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Book Reviews

March 9, 2014 posted by Nichole

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

I…..have mixed feelings over this one. It started out really good, but then it just sort of….tanked. It was really weird how that happened, because I thought that it was 5 star quality until about the last 20% of the book. HOW can a book stay SO good for SO long and then just flop like that?! I’m just a bundle of emotions right now.

I liked how the book first started out with Meghan living in the real world. The first several chapters had an almost mellow, dark quality to them that really helped set up the foundation for when Meg entered the Nevernever. When she finally did enter the Nevernever, I was absolutely blown away. The pictures and details that Kagawa created were outstanding! I mean, seriously! I could see everything that I was reading in my mind. Just gorgeous!

The Iron King had just the right amount of fantasy and disbelief, but it also had that humanity to it that reaches into your heart and breaks it into itty bitty pieces. There were moments that were very cold and distant, as the Fae are often portrayed, but there were also moments that showed the Fae to be more than fairytales describe. I loved the way that Meg brought out those emotions in the Fae around her.

For most of the entire book, I felt like I was in a cross between Alice in Wonderland meets Wizard of Oz meets The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Normally that wouldn’t really be my taste, but trust me when I say that it worked. It’s not a retelling at all, but it was definitely like being in some mythical, magical land that only exists in dreams.

As far as the characters go, I was on the fence. Well, let me rephrase, I was on the fence with the main characters. All of the supporting characters were amazing. I thought that the real downer of the book was Meg. There was just something about her. She was a little whiny, a little pathetic, and a lot annoying. If that makes much sense. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of how lacking in power she seemed to be. I know, I know, the book goes on and on and on and on about how powerful Meg truly is and how everyone is afraid of her because of what she can do. SO WHAT? What did she REALLY do in this book? I’ll tell you what she did, a fat load of nothing! I was waiting for some epic showdown where Meg realized her full potential. Yea, no, that didn’t happen. Not once. It was really a downer. I know that there are several books in this series, but that doesn’t mean that nothing major shouldn’t happen in the first book!

As far as the two male characters, Puck and Ash, I’ve read about better male characters. There was nothing overly special about either one of them. And, while there wasn’t a love triangle in this book, I’m dreading the one that I know will inevitably happen sometime during the series. I am not a fan of love triangles!!!!! There was nothing super sexy or interesting about either of the boys in my eyes. Hopefully that picks up in the next books so I don’t get annoyed with them all over again.

Book Reviews

March 8, 2014 posted by Nichole

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

An edgy, realistic, and utterly captivating novel from an exciting new voice in teen fiction.

Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in “the Kool-Aid Kid,” who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.

Oh my God….this book……my heart……THE FEELS! I have so many emotions and thoughts over this book. It broke my heart into tiny little pieces over and over and OVER again. It was SO BEAUTIFUL! Dude…I don’t even LIKE contemporary books that much, but this book? This book will forever be one of my favorites. It had so much meaning…..so much depth. It was just……..perfection between pages.

The two main characters, Alexi and Bodee, were absolutely heartbreaking. It killed me to read about the things that troubled them. I just wanted to hug them close and never EVER let them go. Especially Bodee. Oh my sweet goodness, Bodee. He is at the top of my fictional male characters list. The best thing about Bodee was that he absolutely had his flaws. He wasn’t perfect, and he embraced that. But he sure tried to be. He tried to be perfection and support for Alexi. That boy……that boy……just talking about him makes me want to cry.

And Alexi? Her troubles ripped my heart into shreds. She made me cry my eyes out and try to reach her through those thin pages. I’ll warn you guys that rape is a big topic in this book. That might be a huge trigger for some people. I thought it would bug me…..it didn’t. Not at all. NOT AT ALL. Courtney C. Stevens took such an intense topic and made me FEEL. THE FEELS, PEOPLE!

One of the best things about this book is that if you think you know what’s going on there’s a good chance that you’re wrong. I sure was. I thought FOR SURE that I knew what was going on. I knew who raped Alexi and who was causing her to close in on herself. I didn’t. I admit defeat! I was wrong. And I love this book even more for that.

I’m going to cheat a little here and let you all know that this book DOES have a good ending. I have to say that, because I wanted to quit this book because I didn’t want to see Bodee get hurt. I didn’t want to see anyone get hurt. I loved the book way too much for that. But it DOES have a good ending. I was happy with the way things turned out.

If I haven’t convinced you to read this book, then I don’t know what will. This book is the definition of perfection. Go buy it today!

Pages: 336

Publication Date: February 25th, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Rating: :

Blog Tour

March 7, 2014 posted by Nichole

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there’s only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother’s best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek…with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart’s interests–even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart’s simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all…

Buy links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

About the Author:

Liz Czukas is a freelance writer (on sometimes sad or boring topics), and also writes books for young adults (which are rarely sad and full of kissing). Before that, she was a nurse and she still kind of misses starting IVs.
She lives outside Milwaukee, WI with her husband, son and the world’s loudest cat. She types too loud (according to her husband), spends too much time on the Internet, and can’t get enough of disaster movies. There is *always* a song stuck in her head, and she once won a hula-hoop contest.

Media

My Review:

What a cute contemporary read! Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas is filled of nonstop high school drama, twists and turns, and adorable friendships and romances. It is the PERFECT read for contemporary lovers.

I was a really big fan of the main character, Heart. She made me laugh out loud several times and just gave the book a laid back, snarky feel. It was definitely a relaxing and entertaining read! The supporting characters were equally as entertaining. I really felt like I was at a high school prom watching all of these unique personalities play out in front of my.

Ask Again Later has a sort of Pivot Point by Kasie West feel in the sense that it goes back and forth between two different paths that Heart can take. For the most part I really enjoyed that, but there were times that I was like UGH…just stick to one path! It got kind of confusing at times, but it was fun to go back and forth of what could be.

The relationship between Heart and Schroeder ( I think that’s how you spell his name) was absolutely stinkin adorable. I was a BIG FAN of that relationship. They were just so flipping cute! I can definitely see him making it on to top boyfriends lists at the end of the year.

For me, personally, Ask Again Later was maybe a bit too young for my taste. The characters seemed a little younger than they were actually portrayed, and I often thought that this was more of an MG title than a YA title. I think it’s actually kind of a mixture of both. If I compare it to contemporary YA books as a whole, then I have to admit that Ask Again Later is definitely on the younger side of YA. It’s something that I could see younger kids and huge fans of contemporary YA reading.

Ask Again Later is a book that could be read in an entire setting. It’s addicting and a feel good type of read. Definitely a book that sparked my interested and is making me say hmmm….maybe I’ll just pick up more of Liz Czukas’ books in the future!

Pages: 336

Publication Date: March 11th 2014

Publisher: Harper Teen

Rating: :

Giveaway
The giveaway is US and the prizes are
-One annotated ARC of Ask Again Later + Swag
-One finished copy of Ask Again Later + Swag
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adult books

March 6, 2014 posted by Nichole

Something Borrowed by Adriana Hunter

What do you do when the one man you were meant to be with already belongs to another?

For Dana Marshall, new wedding planner and curvy single, “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” seems to be the story of her life. But when she is assigned to assist popular wedding planner Vienna Saunders in managing a dream wedding for an important client, nothing can prepare her for the face-to-face encounter with the insanely handsome groom, Benjamin Carter. Sparks fly, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. Except he doesn’t belong to Dana. He’s off limits, forbidden and if she ever expects to walk away from the job with her heart still intact she needs to play by the rules. Except as far as true love is concerned, rules are meant to be broken.

Note To Readers: This is a stand alone novel and is not part of a series.

Something Borrowed is a really difficult book to review, because it is SO short. I’m not quite sure how long it is. However, my Kindle app told me that, with my reading speed, it would only take me 2 hours to complete the whole book. That means that it was really short. That being said, the book ended up having a very low quality plot, showed no character development, and was honestly quite offensive to me.

My biggest problem with Something Borrowed was the fact that it pretty much seemed to condone cheating. The whole book is about Dana becoming a wedding planner’s assistant and falling madly in love with the groom of the wedding in three days time. First of all, that’s not even possible. I’m sorry, but you cannot fall in love in three days. You can fall in like. You can even fall in lust. But you cannot fall in love in three days. The book tries to condone them cheating because the groom and the bride don’t really work well together and the groom doesn’t even want to marry her. Also, the bride and her mom are portrayed as horrible people, probably trying to make it so that the reader feels like the whole affair is justified. Instead, it just left me pissed off. I wasn’t okay with it at all.

As far as the characters went, I didn’t really like anyone. The book was very short, so no one really had the chance to grow or change. I thought that both main characters were very annoying and whiny. If the groom cried one. more. time. I was going to reach into my Nook and beat the shit out of him. Grow up. Seriously…you’re the one cheating! Get over it! I had no patience for that shit. I also HATED several characters in the book. More specifically, I hated the main wedding planner. I think that it’s important to have someone to dislike in a book, but I also think that it’s very important not to have someone so bad that the reader wants to close the book. I started to just pass the scenes with her because she made me so angry.

Overall, I wasn’t a fan of this one. I’m sorry, but it was too short and I did not condone the messages in this book. I didn’t think that the messages were appropriate, and it’s not something that I would every buy or reread.

Publication Date: December 18th, 2013

Publisher: Tangled Press

Rating: :

Blog Tour

March 5, 2014 posted by Nichole

Sing Sweet Nightingale (The Dream War Saga #1) by Erica Cameron

SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE

Author: Erica Cameron

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Pages: 320

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Mariella Teagen hasn’t spoken a word in four years.

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella’s life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

My Review:

When I first started reading Sing Sweet Nightingale, I was on the fence. The whole concept of the main character, Mariella, not speaking and traveling to a dream world run by demons every night was a little odd. It definitely took me awhile to decide what I thought of it. Honestly, I wanted to DNF it at first, but I’m glad I didn’t! After I pushed through 50 or so pages of weirdness it actually started to get pretty good!

I enjoyed the adventure and slight paranormal aspect to Sing Sweet Nightingale. I like Hudson’s character most of all and how he was sent to save Mariella from this dream world. I didn’t overly love the concept of “boy comes in to save the day and rescue girl” but I enjoyed how it played out at the end. I wish that there would have been a slightly bigger paranormal theme going on. Maybe some mystical powers or a couple more bigger showdowns would have really brought the book to life.

Another thing that I enjoyed about Sing Sweet Nightingale was the lack of romance going on. I found it refreshing that it wasn’t all about Mariella and Hudson getting it on from page one. Really, there was barely any romance going on throughout the whole thing. I did find the ending a little odd with Mariella and Hudson. Where did THAT come from? But I enjoyed the chemistry between all of the characters and the overall fun quality to it.

The dream world that both Mariella and Hudson traveled to was beautifully unique. It takes quite some talent to create the visuals and coolness that Cameron created. Again, it was a little weird to read about, but I was a big fan of it! I found that world to be very interesting!

Overall, I did enjoy reading Sing Sweet Nightingale. Again, I wish there would have been a slightly bigger paranormal theme going on, but I found it to be a fun read. I’m interested to see what Cameron will come up with next!

About Erica:

Erica Cameron knew that writing was her passion when she turned a picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn’t her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psychology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dancer, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel Sing Sweet Nightingale releases March 4, 2014 from Spencer Hill Press. It is the first book in The Dream War Saga.

Erica is represented by Danielle Chiotti at Upstart Crow Literary. However, for subrights inquiries on Sing Sweet Nightingale, contact Rebecca Mancini at Rights Mix. Regarding publicity for The Dream War Saga, contact Cindy Thomas at cthomas {@} spencerhillcontemporary {.} com.

To contact Erica, try:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Tumblr | Pinterest | Google+ | The Mystical Demystified

Photo by Lani Woodland

Giveaway Details

2 finished copies of the book, plus a grand prize basket! US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Week One:

3/3/2014- Bookish Things & more- Review

3/3/2014- Bibliophilia, Please- Interview

3/4/2014- Lola’s Reviews- Review

3/4/2014- A Backwards Story- Guest Post

3/5/2014- YaReads- Review

3/5/2014- Addicted Readers- Interview

3/6/2014- Once Upon A Twilight- Review

3/6/2014- The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club- Guest Post

3/7/2014- Seeing Night Reviews - Review

3/7/2014- The Irish Banana Review- Guest Post

Week Two:

3/10/2014- Chasm of Books- Review

3/10/2014- Lost in Ever After- Interview

3/11/2014- The Demon Librarian- Review

3/11/2014- Paulette’s Papers- Guest Post

3/12/2014- Poisoned Rationality- Review

3/12/2014- The Best Books Ever- Interview

3/13/2014- Spiced Latte Reads- Review

3/13/2014- Dark Novella- Guest Post

3/14/2014- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

3/14/2014- Parajunkee’s View- Interview

Waiting on Wednesday

March 5, 2014 posted by Nichole

Waiting on Wednesday #73

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The first book in an original mystery series following popular television sleuth Veronica Mars, all grown up and back in action after the feature film funded by a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign.

Twenty-eight-year-old Veronica Mars is back in the game after the events of Veronica Mars: The Movie. With the help of old friends-Logan Echolls, Mac Mackenzie, Wallace Fennel, and even Dick Casablancas-Veronica is ready to take on Neptune’s darkest cases with her trademark sass and smarts.

Veronica Mars by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Published by Vintage

To be released on March 25th, 2014

Book Reviews

March 4, 2014 posted by Nichole

Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy #1) – Sally Green

A stunning, magical debut. An international sensation.

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

In the tradition of Patrick Ness and Markus Zusak, Half Bad is a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive, a story that will grab hold of you and not let go until the very last page.

Half Bad is one of those books that just pops out of nowhere and slaps you in the face with how good it is. I picked this one up because it was about witches, and who doesn’t love witches? I was amazed at how raw and powerful the storyline was. I was so intrigued and mind blown over the twists and turns that Sally Green provided. I felt like I was constantly being knocked off my feet. Whenever I picked myself back up again, I was instantly knocked back down.

When I first started Half Bad, I didn’t like it. That didn’t last long; it only lasted about 20 pages. The problem was that it’s written in second person point of view for the first two chapters, and I cannot stand having the word “you” thrown around that much. My preference is first person. I can handle third person POV, but do NOT stick me with second person POV. I actually almost DNF’d it right away because of that. So if you have that same problem starting out don’t freak out. Stick with it and it WILL get better!

What I absolutely loved about Half Bad was all of the messages thrown around. I loved how Half Bad really twisted around the common definitions for black and white. White magic is often depicted as “good” while black is “bad.” This book really makes you think about those concepts since the “white” witches were very hostile, abusive, aggressive, and dangerous. The “black” witches weren’t the best witches, either, but I did see more good come from them than the white witches. I think that’s a great concept for people to think about. It’s difficult to just place people in certain categories, and I felt that Half Bad did a really great job challenging those beliefs.

While Half Bad is about witches and is obviously a paranormal read, Contemporary lovers are going to absolutely adore this one. It’s actually pretty low key on the paranormal aspects. It focuses a lot more on Nathan’s trauma and trying to work around his personal scars. My heart broke for Nathan so many times. It was difficult for me at times to watch this little boy grow up in a semi normal life and then watch three years of his life be full or torture and abuse. Once Nathan is captured, he is never the same. I thought that Half Bad did a good job of showcasing trauma, depression, and mental illness. It seems weird to me that so much could be going on in one book. I really think that this is a book that could suit lovers of all genres.

As far as romances go, Half Bad doesn’t really have any. Nathan has a crush on a girl from the very beginning of the book but that is so low key to the rest of the story. I feel like that relationship will probably grow a little more as the series continues. So people need to be aware that this is not a book to fall head over heels in love with a romance story. That aspect doesn’t really exist in this one. I actually found it a little creepy that Nathan was so hung up on his crush because he went for years without even seeing her. Seeing as they hadn’t seen each other since Nathan was 14, I felt that it was a little weird he was so hung up on her at 16 and 17.

On to a more negative note, the last 100 pages of Half Bad were very difficult to get through. It started to read more as an adult novel than a YA book. It also got reallllllly boring and weird. I obviously wasn’t going to DNF it when I had invested over 300 pages into the book, but if it had started out that way I never would have finished it. It concerns me a little bit about the second book. It’s rare that such a good book loses it’s heat toward the end….so….we’ll see.

Before I reached those last 100 pages, I was comparing Half Bad to the Harry Potter series. That’s how good it was. It obviously wasn’t AS GOOD as HP, but it’s been a long time since I’ve found such a good paranormal/witch book. However, I do wish that there would have been more magic and paranormal aspects to the book. Don’t go into this book thinking that it’s full of witches and magic. It’s not. While the majority of the characters are witches, I can’t really think of any magic that happened in the book. I can think of the “gifts” that some of the witches had, but this is not a book filled with wands, spells, and magic cauldrons.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was originally a 5 star book for me, but those last 100 pages bumped it down to a 4. I would still recommend it, not only because it’s a great book but because it has also been optioned for film by Fox 2000. I will be reading the second book when it comes out, and I can’t wait to watch the movie. Fingers crossed that it happens!

Half Bad is out in stores today. Go buy your copy!

Pages: 416

Publication Date: March 4th, 2014

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Rating: :

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Top Ten Tuesday

March 4, 2014 posted by Nichole

Top Ten Popular Authors I’ve Never Read

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday! This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today I get to pick from previous topics that I want to do again or may have missed. That’s perfect since I’ve missed almost all of them! So today, I am going to do the Top Ten Popular Authors I’ve Never Read.You all are going to be pretty unimpressed with me when you read my list. There are a LOT of popular authors that I haven’t had the chance to read yet /=

1. John Green

I hear you loud and clear. HOW DARE I NOT HAVE READ ANYTHING BY JOHN GREEN YET! Yes, yes. go ahead and yell at me. I deserve it! If it’s any consolation at all, I DO intend to read TFIOS soon! I DO! I even promise that I’ll try to read it before I see the movie! I think this is just one of those cases where this author is SO popular (not to mention that it’s contemporary) that I’ve just been avoiding it for all I’m worth. But I PROMISE that I’m going to try and get to this one soon!

2. Marissa Meyer

You all are going to hate me, but I have NO desire to read these books. I’m not really sure what it is. Maybe it’s another of those cases where it’s just way too popular for my tastes? Trust me, I know that doesn’t make any sense. But I haven’t read this series….and I don’t see myself reading it anytime soon.

3. Laini Taylor

Now…in my defense…I DO own this book. It is currently in my house. Granted, I’ve owned it for over a year and still have not read it…but I DO own it! I will eventually read it. I promise.

4. Laurie Halse Anderson

This is another one of those cases where I have no desire to read anything by this author. Not saying that I won’t….but her books just look way too depressing for my personal taste.

5. Meg Cabot

I’ve received a lot of crap for not reading anything by Meg Cabot. I’m just not interested, though. I’m sure the books are good, but they just look a little too cheesy for my personal taste.

6. Michael Grant

I REALLY want to read this series, but it’s a really long series. This is an author that I’m going to try out when I have the time to binge the entire series at once. .

7. Julie Kagawa

This is a series that I have been dying to read. I honestly can’t believe I haven’t read it yet. It is my mission to read it this year!

8. Marie Lu

I know this is pretty stereotypical of me, but I don’t like the covers for this series. Every time I go to pick up this series, I always draw back due to the covers. I also haven’t been in a huge dystopian type of mood. Hopefully I can get past it, because I’ve heard these are great books!

9. Jodi Meadows

Again, I hear you loud and clear. How have I NOT read the Newsoul series by Jodi Meadows? I do want to try and get to it this year. Hopefully that happens.

10. Rachel Vincent

Before you hate me for life, I DO own like the first 6 books in the Soul Screamers series. I’ve heard that they’re absolutely amazing. I must read them soon!

Can anyone say that they have read every single author on this list? If so, you rock! Hopefully I can get through some of them this year. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

Book of the Month

March 3, 2014 posted by Nichole

Wicked Little Secrets (Prep School Confidential #2) – Kara Taylor

Anne Dowling becomes entangled in a web of secrets involving a missing student and a conspiracy at Wheatley Prep in this fast-paced, juicy follow-up to Prep School Confidential

a fresh, original, and funny new YA heroine whose knowing, irreverent voice will remind reads things.

When Anne learns that her boyfriend Brent’s dad is one of the now-powerful Wheatley alumni who rowed crew with Matthew, and that the crew team continues to induct new members with a creepy-sounding ritual called “The Drop,” she knows further investigation could put her relationship with Brent in danger. Determined to discover the truth, she reaches out to Anthony, Isabella’s townie brother, who helps her delve deeper into the secrets in Wheatley’s past. Secrets someone would kill to keep hidden. As the school’s Spring Formal—and its notorious afterparty—approaches, Anne sees the perfect opportunity to do some off-campus digging into the lives of Wheatley’s VIPs in this thrilling, unputdownable read—but if she’s not careful, she’ll be the next student who never comes back.

I can’t even begin to express to you all how much I LOVED Wicked Little Secrets by Kara Taylor. A year ago, I would have said that I would NEVER like this series. It seemed cheesy, and way too much like Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars. I admitted I was dead wrong when I finished Prep School Confidential. After finishing Wicked Little Secrets, I can’t even comprehend why that thought ever even registered my brain. The Prep School Confidential series is one of the BEST series that I have ever read. I’m already in mourning that I finished the second book and have to wait forever for the third one. Seriously…just go read this series! It will not disappoint you.

Honestly, I can’t think of one negative thing to say about this book. The characters were spot on. I especially love the main character, Anne Dowling. Anne reminds me a lot of Harriet the Spy and Veronica Mars. She’s so determined, honest, loyal, and just a spunky female lead that I adore. There’s nothing I love more than to follow Anne on her adventures to dig out the truth. As for the supporting characters, I thought that everyone played the perfect role. If it’s even possible, I think that the characters were even better in the second book than the first one.

The only thing that kind of bugged me, but that wasn’t even really a big deal, was that some of the names of the older men in the rowing club were a little too similar. Sometimes I would forget who was who, and I would have to refresh my memory on who exactly was getting the blame at certain points. However, that wasn’t a big deal at all. It didn’t take away from the book one bit.

This was one of those books where I ended up staying up until almost 1:30 in the morning to finish it. To be honest, that wasn’t such a good idea. The ending did end up scaring me a little bit, and I had to give myself a lecture to not have nightmares before bed. Aside from that, the ending is SUPER COOL! It might end up being a little predictable for some people. However, I had no idea what was going on. I loved that not too many clues were being tossed around, but yet I was still intrigued every step of the way. This was just a stellar book all the way around.

I could talk about how great this book and series is forever, but I honestly just have nothing negative to say about it. I loved it; I can’t wait for the third installment. Everyone needs to go read this book right now!

Pages: 304

Publication Date: March 4th, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Rating: :

adult books

March 2, 2014 posted by Nichole

The Billionaire’s Paradigm: His Absolute Purpose (The Billionaire’s Paradigm, #1-7) by Cerys du Lys

From USA Today Bestselling Author Cerys du Lys ~

Trapped in a library during a blizzard, Elise finds herself forced into isolation with Lucent Storme, the untoward magnate who’s rumored to have more than a few forbidden desires and darker passions. Both appalled and allured by his sordid sophistication, struggling to come to terms with what she knows and what she feels, she finds herself drawn to this man who seems both powerful and fractured all at once. Lucent’s secrets and dominant obsessions may be more than Elise can handle, though, and her gentle curiosity is just as likely to cause her pain and heartbreak as it is to bring her happiness…

(A Cerys du Lys contemporary romance novel)

When Elise Tanner finds herself trapped in a library with Lucent Storme during a record-breaking blizzard, she panics. He might not know her, but she knows more than enough about him. Besides being the newly appointed Director of Public Relations for Landseer Enterprises and an influential business magnate, there are rumors that he has a taste for the darker side of sexuality.

He seems fake, false, excessively demanding, too self-important by far, and… with over six feet of snow expected and the streets completely unmanageable, there’s absolutely no way for her to escape him.

He’s so predatory and dominant, yet beneath his rakish and enigmatic exterior, she senses there’s more to this mysterious and isolated man. He’s charming and intelligent (though reserved and terse), begrudgingly handsome, and surprisingly thoughtful. Unintentionally, Elise finds herself drawn to Lucent in a way that defies logic.

Unfortunately the snow may be the least of her worries. One disaster begets another and not everything is as it seems with the man who holds a sole singular obsession above all others. Will Elise’s curiosity be her undoing? Is she unwittingly playing right into Lucent’s hand; his dark desires and commanding personality? Or can she discover His Absolute Purpose, the reason he hides himself behind a facade of formality, and gain a deeper, more emotional and intimate connection with the compelling Director of Public Relations?

The snow may have brought them together, but it can’t keep them together forever. What happens when the ice begins to melt?

Powerful, sensual, and commanding. This poignant story of love, attraction, and temptation will bind you, entwine you, and thrill you until the very end.

Not appropriate for readers under 18 years of age

The Billionaire’s Paradigm: His Absolute Purpose left me with mixed feelings. First, it was hot and a pretty smoky read, BUT it was also offensive and a little ridiculous at times. It reminded me a lot of Fifty Shades of Greys. I remember HATING Fifty Shades…so I feel like this one is going to be a big hit once it really starts to get noticed. Fifty Shades fans are going to devour this one, as they are very, very similar in tastes.

My biggest problem with this book was the main character, Elise. OMG, just like Anna from Fifty Shades, I HATED HER. HATED. Omg. She was just awful. First of all, she was pretty much portrayed as a little girl throughout the whole book. The author never really came out and said that, but she was very childish. There would be scenes of her nodding her head super fast when she got excited, whining, begging, pulling out her lip like a little kid. I had to skim a lot through this book because when I was reading from Elise’s perspective, I constantly heard a naggy, whiny voice in my head. That really made the book unattractive in several spots. I was also really annoyed that she couldn’t make up her damn mind. Either like what Lucent is into or step back from it. She was constantly flip flopping all around. One minute she liked something and was all about it. The next minute she just couldn’t get into it, and Oh, Lucent! I just don’t think we can do this anymore! Omg. I read that so many goddamn times. Just make up your mind. She was a very unattractive character to read about.

As for Lucent….I liked him at first. Then, he started to get rather annoying. Lucent’s character is portrayed as a very proper character. That being said, he said a lot of words that I had to look up the definition to. Do you know how distracting it is to do that? I was constantly having to stop what I was doing and have my Kindle app tell me what the word meant. I’m honestly surprised I finished the book with how often I had to do that. I also found Lucent to be a little…no…a LOT..disturbing. There’s nothing wrong with the lifestyle that was being portrayed in this book…but Lucent was weird. And a stalker. and a bit abusive in the mind, even though the author went all out to try and detail that Lucent wasn’t abusive. You know..honestly…I thought their whole relationship was a little abusive. There wasn’t really anything physically abusive going on in their relationship, but I was very concerned about both of their mental states.

Another HUGE problem that I had with this book is that it was so drawn out. There was no reason for this book to be over 600 pages. I felt that it was more the author trying to shove it 150 sex scenes throughout it. I also didn’t understand why they were stuck in the library until 50% of the book. SERIOUSLY? I know the plot says that they’re stuck in the library together…but seriously? Don’t draw it out until 50% of the way through the book. That’s way overboard. When they finally left the library…things didn’t get much better. Actually…..that’s when I started to dislike Lucent. I’m sorry, but I just can’t get on board with stalking. I don’t care if he had good intentions…it’s creepy. And my hatred for Elise went even deeper when she just accepted everything that Lucent had done to her before he even met her. Creepy. Again…I was VERY concerned about the mental capacities of both of the main character.

The plot was okay, but nothing that really blew my mind. I kind of felt that I had already been there and done that in previous books. It seemed more like the author was trying to create porn for adults, rather than creating an actual story. Don’t get me wrong, there WAS a story, but it poorly executed on several fronts. Again, it was also WAY too drawn out. I like my adult books every now and then, but I like them to be a bit more solid.

I’m not really sure why this book is listed as a New Adult book. I THINK it’s because Elise is a college student. I’m warning all of you right now that this is NOT a New Adult book. You can’t just label a book NA because one of the main characters is in college. No…this is a straight up erotica book, and I’m really not sure why it isn’t listed that way on Goodreads.

There is a plot twist at the end of the book that really turned me off. Anyone with triggers should definitely avoid it. It really focuses more on the abusive side of those types of relationships. I really didn’t think that it was necessary for the book. Honestly, I thought that it really took away from it. It was also pretty cheesy…

Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey are probably going to adore this book. They are very similar but with different plots. That being said, it’s not surprising that I disliked it. I hated Fifty Shades, and I didn’t care for this one. It’s just a preference thing. It’s not my cup of tea. I can see WHY people are going to love it…..but I don’t.

Pages: 640

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2014

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