Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

I finished reading this book on Saturday and have been recommending it left and right ever since :P I thought it'd be nice to review it, so people know why I've been pushing it on them :)


The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson
published by St. Martin's Griffin in May 2016

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing—down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books—well, maybe not comic books—but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on—and they might not pick the same side.

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

The Story: Trixie Watson and her two best friends, Harper and Meg, are seniors at Messina Academy for the Gifted - Mess for short - basically a high school for genius. The entrance exam is 3 hours long, there is a gag rule about disclosing their IQ numbers, they take courses such as "History of the American Immigrant" and "Economics of the Third World," they all willingly take on assignments for extra credits... and on the first day of each month, an updated ranking list is posted. Trixie's goal this year is to graduate third, thereby putting an end to her Rank Tango with her arch nemesis Ben West and beating him once for all. That means, between school work, comic books and sleep, Trixie will have time for little else... and she's dumbfound to find out her best friends have a different plan for their senior year - they want some interaction with the opposite sex! When Harper starts dating Cornell, the two groups of friends become one, bringing Trixie and Ben together without them having a say. The more they spend time together, the more Trixie and Ben realize that perhaps there is more to their bickering than the monkey bars episode when they were 8 years old... While they figure out their relationship, they also need to find out what's happening with the rank list.

My Opinion: I've been in a contemporary YA kick lately and picked up The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You on a whim after the cover caught my eye (I was wondering if this book was from a traditional publisher or self-published ^_^;)... and I am sooo glad I did because it was such a great, fun read!! You know when you go into a book without any expectations at all and it turns out to be a gem? Well, that was The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You :)

One of the reasons why I enjoyed The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You is because the Mess wasn't a regular high school. Every student was a genius and so, as Harper pointed out, they were all nerds. It effectively took out the usual cool vs. geek conflict and just like that, The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You wasn't your usual contemporary YA. Obviously, they were not all friends, but it did feel like the characters were all on equal footing. Also, it was refreshing to actually see all the students care about their studies and their grades. The atmosphere was also different because of the pressure these kids were under, their motivation and ambition... and I enjoyed the camaraderie that resulted from it. To some extent, the setting reminded me a lot of the one in Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg - another book which I loved - where the characters were attending a performing arts high school.

I also really liked all the characters. While they were nerds, they were not one-dimensional. They had hobbies, they had likes and dislikes beyond studying. Obviously, it goes without saying that they were very smart and more mature than most teens... but at the end of the day, they were still young adults and act so at certain times. Ms Anderson did a great job balancing everything :) I have to say, I very much enjoyed Trixie and Ben and their chemistry. I loved their verbal duels... both of them were witty and quick-minded and it gave rise to some interesting conversations. I thought their romance was believable as well... because for two persons to snipe at each other the way Trixie and Ben did, there must be some attraction somewhere. Yes, it was really hidden deep, but it had to be there :) I thought the romance was sweet and the reveal at the end, so funny LOL. I loved their circle of friends. I enjoyed their dynamics and it was a lot of fun seeing the guys and girls interact and integrate the bigger group. Their loyalty to one another was admirable... particularly between Trixie, Meg and Harper. It's always nice to have someone at your back who believes in you. I also appreciate that there was no purposely unpleasant character.

There was no emotional conflict in this book. Instead, there was a mystery and I have to say, it was quite unusual! It was very well-done, interesting and definitively pulled me in. My only complaint would be the resolution of it was a bit rushed and hard to follow at times. Still, very refreshing.

Finally, I have to commend Ms Anderson's writing. This was her debut novel and it was very well executed. I really enjoyed Ms Anderson's voice. There was a snappy rhythm to it and Ms Anderson has great timing and is quick-witted. Personally, I never thought that discussions on a club's quorum would make me laugh... but it did in The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You :)

As much as I loved The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You, I don't think it'll reach everyone unfortunately. I feel that for maximal enjoyment of this book, the readers have to have an inner geek. There is a lot of references to "geeky" pop culture such as Doctor Who, Marvel comics, Joss Whedon, etc. If you don't have some background info on these topics, you'll miss some jokes and references and that could lessen your enjoyment. The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You has a definite Big Bang Theory vibe to it. If you enjoy that show, then you should be fine! :) I'd still give it a chance regardless, but like I said, it'll be a lot more fun and enjoyable if you catch everything :)

My Grade: A-.  I smiled and laughed throughout The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You. It truly was a fun read for me and I'll definitively be checking out Ms Anderson's next book :)

Review: Sidebarred by Emma Chase

Sidebarred by Emma Chase
self-published in April 2016

There was a time when Jake Becker had it all together. He was controlled, driven, ruthless—in and out of the courtroom.

Then, six irresistible orphans and their heartbreakingly beautiful aunt crashed into his perfectly ordered life. They changed everything. They changed him. Now he’s a husband, an upstanding member of society, a father figure—a family man. And he’s pretty damn good at it.

Sure, he has to referee sibling smackdowns, re-learn algebra, ensure his clients stay of jail, and keep his wife happy—but it finally feels like he’s got it together again....

So, of course something has to screw it all up. It’s huge. Life-changing. Kind of terrifying.

And it will be the most amazing, perfect thing he’ll ever do.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: The Legal Briefs, Book #3.5

The Story: In Sidebarred, readers get to catch up with Jake, Chelsea and the McQuaid brood. The novella takes place about 3 years after the last book of The Legal Briefs series, Appealed. At the beginning of the story, Chelsea thinks that she's pregnant, which is unexpected. Being the guardians of six kids, Jake and Chelsea never thought of adding one of their own. However, after finding out that Chelsea is not pregnant and both being disappointed, they decide to go for it - and they bring us along for the adventure :)

My Opinion: One of my favorite book in 2015 was Sustained :) When I found out that Ms Chase had written a novella which was basically the sequel of Sustained, I knew for sure I'd be getting it :) I loved Jake, Chelsea and the McQuaid brood... and it was a pleasure to catch up with them in Sidebarred :)

Sidebarred was quite short - not even a hundred pages; however, it's one of the most satisfying novella I've read :) I often complain that a novella is short and how I wanted more out of it... but with this one, I'm just happy the way it is :) Ms Chase simply did a great job at packing a punch in here. She basically covered everything: how the couple was doing, updating us with their lives, giving us slices of their lives/routines, a big event, a celebration and HEA endings. The novella was very episodic and that allowed her to highlight each of the McQuaid kid and focus on their interaction with Jake, which has always been the best part of the stories :) It's so good to see how much Jake loves them and how integral they've become to his life.

What I also enjoyed was the day-to-day moments such as figuring out the car schedule for everyone or the family hanging out with friends. It made the novella more realistic.

The only part I didn't care much about Sidebarred was Chelsea's situation at work. I think the novella could have done without it, especially if the only purpose was to add conflict.

My Grade: A. Sidebarred was such a fun read - I had  a smile on my face the whole time ;)

PS - Obviously, do not read this as a stand-alone. You definitively need to read Sustained beforehand.

Review: The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram
self-published (Bluefields) in May 2013

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

The Story: Actually, the blurb is very accurate. I'm going to try to recap the book in my own words, but I believe it'll be quite similar to the blurb...

Avery Shaw and Aiden Kennedy have been best friends all their life - literally! Their mothers met in prenatal yoga and the fact Avery and Aiden were born on the same day just sealed their fate. For years, Avery has been in love with Aiden and has been waiting for him to catch up to her feelings, knowing that boys emotionally mature slower than girls. However, during their junior year Christmas break, Aiden drops a bomb... Not only does he have a girlfriend, but he wants space and not to celebrate their birthdays together! Understandably, Avery is quite devastated and heart-broken... Lucky for her though, Aiden's older brother, Grayson, takes her under his wing.

Avery needs a project for the state science fair and has come up with the idea of using herself as a test subject. She wants to prove that a broken heart can be cured by going through the seven stages of grief: shock and disbelief, denial, guilt, anger, depression, acceptance and hope. She recruits Grayson to be her objective outside observer. In exchange, Grayson will get extra credit in physics, which he is failing, and that will allow him to continue playing for the school basketball team. However, Grayson has plans of his own. He intends to help Avery become her own person by living a little.

My Opinion: When I picked up The Avery Shaw Experiment, I really didn't know what to expect. I had actually never heard of Ms Oram prior to The Avery Shaw Experiment, let alone read any of her other books! I was browsing Goodreads, looking for new releases when I stumbled across the title and ended up giving it a try after reading some average reads. Wow, am I glad of my pick because this one hit all the right spots!

The Avery Shaw Experiment was such an excellent, cute and adorable read LOL. I basically loved everything about it: the writing style, the characters and the story. I thought Ms Oram's writing style was light and breezy, making for a very easy read, but at the same time, she did a great job at injecting some seriousness to the storyline. I also really enjoyed reading the story from both Avery and Grayson's POVs. Being privy to both Avery and Grayson's thoughts allowed us to get to know them both, but also provided a nice balance to the story :)

I also liked the characters very much. Grayson was simply a charmer and very crush-worthy, but underneath it all, he was just such a rock for Avery to lean on. He was also more mature and observant than he let on and he did really have some good insight in Avery and Aiden's relationship. As for Avery, she was very likable. She was a bit of a geek which added to her charm and quite shy... She's just the kind of YA heroine that you want to root for. I also really enjoyed Grayson and Avery's bond, chemistry. After all, they've known each other for so long as well... They might not have hung out together as much before, but they understood and knew each other. And that made Grayson's protectiveness very endearing, especially against his own brother. I also want to commend Ms Oram for not falling into the stereotypes. I liked that the popular kids here weren't all mean and snobbish and that the geeky kids actually have some spunk. Loved the part where the science club didn't want it known that Grayson was part of the club as they had a reputation to uphold LOL. Also, Avery's friend Libby was really refreshing! :)

The story was about two journeys. The first was Avery discovering herself, discovering that she could survive without Aiden. The second was Grayson falling in love with Avery. I enjoyed both journeys very much. I'm glad that Avery didn't spend the whole book pining after Aiden and waiting for him only to realize that the one she had feelings for now was Grayson... That would simply have been too typical. I also liked that Aiden wasn't the total villain in the end, liked that Avery and him were able to patch up their friendship. I'm also thought that the remaining friction between the two brothers at the end was realistic.  I also thought the characters' confusion and growth were very realistic and well portrayed and made for a good story.

There were a few inconsistencies in the book such as Avery being so shy that she sometime needed medicine, but at the same time, being able to present at the state science fair and details that bothered me such as Avery believing that everything Grayson did was for the experiment... However, it was all quite minor stuff that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book at all :)

My Grade: A. I loved The Avery Shaw Experiment and am quite certain it will be among my favorite reads for 2014 :) And I'm definitively going to try Ms Oram other books. Hopefully, I have found a new author to add to my auto-buy list :)

Review: Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross

Hi everyone!

Yes, I'm alive. I guess I jinxed myself in my last post when I said that I was doing "quite good" ^_^; On Tuesday, I noticed a rash under my left armpit and after a visit to the doctor, the diagnostic was shingles. Sigh. Gotta say though I wasn't too surprised. Shingles is basically the reactivation of the chickenpox virus that lies in you dormant. It usually occurs when the immune system is weakened. Let see, hmmmm. Ruptured appendix, antibiotics treatment, possible allergic reactions, allergy test, stress from every twitch and twinge, lack of sleep and start of curling season... Yep, it could be that my immune system was a bit weakened. Luckily, I went to the doctor promptly and started the anti-virals within the three days the rash appeared, which is when the drug is most effective. As a result, my rash didn't spread - yay! - and I was also lucky that it wasn't painful nor itchy. Today is my last day of anti-virals and the rash has lost its redness :) Hoping to play curling this week!

With everything going on, I haven't really been in the mood of blogging. I'm so far behind in my reviews, it's kind of getting overwhelming. Plus, I'm not really sure what I'm in the mood to read. I was waiting for today impatiently!! Need to replenish my pile of new releases LOL. Despite everything though, I was able to put together a buddy review with Ames over at Breezing Through. We both read Letters to Nowhere and wanted to share out thoughts with everyone. Be sure to check it out because we're also doing a giveaway! Click here for the review :)

Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross
self-published in August 2013

Set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics... I've gotten used to the dead parents face. I've gotten used to living with my gymnastics coach. I've even adjusted to sharing a bathroom with his way-too-hot son. Dealing with boys is not something that's made it onto my list of experiences as of yet. But here I am, doing it. And something about Jordan--being around him, talking to him, thinking about him--makes me feel like I can finally breathe again. That's something I haven't been able to do lately. He knows what it feels like to be me right now. He knows what it's like to wonder--what now? I think about it constantly. I need answers. I need to know how to get through this. In the gym, if you're struggling, you train harder, you do drills and conditioning. How do I work hard at moving on? At being on my own? And what happens if I might be...maybe...probably falling for Jordan? I mean we live together now. That can't happen, can it? But kissing him...well, let's just say it's not an easy activity to forget.

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Contemporary
Series: Letters to Nowhere, Book #1

Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

OMG, a review!! Yay!! Finally! I'm also particularly happy because Written in Red is a book I've been wanting to review ever since I read it, because I wanted to share its awesomeness with you all! Hope you enjoy it :)


Written in Red by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2013

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Others, Book #1

The Story: In this world, among the humans and the others, there is a special race of female humans called cassandra sangue or more commonly known as blood prophet. Whenever their skin is cut, they see the future, prophecies. They are rumored to live in special place away from the population for their own safety and pampered, but in truth, they are raised in a compound with no control whatsoever of their life and their ability is sold to the highest bidders.

When cs759 escapes from the compound, she takes the name of Meg Corbyn. Knowing that the Controller won't let her go that easily, she takes refuge in the Lakeside Courtyard, a business district operated by the Others where human laws do not apply, as their human liaison. Her job consists of receiving deliveries, sorting and delivering the mail and packages. For the first time in her life, Meg is free to live how she wants and she's avid to discover life.

Simon Wolfgard is the leader of the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard. He's confused and intrigued by Meg because while human, she doesn't smell like prey. One thing he does know is that she quickly becomes an integral part of the Courtyard, befriending everyone with her special attentions, especially Mr. Erebus - the patriarch of the Sanguinati (read vampires) - and Simon's nephew Sam. As such, whoever wants to harm Meg will have to face the Others.

My Opinion: Written in Red has been on my radar since I've found out about it, but I had my doubts at first. I enjoyed Ms Bishop's Black Jewels series, but some of her other books/series, not as much. However, after seeing all the positive feedback that Written in Red received, I decided to pick it up and I am so glad I did! Because I looooove Written in Red and have already re-read it three times since March!! LOL, I guess that says it all, right? :)

Written in Red excelled on all levels: the writing, the characters, the plot and the world building. However, what stood out the most for was the world building because it felt like it was the purpose of this book. I loved that there was no information dump and instead, Ms Bishop chose to show the readers how things were and worked. Written in Red was all about the little community that is Lakeside Courtyard and the interactions, dynamics, inter-plays of the different Others with the humans, between each other and with Meg. Oh, I'm sure there's much more to this new world Ms Bishop has built, but for now, I feel I had a good grasp and I'm satisfied. And the bonus was that I really enjoyed seeing the day-to-day events and how Meg became part of the Lakeside Courtyard :) I also loved the cast of secondary characters that Ms Bishop introduced in Written in Red and I find they are an integral part of the world building :P

While the storyline did take a back-seat to the world building, I still found it quite interesting and thrilling because the threat of the Controller was constant. Meg knew he would never let her go and readers also came to that understanding when we learn how accurate and sensitive Meg was. I liked that Meg didn't let her guard down, that she was always aware of her surrounding and what was going on, but at the same time, it didn't stop her from enjoying life. And I have to say, it was chilling to see the Controller's reach and to what extent he'd go to get Meg back. I really commend Ms Bishop for doing such a good job weaving the intrigue into the world building so seamlessly and also putting things in place for the future storylines. My only complaint about the storyline in Written in Red is that the pacing was a bit slow with the bulk of the action all happening at the end, and that's very minor considering everything.

I read a review somewhere about Written in Red in which the reviewer stated that this book seemed to be a bit of a departure from Ms Bishop's usual style. I personally don't agree. It is true that Written in Red is not outright dark and I was grateful for that. I enjoyed all the funny, light-hearted moments and I felt it was refreshing, different from the sarcastic and cynical humor that readers are accustomed to with urban fantasy kick-ass heroines. But really, there is an underlying darkness to Written in Red: the real truth about the blood prophets, their cuttings and the nature of the Others in general, their disregard for humans and so on. It is subtle, but it is there. Also, the focus on Lakeside Courtyard and the pace in Written in Red reminded me a lot of Shadalor's Lady, which is one of my favorite Black Jewels books :)

Finally, my favorite part of the book was Meg's relationships with Sam and Simon. I liked Meg's character a lot. She was a great blend of determination, rightness, sweetness and innocence. Her personality and her desires to belong are what won her the respect and friendship of the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard and I feel she deserved it. Meg's friendship with Sam was just so sweet, the two of them discovering the world, opening themselves. I also think Meg not knowing Sam prior to his mother's death helped, it was like starting anew. As for Meg and Simon's friendship, I definitively hope it will lead to more :P

My Grade: A. There's no doubt in mind that Written in Red will be in my Top 3 favorite UF books at the end of the year :) It was such a great start to a new series full of potential, but more importantly, it was a fun and enjoyable read :) I just can't wait to see where Ms Bishop will lead us next and I hope to find out more about the blood prophets soon! :)

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point by Kasie West
published by Harpercollins Publisher (HarperTeen) in February 2013

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier...

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through... and who she can’t live without.

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Contemporary
Series: Pivot Point, Book #1

The Story: Addison Coleman lives in a top secret, paranormal compound where people have advanced mental abilities. Around their tween years, each individual starts Presenting with one ability from a wide and varied range: telepath, telekinetic, mood controller, mass manipulator, perceptive, persuasive, etc., which is then nurtured to full potential. While Addie's ability is classified as Clairvoyance, it is actually a lot more specific. Called Divergence, which means extending in different directions from a common point, it allows Addie to see the future - the two possible outcomes when faced with a choice - when she does a Search. And her future is the only one Addie can see.

At the beginning of Pivot Point, Addie's parents announce that they are getting a divorce and Addie must choose with whom she wants to live. The catch is that her father has decided to leave the compound to live among the "Norms" as a FBI agent. Addie is much closer to her father, but does that mean she can leave the life she knows and her best friend Laila behind? In order to make a decision, Addie makes a Search six weeks into the future... But what she is about to learn is that even knowing what the future holds for you, some choices are hard to make... and sometimes, sacrifices are needed.

My Opinion: I was checking out the upcoming releases for Breezing Through's New Releases posts when the cover of Pivot Point caught my attention. Then, once I read the blurb, I knew it was my kind of books :)  I really love books about psychics and ones that deal with time manipulation. Therefore, Pivot Point was definitively on my radar and I am sooooo happy that I picked it up, because Ms West's debut novel turned out to be a winner!! :) Woohoo! LOL.

Needless to say, I loved Pivot Point. I thought it was an excellent book and I enjoyed everything about it - the world building, the characters, the story and particularly the writing. First, I really liked the premise of the book. It's not time traveling per se, but time manipulation and for some reasons, I like that LOL. It's just like Forgotten by Cat Patrick (which I enjoyed a lot, but haven't reviewed - oups ^_^;) where the heroine see the future, but forgets the past. I like that things can change, that they are not stagnant and as such, it just made Pivot Point interesting for me :) I also thought Pivot Point was refreshing, different because it pushed the boundaries of genres. For example, Addie's day-to-day routine was very contemporary; the paranormal compound was well, paranormal; the "time manipulation" aspect would be sci-fi, etc. It seemed to me Ms West had an idea, had a story to tell and she just did. And because she mixed so many elements, it stopped Pivot Point from being usual, stereotypical and made it refreshing :) One of the element that was crucial for that feel was the world building and I really enjoyed it. I liked Ms West's take on the mental abilities. When you think about it, these mental abilities are very akin to psychic abilities... and what Ms West did was take those and put her own spin. I liked what Ms West came up with like the Perceptives which are the ones that can change what you can perceive, usually visual, and etc. It feels like Ms West put a lot of thoughts into it to come up with the abilities and the designations and it really pays off. Also, I liked that the people have control over their abilities - to a certain extent. For example, Addie can do a Search when she wants. And because they have control over their abilities, they can improve it, hone it. Also, advanced mental abilities often translate into advanced technology and it was the case in Pivot Point. I thought it was really cool to have kind of two worlds occurring in parallel. It was like having a present and future worlds going on at the same time :) In the future where Addie chose to live with her dad, she had to get used to turning on lights, to DVD machines and so on. So it was fun and again, unique :)

As I mentioned above, I enjoyed the world building, the characters and the story. So let's talk about the characters and the story :) I actually really loved Addie and I thought she was a great heroine. What I liked most about her is how individualist she was. She was comfortable in her own skin and didn't care what other people thought, said or did. Pivot Point wasn't a story about a heroine finding herself because Addie had already done that. She knew what she liked and who she was. When she started high school in the "Norm" world, she wasn't interested in becoming popular or finding a boyfriend and again, I found that refreshing. The fact that instead, she was looking for a best friend, I think that made her relationship with Trevor ultra-sweet :) As for Trevor, I really liked him as well. I liked that he has moved on. Of course, there was some bitterness over his injury ending any potential career as a quarterback - who wouldn't have any? But it wasn't his whole world, he didn't hang onto it and that showed me how mature Trevor was. A lot more mature than many characters I've seen in sport romances ^_^; He was also very attentive and observant. That scene where he told his mother stuff about Addie, again, very sweet :) All in all, Addie and Trevor made such a cute couple and I loved reading their storyline. I also enjoyed the secondary characters a lot such as Addie's parents and her best friend, Laila. It was nice to have parents that were present and their dynamics with Addie were very interesting. As for the story, it's kind of hard to talk about it without spoiling it, but it was good LOL.

Seriously though, what stands out for me about Pivot Point is how well thought out the book was. Not only the world building, but the storyline as well as the narration. What Ms West did was basically tell two possible outcomes of a same future in one story and not only did she succeed, but she did it seamlessly, with brilliance and without confusion. I mean, I'm not even sure I manage to explain it without confusion here ^_^;, so imagine writing it! LOL. What I also loved about the story Ms West wrote is that these two possible outcomes didn't go into two opposite directions, but instead they inter-crossed. No matter what future Addie would have chosen, they were events that would have happened. True, they would have happened in a different way, but they would still have occurred. For example Addie meeting Trevor, the football match between the two high schools, the prank on Poison, etc. It was really interesting to see how the two possible outcomes unfolded, but also how they actually connected :) Another aspect of Pivot Point that made it stands out was Ms West's writing; I was really impressed by it :) The way Pivot Point is written, Addie's two possible futures are told simultaneously with alternating chapters. Not only was it was clever, but also very effective because Ms West avoided bogging the story down with re-writes of the same scenes in the different futures and the readers were always aware of the timeline. In addition, it kept the story balanced as you had equal numbers of chapters of Addie in the paranormal compound and Addie in the "normal" world. As much as I enjoyed the characters, the world building and the story, there's no doubt in my mind that it's the execution of the book - Ms West's writing and planning - that made this book a winner :)

My one and only complaint about Pivot Point is a small one and that is the rushed ending. Or actually, I should say the climax in one of the possible outcomes. It just felt a little too rushed. The foreshadowing was well done in my opinion, but it just felt that things fell into place a bit too conveniently for the climax to occur. As for the real ending, I was really satisfied. At the end of her Search, Addie had a really tough decision to make. Actually,  not so tough... Which future to choose was obvious, but it wasn't without sacrifices. And I guess that's the message of the book, knowing the future doesn't necessarily make a choice easy. Also, given that Pivot Point is the first book in a series, Ms West has accomplished a rare feat: no cliffhanger!! How awesome is that? LOL.

My Grade: A. It's really been a long time since I've read such a well balanced book where every element was so strong. Pivot Point just worked for me and I  strongly recommend it to everyone! I'm definitively going to re-read it while I wait for the next installment! Really looking forward to it :) Lucky for me though, Ms West has another book scheduled this year, The Distance Between Us, which is a contemporary YA and it should hold me off ;) I'm also very curious to see how she handles another genre :)

Review: The One That Got Away by Kelly Hunter

The One That Got Away by Kelly Hunter
published by Harlequin Kiss in February 2013

"The man who's always left her wanting more!"

Good job? "Tick." Newly purchased apartment? "Tick." Evie's life is on a pretty even keel at the moment. The only thing missing? A man with an edge to keep things interesting.

Enter Logan Black. Tortured, distant and sexy, Logan has edge written all over him. He's also the man who tipped Evie "over" the edge a few years back - she gave him everything, but he didn't know when to stop taking.

Leaving Logan was the hardest thing Evie's ever done. Until now. Because Logan's back, the chemistry is as blistering as ever and this time he's not going anywhere....

Genre: Category romance, contemporary romance
Series: None

The Story: If you've read reviews for The One That Got Away, then you probably already heard about how the cover is misleading. Contrarily to what the cover projects, The One That Got Away is not a happy-go-lucky, fun or fluffy story; instead, it is dark and intense. Hopefully, my summary will give you a better idea of what you're getting into :)

Ten years ago, Evangeline Jones and Logan Black had a week-long affair in London. Back then, Evie was only 19 years old and very malleable which suited Logan's dominant personality just fine. However, after one of their bed games went wrong and resulted in Evie being injured, Logan called it quits and disappeared from Evie's life.

Now a successful engineer, Evie and her business partner, Max Carmichael, are about to bid for their biggest project. However, in order for everything to go smoothly, Max needs to have access to his trust fund which will only happen when a) he turns 30 or b) he gets married. Therefore, Max and Evie are planning on a marriage of convenience... But the last person Evie expected to meet when Max introduces her to his family is Logan who turns out to be Max' half-brother.

Very quickly, Evie and Logan realize that their chemistry is still present and as sizzling as ever. But losing control all those years ago has scared Logan... and he knows that there's no way he can lead a normal life if Evie becomes his sister-in-law; therefore, he wants her gone. However, Evie has grown into a strong and confident woman. This time around, she won't let him call all the shots. What she wants is to explore their chemistry and see where it will lead.

My Opinion: It's funny because when you pick up a book, you can never tell whether or not you'll connect with it. If it's an author that you enjoy, chances are higher that you will... but there's still the possibility this will be the exception, the miss. Quite frankly, I didn't have high expectations when I started The One That Got Away, mainly because the last book of hers that I've read, Cracking the Dating Code, while enjoyable, was far from a wowzer. However, as soon as I started The One That Got Away, it immediately grabbed me and I could not put it down... so it doesn't come as a surprise that I ended up loving the book, right? :)

So what was it about The One That Got Away that got me hooked? The intensity. It was the intensity of what Logan and Evie were feeling for each other, almost like an obsession. In the beginning of the story, it made the sexual tension between them palpable and also just enhanced their chemistry. I'm aware that this intensity is not for everyone, but for me, it really worked :) Also, I thought it fit well with the storyline. It made it believable for me that after 10 years, they haven't forgotten and still craved each other.

Aside from the intensity, what did I enjoy? Well , pretty much everything LOL. I liked Logan and Evie's characters. Part of the intensity comes from Logan's personality in my opinion. He's very focus, determined and can be ruthless. He also has a lot of baggage which has pretty much molded his life, but he's aware of it and I was glad for that awareness.  In retrospective, he reminds me a lot of Jayne Ann Krentz and Linda Howard's businessman heroes, but with a lessen jerk factor LOL. He's really the kind of heroes I enjoy reading about in contemporary romance. In real life, I think he'd be a bit too much, but in fiction, just perfect. As for Evie, I really liked her as well. I loved how she stood her ground with Logan. She has definitively matured into a strong and confident woman since her affair with Logan and she did not hesitate to let him know which is exactly what Logan needed. Something else that I really liked about Evie was her patience with Logan when it came to their relationship. She gave him space and was understanding... and perhaps at times, too understanding and forgiving, but in the end, I think it was the perfect way to deal with Logan. Between, something else I enjoyed about Evie and Logan's relationship aside from the intensity was the communication and honesty. I feel Evie and Logan communicated more than in most contemporary romances I've read. Oh they didn't tell each other everything, but it was still more than most couple and there was no misunderstanding between them which I really appreciated.

As for the storyline, once again, it worked for me. I liked that Ms Hunter didn't drag on the false engagement  too long. I liked how it was resolved, because really, it was obvious that Max and Evie could not get married. I also really liked Max as a secondary character. He was a great friend to Evie and had her back. His romance was very surprising, but refreshing as well :) By the way, this reminds me that I need to credit Ms Hunter for the risk she took in The One That Got Away with the dominant/submissive affair Evie and Logan had 10 years ago. This topic is not very common in category romance, but seriously, I think the risk really paid of for Ms Hunter because it set The One That Got Away apart and that's a good thing in a genre that is full of stereotypes.

Of course, The One That Got Away was not perfect... but I thought the flaws were minor. I think what was most disappointing was the climax of the book. Almost all of the book was a build-up to it, but in the end, the climax was very short and seemed to have little impact. I think Ms Hunter could have expanded a little bit... but at the end, I'm still very happy with the book.

My Grade: A-. I really loved The One That Got Away, it just hit me in the right spots :) It might still be early in the year, but it's safe for me to predict that this book will be my favorite category romance read of the 2013 :)

Review: Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements and The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander

Hey there :) I'm still catching up on my reviews for 2012. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get to the 2013 books ^_^; However, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so hopefully, very soon :)

Enjoy!

Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements by Victoria Alexander
published by Kensington in November 2012

Allow me to explain...

Some say I do not take my engagements seriously. Nonsense. What man with no interest in marriage would find himself proposing not once, but three times? And each time, I’ve felt certain that this, at last, is the absolutely, positively, perfect woman.

Miss Felicia Whitingdon, for instance, has youth, beauty, style, grace—and a handsome fortune. Lady Lucille Eustice is a widow of impeccable social standing, and a balm to my soul. Then there is Miss Caroline Hibbit, sweet and charming in every way. Any one of these intoxicating treasures could make a man happy. Any one of them could be an ideal wife. But which—if any of them—will it be?

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Prequel to The Importance of Being Wicked

The Story: In What Happens at Christmas, we were introduced to Winfield Elliott, Viscount Stillwell, and learned that he had three failed engagements under his belt. As you can guess from the title of this short novella, well in Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements, we find out why these three engagements never resulted in weddings.

My Opinion: Oh my, did I enjoy this novella!! I thought that Winfield was one of the highlights of What Happens at Christmas, just such a fun character, and I was thrilled to find out he was getting his own book. And then, I found out about this novella and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I thought this would give us a good glimpse of his personality... and guess what? I was right :)

All in all, I thought Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements was a charming novella. I enjoyed getting to know Winfield, what kind of man he was. I liked that he was your typical historical hero: handsome, wealthy, a bit of a wicked reputation, witty and charming. So why three failed engagements?! What happened? It was also interesting to see the growth and the maturity Winfield gained after each failed engagement. It wasn't as if he was repeating the same mistake. Not at all. Each time, he took into account why it failed and tried to find a bride that suit him better... and still no wedding. Best of all is Winfield's behavior afterwards, each time, he was the perfect gentleman.

I also enjoyed the insights we got on the dynamics of the Elliotts: Winfield's relationships with his father, mother and cousin. His family was very tight and they supported him, his parents tried to steer him at times, but ultimately, it was always Winfield's decisions and choices. It's nice to see a non-dysfunctional family from time to time :)

Finally, I thought it was a very good idea on Ms Alexander's part to write this novella. I think it was clever of her, because readers got to know Winfield better, but also learned the details of each engagement. I'm not sure it would have been possible for Ms Alexander to include all these details in The Importance of Being Wicked without cluttering the storyline, making it too much.

My Grade: A. I simply really enjoyed Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements - the writing, the characters and the story being told :) After reading this, all I could think was how lovely it would be to see Winfield finally fall in love and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on The Importance of Being Wicked. So mission accomplished for Ms Alexander with this novella :)


The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander

published by Kensington in January 2013

For Winfield Elliott, Viscount Stillwell, finding a prospective bride always seemed easy. Perhaps too easy. With three broken engagements to his name, Win is the subject of endless gossip. Yet his current mission is quite noble: to hire a company to repair his family’s fire-damaged country house. Nothing disreputable in that—until the firm’s representative turns out to be a very desirable widow.

Lady Miranda Garrett expected a man of Win’s reputation to be flirtatious, even charming. But the awkward truth is that she finds him thoroughly irresistible. While Miranda resides at Millworth to oversee the work, Win occupies her days, her dreams…and soon, her bed. For the first time, the wicked Win has fallen in love. And what began as a scandalous proposition may yet become a very different proposal...

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Millworth Manor, Book #1/Sinful Family Secrets, Book #3/connected to What Happens at Christmas

The Story: The blurb is fairly accurate. Winfield Elliott's country home estate, Fairborough Hall, was badly damaged during a fire and he wants to restore it to its glory. For such an important task, it is primordial for Winfield to select the best architectural firm. However, among his options, only Garret and Tempest would give him a guarantee that the ballroom would be ready by late June which would allow Winfield's family to host their annual ball made even more important by the Queen's presence.

Miranda, Lady Garret, is a widow and has been in charge of her late husband's architectural firm ever since his death. The truth though is that Miranda was involved with the firm even before her husband's death as she was responsible for the designs of the majority of the plans. However, this is a secret she intends to keep as she doesn't know how her proper aristocratic family, the Hadley-Attwaters, would react if they knew she was a business woman. Usually, she has an employee who would make the liaison between the client and herself; however, due to some circumstance, he wouldn't be available and Miranda would had to be the one overseeing the work at Fairborough Hall. Miranda is quite apprehensive at the idea of working with Winfield, after all, the disreputable lord has three broken engagements to his name, but the Fairborough Hall is an important project which could open many doors for her firm...

At first, Miranda and Winfield don't really hit it off, but as time goes, attraction grows... Will this woman be the right one for Winfield?

My Opinion: After reading Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on The Importance of Being Wicked and as such, the expectations were very high. So let see how the book worked out for me :)

As it turns out, there was a lot of elements in The Importance of Being Wicked that I enjoyed :)  Obviously, there was the main characters, Miranda and Winfield. It's interesting because in The Importance of Being Wicked, we were shown a different side of Winfield, one that I didn't really expect. Oh, he was still quite charming - but the thing is Miranda saw right through him LOL - and he was also conservative and a bit stodgy. That really surprised me because we hadn't seen that in What Happens at Christmas and Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements. Still, it made sense since he took his responsibilities quite seriously... and that's something I liked about Winfield. He embraced his responsibilities, it's where he took refuge after his first broken engagements. It never felt like he was forced into it because he was the heir or because it was expected of him... There was also quite some pride in his accomplishments and therefore, while this new side of him was unexpected, it fit. As for Miranda, I quite liked her... but her personality was a bit mute in comparison to Winfield. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Miranda was finally finding herself. For years, she's lived a double life: the proper lady with her family and the savvy businesswoman, and she's kept those two lives very separate... but with Winfield, she finally could be the woman she's become. I also liked the fact that she acknowledged she's changed from whom she was when she first married. Anyway, all to say that I think Ms Alexander came up with good characters :)

I also quite enjoyed the romance. I liked it because Miranda and Winfield really took their time, got to know each other. This was very important given that Miranda and Winfield didn't hit it off immediately and it made the romance more believable. I also very much enjoyed Miranda and Winfield's interactions because it was interesting and witty. LOL, I gotta say, I loved how Miranda and Winfield each tried to get the upper hand and it was fun to see Miranda succeeds :) It was also a joy to see Winfield fall in love, just as I predicted it was going to be. Just because he didn't expect it to happen with Miranda and had to work hard at it LOL. I think  better in her review

Finally, what worked the best for me in The Importance of Being Wicked was the dynamics between all the characters and their relationships. I'm not just talking about the H/H, but everyone: Winfield with his cousin, with his parents, Miranda with her sister, with Winfield's mother, etc. The interactions were just fun and really set the tone of the book. They made the story more entertaining with all the LOL moments they provided :) Also, it's nice to have two normal families. Okay, not totally normal as I think some members were a bit quirky, but at least, functional families whose members all got along well and with no dark secrets. It was a very nice backdrop for Miranda and Winfield and allowed them to shine :)

However, as much as I enjoyed The Importance of Being Wicked, I can't help but feel something was missing. Perhaps it's because expectations were very high and I was sooo excited to read this book - anticipation can really kill a book ^_^; At this point though, it's still hard for me to pinpoint exactly what was missing. Maybe more scenes between Miranda and Winfield at the beginning of their relationship to show us how they overcame their first impressions... Maybe recognition from Miranda's part that Winfield wasn't such a scoundrel and was the wronged party in all three broken engagements. Even now, I still can't pinpoint what was missing, but I know it kept The Importance of Being Wicked from being a true wowzer.

My Grade: B. This grade is how I felt after reading The Importance of Being Wicked; however, as I mentioned above, anticipation can kill a book and that's what happened a little for me. It didn't ruin the book, but it took something away :( I suspect was I to re-read the book, I'd enjoy it a lot more, because all in all, The Importance of Being Wicked was a very good book :) It had good characters, a satisfying, slow-building romance and witty dialogues :) I'm definitively looking forward to the next book in the series!!

Review: Cold Days by Jim Butcher

As expected, I wasn't able to blog as much as I wanted this week ^_^; However, it wasn't so much laziness as lack of time and exhaustion. I wanted to have this review ready for yesterday, but Wednesday, I was soooo tired. Too much curling will take a toll on you which is why I'm so awed at curlers who compete... Playing two games a day for a week - the stamina that it takes!! Anyway, I promise a post on curling to come! So far in the in-club event, we're 1-1. We have another game tonight and if we lose, we're out. Really hoping we'll win! :)

While I didn't blog much this week, the two reviews I managed to write - Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose and this one, Cold Days by Jim Butcher - were two that I really wanted to write. Both were part of my Favorite and Best of 2012, so I'm just glad I got to share my thoughts with you all :)

For those who are interested by this review, before you read on, I'd like to warn you that there are spoilers in the blurb and in the review. If you have not kept up with the series since Changes or even prior to it and do not want to be spoiled, do not continue on!! You've been warned! Actually, the review part, i.e. "My Opinion" and "My Grade", is pretty much spoiler-free, so you can read... but if you don't want any spoilers, than do not read the book's blurb and my attempt at summarizing it, "The Story."

Enjoy!


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

Cold Days by Jim Butcher
published by New American Library (ROC) in November 2012

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dresden Files, Book #14

The Story: Last warning here, there are spoilers in this review, so if you don't want to know, don't read further!

In Changes, Harry needed power to save his daughter and therefore accepted Mab's long-standing offer for the position of Winter Knight. Knowing what it entailed, Harry tried to wiggle out by ordering his own hit. However, the Queen of Air and Darkness wasn't about to let Harry slips through her fingers and was able to keep him alive by combining her efforts with Demonreach. Grateful to be alive and having no choice about his new role, Harry has decided that he'll assume his responsibilities as the Winter Knight, Harry-style :)

However, in his wildest dreams, Harry never expected Mab to ask for the near-impossible for his first mission as the Winter Knight: to kill an immortal. Turns out there is a conjunction of time which occurs every year when immortals are vulnerable: Halloween night. Except that only gives him about 24 hours to pull it off. And when Mab's sanity starts being questioned, Harry has to decide whom to trust and which immortal to kill.

Of course, Harry's life cannot be that easy and killing an immortal is not all he has to deal with. Upon his return to Chicago, Harry learns the true purpose of Demonreach: a jail created in four dimensions by Merlin to imprison magical creatures that make naagloshii (Turn Coat) one of the least dangerous creatures housed in minimum security. He also finds out he's been chosen to be the warden of this prison and that it is currently under attack and if the enemy succeeds, it will not only blow up the island, but also Chicago and part of the country. And of course, Harry's deadline is November 1.

And if Harry manages to accomplish his mission and save the world once again, he should find a way to get rid of the parasite with which Mab and Demonreach bargained with to keep Harry alive before it burst forth from his skull...

My Opinion: All right, I'm going to sound like total fan girl in this review, but what can I say? Cold Days was a great, great book and it's been a while since I've enjoyed a book this much. You know the exhilarating feeling you get while reading, the not-turning-the-page-fast-enough,  the wanting to jump because it's so exciting that you can't contain your energy and the jaw-dropping at the twists? Yeah, that was me while reading Cold Days LOL.

So what was it about Cold Days that made it so good? LOL, everything :) But first and foremost, I think it was the story. As usual, it was complex and well thought out, but more importantly, exciting! It started with the identity of the immortal that Mab wants Harry to kill. My reaction was like "Wow, really?!?" and just built up from there with a lot of good twists, culminating in a jaw-dropping ending. That ending was so unexpected, but oh so brilliant, and it showed us that Mr. Butcher knows exactly where he is going and that he's been planning ahead. Every event and small detail which are found in the books are there for a purpose :) And really, it just makes it more exciting for the future because you don't know what the author will pull out of the hat. Something else that contributed immensely to making this story so exciting is that we finally get answers to some questions that arose throughout the series. For example the purpose of Demonreach, why is Rashid known as the Gatekeeper, etc. and some of these revelations added to the wowzer factor of Cold Days :) Of course, there's still a lot of unknown going on, but at least, Mr. Butcher touched upon some and that was enough to assuage our hunger. Most authors with long-running series have their characters going through some adventures confined in one installment with an over-arching storyline connecting these installments whereas Mr. Butcher has many over-arching storylines... Sometimes, it actually feels like there's too many ^_^; But when you get a book like Cold Days where some of your questions are answered and where everything falls into place and comes together so nicely, it doesn't feel so... in fact, it makes you want more!

Another reason I loved this book so much was the humor :) There are a lot of main characters in other series who are sarcastic, but really, Harry is a first class wise-ass LOL. And it's not just Harry, but the dynamics he has with the other characters, the tone and the delivery. Also, Cold Days is the 14th book in the series, so there are some insider jokes, little things that wouldn't be funny if you haven't read the book. In any case, I know that at times when I wasn't enthralled by the book, I probably was grinning like a lunatic LOL.

And of course, you also find the usual in Cold Days: lots of action, an interesting cast of secondary characters, a likable hero, etc. It's going to be interesting to see how Harry's character develops, him being the Winter Knight. For now, he seems to be himself, but can you really not be affected by near-death experience? Also, it is said that the Winter Knight mantle changes a person... Personally, I don't want Harry to change too much, but it is time for more. I enjoyed seeing the gang and two thumbs up to Mr. Butcher for not overdoing the reunions. All the characters that were seen had a purpose and that's good. There's still a lack of romance in this series, but I don't mind much... and a relationship between Harry and Murphy - one that I've been wishing from the start - is being discussed. I liked that it's still in the air because there's a lot to consider and it makes it realistic.

All in all, Cold Days was really a great book. I loved everything about it, but I do have one niggle... Why wasn't Harry's godmother, Leanansidhe, part of the story? Given that the book involved the Winter Court, it would have made sense for her to be present... It just didn't make sense to me that she wasn't.

My Grade: A. There's really only one word to describe and sum up my feelings about Cold Days: epic!!! It was such a great book, totally worth the wait! :) And that's why Cold Days was my best and favorite read in 2012. Now, I can't wait till the next book - Skin Games - and hopefully, Mr. Butcher keeps it up!

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

LOL, I told you in yesterday's post that I was going to put Ames to work :) Well head over to Breezing Through to take a look at the result! :P Ames grumbled a bit in this post, but in my defense, I'd like to point out that this review was already half-done when she came over! So it was just a matter of finishing it up! You can click here for our review of Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson :P Enjoy!!


Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

published by Simon & Schuster in May 2012

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

Genre: YA, Contemporary
Series: None

Review: Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

Ugh, I tried really hard to have this review done earlier today, but just didn't manage. This week has been really long and I think it caught up to me at the end of the day, both physically and mentally. Lots of running around, lots of traffic jams and let just say that a lot has been happening in my corner of the world ^_^; I shouldn't complain because in the spectrum of things, it's not horrible or horrifying or anything. Just very annoying and it sucks your energy... And seriously, everything just seems to be happening at the same time ^_^;

Okay, I'll stop whining :) Let's talk about something more cheerful. First, Monroe, Ames and I are discussing the new releases for June over at Breezing Through :) Come and take a look at what books we're looking forward to!

And now, a review!! Enjoy!

Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry
self-published by May 2012

She thinks he's stuffy. He thinks she's spoilt.
Then the gloves come off and so do their clothes!

For six years Violet Sutcliffe has known that Martin St Clair is the wrong man for her best friend. He's stuffy, old before his time, conservative. He drives Violet nuts - and the feeling is entirely mutual. Then, out of nowhere, her friend walks out just weeks before her wedding to Martin, flying to Australia on a mission of self-discovery. Back in London, Violet finds herself feeling sorry for suddenly-single Martin. At least, she tells herself it's pity she feels. Then he comes calling one dark, stormy night and they discover that beneath their mutual dislike there lies a fiery sexual chemistry.

It's crazy and all-consuming - and utterly wrong. Because not only are they chalk and cheese, oil and water, but Martin once belonged to her best friend. A friend Violet is terrified of losing. What future can there be for a relationship with so many strikes against it?

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: connected to Hot Island Nights

The Story: The blurb does a really good job at describing the book. LOL, perhaps it's because this is self-published and Ms Mayberry or someone of her entourage (there who has read the book) actually wrote this blurb! :)

I'll still do a quick recap. So for six years, Violet Sutcliffe and Martin St Clair have tolerated each other for the sake of Elizabeth, her best friend and his girlfriend/fiancée respectively. Violet think Martin is just not the guy for Elizabeth: he's boring and stifling her life, just like her grandfather. What Elizabeth needs is a man with whom she can let go and be passionate. As for Martin, he disapproves of Violet because of her wardrobe and loudness, but also because she had everything (family with means and name) and threw it away, while he's working so hard to attain the same level. The only thing they have in common is their love for Elizabeth.

Both their lives are thrown upside down when Elizabeth discovers the identity of her biological father and that he's still alive... in Australia. Calling off the wedding, she jumps on a plane on an identity quest, leaving both Martin and Violet bereft; him because he lost his perfect girlfriend for the perfect life he'd imagine and now, is stuck announcing the break-up to everyone and dealing with the wedding cancellation and her, because she just lost her anchor.

Then, Violet reaches out to Martin because while she didn't think he was the guy for Elizabeth, she knows he's a good man. One thing leads to another and Violet and Martin realize the reason for their mutual, intense dislike and why they got on each other's nerve so much is that they are actually incredibly attracted to each other. As the two embarked in a red-hot affair, Martin discovers how wrongly he's judged Violet and Violet struggles with her sense of loyalty and her feelings of betrayal towards Elizabeth.

My Opinion: I'm going to start this review by a confession... I don't like self-published books ^_^; I know most of my reasons is all about prejudices, but I can't help it. So while I did enjoy Ms Mayberry's books in the past, when I found out that she self-published Her Best Worst Mistake, I was a bit wary. Then, good reviews started popping up and after reading Hilcia's, I knew I had to give this book a try. Especially since the story trope was opposites attract and the hero was a stuffy shirt!

In the end, I'm soooo glad I read Her Best Worst Mistake because I have only one word to describe it: wow! I can with assurance that it is my favorite Sarah Mayberry book to date! Yep, that's how much I looooove Her Best Worst Mistake and it's all thanks to Violet and Martin, because they made the book for me :) The characters were likable, well developed and the chemistry - so hot that it burned the pages! I thought it was clever from Ms Mayberry to have the two characters not really understand each other. Yes, they've been interacting for years, but always kept their distance... so they had misconceptions about each other. And those cleared up as time passed in their relationship. That way, the readers really got to know the characters :) I also really liked how Martin and Violet came together and how their relationship progressed. Yes, it was lust and sex at first, but it quickly deepened into something more. I think the turning point was when they both admitted they wanted each other... and I liked that they precised that if Martin and Elizabeth had married, neither would have made a move. Also, Ms Mayberry proved that you don't need that much conflict in your romance to be interesting. Instead, I like how honest and upfront Martin and Violet were. Of course, my favorite part in all this was how Martin was supportive of Violet, especially after he learned about her estrangement with her family.

Interestingly enough, once Martin and Violet became a couple, the focus of the story shifted away from the "opposites attract" trope. In fact, it turns out that Martin wasn't boring at all. Perhaps a little bit of a stuffy shirt, but not as much as the readers were made to believe. I think that when Martin and Violet finally hooked up, the real Martin surfaced. It seems that while he was with Elizabeth, Martin didn't only stifle her, but himself as well in his quest of betterment and respectability. With Violet, he was able to be more himself and I liked that. I also found it refreshing that Her Best Worst Mistake was not about changing either characters. Yes, Martin was able to let loose, but it wasn't because Violet suddenly showed him how to relax and have fun. I mean, Martin didn't change his work habits or clothing habits... He was just less stuffy because Violet made him more comfortable. Instead, the conflict shifted towards Violet's insecurity and emotions about the relationship and her friendship with Elizabeth. I thought it was extremely well-executed by Ms Mayberry and way more interesting and refreshing.

My only complaint about Her Best Worst Mistake is I think Violet kept the truth from Elizabeth a bit too long... and I have to say, I didn't care much about Elizabeth ^_^; It always seemed to be Violet listening and being there for Elizabeth and not vice-versa. True, Violet withhold the truth, but for two best friends, Elizabeth didn't even seem to realize something was going with Violet, that she wasn't acting differently. Also, it didn't seem to me like Elizabeth inquired about Violet's life. I know Elizabeth was going through a lot at the same time, but she seemed a bit like a crappy friend ^_^; However, I did like Elizabeth's reaction when she finally found out :)

All in all, I loved Her Best Worst Mistake :) If this is the quality level of Ms Mayberry's self-published books, well please, write more LOL. Obviously, there were great characters, good story and good writing, but in my opinion, it also worked because Ms Mayberry was able to crank up the sexiness level :) And amazingly, while Her Best Worst Mistake was a short book, it didn't feel short... so kudos to Ms Mayberry for an excellent book :)

My Grade: A-

Review: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Let see, few things I want to address before getting to the review :) First, a little reminder about Saturday's Week-End's Mini feature. The poll is up on the sidebar and open till tonight, 11.59pm! So if you haven't vote, please do so!

Second, I've made some changes to the blog layout :) Most noticeable is the background LOL. I loved the previous background, but if you had a too big screen, you ended up with the background running out and a chunk of white on each side of the screen ^_^; Plus, I had the previous background for a year or more already and felt it was time for a little change. I've also tweaked the colors, but otherwise, most of the blog remains unchanged. Let me know if there's any bugs or things I should work on or change! Thanks!

Now, onto the review! As I mentioned in my last Hauling Sunday post, I've read Ms Eulberg first two releases, The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice, and enjoyed them. However, I wasn't sure I would pick up Take a Bow right away because it was a hardcover... And when you see the difference in sizes for the hardcover and paperback, you wonder if the hardcover price is really justified ^_^; So I was going to try to wait a year for the paperback release - have I made it, I think it would have been a miracle LOL. Anyway, I was lucky to come across a copy of Take a Bow... and I LOVED IT!!! I loved it soooo much that I needed my own copy and therefore, ordered one. And now, I'm going to share my love with you all! Are you ready? :P

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
published by Scholastic in April 2012

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: None

The Story: The following summary is quite detailed. I wouldn't say there are spoilers per se, but it gives you a better idea of what's going on. If that's what you want, then read on :) If not, skip to the review section! 


Take a Bow follows the life of four teens - Carter, Sophie, Ethan and Emme - as they navigated their senior year at the New York City High School of the Creative and Performing Arts (CPA). Every year of high school is important, but senior year even more so because everything seems to be at stake: their futures, careers, love lives and friendships...

Carter Harrison was a child actor who became big with the Kavalier Kids movies franchise. Afterwards, he became the basic go-to kid for cute for all the big movies, Oscar presentations, etc. When the roles started to dwindle down, Carter decided he wanted to go to high school and try being normal. However, high school didn't turn out to be as he expected and he is still trying to figure out who the real Carter Harrison is. One thing Carter's sure of is that he no longer wants to be an actor... but how will the people around him react when he tells them he wants to pursue arts?

In contrast to her boyfriend Carter, Sophie Jenkins has always known what she wants to be: a singer superstar. When she auditioned for CPA, she had it all planned out: attend CPA, also have her best friend Emme who's a great songwriter enrolled, land all the lead roles, get the most coveted spot in the Senior Showcase and then, get a record contract by the time she graduates. However, things didn't go as she planned, what with all the good roles going to her nemesis, Sarah Moffitt. As a result, senior year is Sophie's last chance to get noticed and she's more determined than ever... no matter what the cost is.

Ethan Quinn is a genius when it comes to composing music and writing song and is considered the best at CPA. He's also the lead man in Teenage Kicks - a rock band that was formed with Emme Connelly, Jack Coombs, Ben McWilliams, all fellow students in music composition at CPA, on their first day of freshman year. For shy Ethan, being the lead man in the band was hard and it had a tumultuous effect on his relationship with his girlfriend and his music. After a dressing down by Emme, Ethan has gathered himself and is walking the straight line. He's desperate to prove to Emme that he has changed, for their friendship to be back on track... And with college looming ahead, he wants Emme to know his love for her and for them to be together.

Emme Connelly knows senior year is going to be busy and stressful with school work, band practice, the Senior Showcase and auditions for colleges. Her dream is to make it to Julliard. Luckily for her, Ethan is always there to encourage her. However, he's set a condition for her in order to use his studio to record her pre-audition CD: to sing her own songs. When Emme is invited to audition for the Senior Showcase as a singer - a very high honor, it doesn't go down well with Sophie... and it makes Emme realizes who are her true friends, the ones who always had her back. With friendships, love and her future at stakes, it's time for Emme to stand up for herself and step up to the plate.

My Opinion: Going into Take a Bow, I have to admit I wasn't too sure what to expect, because the blurb is a bit vague. Also, while I enjoyed Ms Eulberg's previous books, I had some apprehension due to the blurb because I'm not a fan of high school drama and it seems inevitable in the story... And indeed, there was some echoes of high school drama, but it definitively wasn't the focus of Take a Bow. I felt the book was more about friendships, their dreams and their journey :)

So I really, really enjoyed and loved Take a Bow :) However, to be frank, I'm having finding the right words for this review - this is my third attempt ^_^; It's hard to put it into words because as soon as I started reading Take a Bow, it just felt right and I was sucked in the story. I really liked how the book opens with the four characters awaiting for their audition to CPA. We get a brief introduction to each character, but also a feel of their personalities and their aspirations. More importantly though, it immediately sets the tone of the book and introduces the readers to the reality of their world. Then, fast-forward four years and Carter, Sophie, Ethan and Emme are about to start their senior year... and that's when the story really starts :)

Now, when I think of Take a Bow, three elements come to mind: the characters, the friendships and the setting. To me, it's the combination of the three that made Take a Bow such a winner :) I'll start with the easiest for me: the setting. I really liked that CPA was not a regular high school, because for me, it added another layer of complexity, set Take a Bow apart from most contemporary YA books and made it more interesting. Why? Because most students attending CPA are passionate about their arts, know what they want in their future and are already on the path of achieving it. Singing, writing music, dancing... these are not hobbies for them, it's their livelihoods. And I find admirable that they commit to it at such a young age. And it definitively was a commitment. Otherwise, why audition each semester simply to remain at CPA and then, audition for roles or spots in productions and showcases and actually perform? The auditions and the competition also contributed to make the characters tougher and more mature... It felt like a totally different world to me while still remaining a contemporary book and feeling real. So the setting was definitively key for me here :)

When it comes to the characters, I have to command Ms Eulberg for coming up with interesting, layered characters, but also for her writing since Take a Bow is told from four different POVs and each had a very distinct voice. Also, it was great to be privy to all four's thoughts and emotions and it definitively  made the book stronger. Another kudo to Ms Eulberg for the intricate ways all four storylines connected and intersected each other :) Sometimes, when you read a book with multiple POVs, it feels a bit clunky, the change of POVs too abrupt... But in the case of Take a Bow, it flowed really well and it did feel like I was reading one book and not four stories. Oups, got a little carried away LOL. Back to the characters. I absolutely loved Carter, Emme and Ethan, they were great, real and so lovable!! I liked how Carter was so down-to-earth when it came to his fame, his acting career and his talent. He was just a nice guy, trying to figure out who was the real Carter Harrison and in no way was he spoiled or arrogant. I think it speaks very loudly of Carter's personality and the way he was raised. What I liked the most though was Carter's journey throughout the book, the growth and the maturity he gained. I liked that he realized that nobody was pushing him to be an actor, that all these years, he's misread his mother's behavior and action. She wasn't pushing him to be a superstar; she wanted him to be happy. I thought for him to walk away from acting to pursue his passion was both brave and wise. Emme, I loved Emme!! At first, she appeared to be shy and not confident, but the inner strength this girl has! I also loved her loyalty to her friends, even if someone might not have deserved it... and that part of Emme really made me connect with her. I've been in Emme's shoes where I knew I was being manipulated and used... But at the same time, it's hard to give up such a friendship that was so dear to you. Even then, Emme never stooped to the level of being mean or wanting revenge... And I loved seeing Emme coming out of her shell and gaining confidence. As for Ethan, I have to admit that I had some doubts at first. The guy definitively made some mistakes... But once you see the way he stood by Emme, always being there for her, loving her... He definitively redeemed himself. You can't help but loving him and root for him! And I believe that with Emme, he won't repeat the same mistakes. He has someone to ground him... Finally, there's Sophie. She was made to be the villain of the book and therefore is not very likable... and yes, in some ways, her character is a bit stereotypical. However, it doesn't make her character less real. What I liked is that Ms Eulberg didn't backtrack at the end, redeeming her character. Sophie is the way she is and does not change. I'm sure she did consider Emme as her best friend when she was younger, but truth is, the most important person to Sophie is herself. Even when she was dating Carter, she was already imagining their breakup - just before her launching her first release ^_^; Everything she did was to achieve superstardom and that's what mattered to her. In a way, you have to admire her determination and her will... even though she's going about it the wrong way.

Finally, the friendships. I loved, loved the many friendships in Take a Bow. The chemistry and bond between the members of Teenage Kicks is the friendship that stands out the most for me. How Ethan, Emme, Jack and Ben (by the way, Jack and Ben were great, great secondary characters!!) formed an unit and had each other's backs. The support the boys gave Emme, how everyone was happy for each other when accepted in the college of their choices, etc. Carter envied Emme for the band friendship and I did too :P I also enjoyed the budding friendship between Emme and Carter; how good a listener Emme was and her encouragements to Carter. Also, how Carter was there for Emme. Even the brittle friendship between Sophie and Emme... In this case, it felt like the two girls just grew apart and this happens so often in high school. Sometimes, you have to let go even if it's hard... I have a feeling Ms Eulberg wanted to write about friendships at different states and how they affect one's life and she did a great job. I also very much loved the romance between Emme and Ethan and I liked how Ms Eulberg focused on theirs, that she didn't feel obligated to give everyone a love story. Emme and Ethan had such a chemistry, they knew each other so well. Seriously, they were a great match and it was very heart-warming to see them finally get together :P Friends to lovers theme lovers, you're going to like this one :)

Take a Bow was almost the perfect contemporary YA for me... but it wasn't because of two things. The first is I wished we've seen a bit more of Emme's feelings towards Ethan throughout the book. I loved how it ended, the way they get together... Emme's declaration that she's had feelings for Ethan for a long time... and how she didn't need to figure them out while Ethan had a girlfriend, etc. was really perfect. However, throughout Take a Bow, we read about Ethan's feelings for Emme and understood where it came from. But I don't feel the same way for Emme. What she said definitively made sense and I know it was genuine.  Perhaps she didn't want to acknowledge her feelings and therefore that's why we didn't get more... but I thought it came a little bit out of the blue ^_^; My second is wishful thinking on my part: I wanted Take a Bow to be longer. I loved everything about it, but I can't help but think that if it was longer, the book would be more completed and perhaps, we'd get more development for Emme's feelings for Ethan :P Seriously though, I think Ms Eulberg should consider writing slightly longer book :)

My Grade: A-. I really enjoyed Take a Bow and am recommending it to everyone :) It officially became one of my all-time favorite YA novels and have propelled Ms Eulberg onto my auto-buy author list :P I hope everyone who gives it a go enjoys it as much as I did :)

PS - Ouf, this was a long review! LOL.