Fall For Anything, by Courtney Summers

Fall For Anything, by Courtney Summers
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publication: December 21, 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 230
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating:  ½

Struggling to understand the reasons behind her successful photographer father's suicide, Eddie Reeves purses a dangerous relationship with one of her father's former students, who seems to know more about Eddie's father than she does.

I feel that Courtney Summers is a master at writing contemporary novels with unique premises. It's not everyday when you read a book about a photographer's depressed daughter who's basically suffering all throughout, every single moment there is. Fall for Anything was absolutely a book that I fell for, and it had a very strong heroine.

"I'm always leaving, but I never have anywhere to go."

  If I close my eyes and reenact this whole book in my head, the thing that catches my attention the most is the formation of Eddie's character. She started off as a twig, small and feared, but as her story broadened and came to be, she ended up like a tree, ready for any situation or thing to fly by. I praised her, and she was my favourite thing of this story. She was understandable, looking at her situation, and I saw a character who was scared but still took the chance. I had to point this out first or else I'd freak while writing this review, to be honest.

   

   The story is simple, but it's actually pretty meaningful. Eddie Reeves is living alone with her mother, who rarely is there for her since all she does is sit and gets drunk with her best friend. Eddie is trying to understand the clues and hints behind her father's recent suicide, and then she meets his past photography student, who has some feelings for Eddie himself. The basic reason why she's taking the chance with him is because he may know more about her dad than she does...

     You'd take the chance for someone you deeply love, right? Obviously, who wouldn't? This was Eddie in this case. She was fearing of losing her mind, and she needed to find out what was bothering her father in his life, since he was so famous and made a lot of money. Money doesn't buy you happiness. The concept of this story was strong and applicable to a lot of people's lives out there. Many people could probably relate to Eddie.

       

        What I must say is that if Eddie's character and the concept wasn't strong, then I wouldn't have liked this book too much, to be honest. The story was honestly nothing special, as in twists and turns speaking. Nothing significant was happening that got my heart racing or anything like that. It was basically a story you would find on the news, one that almost no one would be talking about because there were no mind-blowing events that cautioned you to freak out. I was expecting more, in this aspect.

           If you're looking for a nice romance, you should run away here. Okay, there was a little romance, which is why I classified this under the "romance" category, but I didn't like it. WE NEEDED SOMETHING SWEET HERE TO MAKE EDDIE FEEL BETTER. We had some forbidden gross thing going on that Eddie's best friend had to save her from. Does that count?

         I find that Courtney Summers' books are always so soothing and real. You can't argue with that aspect, honestly. But I do feel like we needed an improve of characters and romance. Looking for a quick Friday night read? Then this book is for you.

Minders by Michele Jaffe Review

Minders, by Michele Jaffe
Published On: January 30, 2014, by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Science-Fiction
Pages: 395
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: ½

A high concept, cinematic read with a surprising twist, MINDERS asks the question: who is really watching whom?
Sadie Ames is a type-A teenager from the wealthy suburbs. She's been accepted to the prestigious Mind Corps Fellowship program, where she'll spend six weeks as an observer inside the head of Ford, a troubled boy with a passion for the crumbling architecture of the inner city. There's just one problem: Sadie's fallen in love with him.
Ford Winters is haunted by the murder of his older brother, James. As Sadie falls deeper into his world, dazzled by the shimmering pinpricks of color that form images in his mind, she begins to think she knows him. Then Ford does something unthinkable.
Back in her own body, Sadie is faced with the ultimate dilemma. With Ford's life in her hands, she must decide what is right and what is wrong. And how well she can really ever know someone, even someone she loves.

    I've honestly seen this book everywhere I go, and I feel like it kept on following me, so I then decided to borrow it from the library to give it a go. Since August due to my crazy schedule, it has been stalling in my bookshelf waiting to be picked up and loved from. Minders was a psychological thriller, with some flaws in between. But overall, it was a great novel and a total change.

"He took a step forward, then another. Dread filled her. She wanted to close her eyes, look away, but that wouldn't change anything. He raised the gun, and as he stepped into the office she heard him think, Watch this Sadie. As if she had a choice."

   

        Okay, so this book did have some peculiar events where I thought things were too good to be true. But really, the plot is simple but so good. What's happening in this dystopia world is that the government basically hire spies to read other people's minds of troubled people. Sadie Ames is a girl who's perfect for this role, as she will be listening to the thoughts of Ford, who is troubled by his dead brother's past. What happens when she falls in love with someone who doesn't even know that she exists?

           "I want to feel what pressures other people feel. Experience the world guided by someone else's moral compass. See and hear and taste with senses formed in a completely different mold than mine. I want to see what it's like to live someone else's lie."

          The concept of this book was one of the most unique that I've read about for a while. Mind-reading slash dystopia? WHAT AWESOMENESS. This was like a less dystopian Hunger Games, if you get what I mean. There was almost always action at every corner of every page. Like legit, the word "action." xD Just kidding—but this book was a total joke with the romance and characters.

         

            At first, I saw Sadie as kick-ass and literally perfect. She was the new "Tris," and the character I've been looking for, for the longest time. And then Ford happened. EWEWEWEWEWEW NO. Their "love" ruined it all because it was completely fake and Sadie was so obsessed. GIRL DO YOUR JOB. 

             Honestly, that's the part that frustrated me the most. I was expecting something more simple and special. As I began reading, I was pretty intrigued. Jaffe had something so intriguing in her words and I just wanted to know what would happen and how the ending will come to be. Next thing next, the middle portion was a little too boring and I lost the real amazingness of the story until the ending came. Meh.

     Minders was something I haven't read about for a long time. The plot was pretty well, and the idea was perfect. Minus some bland and flaws in the characters, I was really impressed with the outcome, and it was a great standalone.

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez Review

Kiss Kill Vanish, by Jessica Martinez
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books on October 7, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller, Romance
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover Edition
Source: Borrowed
My Rating:  

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.
One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.
She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.
She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

I honestly don't know what she's doing here, but it fits. 

           For a long time, I've been waiting for the right mystery novel. They come and go, and they go and they come, I guess. Sometimes I find that mystery-novel heroines are such tryhard Nancy Drews, and then there are the authors who totally have a head on their shoulders and choose to write about people who are part of their own mystery, in a way. That was who Valentina Cruz was.

            Her story was unbelievable. Jessica Martinez wrote something that definitely sounds like it came out of the mind of James Patterson or Sherlock Holmes or someone mysteriously magnificent.   Kiss Kill Vanish gave me so many holy-shit moments when I couldn't believe that I was reading such a heart-stopping book. And then came the negative things by the end. And in a way, I was truthfully and strongly disappointed with the outcome. But I guess that's the way mysteries come and go, right?

           Mystery-murder novels for me are like historical-fiction, they're either hits, or misses. You never know what to expect because when you do expect something, it usually ends up going in the total opposite direction.

Another Jack the Ripper incident? Hah, yeah right.

               This is like the movie Taken with Liam Neeson. Man, do I love his acting. He's like the total badass dad who's willing to do just about anything to save his daughter. Except in this case, Valentina's father is the strangest man on the universe who still is willing to protect his daughter in weird ways, and turning her on a different side and making her do stupid things. What father would make his loving daughter *goody two shoe act* to unwanted things?

                Valentina thought she loved Emilio. What do you honestly expect to do when you're in love and it seems like the person that you're in love with is in love with you? Nothing, because you're too dazed to figure out right from wrong, and truth from lies. Now, she's scarred for life, and is unable to look at her past life the same way. She fled from the murder scene, the murder scene created by her father and boyfriend, and is living on selfish ways and routes. Now, he's found her, but the truth isn't really slipping out. So is it possible to change your name and act and pretend that the past never happened? Absolutely not.

               This so-called "mystery" was too good to be true. It was cliché, and not what I expected. From this moment on, I've learned to not have or receive expectations from mystery novels, because I'm usually left disappointed, or with a "meh" reaction. Why else try?
    

               Bookish atmospheres are strongly important, or at least in my eyes. This was taken place in Canada. *cheers for home country* FOR ONCE. Honestly, I'm used to one of those small-town mysteries that you'll always expect to happen. And then when you'll see what Valentina does to survive... Is horrible. Maybe even as horrible as the conditions that she had to witness prior to the current events.

               "Hours. They've passed. The shock has bled out of me, and now I feel empty and scraped raw. Gutless, guilty Valentina."

                  

        Scary and unreal to admit, we've just found ourselves an unconfident protagonist. In most cases, I would've fled the book and would've dropped it out of the highest building in the world, but it fit the story. As you read the book, you'll find yourself becoming more and more friends with Valentina, and you'll understand her troubles. She felt useless, and she didn't have a clue on what was happening half of the time. I don't blame her for running away and trying to forget about everything. But she actually wasn't able to.

       I was waiting for something deeper. This originally had the look of a great and simple mystery, but what was this contemporary story? It was lacking romance, and by the end, I didn't really see the point or strong message. Thankfully there were a few things impressing me. 

Gates of Thread & Stone, by Lori M. Lee Review—HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1), by Lori M. Lee

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: August 5, 2014, by Skyscape

Format: eARC




Goodreads Summary: In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Review:

*Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*

        I sadly expected more from this book—I wanted more. But thankfully, by the end, we received a pretty great fantasy novel that at some points knocked my socks off. That's really what mattered in the end, no? 

        NOPE. Because if the concept was the best and most important thing here, then I'd at least give this a 4 star rating. A 3 star for me is okay, or a "meh" feel to the story. In between the rating, but more good than bad. Gates of Thread and Stone could've had a lot more in store for me, but I didn't feel the power of it as it should have had.

         The Labyrinth seemed like such a cool and destructive place and concept to read about. And the main idea happening is that Kai is keeping a secret that can basically destruct everyone around her. She has an ability—she's able to manipulate time threads. Sounds crazy, but it's true and real. 

            But this all began for a reason... and her best friend Reev might have to do with it, since he found Kai on the streets when she was eight and helped her and was her caregiver ever since. But isn't there some romance in between?

           OF COURSE. And that's what partially ruined this book. Instalove? Absolutely. This dude had a crush on an eight year old at one point. Creepy much? And his love for her never left and he took care of her and gave her a home. Sure, in some perspectives that sounds cute and all, but I saw it as more "creepy" than you can ever imagine.

            So, there's instalove. There's a bad plot at times. There's a lot of craziness going on at the same time. The characters had their problems, but by the end, their personalities fairly impressed me and I had a few ships, if you must ask and I must admit.

            A lot of people I know really disliked this, but I ended up having to keep my hopes up. But at the same time, there were an average of mixed reviews, and I didn't know what to expect, so therefore I decided to forget. 

            Concept... Genre... ? I wouldn't ask me that question if I were you. What is the genre? Fantasy? Dystopia? All I know that this is a messed-up romance for sure. The fantasy aspect was done really well—I totally enjoyed the immortality and ways that the author went through different stages.

             This, from the looks, looked like a Victorian, something Cassandra Clare would approve. I'm sitting here, not knowing what my feelings are presenting me. A pretty boring-at-times plot, good characters, a good mystery. 

             In conclusion, this was a disappointment compared to my expectations. But I know that some will enjoy it—beware of instalove and sibling romance.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Murder/Thriller, Romance

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: June 11, 2013, by Henry Holt and Co.

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: “Take her out back and finish her off.”

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.

In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.

Review:

"Maybe it's because I'm average." I sniff back my tears. "Maybe it's because I'm like everyone else." Ty rolls his eyes. "I may not know you very well, but I'll tell you one thing: You aren't like anyone else."

  Girl, Stolen was an amazing book. I couldn't wait for more from this daring, new author that's sure to leave thousands of other readers stunned with her plot-twisting mysteries. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die wasn't as good as April Henry's other book, but it was something that left me thinking.

    Imagine--you wake up in some cabin that you've never seen more. You don't remember your name or even have a clue who you are, and all you hear two men talking about how you don't know anything and how they're going to go and "finish you off." What would you do? This is what Cady went through. 

    Of course, this girl escapes. I'm not going to go into full detail on how she did it, but she did. She was supposed to die, but she made it out. People are saying that she "escaped from a mental hospital," which would've been super-cheesy, but she actually didn't. This book will keep you guessing until the very end and will get you thinking about these types of situations that occur all over the world.

      I'm always interested in these types of mysteries where the book is taken place from the victim's POV. I don't like the detective-police sort of stories, but this is definitely awesome for my liking. I really loved the idea of a supposed-murder. 

      The first page of this book captivated me. I just couldn't believe that the author thought of something so unthinkable and so unbelievable. You just don't want to imagine any of these things happening, but April Henry needs us to. It's her job, haha. If you liked to get a little creeped out, then this book's perfect for you. You may or may not need an escort with you at all times and will need to make sure that your parents don't own an animal-disease lab. Other than that, you're all good.

         

       And you may or may not have trouble breathing or claustrophobia because the amount of fresh air is fading away. :D

       As I went on with the book, it was pretty good. By the end, I found it to be nothing special. The idea was petrifying, but something was missing and that slanted the whole book another way in another direction. Maybe this is because it's very similar to April Henry's Girl, Stolen. I just can't seem to figure out a reason why I'm feeling like this after reading it. By the end, I was still deciding what rating to give this book. A 3 was my first choice, but then I began counting the pros and cons, and well, let's just say the positives took over.

       Cady was a very believable character. April Henry really made her voice stand out, and she was fairly realistic and understanding. You will feel sympathy for her 24/7 because of her situation, but because of her badass-ness, that sympathy kind of goes away a little.

        

         I loved Ty, seriously. It was kind of unbelievable how he took Cady into his home and treated her like a princess even though he heard all of those bad things about her and how she's kind of a criminal, but those things aside, I loved him. 

         The ending of this book was predictable, but I guess we all saw it coming from the start. This is a touching story that will get you fawning for more! I can't wait to read The Body in the Woods!   

Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, LBGTQ, Romance

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: August 27, 2013, by Knopf Books

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. 

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Review:

"We were once like you, only our world wasn't like yours. You have no idea how close to death you came. A generation or two earlier, you might be here with us. We resent you. You astonish us."

  I must say that this wasn't David Levithan's best novel, but I still loved it. Every book he writes is with such passion and always ends up unique. This man is literally one of my favourite authors. I would read his shopping list.

   I just found out that this story is actually based on true events! That even adds more awesomeness to the awesome factor. This story was truly beautiful. It's about different people, different gay couples who are insecure about themselves and their relationships. One of the couples, Harry and Craig, are about to take part in a thirty-two hour kissing marathon to set a new world record. This is their story where they find more about themselves and love.

    

       

     This book made me squeal a lot, very often. It was very cute, but dark at the same time. In this book, David Levithan is representing many teenage lives out there who are insecure with who they are and their sexual identity. He has mastered the truths and the thoughts of these people. The idea was literally perfect.

      But I wouldn't call this my favourite Levithan book. It did have its cons, and that basically was all about the plot. This was a 200 paged book, and not too much was happening, except finding the meaning in these people's thoughts and behaviour and about their relationships. This was a very, very light read and there wasn't too much going on. This is one of the lightest contemporaries I've read to date.

      "We do not want to haunt you too somberly. We don't want our legacy to be gravitas. You wouldn't want to live your life like that, and you won't want to be remembered like that, either. Your mistake would be to find our commonality in our dying. The living part mattered more. We taught you how to dance."

       I loved the characters. Craig and Henry would have to be my favourite, since their relationship was the cutest and most strongest. Ryan would take place in second, with his wittiness and sass. But really, all of David's characters end up relatable to whom they are like, and I really believe that few gravitate to your highest liking.

       This was a very quick, but inspirational and beautiful read. I absolutely recommend it, and if you're a fan of LBGTQ like I am, then this might become your new personal favourite.

        Other Gorgeous Quotes:

        "People like to say being gay isn't like skin color, isn't anything physical. They tell us we always have the option of hiding. But if that's true, why do they always find us?"

         "When Neil is through, Peter smiles and holds up his hand, gesturing Neil to wait there, to not say a word. He picks out two books from the YA section, then runs to the fiction section for a third. He is still smiling when he returns to Neil and shows his selections one by one."

         "This is what we don't admit about first kisses: One of the most gratifying things about them is that they are proof, actual proof, that the other wants to kiss us. We are desirable. We desire. Every kiss that matters contains a recognition at its core."

          "It does not bring back the twelve-year-old who put a gun to his head. It does not bring back the fourteen-year-old who hung himself. It does not bring back the nineteen-year-old strung up on the side of an empty highway and left to die. It does not bring back the thirteen-year-old who took a stomach full of pills. It does not bring back any of us. But it does bring back Cooper."

             "There will come a time--perhaps even by the time you read this--that people will no longer be on Facebook. There will come a time when the stars of your favorite teen TV show will be sixty. There will come a time when you have the same unalienable rights as your straightest friend. (Probably before any of the stars of your favorite teen TV show turn sixty.) There will come a time when the gay prom won't have to be separate. There will come a time when you will look at someone younger than you and feel that he or she will know more than you ever did. There will come a time when you will worry about being forgotten. There will come a time when the gospel will be rewritten. If you play your cards right, the next generation will have so much more than you did."

             "There is the sudden. There is the eventual. And in between, there is the living."

              "We do not start as dust. We do not end as dust. We make more than dust."

"This is the power of a kiss:

It does not have the power to kill you. But it has the power to bring you

to life."

      

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Historical-Fiction, Paranormal

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: March 25, 2014, by Candlewick Press

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.

First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

Review:

"In one fluid motion, Viviane dropped the soapy sponge, flew down the porch stairs and around to the backyard to find me, leaving Henry on the porch, pounding his ears with his open palms. As she ran, my mother thought, This is it. This is the reason not to love. If I didn't love, then whatever I find, no matter how awful, wouldn't hurt."

  To me, this was a pretty book. It was one of those reads that make you feel like it's worth something, but the reason why is unexplainable. The concept is gorgeous, and thoroughly unique, but with some confusions in between. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender was a great read, but it kept me questioning too often.

   For a majority of 50% of the book (about) we hear about Ava's relatives's lives, including her grandmother, Emilienne, and her mother, Viviane. Many people have noted that it didn't make sense to speak about their lives for such a long length of pages (especially since the book is 301 pages itself), but I loved hearing about them. Their stories brought Ava's to life, and it brought a little more sense into "why."

   We hear about their lives, and how they fell in love and how they lost everything. Both people did, and know it's Ava's turn to. But Ava is someone unique. She is different. She is often mistaken as many things--as a monster, angel, weird creature. 

    This story is light and fluffy, but dark and messed up at the same time. Some parts of it maybe be all sugar and spice, while others just become horrifying. It's mainly dark, but there's that burst of light sitting there. Yes, the cover doesn't explain too much. It looks super chick-lity and girly for the actual taste of the novel.

  

       I enjoyed this book very much. Leslye Walton is an amazing writer, I must say, and I'm very much looking forward to read her other works in the future. Here, she has written a very captivating story with an unique premise that has to do with tragedy and the works of love. 

      I loved the idea, but some things were too unreal. Emilienne and Viviane both went through so much, too much, and I can't possibly see that happening to anyone on Planet Earth.

  

        Losing your whole family and then your husband? Then you're depressed but people still love you? Emilienne, you know you're one of my favourite characters, but come on.

         The plot was great in the beginning, then slowed down to the end. I think it's because the whole story itself is very unexplainable and I was clueless the whole second half of the book. Ava knows these things about her grandmother and mother--HOW? It's not like she had a super-close relationship with either of them that got her to know these things. And really, who was Ava? Who was she in this real world? I truly wish that the author allowed us to know these things, because that's basically the entire premise in two questions, and not knowing really set me off from everything.

        I had a love-hate relationship with Ava. I found her to be annoying and too selfish at times, but once we got into the ending, I settled with her story and she became more likeable than I'd ever imagined her to become.

       My favourite characters were Emilienne, Viviane and Jack. Emilienne was the woman who didn't give a shi* about anything or what anyone said, and I truly loved her for that. She may have been a little selfish like her granddaughter was, but I respect her and her sassiness. High five for you, woman!

        Viviane was my ultimate favourite. Everything about her was astonishing. She was truly a remarkable person who didn't deserve to suffer, and deserved to be loved by the people whom she loves for. Jack ended up upsetting me because he left the love of his life (PLOT TWIST) but he was so gorgeous and beautiful to make me hate him.

         Everyone else weren't really a show-stopper for me, but Leslye truly created a wonderful set of relatable characters for this great book.

          And yes, the romance was pretty gorgeous when it was there. ;)

         I had some issues with this book, yes, but it overall was a great, enjoyable read that I recommend for anyone looking for something with some more flavour. 

         "She worried I was just like every other teenage girl, all tender heart and fragile ego. She worried I was more myth and figment than flesh and blood. She worried about my calcium levels, my protein levels, even my reading levels. She worried she couldn't protect me from all of the things that had hurt her: loss and fear, pain and love. Most especially from love."

         Ugh, I love that quote! 

A Little Like Love, by Cheyanne Young

A Little Like Love (Robin and Tyler Series #2), by Cheyanne Young

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: August 1, 2014, by 336Love

Format: eARC





Goodreads Summary: Robin and her niece Miranda have decided to stay in the tiny but friendly town of Salt Gap, Texas while they figure out what to do with their lives. With only a picture to go by, Robin goes on a scavenger hunt through town trying to discover the link between her late grandfather and coincidence that brought her to the same place. 

She’s still afraid of relationships, so when the hot cowboy Tyler starts to get a little too friendly, she’s more than happy to spot all the red flags she can find to help her avoid liking him. Like the waitress Elizabeth and her weirdly close relationship with Tyler. But as Miranda is quick to point out, they’re on a journey guided by fate and that can only mean one thing – if she’s meant to find love in Salt Gap, it will happen with or without her permission.

A Little Like Love is part two of the Robin and Tyler Series. It is a novella at approx. 20,000 words. This is a CLEAN New Adult story.

Review:

  *Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*

      You need to pick up this and the first novella of this series immediately, especially since this is being released tomorrow. I love reading anything by Cheyanne, and I'd probably read her grocery shopping list. I am now on my way to read everything she's written. 

        After reading part 1 of this three-novella trilogy, I was instantly in love, and looking for more.

        And after reading my review, you'll probably understand why. :)

        Robin and her niece Miranda have finally settled in Salt Gap, Texas, where they previously ended up after Robin had a major breakdown which brought her far away from her home in Houston. She ends up renting a house from Tyler, the cowboy that has always liked her more than a little, and things have gotten even more romantic. He wants to go on a date with her, but she refuses, and then when he starts getting friendly with a waitress, Robin realizes that she actually may have feelings for him.

        I love Tyler oh so freakin' much. My love for him from the first book until now went like this:

        But I've always seen his good side to things. That man is so adorable and so devouring. Reading his catch phrases to Robin just made me feel like a little kid all over again. Adorable and everything I am looking for in a hot fictional hottie. Plus, he's a country boy, which makes everything even better!

        The plot in this book has developed to be something great. The whole novella was fast-paced and racing. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen, and how the amazing couple's relationship would grow and become beautiful. I'm very excited to now see how this awesome series is going to end!

        My only tiny problem with this book was the character of Robin. I like her, sure, but at times she's too selfish and I didn't seem to like her personality and the way she handles her relationships. She's the type to wait for people to beg her to be with them, lurking for attention. I know people like that in reality, and I don't think I'd like book protagonists to be that way, too. But she was very realistic.

        The character of Miranda will always be my favourite. She's kick-ass, utterly hilarious and sarcastic. She's the type that many of us can relate to because of her witty personality and issues.

         But really, I love all of the characters in this series, one way or another. Cheyanne always makes them relatable and sarcastic!

          In conclusion, this racing sequel to A Little Like Fate was awesome. It's funny and has a beautiful romance! No second-book syndrome here! Third book, come to me!

Blog Tour Post: Fractured, by Erin Hayes

Fractured, by Erin Hayes

Genre: Adult, Horror

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: July 8, 2014

Format: eARC





Goodreads Summary: Blinded by a mysterious seizure when she was three years old, Bash Martin has managed to carve out a normal life for herself as an adult. Yet she still yearns for a deeper connection with her twin sister Lily, who has always been jealous of the attention their parents bestowed upon Bash due to her disability. 

A dream vacation seems like the perfect chance to heal their relationship, but Bash soon realizes there is something terribly wrong with Lily and that her sister is hiding a dark secret. And when a supernatural fire engulfs their hotel and corpses come back to life, the sisters are plunged into a nightmarish world that threatens not only their lives, but their very souls.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21865341-fractured?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Erin-Hayes/dp/1499709641/ref=la_B009W8D29W_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405692849&sr=1-5

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fractured-erin-hayes/1119915986?ean=2940149703470

Review:

*Review copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.*

   I love horror books. The sight and reading of something so unreal but real at the same time just pleasures me and makes me excited every time. When seeing a tour opening for an adult horror read, I was in instantly.

    For the first 50%, this book was astonishing. I had it at a 4.5 star rating. Later on, as you can see, everything turned out to be a three-star rated read. And that's all because of the plot.

    This is about two twin sisters, Bash and Lily. When Bash was three years old, she got blinded and had a seizure due to an unexplainable reason. Now at twenty, she still has moments when she wishes for her sight back. Bash soon finds out that Lily is hiding a dark secret that is weird and absurd. They and their friends go for a mini-vacation skiing, and they soon find out that their hotel is haunted, and it all has to do with one particular person.

     I began this book loving the idea. The incident that occurred when the girls were three was just so awesome (but not for the characters's sake, obviously) and unique. A horror read usually doesn't feature that stuff. This book is scary, but not too much or anything at all for me that I can't handle. There's no gore or gutty stuff. Everything's just peculiar and crazy. That's the real "horror," and I loved it. That was the real masterpiece of the novel. Plus, this is a standalone!

      Like I mentioned, the plot was very delicious and devouring for the first half of the book. It was very fast-paced, and right to my liking. The author's splendid writing captivated me, and it stayed that way until past the 50% mark. After that, we were introduced to the truth and everything got a little dumb. The characters's thoughts went out of control, and weirder things were introduced to the characters's pasts. I got completely lost.

      The characters were pretty good. I loved Bash, and her craziness and independence. She suffered so much, and she still stayed positive. Lily was mainly on the opposite side and I grew to dislike her and her craziness. When she was a child, she started off as shy and strange, but grew to be someone different and stupid. Of course, I think that the author tried to make Lily become like that, since she was hiding a secret.

      Seth made my heart clench. His caring for Bash was so sweet and he actually grew to become a main character. The romance between them was there, and sweet and it was a slight sort of thing. The romance didn't overtake the whole point of the book, which I want to give a round of applause for. 

      Overall, this book was good for the halfway mark. There were more positives than negatives, but I'd say that it was okay for the most part. Nothing special, but a good read.

       About the Author:

   Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist, Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery Death is but a Dream and the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average.

You can reach her at tiptoegirl87@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Author links:

http://www.erinhayesbooks.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5335865.Erin_Hayes

https://www.facebook.com/erinhayesbooks

https://twitter.com/erinhayes5399

          Giveaway:

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           Have you ever read an adult horror? What are some of your favourites?

Phoenix, by Elizabeth Richards

Phoenix (Black City #2), by Elizabeth Richards

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal. Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: June 4, 2013, by Putnam Juvenile

Format: ebook



Goodreads Summary: Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.

This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.

Review:

  Elizabeth Richards is officially the sensei and master of action novels. Phoenix was just heart-pounding and nail-biting. It was a roller coaster the whole way through and showed no signs of slowing down.

   This takes place a few months after the previous book's incident. Everything is turning from bad to worse, and Ash and Natalie are in the middle of it. Natalie is threatened and the only thing Ash can do to save her is vote in favour of Rose's Law. But he can't really put Natalie first before twenty thousand Darklings. A new character named Elijah who was known by Natalie in the past is back and Ash fears that they have feelings for each other. Now they all want to take Purian Rose down for good and destroy him and his wishes. There's rebellion, escapes and new characters all jumbled together in this great book.

     I adored this first book, as you all may know. I couldn't wait to begin this beautiful sequel, and I feared for second-book-syndrome, but nothing even close existed. This was a great enjoyable read that has been giving me thrills and chills from the moment I first opened the book.

      The plot was pretty great from beginning to end. There was a lot of action, but I missed some things and I felt deducted from all of the craze, especially after the fiftieth percent mark. It went okay from there, nothing special, until the racing, shocking end.

        The characters were awesome as always.  I loved Ash...

          And especially for his kick-assness and his love for Natalie. I had some problems with Natalie, though. She made me upset for not trusting Ash and not telling him anything. Like girl, you're freakin' DATING.

           I don't even want to speak about Elijah because he's just like a new villain, and I don't like villains. Plus, he's a newbie who thinks that everyone cares about him and is too selfish to care about anyone except him and his heart.

            Overall, this book was great. If you loved the first book, then chances are that you'll love this one as well. They're both hell of a steep roller coaster. READ IT. ASAP.