to be tugged with the ebb and flow of emotions and/or actions within the walls of the world that they have created. And I totally did ... I was feeling depressed when the characters were depressed. I was happy when they were and I was totally prepared to hold this one dude down when Kacey wanted to light his junk on fire. I told you, I was invested. 

The beginning of the story, as heartbreaking as it was, was actually a lot easier for me to read than the last 1/5 of the book. Dude, that last quarter damn near broke me down and I'm not a crier!! It was so hard to feel a wonderfully written character break down ... to watch them get to the worst possible version of themselves and then just become a shell of a person. I held my breath for like 40 pages, just wondering if this character would piece herself back together. It was NOT what I was expecting when I picked up a New Adult novel. Not at all. 

But I'm glad that I did. Tucker will definitely be on my list for authors that I keep up with and possibly Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads stalk. This book is an absolute must read. You have to read it. Put down what you're reading now (unless it's Divergent or The Testing - in which case read that quickly and THEN immediately put it down) and pick this book up. You won't be disappointed. Wait a second, yep. Just changed the rating to a 5 star. Now, if you want to be my friend, you have to read it.

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Review: To Seduce a Scoundrel

Author: Darcy Burke

Published: July 2012

Pages: 351

Summary

A lady on the brink of disaster

Lady Philippa Latham is determined to avoid scandal at all costs. When her mother's outrageous behavior threatens their entire family's reputation, Philippa attempts to curtail her activities. Unwittingly, she follows her to a party no unmarried Society girl would risk attending. As if that wasn't bad enough, Philippa is "rescued" by England’s most notorious scoundrel, which sets them both on a path to public and personal ruin…

A scoundrel in need of seduction

Lord Ambrose Sevrin is famous for having ruined his brother's fiancé and refusing to marry her. Dangerously attractive, he is an intriguing enigma to London's elite. Only, Philippa thinks she's met the true Ambrose — a gentleman who would fight to defend her and help her secure a husband before it’s too late. But he can't fall victim to Philippa's charms. He won’t tolerate redemption — or love — for his crimes are far worse than anyone can imagine.

Rating & Review

I'm a little ashamed to say how long I stayed up finishing this one last night. I went to bed and I had about half of the book left and before I knew it, it was super late and I realized that I would only get a couple of hours sleep before I had to get our boys out of bed for school. Let's just say that I'm definitely dragging ass this morning. After I finish writing this bad boy, I'm heading to bed.

Okay, okay, okay ... sooo ... historical romance. LOVE this genre. I love how they talk, the dresses, the balls, the dance cards ... I just adore everything about these books. I've never read a Burke book but this will not be the last. Ha ha ... Burke book ... that reminds me of that Vine ... the one where the dude says, "Don't drop that durka durk, heeeeeyyy". You could always change it to "Don't drop that Burke book, heeeeeyyy".

Anyway ... moving on ... this book was filled with more drama and intrigue than most historical romances. It was really a nice change! Most of the time, the author will focus on the horizontal mambo and while that is still in To Seduce a Scoundrel, it really wasn't the heart of the book. I mean come on, what would a historical romance be without all of the bedroom action?!? 

Anyhow, you could really tell that Burke knows these characters. All of her characters have this full and amazing back-stories that add a lot of depth to the novel. It really seemed like I had read a few books in the series - I was that acquainted with the characters. There wasn't really any fluff in this one either ... anything that is written on the page is important to the heart of the story. And man ... the bad guys were skeevy as hell! They really gave me the creeps ... amazing writing job.

I really don't have anything else to say about the book. I know ... shocking, right? Usually, I pick a book apart and just demolish anything I may have liked about it but not this time. Good read, super entertaining, it made me stay up all night and I'll definitely be picking up another book by this author and it will be sometime soon.

Review: Betrayals of the Heart

Title: Betrayals of the Heart 

Author: Melissa Ohnoutka

Summary

Makayla thought she'd fallen in love with the man of her dreams. But after the honeymoon, a horrifying reality sets in. She is a prisoner, a slave, a pawn for a malicious man's games. When her precious son is born, the need to escape intensifies. Little does she know that the man who helps her escape is working undercover with orders from the FBI to bring her in--a sure method to end not only her life, but her young son's as well.

Ryan Carter (AKA Robert Shaw from Target of Betrayal) knows way too much about lies
and betrayal. His entire life is now a lie. The minute he discovers his target is a victim and not the cruel criminal the FBI's profiler has made her out to be, his agenda changes. Against the wishes of the FBI, he disappears with their star witness, vowing to keep her and her young son safe from the satanic monster she calls her husband. What he doesn't plan on is falling in love--or having a son of his own.

Fate deals them a cruel hand in the form of a simple high school history project. The madman has found them and he's taken Ryan's son in exchange for Makayla. Can Ryan save them both? Or will history repeat itself and once again steal all he holds dear?

Rating & Review

This one started out really strong for me. The author just throws you into the middle of Makayla's story and while some might find that confusing, I LOVE IT when author's start off their adventure that way. Right off the bat, you hate Makayla's husband. He seems to be a sadistic bastard that everyone's nightmares revolve around. This Steven character is the monster under your bed, the bad guy in the closet. As scary as it is, I'm sure there is more than one actual person like this in the world. Man. He just gave me the creeps. Ohnoutka can sure write a good bad guy. 

Once Ryan enters the story, that's when I'm officially hooked. I love his character. I like how his character develops as the story and the connection with Makayla feels genuine and heartfelt. 

Now ... all of that being said ... after about halfway through the book ... I just totally lost interest. I don't know why. The ending was great, I was a bit surprised how everything came to a head and I really enjoyed how all of the events and characters finished things off but the meat of the story was a little ... meh. It really bothers me to say that because I did get really invested in what was going on between Makayla and her husband and then with Ryan. I felt almost robbed. I think that I kinda wanted the beginning part with Ryan to take more pages. A lot more. I really enjoyed the give and take between Makayla, Ryan and Michael during that time period. 

Anyhow ... pretty good book till about half way ... I would definitely give this author another shot since I liked the beginning of the book so much.

Review: Introductions (The Academy #1)

Title: Introductions (The Academy #1)

Author: C.L. Stone

Date Published: December 2012

ISBN: 9781481814911

Publisher: Arcato Publishing

Pages: 280

Summary

With an agoraphobic mother and a barely-there father, Sang abhors the isolation keeping her in the shadows. The only thing Sang craves is a fresh start and to be accepted as ordinary by her peers, because for her being different meant being cast out alone.

When her family moves to a new school district, Sang infiltrates a group of boys nearly perfect in every way. Grateful for an influence outside of her parents’ negativity, she quickly bonds with the boys, hoping to blend in and learn from them what it means to have a natural relationship with friends.

Only the boys have secrets of their own and they’ll do anything to keep her safe from the knowledge of the mysterious Academy that they've sworn allegiance to. Bit by bit, Sang discovers that her friends are far from the normalcy she expected. Will her loyalty change when she's forced to remain in the dark, or will she accept that she's traded one house of secrets for another?

Meet Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in a story about differences and loyalty, truth and mystery, friendships and heart-throbbing intimacy.

The Academy, ever vigilant.

 

 

 

Rating & Review

Okay, so you've read the blurb for the book. You know that it's about this girl named Sang who has this mom with this issue, her dad is never there, she's alone - almost completely isolated and then she meets these dudes. 

I know, I know. You already know all of that ... I'm just trying to waste a little time before I jump into this because I really have no idea where I'm going to start or where this will end up, for that matter. I have such mixed feelings about this one and I just can't quite put my finger on why. 

I'm going to try to not give anything away about the book but there are some things that I have to discuss because they really bother me and it's not like it's some secret. But at the same time, I can't really give that much away because I really ... have NO FREAKING CLUE as to what in the world is going on in this book. Hopefully I can put some of that into words today. Fingers crossed. Cross yours too ... I'll probably need it. 

So right off the bat, there is this really weird child abuse going on in Sang's home. I'm talking ... WEIRD. SHIT. I had to actually put the book down because it really bothered me. That and I had to do a little checking up on the author to see if they looked and sounded like they were just bat-shit crazy because this abuse is just ... messed up. So horrible. And it seemed like a lot to take in for a young adult novel. Now that could be because I'm a mom and I just couldn't imagine that kind of thing happening to our boys, let alone by my hands or maybe it's because I want our kiddos to stay innocent and free from these types of horrors. Who knows, but there it is.

Moving on ... then the boys in the novel come into play. And there are quite a few. I mean, it started off as one dude hanging around her and then it was three and before you know it ... Holy Lord ... there are nine dudes climbing out of this hot guy clown car. Well, there wasn't really a clown car ... I'm trying to give you a visual ... these hot guys just kept coming out of no where. Now, I have no problem with that. If I were a single, high school girl and all of these amazingly built, sweet, smart, hot guys kept wanting to hang out with me ... AWESOME. But it felt like it was a bit much. Especially with the hair brushing, cuddling and clothes.

I really had no idea where the story was going to go from one chapter to the next. It had some surprisingly awesome twists and turns that I loved. But. And this is a big ol' badonkadonk: I had no clue as to what the motivation behind the story was. Why was this story being told? Why did all of this matter? I mean, the abuse mattered ... that needed to stop ... but why were the guys fawning all over her? Why is this girl so damn important?!?!? 

I'll leave you to answer those questions after you've finished this one. I must admit ... I finished this book and immediately bought the second in the series. Then the third. And the fourth. I was pretty ashamed of myself ... I had absolutely no self control when it came to reading this series. I just had to have the next one. Dude, I would have sold a kid on ebay to read the next in the series. Thank goodness it didn't come to that! As it stands, I have to wait for the next book in the series because I read all of them. You know how when you eat your favorite dessert and you gobble it up so fast that you don't know where it went and you wish that you could have that first bite back again? Yeah. This book is one of those. 

 

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