Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 167
July 7, 2016
Book Review: Up In Flames by Abbi Glines
Up In Flames by Abbi Glines
Blurb:
Spoiled. Selfish. Rich girl. Villain. Slut.
As the Prada-clad bad girl of Rosemary Beach, Nan Dillon has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Some of her reputation is deserved—she’s never had to worry about anything but maintaining her perfect figure and splitting Daddy’s private jet with her brother, Rush.
But Nan is far from happy. Rush has another kid on the way and doesn’t have time to catch up with his sister. Grant, the last guy she truly cared about, chose to be with her half-sister, Harlow, instead of her. And Harlow, who has never gotten over the way Nan treated her when she first moved to town, remains distant.
So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn’t know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and though it’s clear he doesn’t want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or watching Netflix alone at home.
For a while, Nan deals with Major’s playboy ways, but after he burns her one too many times, she takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly seductive and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her.
With Major asking for a second chance and Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to give her heart to. But what she doesn’t realize is that these players are involved in a much bigger game—and they’re already two moves ahead of her.
My Review: After sexy playboy, Major Colt blows Rosemary Beach's most infamous resident, Nan, off for another girl one too many times Nan takes off for a wild weekend in Vegas.
There she meets Cope "Gannon" Roth, who she is immediately drawn to. Their connection is immediate and sparks fly leading to mind-blowing sex. At the same time, Major keeps texting Nan trying to win her back.
When Gannon turns out to be too good to be true, Nan returns to Rosemary Beach with a bruised heart. She allows Major to try to win her back but Gannon is never far from her mind, especially with the vivid "dreams" of amazing sex she has about Gannon night after night.
But is any of it real? Do either Major or Gannon actually care about Nan? Or is she just a pawn in a dangerous game? Will Nan ever get the love she's been craving for so long or will that dream go Up In Flames?
I can't believe it but Abbi Glines actually did it. She got me to like Nan. I never thought it would happen but I give her huge credit for that. I really didn't care for Major, he was mostly a jerk and a pig and that's what made you feel sympathy for Nan. Cope, on the other hand, whew - Cope was so freaking awesome! The only thing I didn't like about him was the slapping. I mean it's cool if you're into rough sex, no worries, but when he slapped Nan across the face that was crossing a huge line for me. That's not okay and it's wrong for the author to make it sound like it was a hot kinky game. The other thing I didn't like was every time the word "ok" was used it was in all caps. It tended to look like the abbreviation for Oklahoma. Overall I loved this book and I'm glad I gave Nan a chance! Great way to end the Rosemary Beach series! My Rating: 5 0f 5 Stars
Blurb:
Spoiled. Selfish. Rich girl. Villain. Slut.As the Prada-clad bad girl of Rosemary Beach, Nan Dillon has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Some of her reputation is deserved—she’s never had to worry about anything but maintaining her perfect figure and splitting Daddy’s private jet with her brother, Rush.
But Nan is far from happy. Rush has another kid on the way and doesn’t have time to catch up with his sister. Grant, the last guy she truly cared about, chose to be with her half-sister, Harlow, instead of her. And Harlow, who has never gotten over the way Nan treated her when she first moved to town, remains distant.
So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn’t know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and though it’s clear he doesn’t want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or watching Netflix alone at home.
For a while, Nan deals with Major’s playboy ways, but after he burns her one too many times, she takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly seductive and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her.
With Major asking for a second chance and Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to give her heart to. But what she doesn’t realize is that these players are involved in a much bigger game—and they’re already two moves ahead of her.
My Review: After sexy playboy, Major Colt blows Rosemary Beach's most infamous resident, Nan, off for another girl one too many times Nan takes off for a wild weekend in Vegas.
There she meets Cope "Gannon" Roth, who she is immediately drawn to. Their connection is immediate and sparks fly leading to mind-blowing sex. At the same time, Major keeps texting Nan trying to win her back.
When Gannon turns out to be too good to be true, Nan returns to Rosemary Beach with a bruised heart. She allows Major to try to win her back but Gannon is never far from her mind, especially with the vivid "dreams" of amazing sex she has about Gannon night after night.
But is any of it real? Do either Major or Gannon actually care about Nan? Or is she just a pawn in a dangerous game? Will Nan ever get the love she's been craving for so long or will that dream go Up In Flames?
I can't believe it but Abbi Glines actually did it. She got me to like Nan. I never thought it would happen but I give her huge credit for that. I really didn't care for Major, he was mostly a jerk and a pig and that's what made you feel sympathy for Nan. Cope, on the other hand, whew - Cope was so freaking awesome! The only thing I didn't like about him was the slapping. I mean it's cool if you're into rough sex, no worries, but when he slapped Nan across the face that was crossing a huge line for me. That's not okay and it's wrong for the author to make it sound like it was a hot kinky game. The other thing I didn't like was every time the word "ok" was used it was in all caps. It tended to look like the abbreviation for Oklahoma. Overall I loved this book and I'm glad I gave Nan a chance! Great way to end the Rosemary Beach series! My Rating: 5 0f 5 Stars
July 6, 2016
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #30
This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading a book that I've been both looking forward to and nervous about...
Up In Flames by Abbi Glines
Blurb:
Spoiled. Selfish. Rich girl. Villain. Slut.
As the Prada-clad bad girl of Rosemary Beach, Nan Dillon has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Some of her reputation is deserved—she’s never had to worry about anything but maintaining her perfect figure and splitting Daddy’s private jet with her brother, Rush.
But Nan is far from happy. Rush has another kid on the way and doesn’t have time to catch up with his sister. Grant, the last guy she truly cared about, chose to be with her half-sister, Harlow, instead of her. And Harlow, who has never gotten over the way Nan treated her when she first moved to town, remains distant.
So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn’t know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and though it’s clear he doesn’t want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or watching Netflix alone at home.
For a while, Nan deals with Major’s playboy ways, but after he burns her one too many times, she takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly seductive and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her.
With Major asking for a second chance and Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to give her heart to. But what she doesn’t realize is that these players are involved in a much bigger game—and they’re already two moves ahead of her.
Why I Picked This Book / What I Think So Far: I picked this book because it's the final book in the Rosemary Beach series. I haven't read the past two or three books but since this is the last one I think I should read it. I'm anxious to see if Abbi can make me a fan of the evil villainess, Nan. I skimmed the ending (a bad habit of mine) when I first received the book and I liked it so hopefully, I'll like getting to the ending. We'll see if I'm a #NanLover or not when I finish Up In Flames!
Here's what else I've read since last week...
Lightning Kissed (Lucents #1) by Lila Felix
Blurb:
Colby Evans can leap from one country to the next in a heartbeat. She can see every sunset in every time zone in the same day. She can travel across the world in a flash. She defies gravity and physics with every breath she takes. She's tested her abilities and found them limitless. She is the lightning. She is Lucent. And nothing can stop her. Except him. Theodore Ramsey isn't supposed to be able to flash like Colby. The power of travel is passed on from mother to daughter in their people. Except once in every hundred generations. Theo is the one. He can flash like Colby. And it makes him a target to their enemies and to himself. His abilities change everything he knows about life and throws his future into an uncertain tangent. In fact, the only thing certain in his life is the love he feels for Colby. Their love defies time and space and has been the only constant thing in their lives since childhood. But even their infallible love will be stretched to its limits. She will risk her life to protect him. But he will risk everything to protect them all.
My Review: Colby is loud and reckless, Theo is calm and reasonable. The yin to her yang. Theo has loved Colby since they were kids and she stood up on the first day of school and told the class she hated checkers just because he said he liked them.
But Colby is a Lucent, a female-only species, with lightning inside her that gives her the ability to "flash" (travel) from place to place in the blink of an eye. When Theo tells Colby he can flash too (a rarity for males) Colby breaks up with him. Colby is under close observation by the Synod - the leaders of the Lucents - and Colby knows that being with Theo would put a target on his back meaning the government might come after him to take his gift. Colby shudders at the thought of losing him like she lost her dad or the torture her friend Sway endured when she was captured by the government and had her power stripped away turning her into a powerless Resin.
Theo is unwilling to give up on Colby. He's loved her for so long and he knows she still loves him; so he sets off to learn more about what he suspects he is: an Eldolon, a male lucent with the immense powers.
When Theo comes clean to Colby about his suspicions Colby is worried for Theo and demands to come with him on his quest. As they travel around the world and find help with a Guardian named Collin and Pema, the descendant of the last eldolon, Eivan, Theo and Colby fall back into love. But trouble is never far behind. Who is the real enemy to Theo and Colby? The Synod? The Government? The Resin leaders? What's their agenda and how far will they go to get what they want?
I liked this book because it was different. It's a different kind of paranormal/fantasy romance and at times I liked and disliked both Colby and Theo. I liked their love but they were both extremes - Colby could be careless and Theo could be too straight-laced. Collin was awesome and I hope in the next books we get to see more of his awesome character. I'm on the fence about Pema - can she really be trusted? Who's betraying them? The idea of Lucents is unique so if you're tired of the usual vampire, werewolf, fae novels I think you'll really like this book. My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
last weekend I also read...
The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth
Blurb:
When secrets from the past collide with the present, the consequences may be deadly.
Growing up in a small town in Louisiana, seventeen-year-old Vivienne Davenport's life is that of an ordinary teenager. At least, until the untimely death of her mother reveals a family secret. She's adopted . . . and her real mom is a witch.
The truth of her lineage only complicates Vivienne's life further. Buried deep within her family’s history of magic is a deadly curse that has plagued her family for generations. When her birth mom disappears, Vivienne must tap into her suppressed powers in order to save her long-lost mother. And herself.
Can Vivienne become the witch she needs to be? Or will her newfound powers prove too much for her to handle? Only one thing is certain, Vivienne will soon learn that all magic has a price.
The Curse of the Bruel Coven, the first book in a new and exciting young adult fantasy series is sure to cast a spell on you.
My Review: When 17-year-old Vivienne goes through her recently deceased mother's photo albums in search of a photo from her childhood that she needs for school she stumbles across a photograph of her with an unfamiliar woman that she has a strong family resemblance to. Vivienne's grandmother "Nemma" confirms her suspicions that she is in fact, adopted.
With the help of her best friend Savannah, Vivienne tracks her mother down in New Orleans and they set off to see her. When they arrive at Claire (Vivienne's birth mother)'s house in the French Quarter there is an instant connection between Vivienne and Claire, but as Claire lets them in her mood is frosty and dismissive. After not receiving a sufficient answer as to why Claire gave Vivienne up Vivienne gets angry and Claire's coffee table begins to shake. This confirms Claire's worst fears: her firstborn daughter's powers have awakened leaving her in high risk of danger from an "immortal" or vampire that's been trying to feed on the blood of a Bruel family firstborn daughter since his creation during the Civil War.
Vivienne doesn't believe Claire's story about witches and vampire and thinking her crazy she and Savannah get up to leave. They're nearly out of the city limits when Savannah realizes she has forgotten her cell phone so they have to go back. When they return to Claire's house everything has been ransacked and Claire is gone. A girl appears at the top of the stairs - Vivienne's half-sister Mira and realizing what has happened she takes the girls to their aunt's apartment above a magic shop in the Quarter.
Vivienne is suddenly introduced to a whole host of relatives she never knew she had; a sister, cousins, an aunt, and a grandmother. When a location spell for Claire goes wrong Grand'Mere (Vivienne's grandmother) asks for her help to locate Claire before it's too late.
Will Vivienne and the others be able to find Claire and stop whatever witches are aiding the immortal one? Can Vivienne get control over her powers or is she not as strong as everyone expects her to be? Is the immortal one really evil?
At first, I was afraid this book was a little too fast paced. The entire book - from Vivienne finding out she was adopted to traveling to see her birth mother to her birth mother's disappearance and the process of finding Claire - transpires in about a week's time. However, the more I read this book the more I liked it. I love that it's set in New Orleans, my favorite city in the world, and the book is really easy to get into - possibly because of the fast pace. I sat down and read this book in one sitting. I really liked Vivienne's dreams that take her back to the past and I look forward to seeing how Vivienne grows, both as a character and into her powers, in the next book. The Curse of the Bruel Coven is definitely an interesting read.My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Up In Flames by Abbi Glines
Blurb:
Spoiled. Selfish. Rich girl. Villain. Slut.As the Prada-clad bad girl of Rosemary Beach, Nan Dillon has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Some of her reputation is deserved—she’s never had to worry about anything but maintaining her perfect figure and splitting Daddy’s private jet with her brother, Rush.
But Nan is far from happy. Rush has another kid on the way and doesn’t have time to catch up with his sister. Grant, the last guy she truly cared about, chose to be with her half-sister, Harlow, instead of her. And Harlow, who has never gotten over the way Nan treated her when she first moved to town, remains distant.
So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn’t know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and though it’s clear he doesn’t want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or watching Netflix alone at home.
For a while, Nan deals with Major’s playboy ways, but after he burns her one too many times, she takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly seductive and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her.
With Major asking for a second chance and Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to give her heart to. But what she doesn’t realize is that these players are involved in a much bigger game—and they’re already two moves ahead of her.
Why I Picked This Book / What I Think So Far: I picked this book because it's the final book in the Rosemary Beach series. I haven't read the past two or three books but since this is the last one I think I should read it. I'm anxious to see if Abbi can make me a fan of the evil villainess, Nan. I skimmed the ending (a bad habit of mine) when I first received the book and I liked it so hopefully, I'll like getting to the ending. We'll see if I'm a #NanLover or not when I finish Up In Flames!
Here's what else I've read since last week...
Lightning Kissed (Lucents #1) by Lila Felix
Blurb:
Colby Evans can leap from one country to the next in a heartbeat. She can see every sunset in every time zone in the same day. She can travel across the world in a flash. She defies gravity and physics with every breath she takes. She's tested her abilities and found them limitless. She is the lightning. She is Lucent. And nothing can stop her. Except him. Theodore Ramsey isn't supposed to be able to flash like Colby. The power of travel is passed on from mother to daughter in their people. Except once in every hundred generations. Theo is the one. He can flash like Colby. And it makes him a target to their enemies and to himself. His abilities change everything he knows about life and throws his future into an uncertain tangent. In fact, the only thing certain in his life is the love he feels for Colby. Their love defies time and space and has been the only constant thing in their lives since childhood. But even their infallible love will be stretched to its limits. She will risk her life to protect him. But he will risk everything to protect them all.My Review: Colby is loud and reckless, Theo is calm and reasonable. The yin to her yang. Theo has loved Colby since they were kids and she stood up on the first day of school and told the class she hated checkers just because he said he liked them.
But Colby is a Lucent, a female-only species, with lightning inside her that gives her the ability to "flash" (travel) from place to place in the blink of an eye. When Theo tells Colby he can flash too (a rarity for males) Colby breaks up with him. Colby is under close observation by the Synod - the leaders of the Lucents - and Colby knows that being with Theo would put a target on his back meaning the government might come after him to take his gift. Colby shudders at the thought of losing him like she lost her dad or the torture her friend Sway endured when she was captured by the government and had her power stripped away turning her into a powerless Resin.
Theo is unwilling to give up on Colby. He's loved her for so long and he knows she still loves him; so he sets off to learn more about what he suspects he is: an Eldolon, a male lucent with the immense powers.
When Theo comes clean to Colby about his suspicions Colby is worried for Theo and demands to come with him on his quest. As they travel around the world and find help with a Guardian named Collin and Pema, the descendant of the last eldolon, Eivan, Theo and Colby fall back into love. But trouble is never far behind. Who is the real enemy to Theo and Colby? The Synod? The Government? The Resin leaders? What's their agenda and how far will they go to get what they want?
I liked this book because it was different. It's a different kind of paranormal/fantasy romance and at times I liked and disliked both Colby and Theo. I liked their love but they were both extremes - Colby could be careless and Theo could be too straight-laced. Collin was awesome and I hope in the next books we get to see more of his awesome character. I'm on the fence about Pema - can she really be trusted? Who's betraying them? The idea of Lucents is unique so if you're tired of the usual vampire, werewolf, fae novels I think you'll really like this book. My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
last weekend I also read...
The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth
Blurb:
When secrets from the past collide with the present, the consequences may be deadly. Growing up in a small town in Louisiana, seventeen-year-old Vivienne Davenport's life is that of an ordinary teenager. At least, until the untimely death of her mother reveals a family secret. She's adopted . . . and her real mom is a witch.
The truth of her lineage only complicates Vivienne's life further. Buried deep within her family’s history of magic is a deadly curse that has plagued her family for generations. When her birth mom disappears, Vivienne must tap into her suppressed powers in order to save her long-lost mother. And herself.
Can Vivienne become the witch she needs to be? Or will her newfound powers prove too much for her to handle? Only one thing is certain, Vivienne will soon learn that all magic has a price.
The Curse of the Bruel Coven, the first book in a new and exciting young adult fantasy series is sure to cast a spell on you.
My Review: When 17-year-old Vivienne goes through her recently deceased mother's photo albums in search of a photo from her childhood that she needs for school she stumbles across a photograph of her with an unfamiliar woman that she has a strong family resemblance to. Vivienne's grandmother "Nemma" confirms her suspicions that she is in fact, adopted.
With the help of her best friend Savannah, Vivienne tracks her mother down in New Orleans and they set off to see her. When they arrive at Claire (Vivienne's birth mother)'s house in the French Quarter there is an instant connection between Vivienne and Claire, but as Claire lets them in her mood is frosty and dismissive. After not receiving a sufficient answer as to why Claire gave Vivienne up Vivienne gets angry and Claire's coffee table begins to shake. This confirms Claire's worst fears: her firstborn daughter's powers have awakened leaving her in high risk of danger from an "immortal" or vampire that's been trying to feed on the blood of a Bruel family firstborn daughter since his creation during the Civil War.
Vivienne doesn't believe Claire's story about witches and vampire and thinking her crazy she and Savannah get up to leave. They're nearly out of the city limits when Savannah realizes she has forgotten her cell phone so they have to go back. When they return to Claire's house everything has been ransacked and Claire is gone. A girl appears at the top of the stairs - Vivienne's half-sister Mira and realizing what has happened she takes the girls to their aunt's apartment above a magic shop in the Quarter.
Vivienne is suddenly introduced to a whole host of relatives she never knew she had; a sister, cousins, an aunt, and a grandmother. When a location spell for Claire goes wrong Grand'Mere (Vivienne's grandmother) asks for her help to locate Claire before it's too late.
Will Vivienne and the others be able to find Claire and stop whatever witches are aiding the immortal one? Can Vivienne get control over her powers or is she not as strong as everyone expects her to be? Is the immortal one really evil?
At first, I was afraid this book was a little too fast paced. The entire book - from Vivienne finding out she was adopted to traveling to see her birth mother to her birth mother's disappearance and the process of finding Claire - transpires in about a week's time. However, the more I read this book the more I liked it. I love that it's set in New Orleans, my favorite city in the world, and the book is really easy to get into - possibly because of the fast pace. I sat down and read this book in one sitting. I really liked Vivienne's dreams that take her back to the past and I look forward to seeing how Vivienne grows, both as a character and into her powers, in the next book. The Curse of the Bruel Coven is definitely an interesting read.My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
July 3, 2016
BOOK REVIEW: The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth
The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth
Blurb:
When secrets from the past collide with the present, the consequences may be deadly.
Growing up in a small town in Louisiana, seventeen-year-old Vivienne Davenport's life is that of an ordinary teenager. At least, until the untimely death of her mother reveals a family secret. She's adopted . . . and her real mom is a witch.
The truth of her lineage only complicates Vivienne's life further. Buried deep within her family’s history of magic is a deadly curse that has plagued her family for generations. When her birth mom disappears, Vivienne must tap into her suppressed powers in order to save her long-lost mother. And herself.
Can Vivienne become the witch she needs to be? Or will her newfound powers prove too much for her to handle? Only one thing is certain, Vivienne will soon learn that all magic has a price.
My Review:
When 17-year-old Vivienne goes through her recently deceased mother's photo albums in search of a photo from her childhood that she needs for school she stumbles across a photograph of her with an unfamiliar woman that she has a strong family resemblance to. Vivienne's grandmother "Nemma" confirms her suspicions that she is in fact, adopted.
With the help of her best friend Savannah, Vivienne tracks her mother down in New Orleans and they set off to see her. When they arrive at Claire (Vivienne's birth mother)'s house in the French Quarter there is an instant connection between Vivienne and Claire, but as Claire lets them in her mood is frosty and dismissive. After not receiving a sufficient answer as to why Claire gave Vivienne up Vivienne gets angry and Claire's coffee table begins to shake. This confirms Claire's worst fears: her firstborn daughter's powers have awakened leaving her in high risk of danger from an "immortal" or vampire that's been trying to feed on the blood of a Bruel family firstborn daughter since his creation during the Civil War.
Vivienne doesn't believe Claire's story about witches and vampire and thinking her crazy she and Savannah get up to leave. They're nearly out of the city limits when Savannah realizes she has forgotten her cell phone so they have to go back. When they return to Claire's house everything has been ransacked and Claire is gone. A girl appears at the top of the stairs - Vivienne's half-sister Mira and realizing what has happened she takes the girls to their aunt's apartment above a magic shop in the Quarter.
Vivienne is suddenly introduced to a whole host of relatives she never knew she had; a sister, cousins, an aunt, and a grandmother. When a location spell for Claire goes wrong Grand'Mere (Vivienne's grandmother) asks for her help to locate Claire before it's too late.
Will Vivienne and the others be able to find Claire and stop whatever witches are aiding the immortal one? Can Vivienne get control over her powers or is she not as strong as everyone expects her to be? Is the immortal one really evil?
At first, I was afraid this book was a little too fast paced. The entire book - from Vivienne finding out she was adopted to traveling to see her birth mother to her birth mother's disappearance and the process of finding Claire - transpires in about a week's time. However, the more I read this book the more I liked it. I love that it's set in New Orleans, my favorite city in the world, and the book is really easy to get into - possibly because of the fast pace. I sat down and read this book in one sitting. I really liked Vivienne's dreams that take her back to the past and I look forward to seeing how Vivienne grows, both as a character and into her powers, in the next book. The Curse of the Bruel Coven is definitely an interesting read. My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Blurb:
When secrets from the past collide with the present, the consequences may be deadly. Growing up in a small town in Louisiana, seventeen-year-old Vivienne Davenport's life is that of an ordinary teenager. At least, until the untimely death of her mother reveals a family secret. She's adopted . . . and her real mom is a witch.
The truth of her lineage only complicates Vivienne's life further. Buried deep within her family’s history of magic is a deadly curse that has plagued her family for generations. When her birth mom disappears, Vivienne must tap into her suppressed powers in order to save her long-lost mother. And herself.
Can Vivienne become the witch she needs to be? Or will her newfound powers prove too much for her to handle? Only one thing is certain, Vivienne will soon learn that all magic has a price.
My Review:
When 17-year-old Vivienne goes through her recently deceased mother's photo albums in search of a photo from her childhood that she needs for school she stumbles across a photograph of her with an unfamiliar woman that she has a strong family resemblance to. Vivienne's grandmother "Nemma" confirms her suspicions that she is in fact, adopted.
With the help of her best friend Savannah, Vivienne tracks her mother down in New Orleans and they set off to see her. When they arrive at Claire (Vivienne's birth mother)'s house in the French Quarter there is an instant connection between Vivienne and Claire, but as Claire lets them in her mood is frosty and dismissive. After not receiving a sufficient answer as to why Claire gave Vivienne up Vivienne gets angry and Claire's coffee table begins to shake. This confirms Claire's worst fears: her firstborn daughter's powers have awakened leaving her in high risk of danger from an "immortal" or vampire that's been trying to feed on the blood of a Bruel family firstborn daughter since his creation during the Civil War.
Vivienne doesn't believe Claire's story about witches and vampire and thinking her crazy she and Savannah get up to leave. They're nearly out of the city limits when Savannah realizes she has forgotten her cell phone so they have to go back. When they return to Claire's house everything has been ransacked and Claire is gone. A girl appears at the top of the stairs - Vivienne's half-sister Mira and realizing what has happened she takes the girls to their aunt's apartment above a magic shop in the Quarter.
Vivienne is suddenly introduced to a whole host of relatives she never knew she had; a sister, cousins, an aunt, and a grandmother. When a location spell for Claire goes wrong Grand'Mere (Vivienne's grandmother) asks for her help to locate Claire before it's too late.
Will Vivienne and the others be able to find Claire and stop whatever witches are aiding the immortal one? Can Vivienne get control over her powers or is she not as strong as everyone expects her to be? Is the immortal one really evil?
At first, I was afraid this book was a little too fast paced. The entire book - from Vivienne finding out she was adopted to traveling to see her birth mother to her birth mother's disappearance and the process of finding Claire - transpires in about a week's time. However, the more I read this book the more I liked it. I love that it's set in New Orleans, my favorite city in the world, and the book is really easy to get into - possibly because of the fast pace. I sat down and read this book in one sitting. I really liked Vivienne's dreams that take her back to the past and I look forward to seeing how Vivienne grows, both as a character and into her powers, in the next book. The Curse of the Bruel Coven is definitely an interesting read. My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
July 1, 2016
My Book Rating Scale
Lately, I've been posting a lot of reviews on my blog in addition to my usual "What I'm Reading" posts. So how to I rate the books I read? What makes a 5-star review? How do I decide what to rate different books?
Here's the way I decide ratings:
5 Star Ratings
I'll be the first to admit I give out a lot of five-star ratings. Maybe I should be more strict about my ratings but if I really love a book why shouldn't I give it 5 stars? Criteria for a 5-Star Rating: A storyline that;- blows my mind- is unique- has likable characters- makes sense (doesn't leave me confused)- sticks with me after I'm done reading.
Basically, a 5-Star Rating is an absolute-I have an obsession-can't stop talking about this book-feeling.
4 Star Ratings
What is the difference between a 4- and 5- star rating from me? Four-star ratings go to books I really like but I don't necessarily love. I like the storyline, the characters, the flow of the book but it's not as "jump up and down" fantastic as a five-star book. Sometimes if I'm reading a series and the first book blows me away but the second book is good but there's something lacking it will end up with a four-star rating instead of a five. It doesn't mean I didn't like the book... it's just that I liked the first book better. Maybe the author felt the sophomore slump?
3 Star Ratings
A three-star rating means the book was "just okay." I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either. Maybe it's just not my style of book, maybe the storyline was hard to follow, maybe there were a lot of errors in the book. If I think the book was somewhat good I don't want to give it too low of a rating so it usually ends up with three-stars.
I rarely give out less that three-stars when I'm rating a book but here's why a book might score lower:
2 Star Ratings
A book that receives a two-star rating is far from the best thing I've ever read, but it's not the worst thing I've ever read either. I think in my entire time of reviewing books I've only given out one or two two-star ratings. As an author myself I don't like to bash other books because I've had people get downright nasty if they don't like my books and I know how much it hurts. Usually to get a two-star rating the book has to either be a) really unrealistic, b) hard to follow, or c) full of tons of errors.
1 Star / No Star / No Review-Rating Ratings
I have never given out a one-star rating in my life. Usually, if a book is that bad I can't even finish it or I don't even bother rating it. I'd rather not rate or review a book than give someone a really negative review. I feel bad that I don't like the book in question, but sometimes it just happens.
Why do so many books get 4- and 5-star ratings?Usually, when I pick up a book to read I'm pretty choosy. I don't buy books I don't think I'm going to like because that's money out of my pocket. When I'm asked to review a book in exchange for an honest review I've usually read books by that author before or I've read books by an author that recommended this person to me before that I've liked so I know what I'm getting. Another reason: I just really love so many books and think they're deserving of high ratings.
Ratings other than whole numbers:Sometimes a book deserves a number other than a whole number. For instance, I might read a book and like it but I don't think it's quite worth a four-star rating so I'll rate it 3.5, 3.75, or 3.9 because I think it's better than just a 3-star rating. In some cases, I round up to the nearest number and just give it a four-star rating but other times I give ratings like those above.
*****Reviewing books and giving ratings is different for everyone. I might love a book and give it five stars but you might read that same book and think it's more like a three-star book. Believe me, I've seen plenty of one-star reviews on Goodreads for books that I've absolutely loved and I sit back thinking, "what are they thinking? How could they hate 'insert name of book' that much?" If we all liked the same things it would be a very dull world, wouldn't it?
What are some books you liked everyone else seemed to bash?
Here's the way I decide ratings:
5 Star Ratings
I'll be the first to admit I give out a lot of five-star ratings. Maybe I should be more strict about my ratings but if I really love a book why shouldn't I give it 5 stars? Criteria for a 5-Star Rating: A storyline that;- blows my mind- is unique- has likable characters- makes sense (doesn't leave me confused)- sticks with me after I'm done reading.
Basically, a 5-Star Rating is an absolute-I have an obsession-can't stop talking about this book-feeling.
4 Star Ratings
What is the difference between a 4- and 5- star rating from me? Four-star ratings go to books I really like but I don't necessarily love. I like the storyline, the characters, the flow of the book but it's not as "jump up and down" fantastic as a five-star book. Sometimes if I'm reading a series and the first book blows me away but the second book is good but there's something lacking it will end up with a four-star rating instead of a five. It doesn't mean I didn't like the book... it's just that I liked the first book better. Maybe the author felt the sophomore slump?
3 Star Ratings
A three-star rating means the book was "just okay." I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either. Maybe it's just not my style of book, maybe the storyline was hard to follow, maybe there were a lot of errors in the book. If I think the book was somewhat good I don't want to give it too low of a rating so it usually ends up with three-stars.
I rarely give out less that three-stars when I'm rating a book but here's why a book might score lower:
2 Star Ratings
A book that receives a two-star rating is far from the best thing I've ever read, but it's not the worst thing I've ever read either. I think in my entire time of reviewing books I've only given out one or two two-star ratings. As an author myself I don't like to bash other books because I've had people get downright nasty if they don't like my books and I know how much it hurts. Usually to get a two-star rating the book has to either be a) really unrealistic, b) hard to follow, or c) full of tons of errors.
1 Star / No Star / No Review-Rating Ratings
I have never given out a one-star rating in my life. Usually, if a book is that bad I can't even finish it or I don't even bother rating it. I'd rather not rate or review a book than give someone a really negative review. I feel bad that I don't like the book in question, but sometimes it just happens.
Why do so many books get 4- and 5-star ratings?Usually, when I pick up a book to read I'm pretty choosy. I don't buy books I don't think I'm going to like because that's money out of my pocket. When I'm asked to review a book in exchange for an honest review I've usually read books by that author before or I've read books by an author that recommended this person to me before that I've liked so I know what I'm getting. Another reason: I just really love so many books and think they're deserving of high ratings.
Ratings other than whole numbers:Sometimes a book deserves a number other than a whole number. For instance, I might read a book and like it but I don't think it's quite worth a four-star rating so I'll rate it 3.5, 3.75, or 3.9 because I think it's better than just a 3-star rating. In some cases, I round up to the nearest number and just give it a four-star rating but other times I give ratings like those above.
*****Reviewing books and giving ratings is different for everyone. I might love a book and give it five stars but you might read that same book and think it's more like a three-star book. Believe me, I've seen plenty of one-star reviews on Goodreads for books that I've absolutely loved and I sit back thinking, "what are they thinking? How could they hate 'insert name of book' that much?" If we all liked the same things it would be a very dull world, wouldn't it?
What are some books you liked everyone else seemed to bash?
June 29, 2016
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #29
This "WIR" I'm reading a book I'm seriously on the fence about...
A Song For Josh by Susan Rodgers
Blurb:
MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL...
Discovered while busking on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Jessie Wheeler – once a teen runaway from Prince Edward Island - is now a popular singer-songwriter and actor. On the day her boyfriend Charlie proposes, he kicks an estranged friend - actor Josh Sawyer - out of his Club. Jessie sees something of herself reflected in Josh’s sorrowful chocolate brown eyes – a deep loneliness and angst. When a part on Josh’s new television series Drifters becomes available, Jessie can’t resist the temptation, despite the fact that taking the part threatens her engagement to Charlie. When a past nemesis, Deuce McCall, makes a tragic appearance in the city, Jessie’s turbulent past catches up with her, threatening any chance she has at a true and sustainable love.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think of it so far:
I picked this book for a very strange, secretive reason. A means of picking books that I've never revealed to anyone before... I picked this book because of the title. You see, my boyfriend's name is Josh, and I've found through many past experiences that reading books with either a character with the same name as my boyfriend in it (either a minor or main character) or the setting being my boyfriend's hometown turns out really good. I usually love those books. Usually. Hell, I even decided to give A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas a chance having never read anything by the author before simply because her husband's name is Josh and she dedicated the book to him. And I love that book and its sequel.
*Dramatic Sigh*... Anyway, on to what I think of this book so far. I honestly am contemplating dropping this book. I'm really disappointed because I've been looking forward to reading this book since I downloaded it onto my Kindle. So far the story is slow going and hard to read. There are long paragraphs and little to no dialogue. As you read this book it is as if everything you're reading has happened in the past and the narration is telling it from a later time with vague foreshadowing thrown in. That initially didn't bother me but usually, when I read a book that's written that way eventually the story snaps back to the present time and we see what's happening to the character now. My Kindle says I'm only 9% into the book but it feels like I've read hundreds of pages instead of only - yikes- 27. At this rate, the book might as well be a thousand pages long. Besides that, the formatting of the ebook is not good. There should be a hard (page) break between the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next but there doesn't seem to be any breaks in this book. Everything flows together. I just don't know if I have the patience to finish this book, which really saddens me. I'm going to try to stick it out to see where "Josh" fits into this story; maybe it will get better but I'm not entirely sure. If this book makes it out of the DNF stack I'll be surprised.
Earlier this week I read the first book in a great series...
Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper
Blurb:
Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.
Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.
Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.
While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.
My Review: After barely surviving a home invasion attack that took the lives of her parents and her twin brother Michael, 17-year-old Maryah moves cross country to Sedona to live with a godmother she’s never met before.
Louise and her family are more than welcoming and their home is beautiful but Maryah misses her “real” family terribly and her dreams are filled with what she believes to be her “angel of death.” Feeling the push of her cousin and best friend, Krista, Maryah decides to stay in Arizona.
At her new school Maryah makes friends with Faith, a friend of Louise’s family, a girl named April, and April’s rock star wannabe boyfriend, River. As she settles into her new life she still wishes that her sexy angel of death would whisk her away to be with her family in the afterlife. Until she comes face to face with her angel and realizes he’s not an angel at all… but Louise’s son Nathan.
Nathan is not a stranger to Maryah, he’s her soul mate. They’re both Elements, humans who reincarnate with paranormal gifts. But Maryah doesn’t remember anything about their past lives together because at the end of her last life cycle she chose to erase her memories instead of retaining them. Nathan and his kindrily (eternal family) are at a loss as to why Maryah would choose to forget everyone that loves her and everything they’ve been through together. Fearing the worst, Nathan believes that Maryah’s memories of their lives together can never be restored, simply wiped away with her paranormal abilities.
But Maryah’s powers may not truly be gone. Can Nathan keep Maryah away from harm before someone realizes that her power is still intact? Will Maryah regain the memories of her past lives? Does everyone in her life have her best interests at heart?
I really loved Gasping at Eternity. It was a mix of my favorite things, romance, paranormal abilities, and great writing; not to mention the cover is awesome. Nathan’s kindrily reminds me of a cross between the Cullens in the Twilight Saga (minus the vampire part) and Daniel’s friends and loved ones in Lauren Kate’s Fallen series in the way that they all look out for each other and love each other despite not actually being related by blood. I liked the constant struggle in Nathan and Maryah’s relationship with her reluctance to like him and his fear that she could never be the same again. Despite the ending I also really liked River. I wish the ending could have worked out better for him. As for the reincarnation aspect I thought the story portrayed it in a really cool and unique way and I really liked it. Overall I thought this book was unique and really fantastic. I recommend this book to all fans of young adult paranormal romance. My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
A Song For Josh by Susan Rodgers
Blurb:
MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL...
Discovered while busking on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Jessie Wheeler – once a teen runaway from Prince Edward Island - is now a popular singer-songwriter and actor. On the day her boyfriend Charlie proposes, he kicks an estranged friend - actor Josh Sawyer - out of his Club. Jessie sees something of herself reflected in Josh’s sorrowful chocolate brown eyes – a deep loneliness and angst. When a part on Josh’s new television series Drifters becomes available, Jessie can’t resist the temptation, despite the fact that taking the part threatens her engagement to Charlie. When a past nemesis, Deuce McCall, makes a tragic appearance in the city, Jessie’s turbulent past catches up with her, threatening any chance she has at a true and sustainable love.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think of it so far:
I picked this book for a very strange, secretive reason. A means of picking books that I've never revealed to anyone before... I picked this book because of the title. You see, my boyfriend's name is Josh, and I've found through many past experiences that reading books with either a character with the same name as my boyfriend in it (either a minor or main character) or the setting being my boyfriend's hometown turns out really good. I usually love those books. Usually. Hell, I even decided to give A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas a chance having never read anything by the author before simply because her husband's name is Josh and she dedicated the book to him. And I love that book and its sequel.
*Dramatic Sigh*... Anyway, on to what I think of this book so far. I honestly am contemplating dropping this book. I'm really disappointed because I've been looking forward to reading this book since I downloaded it onto my Kindle. So far the story is slow going and hard to read. There are long paragraphs and little to no dialogue. As you read this book it is as if everything you're reading has happened in the past and the narration is telling it from a later time with vague foreshadowing thrown in. That initially didn't bother me but usually, when I read a book that's written that way eventually the story snaps back to the present time and we see what's happening to the character now. My Kindle says I'm only 9% into the book but it feels like I've read hundreds of pages instead of only - yikes- 27. At this rate, the book might as well be a thousand pages long. Besides that, the formatting of the ebook is not good. There should be a hard (page) break between the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next but there doesn't seem to be any breaks in this book. Everything flows together. I just don't know if I have the patience to finish this book, which really saddens me. I'm going to try to stick it out to see where "Josh" fits into this story; maybe it will get better but I'm not entirely sure. If this book makes it out of the DNF stack I'll be surprised.
Earlier this week I read the first book in a great series...
Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper
Blurb:
Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories. Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.
Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.
While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.
My Review: After barely surviving a home invasion attack that took the lives of her parents and her twin brother Michael, 17-year-old Maryah moves cross country to Sedona to live with a godmother she’s never met before.
Louise and her family are more than welcoming and their home is beautiful but Maryah misses her “real” family terribly and her dreams are filled with what she believes to be her “angel of death.” Feeling the push of her cousin and best friend, Krista, Maryah decides to stay in Arizona.
At her new school Maryah makes friends with Faith, a friend of Louise’s family, a girl named April, and April’s rock star wannabe boyfriend, River. As she settles into her new life she still wishes that her sexy angel of death would whisk her away to be with her family in the afterlife. Until she comes face to face with her angel and realizes he’s not an angel at all… but Louise’s son Nathan.
Nathan is not a stranger to Maryah, he’s her soul mate. They’re both Elements, humans who reincarnate with paranormal gifts. But Maryah doesn’t remember anything about their past lives together because at the end of her last life cycle she chose to erase her memories instead of retaining them. Nathan and his kindrily (eternal family) are at a loss as to why Maryah would choose to forget everyone that loves her and everything they’ve been through together. Fearing the worst, Nathan believes that Maryah’s memories of their lives together can never be restored, simply wiped away with her paranormal abilities.
But Maryah’s powers may not truly be gone. Can Nathan keep Maryah away from harm before someone realizes that her power is still intact? Will Maryah regain the memories of her past lives? Does everyone in her life have her best interests at heart?
I really loved Gasping at Eternity. It was a mix of my favorite things, romance, paranormal abilities, and great writing; not to mention the cover is awesome. Nathan’s kindrily reminds me of a cross between the Cullens in the Twilight Saga (minus the vampire part) and Daniel’s friends and loved ones in Lauren Kate’s Fallen series in the way that they all look out for each other and love each other despite not actually being related by blood. I liked the constant struggle in Nathan and Maryah’s relationship with her reluctance to like him and his fear that she could never be the same again. Despite the ending I also really liked River. I wish the ending could have worked out better for him. As for the reincarnation aspect I thought the story portrayed it in a really cool and unique way and I really liked it. Overall I thought this book was unique and really fantastic. I recommend this book to all fans of young adult paranormal romance. My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
June 26, 2016
BOOK REVIEW: The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland
The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland
Blurb:
1775, Boston Harbor. James Sparhawk, Master and Commander in the British Navy, knows trouble when he sees it. The ship he’s boarded is carrying ammunition and gold…into a country on the knife’s edge of war. Sparhawk’s duty is clear: confiscate the cargo, impound the vessel and seize the crew. But when one of the ship’s boys turns out to be a lovely girl, with a loaded pistol and dead-shot aim, Sparhawk finds himself held hostage aboard a Rebel privateer.
Sarah Ward never set out to break the law. Before Boston became a powder keg, she was poised to escape the stigma of being a notorious pirate’s daughter by wedding Micah Wild, one of Salem’s most successful merchants. Then a Patriot mob destroyed her fortune and Wild played her false by marrying her best friend and smuggling a chest of Rebel gold aboard her family’s ship.
Now branded a pirate herself, Sarah will do what she must to secure her family’s safety and her own future. Even if that means taking part in the cat and mouse game unfolding in Boston Harbor, the desperate naval fight between British and Rebel forces for the materiel of war—and pitting herself against James Sparhawk, the one man she cannot resist. My Review: The Rebel Pirate begins as Captain James Sparhawk has finally caught up to and boarded the ship he's been chasing around Boston Harbor. The year is 1775 and the Revolutionary War has not yet begun so the British Navy, which James is a member of is still in charge over the colonists.
Aboard the Charming Sally James finds a French trunk full of Spanish gold, 150 tons of musket flint, and an incompetent dead captain. After tossing the flint overboard and confiscating the gold James attempts to take a young boy into service for the British Navy. The boy next to the one he intends to take turns out to be a beautiful woman who will do anything to save her brother, even take a British Navy Captain hostage.
Sarah Ward is the daughter of a pirate and the spurned ex-fiancee of the man who forced her family to carry the contraband on the ship in the first place. Taking a Navy Captain hostage was never part of the plan and finding him attractive is the last thing she needs.
For James the attraction is mutual and soon he'll do anything to keep Sarah from harm. But with a secret past of his own he doesn't want to allow himself to have what he desires most. Will he be able to keep Sarah safe and out of dangerous hands?
I liked this book but I didn't find it "blow my mind" amazing. I don't usually read books set during the American Revolution but the description interested me a lot. The writing definitely takes you back to colonial Boston, when I close my eyes I can see it, smell it, taste it, so I give the author credit there. At times found the book dull and I had to skip ahead a little but I loved the relationship between James and Sarah. I saw the instant attraction. For me it was hard to keep who was on what side straight; rebels, colonists, loyalists, Americans, British, Englishmen/women. Were the colonists actually called Americans before the Revolution? Were the people called Englishmen/women loyal to the British or the colonists? It was a bit confusing at times but maybe that's just me. Anyway, this is a good read for fans of historical fiction, especially people with an interest in the Revolutionary War era.
My Rating: 3.90 of 5 Stars
Blurb:
1775, Boston Harbor. James Sparhawk, Master and Commander in the British Navy, knows trouble when he sees it. The ship he’s boarded is carrying ammunition and gold…into a country on the knife’s edge of war. Sparhawk’s duty is clear: confiscate the cargo, impound the vessel and seize the crew. But when one of the ship’s boys turns out to be a lovely girl, with a loaded pistol and dead-shot aim, Sparhawk finds himself held hostage aboard a Rebel privateer.Sarah Ward never set out to break the law. Before Boston became a powder keg, she was poised to escape the stigma of being a notorious pirate’s daughter by wedding Micah Wild, one of Salem’s most successful merchants. Then a Patriot mob destroyed her fortune and Wild played her false by marrying her best friend and smuggling a chest of Rebel gold aboard her family’s ship.
Now branded a pirate herself, Sarah will do what she must to secure her family’s safety and her own future. Even if that means taking part in the cat and mouse game unfolding in Boston Harbor, the desperate naval fight between British and Rebel forces for the materiel of war—and pitting herself against James Sparhawk, the one man she cannot resist. My Review: The Rebel Pirate begins as Captain James Sparhawk has finally caught up to and boarded the ship he's been chasing around Boston Harbor. The year is 1775 and the Revolutionary War has not yet begun so the British Navy, which James is a member of is still in charge over the colonists.
Aboard the Charming Sally James finds a French trunk full of Spanish gold, 150 tons of musket flint, and an incompetent dead captain. After tossing the flint overboard and confiscating the gold James attempts to take a young boy into service for the British Navy. The boy next to the one he intends to take turns out to be a beautiful woman who will do anything to save her brother, even take a British Navy Captain hostage.
Sarah Ward is the daughter of a pirate and the spurned ex-fiancee of the man who forced her family to carry the contraband on the ship in the first place. Taking a Navy Captain hostage was never part of the plan and finding him attractive is the last thing she needs.
For James the attraction is mutual and soon he'll do anything to keep Sarah from harm. But with a secret past of his own he doesn't want to allow himself to have what he desires most. Will he be able to keep Sarah safe and out of dangerous hands?
I liked this book but I didn't find it "blow my mind" amazing. I don't usually read books set during the American Revolution but the description interested me a lot. The writing definitely takes you back to colonial Boston, when I close my eyes I can see it, smell it, taste it, so I give the author credit there. At times found the book dull and I had to skip ahead a little but I loved the relationship between James and Sarah. I saw the instant attraction. For me it was hard to keep who was on what side straight; rebels, colonists, loyalists, Americans, British, Englishmen/women. Were the colonists actually called Americans before the Revolution? Were the people called Englishmen/women loyal to the British or the colonists? It was a bit confusing at times but maybe that's just me. Anyway, this is a good read for fans of historical fiction, especially people with an interest in the Revolutionary War era.
My Rating: 3.90 of 5 Stars
June 24, 2016
10 Bookish Tattoos That Give Me Serious Tattoo Envy
There are few things I love more than or as much as books: my grandmother, my boyfriend, iced tea, oh... and TATTOOS! And when you combine my love for books and tattoos? That's magic my friends. Here are some bookish tattoos that give me serious tattoo envy...
1. Watercolor Stack of Books
2. I love this play on a George R.R. Martin quote
3. This is a seriously awesome tattoo inspired by the cover of The Great Gatsby!
4. One of my favorite lines from Pride & Prejudice
5. Wow, just wow.
6. My favorite Alice in Wonderland Tat
7. Gotta love some Poe
8. A Book Quote Tree [image error] Via: tattoolit.com9. No Matter How You Feel About Twilight, this tattoo is amazing...
10. A Morganville Vampires Series-Inspired Tattoo
Disclaimer: All photos were found on Pinterest or Google. This post was created merely for my (and your) visual enjoyment of some great book-inspired ink.
1. Watercolor Stack of Books
2. I love this play on a George R.R. Martin quote
3. This is a seriously awesome tattoo inspired by the cover of The Great Gatsby!
4. One of my favorite lines from Pride & Prejudice
5. Wow, just wow.
6. My favorite Alice in Wonderland Tat
7. Gotta love some Poe
8. A Book Quote Tree [image error] Via: tattoolit.com9. No Matter How You Feel About Twilight, this tattoo is amazing...
10. A Morganville Vampires Series-Inspired Tattoo
Disclaimer: All photos were found on Pinterest or Google. This post was created merely for my (and your) visual enjoyment of some great book-inspired ink.
June 22, 2016
COVER REVEAL: THE GREAT PURSUIT BY WENDY HIGGINS
It is my great honor to reveal the cover artwork for the much-anticipated sequel to The Great Hunt -- The Great Pursuit by NY Times Bestselling Author Wendy Higgins...
Blurb: Lochlanach has traded the great beast for something far more terrible, a Lashed enemy veiled in beauty, deception, and a vengeance passed down through generations: Rozaria Rocato. And she’s offering the hunter Paxton Seabolt power and acceptance he could never receive in his homeland. Pax must decide how far he’s willing to go under her tutelage, knowing she is the opponent of Princess Aerity Lochson.
In a land where traditionalists dread change, the Lochlan throne must contend with mysterious foes and traitors, while attempting to keep revolt at bay. As dire circumstances strike the royal family, matters of the castle are left in Aerity’s hands. It's time to put aside her fears and grasp the reign, taking actions that have the potential to save or destroy her people.
One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continue. In this sequel to The Great Hunt from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, political intrigue and romance intensify in another thrilling fantasy. Princess Aerity embraces a quest for identity and passion before making the ultimate sacrifice for her kingdom.
*****
THE GREAT PURSUIT is the sequel to The Great Hunt, and final book in the Eurona Duology and it will be available March 7, 2017 from HarperTeen!
Add THE GREAT PURSUIT to your Goodreads TBR List Today!
Bonus! Book one in the Eurona Duology, THE GREAT HUNT, is currently on sale for $3.99 in eBook! Pick up your copy today and get caught up on this fantastic duology! Kindle Nook
*****
About the Author:
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue. Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University.
Connect with Wendy Higgins online:
Like Wendy on FACEBOOKFollow Wendy on TWITTERFollow Wendy on INSTAGRAM
**Blogger's note: OMG isn't that cover beautiful?!?! I love it! I can't wait to read The Great Pursuit and I hope you all will check it out too!***
Blurb: Lochlanach has traded the great beast for something far more terrible, a Lashed enemy veiled in beauty, deception, and a vengeance passed down through generations: Rozaria Rocato. And she’s offering the hunter Paxton Seabolt power and acceptance he could never receive in his homeland. Pax must decide how far he’s willing to go under her tutelage, knowing she is the opponent of Princess Aerity Lochson.
In a land where traditionalists dread change, the Lochlan throne must contend with mysterious foes and traitors, while attempting to keep revolt at bay. As dire circumstances strike the royal family, matters of the castle are left in Aerity’s hands. It's time to put aside her fears and grasp the reign, taking actions that have the potential to save or destroy her people.
One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continue. In this sequel to The Great Hunt from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, political intrigue and romance intensify in another thrilling fantasy. Princess Aerity embraces a quest for identity and passion before making the ultimate sacrifice for her kingdom.
*****
THE GREAT PURSUIT is the sequel to The Great Hunt, and final book in the Eurona Duology and it will be available March 7, 2017 from HarperTeen!
Add THE GREAT PURSUIT to your Goodreads TBR List Today!
Bonus! Book one in the Eurona Duology, THE GREAT HUNT, is currently on sale for $3.99 in eBook! Pick up your copy today and get caught up on this fantastic duology! Kindle Nook
*****
About the Author:
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue. Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University. Connect with Wendy Higgins online:
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**Blogger's note: OMG isn't that cover beautiful?!?! I love it! I can't wait to read The Great Pursuit and I hope you all will check it out too!***
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #28
What an interesting reading week this has been. I've worked at a Victorian-era Renaissance Fair with two girls with family issues, went back to the early 1900s and grieved alongside a woman who lost her only child then went mad, and now I'm on a rebel pirate ship outside Boston in 1775 just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War...
The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland
Blurb:
1775, Boston Harbor. James Sparhawk, Master and Commander in the British Navy, knows trouble when he sees it. The ship he’s boarded is carrying ammunition and gold…into a country on the knife’s edge of war. Sparhawk’s duty is clear: confiscate the cargo, impound the vessel and seize the crew. But when one of the ship’s boys turns out to be a lovely girl, with a loaded pistol and dead-shot aim, Sparhawk finds himself held hostage aboard a Rebel privateer.
Sarah Ward never set out to break the law. Before Boston became a powder keg, she was poised to escape the stigma of being a notorious pirate’s daughter by wedding Micah Wild, one of Salem’s most successful merchants. Then a Patriot mob destroyed her fortune and Wild played her false by marrying her best friend and smuggling a chest of Rebel gold aboard her family’s ship.
Now branded a pirate herself, Sarah will do what she must to secure her family’s safety and her own future. Even if that means taking part in the cat and mouse game unfolding in Boston Harbor, the desperate naval fight between British and Rebel forces for the materiel of war—and pitting herself against James Sparhawk, the one man she cannot resist.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think of it so far:
So there I was in the middle of the fiction section of Half Price Books searching for a copy of Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace. As I'm searching the "T"s I spot an intriguing looking spine standing out from the other books, so I knelt down and there was The Rebel Pirate. I love historical fiction, especially historical romance, so I left good old Tolstoy behind and picked up The Rebel Pirate instead.
"The gold was Spanish, the chest was French, the ship was American, and the captain was dead."
With an opening line like that, how could you not want to keep reading? I'm immediately drawn onto the Charming Sally as if the ship were real and I was a mouse in the corner watching the first exchange between Sparhawk and Sarah. The sparks are flying and I can tell that this story has potential to be a really great read. I haven't read many books set in the Revolutionary-era but I'm really enjoying this story. I can't wait to see where it goes...
Now on to those other interesting reads since last week...
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Blurb:
West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.
What I Thought of This Book:
There is no greater love than a mother's love. A mother will do anything for their child, go to any length. And if that mother were to lose that child? She'd do anything to have that child back, even though the consequences may be deadly. That's the message I gather from The Winter People.
Sara Harrison Shea loved her daughter more than life. After multiple miscarriages and a son dead at only a few months old, Sara finally gave birth to her miracle child, Gertie. She loved that child more than she loved anyone else, even her husband Martin.
When Gertie follows her father into the woods on a winter day and disappears only to show up dead the next day Sara finally snaps. In her madness, she decides to awaken her daughter from the dead using the instructions her beloved Auntie (a part native American witch) left her on how to awaken sleepers.
In doing so she begins a chain of events that will eventually end in her "death."
More than one hundred years later 19-year-old Ruthie's mother is missing. In search for her mother, she comes across two wallets belonging to a man and a woman she's never seen before... or has she? Along with the wallets, Ruthie and her six-year-old sister Fawn find a gun and a book about Sara Harrison Shea.
This discovery will have Ruthie learning things about herself beyond her understanding and the hunt for her mother will merge with two other women's search for the truth and for the missing pages of Sara Harrison Shea's diary.
I really liked this book, even the parts that left me with a creepy feeling like I didn't want to turn off the lights at night. The story overall reminds me heavily of The Legend of Lucy Keys, of a mother so in love with her missing child she never stopped looking for the child until her dying breath. But unlike The Legend of Lucy Keys, Sara had her child and killed to keep her happy. This book shows the strong bond between mother and child through the many different characters, although I thought the Katherine character was a little unnecessary. Sure, Gary was her husband and he held a crucial role in solving the mystery but she was just asking for trouble. And how does that make her any better than Candace? Also, was "Auntie" really Sara's Aunt? The book mentions Sara's mother's sister Prudence coming to talk to Sara's father to get him to send Auntie away but if Auntie was Sara's mother's sister wouldn't that also be Prudence's sister? Surely she couldn't be Sara's father's sister if they were sleeping together...
This book is perfect for anyone looking for a gripping, creepy historical mystery filled with unbelievable twists and turns. Don't start this book unless you have all night to finish it because you won't want to put it down until the final page has been read.
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
as you've probably seen this week I also read...
Victorian by Jordan Elizabeth
Blurb:
Celeste struggles with finding her way from a dark past until she gets a summer volunteer gig at the local historical fair. Enter outrageous actors, dominating psychics, and ghosts stirred by a medium’s presence.
With the help of the psychic’s son, who isn’t at all what her dream date would look like but rather endearing all the same, Celeste uncovers secrets about the village left hidden amongst the dilapidated buildings. Searching deeper will mean opening her heart, a part of her she’s locked up tight and been petrified of freeing.
What I Thought of this Book:
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
Of the books I've read by this author, this is one of my favorites. I liked the idea of the Festival and the history of the village the festival is set at.
We meet the two main characters Weronika and Aeltye "Celeste" when they meet at a teen therapy group. Weronika likes to push the envelope while Celeste is kind of mousy and skittish. Both girls have dark pasts they don't want to talk about but each handles those problems differently. Weronika acts out to tick her family off while Celeste clings to her grandfather like a safety blanket and hovers over her younger brother who has "selective mutism."
As the story progresses the two girls take jobs at a Victorian-era style Renaissance Fair held on the grounds of a historic village. But the village is haunted and Celeste sees ghosts everywhere.
Taking it upon herself Celeste decides to help the ghosts and solve the mystery of how everyone died with the help of a guy named Zander, the son of the festival's transgender "spiritual healer."
Meanwhile, Weronika struggles with her demons and struggles to perform her duties at the festival.
Will Celeste and Zander solve the mystery? Will working at the festival help Celeste and Weronika heal? Will they still be friends after the dark secrets they hide are revealed?
I liked this book but a lot of the chapters were in Celeste's perspective and I would have liked to see more in Weronika's perspective. Another thing I noticed was it seemed like everything was jammed in at the end; the resolve of the ghost issue, the reveal of Celeste and Weronika's pasts, and a major curve ball regarding Celeste's grandfather were all in the last few chapters.
At the end of the book I, a romantic at heart, hope that after the story ended Zander and Celeste got together, Nate and Weronika stayed together, and Weronika either had a better home life or emancipated herself to get away from those jerkoffs masquerading as parents.
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland
Blurb:
1775, Boston Harbor. James Sparhawk, Master and Commander in the British Navy, knows trouble when he sees it. The ship he’s boarded is carrying ammunition and gold…into a country on the knife’s edge of war. Sparhawk’s duty is clear: confiscate the cargo, impound the vessel and seize the crew. But when one of the ship’s boys turns out to be a lovely girl, with a loaded pistol and dead-shot aim, Sparhawk finds himself held hostage aboard a Rebel privateer.
Sarah Ward never set out to break the law. Before Boston became a powder keg, she was poised to escape the stigma of being a notorious pirate’s daughter by wedding Micah Wild, one of Salem’s most successful merchants. Then a Patriot mob destroyed her fortune and Wild played her false by marrying her best friend and smuggling a chest of Rebel gold aboard her family’s ship.
Now branded a pirate herself, Sarah will do what she must to secure her family’s safety and her own future. Even if that means taking part in the cat and mouse game unfolding in Boston Harbor, the desperate naval fight between British and Rebel forces for the materiel of war—and pitting herself against James Sparhawk, the one man she cannot resist.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think of it so far:
So there I was in the middle of the fiction section of Half Price Books searching for a copy of Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace. As I'm searching the "T"s I spot an intriguing looking spine standing out from the other books, so I knelt down and there was The Rebel Pirate. I love historical fiction, especially historical romance, so I left good old Tolstoy behind and picked up The Rebel Pirate instead.
"The gold was Spanish, the chest was French, the ship was American, and the captain was dead."
With an opening line like that, how could you not want to keep reading? I'm immediately drawn onto the Charming Sally as if the ship were real and I was a mouse in the corner watching the first exchange between Sparhawk and Sarah. The sparks are flying and I can tell that this story has potential to be a really great read. I haven't read many books set in the Revolutionary-era but I'm really enjoying this story. I can't wait to see where it goes...
Now on to those other interesting reads since last week...
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Blurb:
West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.
What I Thought of This Book:
There is no greater love than a mother's love. A mother will do anything for their child, go to any length. And if that mother were to lose that child? She'd do anything to have that child back, even though the consequences may be deadly. That's the message I gather from The Winter People.
Sara Harrison Shea loved her daughter more than life. After multiple miscarriages and a son dead at only a few months old, Sara finally gave birth to her miracle child, Gertie. She loved that child more than she loved anyone else, even her husband Martin.
When Gertie follows her father into the woods on a winter day and disappears only to show up dead the next day Sara finally snaps. In her madness, she decides to awaken her daughter from the dead using the instructions her beloved Auntie (a part native American witch) left her on how to awaken sleepers.
In doing so she begins a chain of events that will eventually end in her "death."
More than one hundred years later 19-year-old Ruthie's mother is missing. In search for her mother, she comes across two wallets belonging to a man and a woman she's never seen before... or has she? Along with the wallets, Ruthie and her six-year-old sister Fawn find a gun and a book about Sara Harrison Shea.
This discovery will have Ruthie learning things about herself beyond her understanding and the hunt for her mother will merge with two other women's search for the truth and for the missing pages of Sara Harrison Shea's diary.
I really liked this book, even the parts that left me with a creepy feeling like I didn't want to turn off the lights at night. The story overall reminds me heavily of The Legend of Lucy Keys, of a mother so in love with her missing child she never stopped looking for the child until her dying breath. But unlike The Legend of Lucy Keys, Sara had her child and killed to keep her happy. This book shows the strong bond between mother and child through the many different characters, although I thought the Katherine character was a little unnecessary. Sure, Gary was her husband and he held a crucial role in solving the mystery but she was just asking for trouble. And how does that make her any better than Candace? Also, was "Auntie" really Sara's Aunt? The book mentions Sara's mother's sister Prudence coming to talk to Sara's father to get him to send Auntie away but if Auntie was Sara's mother's sister wouldn't that also be Prudence's sister? Surely she couldn't be Sara's father's sister if they were sleeping together...
This book is perfect for anyone looking for a gripping, creepy historical mystery filled with unbelievable twists and turns. Don't start this book unless you have all night to finish it because you won't want to put it down until the final page has been read.
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
as you've probably seen this week I also read...
Victorian by Jordan Elizabeth
Blurb:
Celeste struggles with finding her way from a dark past until she gets a summer volunteer gig at the local historical fair. Enter outrageous actors, dominating psychics, and ghosts stirred by a medium’s presence.
With the help of the psychic’s son, who isn’t at all what her dream date would look like but rather endearing all the same, Celeste uncovers secrets about the village left hidden amongst the dilapidated buildings. Searching deeper will mean opening her heart, a part of her she’s locked up tight and been petrified of freeing.
What I Thought of this Book:
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
Of the books I've read by this author, this is one of my favorites. I liked the idea of the Festival and the history of the village the festival is set at.
We meet the two main characters Weronika and Aeltye "Celeste" when they meet at a teen therapy group. Weronika likes to push the envelope while Celeste is kind of mousy and skittish. Both girls have dark pasts they don't want to talk about but each handles those problems differently. Weronika acts out to tick her family off while Celeste clings to her grandfather like a safety blanket and hovers over her younger brother who has "selective mutism."
As the story progresses the two girls take jobs at a Victorian-era style Renaissance Fair held on the grounds of a historic village. But the village is haunted and Celeste sees ghosts everywhere.
Taking it upon herself Celeste decides to help the ghosts and solve the mystery of how everyone died with the help of a guy named Zander, the son of the festival's transgender "spiritual healer."
Meanwhile, Weronika struggles with her demons and struggles to perform her duties at the festival.
Will Celeste and Zander solve the mystery? Will working at the festival help Celeste and Weronika heal? Will they still be friends after the dark secrets they hide are revealed?
I liked this book but a lot of the chapters were in Celeste's perspective and I would have liked to see more in Weronika's perspective. Another thing I noticed was it seemed like everything was jammed in at the end; the resolve of the ghost issue, the reveal of Celeste and Weronika's pasts, and a major curve ball regarding Celeste's grandfather were all in the last few chapters.
At the end of the book I, a romantic at heart, hope that after the story ended Zander and Celeste got together, Nate and Weronika stayed together, and Weronika either had a better home life or emancipated herself to get away from those jerkoffs masquerading as parents.
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
June 19, 2016
BOOK REVIEW: Victorian by Jordan Elizabeth
Victorian by Jordan Elizabeth
Blurb:
Celeste struggles with finding her way from a dark past until she gets a summer volunteer gig at the local historical fair. Enter outrageous actors, dominating psychics, and ghosts stirred by a medium’s presence.
With the help of the psychic’s son, who isn’t at all what her dream date would look like but rather endearing all the same, Celeste uncovers secrets about the village left hidden amongst the dilapidated buildings. Searching deeper will mean opening her heart, a part of her she’s locked up tight and been petrified of freeing.
My Review:
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
Of the books I've read by this author this is one of my favorites. I liked the idea of the Festival and the history of the village the festival is set at.
We meet the two main characters Weronika and Aeltye "Celeste" when they meet at a teen therapy group. Weronika likes to push the envelope while Celeste is kind of mousy and skittish. Both girls have dark pasts they don't want to talk about but each handles those problems differently. Weronika acts out to tick her family off while Celeste clings to her grandfather like a safety blanket and hovers over her younger brother who has "selective mutism."
As the story progresses the two girls take jobs at a Victorian-era style Renaissance Fair held on the grounds of a historic village. But the village is haunted and Celeste sees ghosts everywhere.
Taking it upon herself Celeste decides to help the ghosts and solve the mystery of how everyone died with the help of a guy named Zander, the son of the festival's transgender "spiritual healer."
Meanwhile Weronika struggles with her demons and struggles to perform her duties at the festival.
Will Celeste and Zander solve the mystery? Will working at the festival help Celeste and Weronika heal? Will they still be friends after the dark secrets they hide are revealed?
I liked this book but a lot of the chapters were in Celeste's perspective and I would have liked to see more in Weronika's perspective. Another thing I noticed was it seemed like everything was jammed in at the end; the resolve of the ghost issue, the reveal of Celeste and Weronika's pasts, and a major curve ball regarding Celeste's grandfather were all in the last few chapters.
At the end of the book I, a romantic at heart, hope that after the story ended Zander and Celeste got together, Nate and Weronika stayed together, and Weronika either had a better home life or emancipated herself to get away from those jerkoffs masquerading as parents.
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Victorian goes on sale June 24, 2016
Blurb:
Celeste struggles with finding her way from a dark past until she gets a summer volunteer gig at the local historical fair. Enter outrageous actors, dominating psychics, and ghosts stirred by a medium’s presence. With the help of the psychic’s son, who isn’t at all what her dream date would look like but rather endearing all the same, Celeste uncovers secrets about the village left hidden amongst the dilapidated buildings. Searching deeper will mean opening her heart, a part of her she’s locked up tight and been petrified of freeing.
My Review:
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
Of the books I've read by this author this is one of my favorites. I liked the idea of the Festival and the history of the village the festival is set at.
We meet the two main characters Weronika and Aeltye "Celeste" when they meet at a teen therapy group. Weronika likes to push the envelope while Celeste is kind of mousy and skittish. Both girls have dark pasts they don't want to talk about but each handles those problems differently. Weronika acts out to tick her family off while Celeste clings to her grandfather like a safety blanket and hovers over her younger brother who has "selective mutism."
As the story progresses the two girls take jobs at a Victorian-era style Renaissance Fair held on the grounds of a historic village. But the village is haunted and Celeste sees ghosts everywhere.
Taking it upon herself Celeste decides to help the ghosts and solve the mystery of how everyone died with the help of a guy named Zander, the son of the festival's transgender "spiritual healer."
Meanwhile Weronika struggles with her demons and struggles to perform her duties at the festival.
Will Celeste and Zander solve the mystery? Will working at the festival help Celeste and Weronika heal? Will they still be friends after the dark secrets they hide are revealed?
I liked this book but a lot of the chapters were in Celeste's perspective and I would have liked to see more in Weronika's perspective. Another thing I noticed was it seemed like everything was jammed in at the end; the resolve of the ghost issue, the reveal of Celeste and Weronika's pasts, and a major curve ball regarding Celeste's grandfather were all in the last few chapters.
At the end of the book I, a romantic at heart, hope that after the story ended Zander and Celeste got together, Nate and Weronika stayed together, and Weronika either had a better home life or emancipated herself to get away from those jerkoffs masquerading as parents.
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Victorian goes on sale June 24, 2016
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