Category Archives: 4 stars
No Dress Required by Cari Quinn Book Review
No Dress Required
Cari Quinn
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Pages: 61
Rating: 4 stars
After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There’s only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend’s older brother. Now that Jake’s back in town, she’s headed to his sister’s New Year’s Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she’s become? Check.
Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.
When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he’s glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister’s party. His and Noelle’s friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he’s always wanted…and if he’ll be able to walk away when it’s over.
Short and sweet, No Dress Required by Cari Quinn is a fun, fast paced romance with characters that will make you fall in love with them.
I know it’s only a novella, but I do wish No Dress Required had been a bit longer. I felt like the romance and story between Noelle and Jake was really just starting to take off and the book ended. I just loved their story so much that I didn’t want it to end.
The beginning was a bit confusing for me – I didn’t quite get what was going on, but then I just fell in love with Noelle and Jake’s story. Given the short nature of the book, Cari Quinn manages to build a ton of romance between the two of them, almost right off the bat.
No Dress Required is one of those fun friends to lovers type of romances that I so enjoy reading. This is perfect for someone wanting a fast fun read to devour in one sitting.
Silence by Michelle Sagara Book Review
Silence (Queen of the Dead #1)
Michelle Sagara
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 256
Rating: 4 stars
It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….
Silence by Michelle Sagara was such a cool read. Cool and very unique. It definitely had a Buffy-esque vibe going for it throughout the entire thing, which was certainly nice.
This was one of the most unique paranormals I’ve read in a very long time. It was just so neat. There was a lot of mystery mixed in, as you are figuring things out the same time as Emma, and Emma is pretty much clueless as the book begins. Michelle Sagara‘s ghosts were totally different from any others I’ve read about. The elements of how they were were cool.
My one complaint would be that a lot was left unanswered about who Emma is and what she can do. It was hinted at, but a lot was never directly said. So I am really hoping that book 2 sheds a little more light on that. There was also a bit of confusion in regards to the dead – I really would love to know more about them, as very little light was shed on that as well.
The characters are what really sold this book for me. They all rocked! Emma was a really great main character, and I loved Chase and Eric. Basically Emma’s whole network for friends were super cool and nice. You can’t ask for a better best friend than Allison. Silence was a book of awesome friendships. There wasn’t any romance, just great friendships, which was a breath of fresh air.
The ending was perfect for the start to a series. Michelle Sagara nicely ties up this plot thread, and leaves a few more open. It was a complete story, which was a relief to read. I’m very excited for book 2, to see where Emma and her friends’s story goes next.
Silence by Michelle Sagara was a super fun read! It had a slower beginning, but once it picked up I didn’t want to put it down for a minute. Michelle Sagara has woven a story so intricate and unique that readers will love.
Eleven Scandals to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean
Eleven Scandals to Win a Duke’s Heart
Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Pages: 367
Rating: 4 stars
She lives for passion
Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society’s rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London’s most practiced gossips…and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.
He swears by reputation.
Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening–risking everything he holds dear–he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety.
She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.
I wasn’t quite as entranced by Eleven Scandals to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean as I was the other two books in the series, but I still found it to be an absolutely addicting read that I didn’t want to put down for a moment.
Juliana is not my favorite character of this series, so I think that’s why I was not as crazy about Eleven Scandals to Win a Duke’s Heart. That aside, I loved seeing all the other characters again. It was fun to see both Ralston and Nicholas and their families in this one. I loved that there was more of Georgiana in Eleven Scandals to Win a Duke’s Heart, as she is a lovely character and really grew a lot in this one.
Sarah MacLean has the best stories in her books; they are just so easy to instantly get caught up in. When you pair that with the awesome characters, you have just a wonderful story I am so sad to see the Love By Numbers trilogy come to a close, as I have just loved all three books. Sarah MacLean is one talented writer, and I am really anxious to see what it next for her.
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Switched
Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 293
Challenges: 2012 Debut Author Challenge, 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge
Rating: 4 stars
When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.
Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.
Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…
Switched by Amanda Hocking was quite an interesting read. When I read the description, I was thinking fairies, given the whole changeling thing. I could have have been more wrong: trolls. How cool is that? Switched was a fast paced read that dived into a completely unique storyline.
The beginning of Switched was a bit disjointed. I didn’t quite get what was going on, and I wasn’t completely feeling the story. As time progressed, Wendy began to get more answers to her questions, and things began to make more sense. I really loved the uniqueness of the plot. Everything was so new and it was a lot of fun to read about.
The characters were an interesting mix. The relationship between Finn and Wendy seemed a bit odd at first, there was not a lot of build up. As the story moved on, it did build more and it was really cute. I really liked Matt – he was a character you don’t see a lot of, but the parts of the book he was in were some of my favorites. A lot of the other characters fell flat for me. They just didn’t seem real, and I had a hard time connecting with them.
Switched was a promising start to the trilogy, and I cannot wait to pick up the other books now. The unique premise is captivating, and really gives it a unique edge to really stand out.
This review is crossposted from YA Books Central where it was originally posted.
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral Book Review
Chopsticks
Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: February 2, 2012
Pages: 272
Challenges: Completely Contemp Challenge
Rating: 4 stars
After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song “Chopsticks.”
But nothing is what it seems, and Glory’s reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it’s up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along….
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral was such a fun, neat book. It was a really fast read, and frankly was just cool.
Chopsticks is a picture book, with words on some of the pages to lead you along in the story. I loved being able to see their story, in addition to just read it. It gives you a lot of background that normal books don’t necessarily always give you. There were some really cool pictures, and most of the pages with pictures of Glory and Frank were just adorable.
The plot was really intriguing, though I was left unsure of a few things. I never quite understood how Glory and Frank’s relationship started, which made me not connect completely with that aspect of the story. I thought there was a lot with Glory that made it really easy to connect with her.
This was a really fun break from typical reading, and fun venture into a new type of book. I would definitely read more from this dynamic duo!
Novella Mini Reviews: First Frost and Before That Night
First Frost by Jennifer Estep
Prequel novella to Touch of Frost
Rating: 4 stars
I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift. It’s called psychometry – that’s a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people’s memories off almost everything I touch, even guys.
My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy–to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don’t want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school – Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren’t preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos. Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids. The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same. . .
This was such a fun look at Gwen’s life before Mythos Academy. There were a lot of pieces I had known already, but having it spelled out like that was a lot of fun. I really just love Jennifer Estep’s writing and seeing some insight into Gwen’s life only adds to my love of the series.
Before That Night by Lauren Barnholdt
Prequel Novella to One Night That Changes Everything
Rating 4.5 stars
Sixteen-year-old Eliza Sellman is shocked when the most popular guy in school, Cooper Marriatti, starts to take an interest in her. It isn’t long until they’re spending all their time together, and on the surface, Cooper seems to be the perfect boyfriend.
But weird text messages, a shady friend, and her own insecurities leave Eliza questioning her perfect romance, until the shocking truth about their relationship comes to light….
In this prequel novella to Lauren Barnholdt’s ONE NIGHT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, find out how Eliza and Cooper meet, and what their relationship was like before that night.
Before That Night was such a fun insight to what happened before One Night That Changes Everything. I was instantly swept back in Eliza’s world, and really reading Before That Night Made me want to go start reading One Night That Changes Everything once again. I just love Lauren Barnholdt’s writing, and this was such a fun little snippet. I was so sad when it was over, as I just didn’t want this one to end.
Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper + Giveaway
Tangled Tides
Karen Amanda Hooper
Publisher: Rhemelda
Release Date: November 25, 2011
Pages: 328
Rating: 4 stars
Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.
When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.
Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.
Young Adult fans of Mermaids, Selkies, Sirens and Gorgons will love this tale of the sacrifice one makes for genuine love. Love that could be lost at any moment to the ever-changing tides.
Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper has been a book I have been excited to read since I first heard about it, and I am happy to share that it was quite a stellar read. With its cool take on merfolk and a rocking cast of characters, Tangled Tides is a book you don’t want to miss.
The blend of mythology Karen Amanda Hooper explores in Tangled Tides was just fascinating. The different sea monsters, like sirens, mermaids, and selkies, are some of my favorite creatures to read about. Rarely do you get to experience more than one at once, and Tangled Tides does just that. It is a really neat combination of the different sea monsters coexisting towards their ultimate cause. It was completely new and I loved that. There were a few instances where I felt like too much was going on, as it got a bit confusing.
The beginning of the book was a bit disjointed. I was trying to figure out exactly what was happening and find some answers to the long list of questions I had. While the first half of the book does answer some questions, it was definitely in the second half of the book where the plot took off and everything began to become much clearer.
The characters are what absolutely made this book. I quite loved them all. Everyone brought something a little different to Tangled Tides and it was quite awesome. Seeing the relationships between all the characters were neat, as they all had such great bonds of friendship. I really loved Delmar. All the scenes with him were just great. Treygan – what a hunk! Seriously, I don’t think you could ask for a more caring, adorable guy.
Tangled Tides was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a stellar debut from Karen Amanda Hooper. While it had a few flaws, overall it was a book that I really liked and am very curious to see what it next from Karen Amanda Hooper.
Now I have one ebook of Tangled Tides from one lucky person! Ends April 25 :)
Tour: Oldsoul by Dan Haring
Oldsoul
Dan Haring
Publisher: Pendrell Publishing
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Pages: 323
Challenges: 2012 Debut Author Challenge, 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge
Rating: 4 stars
Jason Gouvas doesn’t want to believe he has special abilities or that he’s an Oldsoul– a vessel for the souls of people who have passed away, but the dead girl in his mind can be very persuasive.
Her name is Erin, and through her Jason is able to access the knowledge and skills of the souls within him. And with a group of power-hungry immortals bent on destroying the Oldsouls and overthrowing humanity, he’s going to need them all.
Oldsoul - what a cool concept! Oldsoul had a bit of a slower start, but really built into a a cool premise and action packed story. This was a promising debut from Dan Haring, and I can’t wait to see what he writes next.
The world setup was really neat. For the first portion of the book, there was a lot of world building going on and it was a bit disorienting, but I just loved the idea. It was so completely unique from anything else I have read, which was so refreshing. The one thing I would say is I wish several things had been explained a bit more, since I finished still not completely sure about some aspects.
With the second half of the story, things really start to pick up. There were quite a few twists I would never have guessed coming, which made Oldsoul that much more fun to read.
The characters were one of my favorite parts of the book. Erin and Solon were two of my particular favorites. Erin was just too funny, and Solon was so sincere and charming. I didn’t see a whole lot of build up to Jason and Mela’s relationship, so it appeared a bit odd to me at times.
Oldsoul by Dan Haring was quite an enjoyable read. I loved the premise, and while it had a bit of a slow start, it still was quite the read. I would love to see more from this fabulous cast of characters.
Make sure to follow the rest of the blog tour as well.
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Article 5
Kristen Simmons
Publisher: TOR Teen
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Pages: 368
Challenges: Dystopian Challenge, Debut Author Challenge
Rating: 4 stars
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don’t come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.
It has been a long time since I’ve been as excited over a dystopian as I was for Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, and I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I always find that many dystopians are missing some quality, but that definitely was not the case with Article 5. I was intrigued from the start, and didn’t want it to end. I had a few minor issues, but overall, it was a stellar debut.
The concept of this one is so cool. Article 5 is a prime example of where the whole corrupt government really worked – I was just so intrigued by it, and wanted to find out more. It was just all very concise, and it was fascinating. It was entirely believable.
I loved that I could never guess where the plot was going to go next. I kept making assumptions, but most of the time, they ended up being wrong. Article 5 had such a twisty plot, with betrayal and so many other motivations behind every corner. This one definitely had a bit of a darker undertone to it.
I wasn’t super crazy about Ember – she definitely had her moments, but overall she just kind of bothered me. She had too much of a one track mind, which really distracted from the plot at times. I LOVED Chase. He was such a great character. One of the great things about Article 5 was how all the minor characters really played a role in the story and I remembered them all very distinctly in my mind.
I am so excited for book 2. The stage has definitely been set for what I assume will be a brilliant sequel to continue Ember and Chase’s story. I cannot wait to see where Kristen Simmons will take her characters in this dynamic dangerous world. Article 5 takes readers for an intense ride filled with betrayal, action, love, and so much more. In the polluted stream of dystopians that fill the shelves, Article 5 is a book that will stand out with it’s refreshing story and wonderful characters.
This review is cross-posted from YA Books Central where it was originally posted.
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Born Wicked
Jessica Spotswood
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Pages: 330
Source: Publisher
Challenges: 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge, YA Historical Fiction Challenge
Rating: 4 stars
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship–or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word… especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate stars scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood — not even from each other.
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood holds a very intriguing premise that will simply captivate readers. While it didn’t live up to all my hopes for it, I still really enjoyed the story and found a cast of characters who were simply wonderful.
The plot was really intriguing. It was very different from other witch stories out there, and it was a ton of fun to read. I loved trying to figure out what was going to happen next, as Jessica Spotswood threw quite a few twists. My biggest criticism was that so many things seemed almost too convenient for the characters.
The characters were just awesome! I really liked Cate – she was such an interesting character. Finn was so adorable, and I just loved his character. Tess was another character who I just loved. I really am hoping to see a lot more of all the characters in book 2, particularly Finn and Tess!
The world was really fascinating – the whole alternate history was really cool. I loved the how intricate the world was and how cool the Brotherhood and what they had set up was.
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood was a fascinating book. Historical fantasy is by far my favorite genre to read, so when I find one I get super excited. It lived up to a lot of my expectations, but I still was hoping for a bit more. I am very curious to see where book 2 will go, and how the story will just take off.
