Monthly Reads - January 2013

Wow, I can't believe we're in April already!! How did this happen?! I'm three Monthly Reads posts behind! My quest to catch up on everything just seems harder and harder to accomplish ^_^; Hopefully, with curling coming to an end, I'll have a more free time to read and blog... However, there's no way I'm going to be able to catch up if I don't cut some corners... In my last monthly reads post, I said I wanted to change the format of this post a little, to skip the summary of the books. I failed miserably last month, but let see if I can do it this time around ^_^;

So here is how I started 2013 reading-wise:


1) Your Wicked Heart by Meredith Duran: D

Amanda Thomas is overseas, working as a secretary. However, she leaves her employment to elope, but ends up jilted and without a penny to return to England. Then, she discovers that her fiancé is not who he said he was. The hero is Viscount Ripton who's looking for his cousin. He thinks Amanda is a thief and intends to keep an eye on her... a close eye.

Your Wicked Heart was a novella to introduce Ms Duran's new series. I'm not a huge fan of Ms Duran's books as they are usually misses for me ^_^; I like that she writes grittier historical romances, even though its not something I seem to be clicking with. I know, I know, I'm weird LOL. In any case, Your Wicked Heart just didn't work for me and honestly, I can't tell whether it was the story itself or me. The premise wasn't bad; however, I just didn't buy that the hero fell in love with the heroine... and so fast. I mean, he suspects her to be a thief! And just because they're in close quarters, he falls in love with her? I don't know, I just didn't buy it. Also, Your Wicked Heart is supposed to be a prequel novella, but I didn't really see how it introduced Ms Duran's new series... unless one of the characters is going to be the cousin. One last note, I was surprised how this novella was more typical historical romance than most of Ms Duran's works. Not a bad thing, but still a surprise.

2) Home for Christmas by Nora Roberts: C

Home for Christmas is an oldie by Ms Roberts which has been re-released in print in The Gift and this year, electronically in Holiday Wishes. I've passed over that book many times, but this year, I was in the mood for some holiday cheer and decided to give it a go.

In Home for Christmas, our hero is Jason Law, a prize-winning reporter, who returns home in New Hampshire. Despite his success, there's something nagging at Jason and perhaps going back to his hometown which he left as soon as he could might settle it. Plus, he needs a place to write his novel. The idea of seeing Faith Kirkpatrick, his high school sweetheart and the woman who didn't wait for him, is not far on his mind either... Except that he discovers the reason why Faith did not wait for him and it changes everything.

Home for Christmas was written in 1986, so for sure, it felt a bit dated. But otherwise, the story was okay.  Jason's attitude was a bit jerk-ish at first, wanting to show off his success to Faith, but given the circumstances, it was a bit understandable. Actually, I find the story between Jason and Faith quite sad, because the two were obviously in love, but the lack of communication made it they missed their chance to be together. I mean, you probably have guessed the reason why Faith did not wait for Jason. Anyway, Home for Christmas wasn't a wowzer, but wasn't bad either. As usual, a solid story if you don't mind the fact that it's dated.


3) All I Want for Christmas by Nora Roberts: B-

All I Want for Christmas is the other entry in The Gift and Holiday Wishes. This one features two mischievous twins whose wishes for Christmas is a mother... and they have the perfect candidate in mind: their cousin's teacher, Nell Davis. Nell is a music teacher and a native of New York City who has decided to give small town's life a chance. Mac Taylor, Zach and Zeke's father, is attracted by this sophisticated woman, but he's been burned once... and is not sure he wants to give love another go.

So All I Want for Christmas was my favorite story of the two and needless to say, it's in part due to the twins who were just so cute :)  However, Ms Roberts did a great job at not letting the kids take over the story, so we got to see Nell and Mac. I liked the couple as they were opposites attract. Nell was sophisticated, fun and vibrant. I would have loved to have her as a music teacher! :) On the other hand, Mac was rugged and quiet :P I also quite liked the role reversal where Mac was the single parent worried about his children. My only complaint was the romance could have used a bit more development, more communication, more togetherness. Still, an enjoyable story :)

4) Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski: C-

Cruisin' is a short YA story - emphasis on short - about two 17 years old girls being on a cruise. One girl is determined to lose her virginity... and rumors have it that there are vampires on the boat.

I wanted to read this short story because I've enjoyed Ms Mlynowski's previous work. Overall Cruisin' was not bad, but not great either. I just felt nothing much happened, as the whole story was about Kristin figuring out how to catch the attention of the guy she was seemingly attracted to. There was nice twist at the end, something I did not see coming so that was a nice surprise. If you want to read something short, this fits the bill nicely.


5) A Little Consequence by Amy Knupp: C-

Selena Jarboe needs distance from her family, especially since her mother has just disinherited her. Luckily, her father has willed her their beach house and that's where she takes refuge. To take her mind off things, she decides to do something she's never done: a one-night stand. Only, she gets pregnant. So she gathers her courage and informs the father, even though she doesn't expect anything from him. The last thing Evan Drake expects is to become a father and he does not react well. However, after the shock, he wants in in his child's life. Evan and his twin sister grew up without a father and it's not something he wants for his child. From there, Evan and Selena's relationship grows... but having lost her father to a dangerous job, Selena doesn't know how to deal with Evan's career as a firefighter and the dangers he faces every day.

I wanted something short and had read Ms Knupp, so I picked up A Little Consequence. Okay, okay, I was also in the mood to read about a sexy firefighter. Unfortunately, the story was more focused on Seletna than Evan... which turned out to be really unfortunate, since Selena got on my nerve for most of the story ^_^; I get that Selena comes from a privileged background, but to be so out of sort after she's been cut off. It's not that she was weak, but she was too dependent and didn't have much of a backbone. She's lucky she met the people she did, because otherwise, I don't know what would have become with her. And then, there's the fact that instead of facing issues, she runs away... and she seems scared of living. I wanted her to stand her ground, to face things, to grow, but it never seemed to really happened. On the other hand, I quite liked Evan. Sure, his reaction to the news wasn't ideal, but it felt realistic... and he sure did step it up afterwards. Unfortunately, as much as I liked him, he wasn't enough to save the book for me. Especially since I wasn't sure about the romance and their chemistry ^_^; So definitively not the best book by Ms Knupp :(


6) Wish by Kelly Hunter: B

In Wish, our heroine, Billie Temple, is a single mom who is moving away from Sydney for her new job as a pub manager in the hopes of providing a better and safer life for her 10 years old son, Cal. The only accommodation available is a rustic little house. When Adam Kincaid, the landlord, meets Billie and her son, he's not happy... because he has lost a wife and a son. However, instead of being assailed with painful memories, Adam starts living again.

I enjoy Ms Hunter's books and I was curious about Wish because it seems such a departure from her usual category romance books - no exotic locations, no intrigues, no businessmen/women. Just straight contemporary romance about two regular persons meeting and falling in love in rural Australia... And you know what? Of course, Ms Hunter pulls it off! :) I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the romance. Both Billie and Adam have their baggage and they deal with it, not letting it come in between them. I enjoyed how their relationship developed slowly. They were good, honest, hard-working people that you couldn't help but root for :) The secondary characters were also very likable and there was a small mystery aspect that was quite surprising. All in all, solid book.


7) A Breath of Scandal by Elizabeth Essex: B-
Upcoming Review.


8) Chance of a Lifetime by Jodi Thomas: B


9) The Trouble with Magic by Madelyn Alt: C-

10) Moonlight Masquerade by Jude Deveraux: DNF

It's been a while since I last read a novel by Ms Deveraux, so when I stumbled across Moonlight Masquerade, I thought "Why not?" Especially since it was a contemporary romance and the blurb made it sounded so cute. As you can see from the grade, it wasn't really my best decision. Here were my thoughts after I decided to DNF Moonlight Masquerade:

Almost immediately, everything about the book got on my nerve or rubbed me wrong. The whole "summer romance" and the heroine not being the type of woman someone married - what a load of BS. I totally understand why she was pissed, but afterwards, to steal a heirloom?!? That was ridiculous and very dumb, especially considering that almost immediately, she got scared and kept looking over her shoulder. Also, I have to wonder, what did she hope to accomplish really? Then, needing a place to hide and a job. If you get a job, don't you need to feel paperwork in which case, you're so easy to be located?!? Then, the almost getting run over by the hero. Okay, the hero was at fault because apparently, he was checking out a caseload while driving... but the heroine wasn't totally innocent either. It's dangerous to walk on the side of the road, especially a curve!!

So yes, I wasn't liking the heroine very much. I did like the internal conflict of the hero... the fact that he was constantly being compared to his cousin, that he was miserable in his job and so on. But I stopped reading the book when he rushed to the dealership to exchange his car so it wouldn't remind the heroine - his new personal assistant - that he almost ran her over because he enjoyed the food she cooked him. Ugh. Once again, can I say, ridiculous?!?

I tried reading the last couple of chapters to see if the book got better, but nope, it didn't seem to be. I mean, the guy who dumped her came back to apologize and win her back... so what do you get? A mini love triangle. That was the end of this book for me.


11)The One That Got Away by Kelly Hunter: A-


12) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: B-
Upcoming Review.


13) Double Crossed by Ally Carter: B+

***

Balance
Books bought: +1
Books read: -13
TBR pile: -12


Genres
Category Romance - 2
           --> (Contemporary - 2)
Contemporary Romance - 5
Historical Romance - 2
        --> (Regency - 2)
Cosy Mystery - 1
Young Adult - 2
Fiction - 1

***

The start of 2013 was a rough one for me in every aspect, mainly because my family and me were in Germany for my aunt's funerals :( The only bright light was that we were together and got spend time together... but otherwise, rough start. No internet and nothing to do. I tried reading, but I simply wasn't in the mood and that explains why there are so many short reads at the beginning of the month and perhaps, the low grades as well ^_^; Then once I came home, it was getting back into a routine, starting a new job and so on. And then, you add in the fact that there weren't that many new releases I was looking forward to in January and well, tough month.

Anyway, given the circumstances, I have to say I'm quite surprised at the number of reads and you know what? I'll take it :)

What about you? Good or rough start to 2013?

WEM XIV: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) and Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Another week, another Week-End's Mini!! Thank you very much to everyone who has voted :) This week, you made my life easy because there was a clear winner: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski! This is actually pretty cool because it suits my mood perfectly. I've been reading a lot of YA these past two weeks :) And I guess it shows when I look at the books I've reviewed in the past week LOL. There are many more YA books reviews coming up, but I'll try to throw in some romance reviews to balance it all out :)

In the meantime, I've also decided to throw in a bonus: Gimme a Call by the same author. I read Gimme a Call back last December, but never got around to reviewing it. This seemed like the best opportunity :) So enjoy it all!


Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (Random House) in April 2010

A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs... and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number... hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do ... because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

Except... what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: None

What do you need to know? The blurb is pretty accurate. Gimme a Call opens with our heroine, Devorah Banks aka Devi, at the mall, heart-broken. While Bryan, her boyfriend, has not broken up with her, for all intent and purpose, their relationship is over... And that's when Devi realizes that for the last three years, her life revolved solely around Bryan. She now finds herself alone with no friends, no hobby nor extra-curriculum activities, her prospects for college look bleak and the situation at home is less than ideal.

If Devi could go back in time, the most important thing she would do is warned her 14 years old self not to fall for Bryan... And that's exactly what she does when she realizes that after dropping her cell phone, it's working wonky and the only person she can reach is... herself, 3 years ago! Devi also decides to change her life around and sets the younger Devi on the right path: keep in touch with her friends, study hard, etc. But while Devi wants the best for herself, she can't help but be inexorably attracted to Bryan. Would going out with him really be that bad? And what happens when she tries too hard to change the future?

Why this book? I read this book for a couple of reasons. First, Ames really enjoyed Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Ms Mlynowski, so she was on my radar of author to read. Then, there was this cute cover (yes, I can be shallow at time) and I liked the concept of this one :) I don't exactly enjoy time travel, but I like the idea the future is not set in stone and can be changed. So I decided to give Gimme a Call a go :)

What I liked? I really, really enjoyed Gimme a Call. I pretty much enjoyed everything about it and it kept me engrossed till the end. I thought both the younger and older Devi were likable characters :) Yes, the older Devi was a bit pushy and selfish at times, but when you have the opportunity to change your future for the best, you take it... And it didn't only benefit her, it benefited the younger Devi as well. What I liked in this "relationship" is that the younger Devi wasn't just a drone and did what she was told. She questioned her older self, took risks - some with better results than others - and at the end of the day, was the wiser of the two :)

One thing that I thought was very well-done by Ms Mlynowski is that she managed to not reveal to the readers and younger Devi the cause of the break-up for the majority of the book. That added a little suspense and also insured that the reason behind it was not typical. I also liked the message about how important a balance life is that Gimme a Call imparted with the readership. Devi got lucky because she had a second chance, but no matter how much you are in love, you cannot lose sight of your future and friends as Devi did. Especially given how crucial those high school years; they're really the springboard to adulthood and the rest of your life for most people. I also really liked how Devi realized that friendship was important... And I think that the overall problem Devi was facing, getting caught up with their other half and as a result, letting their friendships fade, doesn't only happen when you're in high school, but also when you're in your 20s, 30s, 40s... So I personally felt I could relate to it - although I've never gone out with anyone steady.

Any Issues? I really liked the concept of Gimme a Call and I think Ms Mlynowski did a good job writing it. Younger Devi would do something and Older Devi would feel the effects of it right away, she could see the changes in her life... and not all of them, positive. What bothered me however is that it seemed Older Devi did not have any memories of the past three years. The only recollection she had was her own - going out with Bryan, finding herself alone. All she had to prove the changes were pictures and the results (like her college acceptance letters), not the progress... And I find that somewhat sad :( But this is really a minor issue and has more to do with my personal taste than the actual book.

My Grade? B+. I originally gave Gimme a Call a B... However, as I read more YA and have more books under the belt for comparison, I really think Gimme a Call is one of the better ones :)

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski
published by HarperTeen (Harpercollins Publisher) in May 2011

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery
to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart... one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: None

What do you need to know? April's parents are divorced and April has seen first hand what her mother's betrayal did. So when her mother moved to France to marry her lover, April chose to live with her father in her hometown of Westport, Connecticut. So when her father announces that they are moving to Cleveland because he found a new job in the middle of her junior year, it doesn't go over well with April. She's not about to start in a new school in the middle of the year! Plus, her life - and boyfriend - is in Westport! She comes up with the perfect solution: she'll stay at Vi's, one of her best friends, house and finish the year... The only hiccup in the plan is that Vi's mother will not be there at all. So a small subterfuge starts... but it works and April gets to stay!

Once April starts to live with Vi, she realizes that being independent and responsible is not as easy she thought... and that life has many surprises in store for her.

Why this book? Having had a taste of Ms Mlynowski's writing with Gimme a Call, I was more open to give this book a try :) Plus, remember, Ames enjoyed this one a lot! Otherwise, based on the blurb, I have to admit I'd probably have skipped ^_^;

What I liked? Surprisingly, I ended up liking Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have). When I first start the book, I felt that April was not responsible... mainly because she lied to her father and that made me uncomfortable. See, the book opens with the end and the story is basically a long flashback of what happened to get there. So the beginning makes April looks quite bad... However, after you've read her journey, it all makes sense and it's no longer that bad :P Actually, you realize those months she lived on her own with Vi, she did her best... Yes, there were some errors of judgement, but overall, she didn't do badly and definitively gained in maturity :)

What I liked the most about Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) was the realistic feel of the book. Okay, some parts were a bit unrealistic like April and Vi's subterfuge of setting up two email accounts and pretending to be each other's parents to reassure them that everything was okay... And buying the hot tub - really? However, April's feelings and the stuff she goes through during this time - that felt really real. I also liked that Ms Mlynowski addressed April and her boyfriend's first time. How she got on the pill, etc. And how later on, there was talk about the pressure of the first time and how it caused him to cheat.

Seriously, I have to give credit to Ms Mlynowski because it's her writing and style that made the book. She doesn't beat around the bush and doesn't sugarcoat reality: her characters have sex, they drink, they stay out late and hang out... They act as normal teenagers do and it's something that I feel a lot of adults don't acknowledge. Oh you always hear about parents complaining about the adolescent years, but that has more to do with their moodiness and rebellious attitude towards authority. When it comes to sex, alcohol and swearing, they prefer to idealize their teens. The reality is that a lot of teenagers - not all of them, but a lot - have heard and use swear words such as damn, shit and the f-bomb. A lot of them become sexually active during those years and they might not be able to buy their own booze, but it doesn't stop them from finding ways to get some. So I really appreciated Ms Mlynowski's candor and in my opinion, it made Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) refreshing and a nice change of pace for a contemporary YA.

Any Issues? I don't know have any real big issues with the book itself... However, I simply didn't enjoy the story as much as I did Gimme a Call. I liked that Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) was very realistic, but I find I didn't connect as much with April and what happened to her.

My Grade? B-. Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) is a good contemporary YA, but probably better suited to a more matured audience. I'm glad that I have found another YA author to look out for :)