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 :)

Romance Starter Kits - Young Adult & New Adult

All right! My last Romance Starter Kits post! LOL, honestly, most of the kits contain my favorite books or favorite authors. Guess you recommend what you know :)

Today, I'm featuring Young Adult and New Adult romance books :) Two genres which have really surged in the past few years. In blogland, NA seems to have somewhat eclipsed YA... probably because of our ages LOL. I think it's easier to relate to characters who are in their early to mid-20s than teens :P However, I think a reason why NA is so popular is the flexibility of the genre as well. Teens have to attend high school, not much they can do about that. And if they don't, well the situation is weird... and there are just so many weird situations we can read before getting tired of it. NA though is meant to be the beginning of adult life with many, many possibilities :) Therefore, bigger window for wowzers :)

Without further ado, here are my picks for YA and NA:

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross
Pivot Point by Kasie West
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Only Thing Worse than Me is You by Lily Anderson

I love, love My Most Excellent Year. It's just a great fun book. It's a lot more than high school... it's about discovering yourself and families, the one that you have and the one that you choose :)

Letters to Nowhere was very refreshing because the heroine is an elite gymnast. So instead of going to school, she trains and therefore, offers a different perspective/lifestyle. She also deals with the loss of her parents in an accident... at a time where she really needs her parents' support.

Pivot Point is my only non-contemporary YA suggestion. Well actually, it is contemporary, but it has a twist - heroine has a psychic power that allows her to see the two outcomes when she has to make a choice. In this case, her choices are to stay with her mother in the psychic compound or go with her dad in the normal world. I loved the writing, the parallel storylines and the romance was very sweet :)

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is one of the books that made me fall in love with the YA genre. It showed me that there was a lot more to this genre than books about high school drama. That a contemporary YA book could be deep and fun at the same time :)

I think the reason I love Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg and The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson is the same: the characters don't go to a regular high school. In Take a Bow, they are at a performing arts high school and The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You, a school for genius. It's interesting to see how teens deal with so much pressure and refreshing because they have something else to focus on than who's the most popular and so on.

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan
The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen
A Shattered Moment by Tiffany King
Wasted Words by Staci Hart

A good romance story doesn't necessarily mean a man and a woman. Love happens to couple of same sex too and it was a pleasure to see Wes and Jamie's love story unfolds in Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy :)

Sport romances in NA aplenty. When I think NA and sports romance, three names come to mind: Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy and Kristen Callihan. Ms Callihan is the one who delivered one of my favorites: The Friend Zone. A womanizer football player trying to be friends with a girl who has nothing in common with him... Is it possible? :)

Ms Bowen is now one of my auto-buy authors. The series that made her so popular is The Ivy Years and my favorite book is The Understatement of the Year. However, since I've already chosen Him, also a m/m romance, I chose my second favorite book, The Shameless Hour. It's rare to see heroines who are so confident in their sexuality and who assume their choices... Even more rare is for these heroines to be likable and that's exactly what Ms Bowen pulled off in The Shameless Hour.

Teens spend years planning what their life after high school is going to be, what they will do in college and after... but what happens when tragedy strikes and those plans change? That's what happens to the heroine in A Shattered Moment. On the night of graduation, her and her best friends are in a car accident... and she's one of three who survives.

Finally, I chose Wasted Words because not all NA are about college students :) The main characters in Wasted Words are out of college and starting their adult lives... This is a sweet and light romance :)


And there you go, my Romance Starter Kits. I do hope that one day, they will serve someone :) And that even romance readers will be able to find new "precious" with these posts LOL.

Review: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion in May 2016

How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: The Trials of Apollo, Book #1 (spin-off of The Heroes of Olympus series)

The Story: Zeus holds Apollo responsible for the debacle that occurred throughout The Heroes of Olympus series and as a result, banishes Apollo to the mortal world... as a human. This is not the first time though that Apollo receives such a punishment and therefore, he knows the drill: find a demigod, pledge his servitude, accomplish required tasks and eventually, he'll regain his immortal status and return to Olympus. Except this time, Zeus must be really angry because Apollo retains none of his godly powers... even worst, he finds himself in the body of 16 years old Lester Papadopoulos, complete with acne and flab!

Apollo's streak of bad luck continues when he finds himself bound to Meg, a 12 years old demigod who seems clueless. In need of shelter and guidance, Apollo decides to head for Camp Half-Blood. However, Camp Half-Blood has its own problem: campers are disappearing...

My Opinion: I have to admit, when I heard that Apollo was getting his own series, I had my doubts. Let just say, Apollo hasn't been my favorite Olympus god in the franchise so far. After all, he's been behaving like you expect Apollo to: being narcissistic, egotistical and self-pitying. So really, I had no idea how Mr Riordan was going to pull it off... but of course, he did :)

Surprisingly, what won me in The Hidden Oracle is exactly what I feared the most... Apollo being himself! Usually, being narcissistic, egotistical and self-pitying is not a winning combination for a hero ^_^; However, it worked for Apollo because it gave him an unique and, quite frankly, refreshing voice. As much as I love Mr Riordan's writing and series, his heroes - Percy, Jason, Carter, Magnus - are starting to blend together. They all seemed to come out from the same mold... but not Apollo. What I saw as major flaws definitively set him apart and actually gave rise to some interesting and funny situations such as his belief that demigods are there to do his bidding and his despair at his new physique LOL. In addition, it gave him a lot of room to grow/change. You can behave a certain way when you're a god, but definitively have to adapt when you're human/mortal and in need of help.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story a lot as well. In many ways, The Hidden Oracle's purpose was to lay down the background information and set up for the rest of the series... and it definitively did the job because I'm really excited to read the next books and find out which trials await Apollo! :) What I like about this series so far is that Apollo's quest to recover his immortality is quite clear - he needs to restore the Oracles that many thought were lost. Also, Mr Riordan has come up with some very interesting and intriguing villains: 3 Roman emperors who have survived centuries because they believe themselves to be gods and have banded together to form the Triumvate. What makes them so dangerous is that they had years and years to amass resources and plot the fall of Olympus... and apparently, they are ready to strike. Apollo is definitively in over his head :) Previous series of Mr Riordan always felt a bit vague, readers never really knew in which direction the books were heading in; however, The Trials of Apollo is different and it's a welcome change.

What else did I enjoy about this book? First, I liked that most of the book took place at Camp Half-Blood. It was nice to stay in one place and get reacquainted with the camp. I think it allowed Mr Riordan to really focus on telling the story. I also really liked that there was no deadline. The characters are always rushed because they have to complete their quests by a certain date or else... And of course, they always make it ^_^; If that's the case, then do you really need a deadline? I don't mind one from time to time, but in every book? It eventually becomes wearisome. So I thought it was fun that there wasn't any in The Hidden Oracle. Of course, it's always fun to see old characters and we were quite spoiled in The Hidden Oracle :) Mr Riordan struck the perfect balance in my opinion. Give what the fans want, but without stealing the spotlight from Apollo... As if they could, LOL. Seriously though, I had fun seeing Percy, Nico and Will. Last but not least, it was awesome to see Apollo interact with his demigods!! LOL. How awkward it was, but lots of fun... and while Apollo is selfish, it's endearing to see that he does care for his sons and daughters.

As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few minor flaws. I thought the story was a bit choppy at time, the transition between important events a bit awkward. It felt like parts of the book were the current adventure and other parts, to set up the series. The whole thing didn't feel quite organic... and except for the final showdown which was action-packed and fun, the book's adventure didn't captivate. There were also instances where some of the characters's decisions did not make sense ^_^; For example, campers are disappearing, but nobody is truly looking for them. Communication being down, but nobody really looking into it. It would have been fine if it was minors characters or minor events... but those were actually important and crucial! So it simply didn't make sense for me that it was being ignored. Finally, Apollo's new friend, Meg, was also not my favorite character. She was a hard to warm up to and just seemed off. We later find out why, but I'm just surprised nobody rang the alarm.

My Grade: A solid B+ read. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a Rick Riordan book as much as The Hidden Oracle. This book was a great mesh of the refreshing and the familiar and now, I can't wait till next May for the next book :)

Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Slowly, but surely, I'm getting back in :) I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through with Rowena :) Speaking of buddy reviews, I'm going to try to update my sidebar and Goodreads as frequently as possible... If you see any books you'd be interested to discuss, you know where to find me! I'm in to buddy review any books :) Anyway, back on the subject. The buddy review is for Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson and you can click here to find it :)

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
published by Simon & Schuster in May 2014

It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just...disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.

On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night?
Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn?
Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger?
Um...

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she'll find?

Go skinny-dipping?
Wait...what?

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Finally, a review! Yay!

I've been going through a reading slump and was lamenting about it to Ames and Brie yesterday... If I don't read, I'm not doing much in the evenings and that's just sad. This morning, I finally figured what I could do: review, of course! Hopefully, I'll keep it up ^_^;

Today's review is one that I've wanted to write for a long, long time... After all, I've read this book back in February ^_^; Hopefully, it makes sense and you enjoy :)


Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
published by Scholastic Press in February 2014

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can't be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan's friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they're best friends -- which wouldn't be so bad if they didn't keep getting in each other's way. Guys won't ask Macallan out because they think she's with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can't help but wonder... are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

Genre: YA, Contemporary
Series: None

The Story: I like the blurb because it sums up Better Off Friends quite well. Basically, on their first day of school of 7th grade, Macallan is asked to show Levi around. Both have apprehension starting this new school year... Macallan has recently lost her mother in a car accident and needs something to distract her from her grief. As for Levi, his family has just moved from California to Wisconsin and while everything was good in California, nobody turns down the opportunity of a fresh start. When the two discover a common love for a TV show, they quickly bond and become best friends.

What Macallan and Levi learn in the next few years is that friendship is hard to maintain, especially as you grow... and it is perhaps even harder when it's between a girl and a boy. Having love interests is challenging... but what happens when you develop feelings for your best friend?

My Opinion: I have read all of Ms Eulberg's books in order of publication... and it seems that I've developed a pattern: I enjoy one, doesn't like the next, love again the one after and so on. As a result, I was really looking forward to Better Off Friends because according to the pattern, it'd be one that I would enjoy a lot... and so far, the pattern holds true LOL.

One of the things I liked best about Better Off Friends was the writing style :) I liked the alternating POVs between Macallan and Levi, but also that the story wasn't continuous. Instead, Ms Eulberg decided to show us the important moments of Macallan and Levi's friendship throughout the five years that the book spans. In that regard, this book reminded me a lot of Take a Bow, but perhaps even better because there's only two main characters. I liked this style because we got to know Macallan and Levi really well, but also it allowed us to explore their relationship more deeply.

Speaking of relationship, I think Ms Eulberg did a great job building this one. I liked that Macallan and Levi became friends at 11 years old instead of younger... It makes the dynamic different because they don't know all of each other's secret and also, but also because they're on the verge of big changes in their lives... and it was great to see their friendship endure and blossom :) I enjoyed seeing the ups and downs our two main characters went through  and I thought it was very realistic. What added to the realistic feel is how well Ms Eulberg captured the confusion of Macallan and Levi and their maturity/immaturity.

All in all, Macallan and Levi were very likable characters :) I enjoyed reading their story and see how growth affected their friendship. I also liked seeing them falling in love with each other. So much in a romance is about timing and Better Off Friends was a good example.

My Grade: B+. I really enjoyed Better Off Friends and I think Ms Eulberg is at her best when she writes slices-of-life storylines :)

Monthly Reads - February 2014

Sigh, I'm really having a hard time finding my blogging groove. It's weird because one week, I'll manage to write three posts and the next, nada ^_^; Anyway, I'm really happy I managed to write this post! I really wanted to have it posted in March - no fun to always play catch up. I barely made it, but I made it :)

Here is what I read in February:


1) Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare: B-

Lately, I haven't been in the mood for historical romance. It seems to be another genre I am burning out on (noooo!!!) ^_^; However, after seeing all the good reviews about Romancing the Duke, I decided to give it a try... especially since the hero was blind!

Romancing the Duke is the first in Ms Dare's new series in which each heroine inherits a castle. Isolde Ophelia Goodnight, better known as Izzy Goodnight, is the daughter of England's most acclaimed author, Sir Henry Goodnight. Because her father failed to provide for her in his will, Izzy finds herself in a financial bind. When she learns that her godfather has left her a bequest in his will, it seems to be a godsend. However, she never expected to be inheriting a castle... and one that is not empty at that. Ransom William Dacre Vane is the eleventh Duke of Rothbury and previous owner of Gostley Castle. After his bride ran away with another man and being injured in a duel, Ransom lost his eyesight and retreated from the ton, taking refuge in Gostley Castle. He's been in seclusion for seven months when Izzy shows up on his doorstep with the ludicrous claim of ownership over his home. Obviously, there's been a mistake somewhere and Rothbury intends to keep Izzy close till he finds out what happened. As for Izzy, all she wants is a roof over her head.

Romancing the Duke was a cute book and I enjoyed it... just not as much as everyone else seems to ^_^; This happens to me regularly with Ms Dare's books. I don't know what it is, because I do think her writing is solid... It's just that for me, that little extra that makes a good story into a great one is missing. In this case, I feel I didn't connect with the characters even though they were likable and well developed. I wished Ms Dare had played up Rothbury's blindness a bit more... Still, there were some good elements to Romancing the Duke. I liked that the book was focused on Izzy, Rothbury and their romance, that there was no villain/evilness and the humorous tone.


2) Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil: C-

Life in Outer Space is about Sam Kinnison who is a geek and is resigned with is place in the high school pecking order. He has a good group of friends, knows what he wants to do in the future and is just waiting for high school to be over to realize his dreams. Then Camilla, the new girl at school, comes into his life. Sam doesn't know what to do with Camilla because she doesn't fit the mold he knows and very quickly, everything in his life seems to be changing...

I picked this book up based on Alex's review. She loved Life in Outer Space and I was hoping it would work as well for me... Unfortunately, it didn't :( First, I was expecting this book to be funnier since Sam is a nerd. I guess that's what you get for watching so much Big Bang Theory LOL. In truth though, Sam wasn't that nerdy; he simply was passionate about movies, especially horror ones. Think Dawson Creek instead of Sheldon or Leonard and so it was hard for me to really believe he was being bullied. I feel that he should have stood his ground a bit more firmly... As for the story itself, I don't know ^_^; The friendship between Camilla and Sam was well-written and his confusion was interesting, but at the end of the day, I felt Sam was really dense. I mean, it was obvious this was heading for something more and his acting all scared rabbit - not very attractive. Then, Ms Keil added all this issues in the story, but I don't feel like anything was really resolved... and I never really understood what was Sam's parents' situation. Overall, Life in Outer Space simply didn't grab me.

3) Jaded by Anne Calhoun: C-

Lucas Ridgeway is jaded. He used to be a cop in Denver, but after burning out, he came back to Walkers Ford, South Dakota, to serve as their chief of police. He simply doesn't want to feel, doesn't want to care anymore because he's been burned too many times. He is not looking for a relationship, but an affair with his sexy tenant who's leaving soon, that he can manage. Alanna Wentworth comes from an affluent political family. After turning down a very public proposal, she needed space and time away from her family and escaped to Walkers Ford to be their town librarian. She always knew it would be temporary as she is needed by her family foundation and her mother and sister have started being very insistent for her come back. Before going home though, Alanna wants to do something different... such as seducing her sexy landlord.

I really wanted to like this book, but in the end, it just didn't work for me. Part of it is on me because I'm burning out on contemporary romance and Jaded didn't really offer anything different. However, it was also the book. I felt there was a lack of of chemistry between Alanna and Lucas, no real connection between them except for sex. There was also a lack of development to the story. Ms Calhoun really stacked up the book with back stories and secondary characters, but she didn't really do much with it which is unfortunate. I really would have liked to see the characters work out their problems, but all the resolutions were so sudden! It's like all the characters started at point A with their issues and ended at point B with their happy endings and none of the progress was shown. I read the book and yet, wasn't a witness to their journey from A to B :(  One thing that made me really uncomfortable is that Alanna's family ran a charity foundation which is very noble. However, that foundation mostly helped people in third world countries. But what about what's right in front of you? There's this teen that Alanna took under her wing, Cody, whom I really liked and obviously came from a poor family. I kept expecting for her to do more for him, to realize that she could change his life... and it took so much prodding for it to happened :(

I think that Ms Calhoun had some good ideas with Jaded, but failed to execute them :(


4) Split Second by Kasie West: B+


5) On the Fence by Kasie West: B+
Upcoming Review (closer to release date)


6) Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb: C+


7) Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg:
Upcoming Review.


8) At the River's Edge by Mariah Stewart: C-

I've been reading the Chesapeake Diaries series on and off and decided to pick up At the River's Edge based on the blurb. After finding her boyfriend cheating, Sophie Enright decides she needs a break and heads back home to St. Dennis, Maryland. While there, she finds an old shut-down restaurant and decides to buy it, because working in a diner as a cook was one of her best experiences. Jason Bowers came to St. Dennis to be close to his nephew - his only remaining family. He was hoping to buy the land on which the shut-down restaurant is located to expand his landscape business, but got it snatched under his nose by Sophie to whom he is attracted to.

The blurb made it sounded like there was a huge conflict between Sophie and Jason because of the land, but there wasn't ^_^; And that's the problem with At the River's Edge. It's not that I wanted the land deal to come in between Sophie and Jason, but I was hoping for something, anything to happen! There's a difference between a low-conflict story and a book where nothing happened and I feel Ms Stewart missed the mark here.  Also, the whole story was about Sophie quitting her lawyer career to open a diner/restaurant... and I simply didn't buy it ^_^; There's a big gap between loving working in a diner during college and quitting your successful career to open a restaurant. Sophie had no experience whatsoever and while she did ask for advice, it was still hard to believe she'd be successful. I've watched a lot of Masterchef shows, I've seen people who are passionate about food and dream of becoming chefs and opening their own restaurant and I didn't see that passion in Sophie.It's too bad about At the River's Edge because I thought the set up was promising although a bit cliché, but everything turned out to be quite bland: the characters, the romance and the story :(


9) Night Broken by Patricia Briggs: B-


10) Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler: C-

11) Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James: C

There's not much for me to say about Long Hard Ride. This was an erotica romance that's been on my e-reader for a while. I picked this up because I needed something different. It's basically about a heroine who is trying to find herself after letting her parents run her life. She hooked up with a cowboy, but found out he was married and almost got stranded... if it wasn't for the hero. Hero offers her an opportunity she can't pass, be his groupie and do everything he demands until they reach their destination.

While I liked Channing and Colby - the heroine and hero - and thought they were hot together.  If you take out the sex part, well Long Hard Ride becomes your usual romance where the H/H started a fling which quickly developed into something more. It's interesting though that Colby's family didn't approve of Channing and I wished there'd been more on that. Otherwise, the most interesting part of the book was Colby's partners, Trevor and Edgard, and their relationship.


12) Third Degree by Julie Cross: B
Upcoming Review.


13) Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop: B

***

Genres

Contemporary Romance - 2
Erotica Romance - 1
Historical Romance - 1
New Adult - 1
Romantic Suspense/Mystery - 1
Urban Fantasy - 2
Young Adult - 5

***

In the end, the tally is not so bad :) I really did a good job at reviewing the January books, so I thought I really dropped the ball for February... and I did. However, it seems I was also able to catch it back LOL. Reading-wise, I'm happy with the number of books read, especially since February was a shorter month, even if many of them were a bit blah ^_^; Although in the books defense, I think I was feeling blah as well.

I've also been switching gears a bit in February, picking up more Young Adult and New Adult books. I've been complaining for a while that I'm burning out on contemporary and historical romance ^_^; It's hard to put into words. On one hand, I feel I want stories that are more classic... but at the same time, I want something refreshing! I feel authors are playing it too safe lately :( To make up for those genres, I've been trying to look for new urban fantasy series, but they're hard to find... If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share! Luckily, I've been in the mood for YA and NA and that's not lacking in today's market!

What about you? How was February? What have you been in the mood to read?

TBR Challenge 2014: Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

And three months in a row! Woohoo! LOL, I'm amazed at myself, especially given how much I've been blogging lately ^_^; Anyway, it seems I've finally found the winning strategy for staying on top of the challenge: read the TBR book ASAP!

For this month's entry, I chose Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler. This book has been in my TBR pile ever since Ames read and enjoyed it. I was in the mood for YA and it fit the month's theme, "New-to-Me Author," so it was really the perfect book to pick up :)


Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
published by Llewellyn Worldwide in March 2011

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

As a graduation present, Chelsea's dad springs for a three-week summer "boot camp" program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she's immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who's haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: none

The Story: For once, the blurb is actually spot on. Chelsea Keyes was the star player of her high school basketball team and had a bright future ahead of her. However, it all came to an end when she had a horrible fall during a game. Without basketball, Chelsea doesn't really know who she is... It doesn't help that this injury has put a strain on her relationship with her father who used to be her biggest supporter. Luckily, she had her boyfriend Gabe standing by her side.

Chelsea and her family head to a northern Minnesota lake resort for a last family vacation together before she goes away to college. Wanting to motivate Chelsea, her father signs her up for the "boot camp" program which Clint has just put together. Clint used to be a hockey player, but stopped playing after a tragedy changed his life... And it seems to his entourage that he is still looking for himself.

My Opinion: Okay, so Playing Hurt wasn't really what I expected ^_^; For some reasons, I always thought the story was about Chelsea heading to a physical rehab camp... so I was quite surprised when it turned out to be a family vacation. Then again, even if it had been what I expected, I'm not sure Playing Hurt would have worked better for me :(

As you can guess, I didn't really enjoy Playing Hurt. There were many reasons to it, but in the end, it boils down to a story and characters that failed to engage me. Throughout the book, I thought Ms Schindler did a great job at writing realistic characters and emotions, but I simply couldn't connect with Chelsea and Clint. I felt that both characters ran hot and cold, happy and angry. They both had a tendency to lash at each other, trying to hurt each other when they hurt. It wasn't in an abusive manner, but more like immaturity... a bit like a defense mechanism when they didn't know how to cope with their own feelings. They had so much baggage that it was weird to see them come together romantically, especially so fast. It seems to me their romance was more about physical attraction than emotional connection... kind of lust at first sight and so, they could stay away from each other. It was also hard to swallow given the fact that Chelsea cheated on Gabe... Obviously, nobody likes cheating, but to me, it's not an automatic deal-breaker in a story. However, in Playing Hurt, it was hard to accept given the fact that Chelsea was so conscious of her action. She had the opportunity to break with her boyfriend before carrying on with Clint, she had her brother reminding her of how thin a line she was skating... and yet, she consciously cheated. The worst is that when she came back from her vacation, she still didn't break it off with Gabe or come clean to him. I don't know if she was deluding herself or what, but after all this, it was really hard to me to like Chelsea.

As for the story, well there wasn't really one. Playing Hurt was really about Chelsea and Clint's feelings and baggage... and at the end, I feel it wasn't really resolve. Actually, it was since Chelsea headed to college with a major in mind and Clint picked up a pair of skate... but it feels to me that I missed the journey that led them to their resolution. Perhaps it was just time and they saw the light? ^_^; It also seems like I completely miss the message of the book...

It's quite unfortunate that Playing Hurt didn't work for me because there were elements that I liked about it. Funnily enough, aside from Chelsea and Clint, I actually liked all the other characters and I wished they had been of more use than just background. I liked Chelsea's family, especially her younger brother, and Clint's best friends. I looove sports and also wished it's been more at the foreground. Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Ms Schindler really did a great job making this book realistic and with the right story, she'd have a wowzer.

My Grade: C-.

Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Split Second by Kasie West
published by Harpercollins Publisher (HarperTeen) in February 2014

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too... but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories... once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot... and a future that could change everything.

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Series: Pivot Point, Book #2

The Story: Addison Coleman lives in a top secret, paranormal compound where people have advanced mental abilities. Addie's ability is called 'divergence,' a kind of unique clairvoyance specific to herself. When faced with a choice, Addie can do a 'search' and see the two possible outcomes. In Pivot Point, after her parents' divorce announcement, Addie did a search to decide whether to live with her mother and stay at the compound or follow her father and live in the Norm world. In the end, she chose the former and asked her best friend Laila, who is a Memory Eraser, to erase her memories of the search.

When Split Second starts, the events that Addie had seen during her search has unfolded. Addie can hardly believe this was the future she chose. Her boyfriend Duke turned out to be a jerk, dating her only so he could make use of her ability to find out which path he should choose to further his football career. Her best friend betrayed her by making out with the jerk boyfriend. The worst though was that Duke was actually a mood controller and altered both Addie and Laila's feelings to make them fall for him. Oh and they almost all died at the hand of one of their classmates, Bobby, who turned out to be a psychopath.

After everything that has happened, Addie is happy to leave the compound behind and visit her father in the Norm world for the holidays. She needs a break from all the drama... and some distance between her and Laila won't hurt at this moment because even though Laila's betrayal wasn't entirely her fault, it doesn't mean it hurts less. However, this vacation isn't shaping up to be what Addie was expecting. First, Addie is  developing a new ability - to slow time - and has been getting horrible headaches whenever she's using her divergence... She's afraid that her encounter with Bobby has changed something within her. Then, it seems her father, whom she always could count on, has been keeping secrets from her. And of course, there is a boy, Trevor. Addie keeps bumping into him and is attracted to him. However, he's her new friend's ex and it doesn't seem like her new friend is over him... and what would happen if he learned about the compound?

Meanwhile, Laila is back at the compound and anxious at the distance between her and Addie. She's afraid she's losing her best friend. To make up for her betrayal, Laila decides to make one of Addie's wishes a reality: to restore Addie's memories about the search. In order to do this, Laila needs to advance her ability and that means rubbing elbows with some unsavory people. Luckily, one of her classmates, Connor Bradshaw, seems to have elected himself as her protector... but are his motives really pure?

My Opinion: Last year, I read and looooved Pivot Point, so much it was my favorite YA read of 2013. You know how some books just hit the right spots for you, well that was Pivot Point for me :) I was sooo happy to find out there was going to be a sequel! Although frankly, I did not really know what to expect from Split Second at all. How was Addie going to reconnect with Trevor? Would she?! As soon as I got my copy of Split Second, I devoured it to find out... and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction Ms West took :)

First and foremost, what was so great about Split Second was that it wasn't a repeat of Pivot Point. As much as I loved the concept of Pivot Point, to have a second book all about Addie making a search, seeing two futures unfold and make a choice would simply have been a retread/rehash. Kind of like Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins where you have the feeling of reading the same thing again. Also, there wouldn't have been a storyline to the series ^_^; Instead, Split Second was a real continuation of Pivot Point where Addie had to deal with the consequences of the choice she made even if she was unaware for most of the book. That is in large part what made Split Second so interesting and engaging :) And really, I have to give credit to Ms West for this gutsy move because it's not easy to mess with something you know works! What's more, she turned it into a successful move with her writing, her characters and the story :)

The best change Ms West made to Split Second was adding Laila's POV to the story in my opinion. As Addie's best friend, Laila was an important character in Pivot Point... After all, she's the reason Addie chose the future she did and so, it was nice to get to know Laila better. It was also interesting because really, in almost every aspect, Addie and Laila are complete opposites - different family situation, different personalities, different views on their abilities, etc. As a result, we got contrasting opinions and insights :) I have to say, I wasn't a huge fan of Laila in Pivot Point as I found her too brash... However, getting her POV really changed my opinion of her. I loved her devotion to Addie, how much their friendship meant and mattered to her. Knowing her family background also made me understand her better and I couldn't help but feel for her. I also really enjoyed Laila's romance with Connor. Once again, it was a big contrast with Addie's romance with Trevor. To a certain point, it was a more mature relationship in my opinion because both Laila and Connor had more baggage and they had to deal with it, grow... but it made for a solid relationship and I'm glad that Laila has someone supporting her.

Not surprisingly, I still very much enjoyed Addie and Trevor's characters. In some way, with everything happening, I feel Addie and Trevor got the short end of the stick. I guess because their romance was pretty much the focal point in Pivot Point, it wasn't as developed in Split Second which was unfortunate :( I definitively could have used more scenes of them together... they were just so sweet in Pivot Point! Still, Ms West was able to re-capture their personalities in this book. I felt Addie and Trevor in Split Second were the same characters that I got to know and love in Pivot Point, so I can imagine a lot of sweetness for them in the future :P

What was interesting in Split Second was seeing other characters in a different light such as Stephanie and Duke. It seems that Ms West's message is that a lot depends on what perspective you see them. I have to say, I'm glad that Duke wasn't portrayed has an evil villain. Instead, he was a young man who made poor choices... Hard to like, but not unforgivable. While it was nice to revisit characters, I did also enjoy the new ones Ms West introduced. I mentioned Connor whom I really liked for his maturity and his heart-breaking baggage... I'm also giving two thumbs up to Laila's younger brother, Eli, who was a nice addition the cast in an upbeat fashion :)

While there was a lot to enjoy in Split Second, the book was not perfect. One of my issues was one of the plot lines... the one which created a drift between Addison and her father. I don't want to go too much into details, but I thought that plot line was a bit over the top. I understand the need for it because it added some excitement to the book and it moved the storyline forward at a brisk pace. I even understand the characters' motivation behind it, but I felt that these people pushed it a bit too far. Also, at times, it made the story quite confusing and difficult to follow. Also, I'm not totally sure it was necessary to the book... and if it was, there might have been different alternatives. However, what it showed was that the compound even with its advanced mental abilities wasn't a perfect world which is something important to me. I really liked that Ms West showed that the two worlds were flawed, that none was really better than the other... it made it realistic to me.

According to Ms West's website, this series ends with Split Second :( Unfortunately, I feel there were quite a few loose ends and questions unanswered. It feels like Ms West has written a HEA ending "for now" instead of a permanent one. It's not necessarily a bad thing, because it means Ms West could easily write more books in this series if she chooses to in the future, perhaps with different protagonists... but for a reader like me, I like my books to be wrapped up a bit more neatly. I wish there'd at least been an epilogue...

My Grade: B+. To me, Pivot Point was unique and will probably always hold a special place in my heart :) As a result, I'm not surprised that Split Second didn't measure up because Ms West had set the bar oh-so very high. Still, on its own, Split Second was a very good and enjoyable book with only some minor flaws. I feel had the intrigue been tighter, those flaws would have easily been overlooked. In any case, I really hope Ms West will choose the revisit this series in the future because I sure wouldn't mind reading more about the world and characters she has created :)

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: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Hi everyone!

Wassup? Didn't mean to disappear, but I got really busy... Last week-end was the wedding, so I went to Washington D.C./Annapolis. Had a great trip and spent some quality time with relatives I haven't seen for a while :) More on that later, with pictures :P

Anyway, I spent the couple of days before the trip running around like a headless chicken. I need to learn how to relax before a trip, because seriously, it's getting ridiculous... That's mainly why I haven't blogged. That, plus the fact that my blogging muse is still gone. Sigh. Hopefully, she'll come back soon!

In the meantime, I have a buddy review with Ames up over at Breezing Through. The book is The Distance Between Us, a YA novel by Ms West. I picked it up because I really enjoyed her debut novel, Pivot Point :) To find out what I thought of The Distance Between Us, click here :)


The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
published by Harpercollins Publisher (Harper Teen) in July 2013

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: None

Monthly Reads - March 2013

So, I finally managed to write-up this Monthly Reads post... Yay me! LOL. I'm so behind, it's not even funny ^_^;

Seriously, I don't really remember the month of March ^_^; There was curling, that much I know... and tubing, I think? Sigh, time just flies by so quickly. But at least, I remembered what the books I read were about... well almost all :) Take a look!

***

1) Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh

Wild Invitation is a compilation of novellas that Ms Singh has written for the Psy-Changelings series over the years. It includes Beat of Temptation, Stroke of Enticement and two new novellas: Declaration of Courtship and Texture of Intimacy. As I've already read Beat of Temptation and Stroke of Enticement, I only focused on the two new novellas.

Declaration of Courtship is SnowDancer's lieutenant Cooper's love story with Grace, a submissive wolf. We are actually told a few details about Cooper and Grace pairing in Kiss of Snow and Tangle of Need, but never really got the whole story. Well now, we got it :) As much as I enjoy Ms Singh's writing... I have to say this short story didn't do much for me ^_^; Part of it is because I didn't really connect with the characters. It's hard to believe, but not every character need their own story, especially a pair that we already knew were mated. Perhaps if the story had been about a mated pair instead of how they became mated, it would have been more interesting, different. Also, Declaration of Courtship was really all about the romance between Cooper and Grace. No intrigue, no suspense... not even any development to the Psy-Changelings storyline. What makes the story stands out is the fact that Grace is a submissive wolf which we haven't seen much in the series. Otherwise, not a very memorable novella for me. C-

Texture of Intimacy is the reason why I bought Wild Invitation because it's a new novella about Lara and Walker. I love this pairing and feel they deserved their own book instead of being the secondary romance in Kiss of Snow. As such, I was really excited to read more about them... but in the end, I was still left a bit dissatisfied because I expected more, wanted more. Texture of Intimacy takes place between Kiss of Snow and Tangle of Need - i.e. after they become a couple and before they are officially married. It is basically a glimpse of what Lara and Walker's life has become together... I really love Walker's character, such a strong, quiet man. His quiet strength is just so appealing and I feel he's the glue in the Laurens family. The one who takes care of Toby and Marlee, who looks out for Sierra and on whom Judd can lean. And I'm thrilled that he has found someone who makes him happy :) However, as much as I enjoy this pairing and the characters' interactions - Walker and Lara and the kids - it would have been better if the novella had be more than just a glimpse of their lives. A conflict or an intrigue would have made Texture of Intimacy more satisfying in my opinion. C+


2) Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs: B+


3) High Risk by Vivian Arend: B-


4) A Most Improper Rumor by Emma Wildes: B-
Upcoming Review.


5) Slashback by Rob Thurman: B


6) Revenge of the Girl with a Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

After Take A Bow, I was really looking forward to Ms Eulberg's newest release... but it seems that I only really like every other book of hers ^_^;  It's not that Revenge of the Girl with a Great Personality was bad, but just not great. There was a lot of positive to the book so let's start with that first. As usual, I enjoyed Ms Eulberg's writing - she has a nice style, very easy to read and in addition, she doesn't follow a pattern in her story-telling and therefore, her stories are different from book to book :) I also found the theme - beauty pageant - to be very interesting and liked where Ms Eulberg went with it, exploring the pressure and the financial strain it puts on a family. What didn't work so well for me was the whole Lexi's make-over story. That part, I found very predictable and stereotypical :( Which is unfortunate, coming from a book titled Revenge of the Girl with a Great Personality. I was expecting Lexi to be unique, to have a personality that really stood out instead of her falling for the suddenly "getting popular with new clothes and make-up" trope and realizing that wasn't what was important. This is what took the book a few notches down for me, especially since she kept pining after a guy that didn't seem crush-worthy and as a result, lost out on a great guy. I guess it's a good life lesson for her though. I also had higher hopes about Lexi's friendships. She had two best friends, but those relationships were already established and personally, I didn't quite see the chemistry :( Overall, some mixed feelings about Revenge of the Girl with a Great Personality, but what tipped the balance is the fact that not everything has been resolved and tied up in a neat nice bow at the end and I appreciated that, made the story more realistic :) C+

7) Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton

Another book I have mixed feelings about. I initially wanted this book because I read the excerpt at the end of Playing to Win and liked the plot idea where the heroine is a physical therapist and finds herself in charge of the hero's - a star pitcher - rehab. On that front, I really enjoyed Thrown by a Curve. It was refreshing to actually see the jock going through physical rehab with all the work, the fear and the frustration it entails. It was more than just the "I want to get back to the game" feeling that we usually get from injured heroes. I also liked Alicia's attitude towards Garrett. She didn't coddle him like the other physical therapists :) What didn't work as well for me was the romance :( I didn't like Alicia's wishy-washy attitude... She was clearly attracted but didn't know what to do about it. There was also the fact that it made their relationship unprofessional :( I don't know, but sleeping with your physical therapist/patient is not the smartest idea. As much as they were attracted to each other, I think that both could have waited till their working relationship was over to give in. By the way, this is getting really old :( Seriously, I love romance and I get attraction and lust... However, most of the H/H we read about are adults... So can't they act like it and be clear-minded instead of always succumbing to lust? Anyway, getting back to Thrown by a Curve, I just wished Alicia had been more decisive and once they did have sex, that both bear the consequences instead of trying to back-pedal. Finally, the last thing that bothered me was how stupid Garrett was at the end, accepting someone else's help with his rehab. Seriously?! Your girlfriend has poured all her efforts in the last few months working with you to make your arm better and as soon as rehab shows results, you're jumping to another ship accepting the help of her boss without talking to her... And by the way, her boss has not consulted her either! Really brilliant - not. I also thought Alicia's boss was very unprofessional and disrespectful. C+


8) The Last Viking by Sandra Hill

I picked this book up on a co-worker's recommendation. She told me how funny the series was and I thought I'd give it a try... I guess she and I simply have different tastes ^_^; Okay, actually, she was right... the beginning of The Last Viking was indeed funny. The story is about a viking that travel through time in an unknown fashion and finds himself in 1999. So the first part of the book is about Geirolf Ericsson adapting to this new world and to technology... Cars, computers, fridges, TV, building, tools and so on :) However, once the humor wears off, so does the enjoyment of this book. While Rolf is adapting to some aspects of modern technology, he is still very much a viking and some of his thinking doesn't evolve... So he dishes out his ancient thinking at our heroine, Meredith... and guess what? She takes it! There's also the fact that Rolf believes he needs to go back to his time to help save his family and it leaves Meredith broken-heart... and she does nothing about it. Not trying to keep him, not trying to find another solution, not wanting to go with him. In the end, I found Meredith's character to be too wishy-washy and stubborn, having no spine to go after what will make her happy and weak... I didn't really like her character and it ruined the book for me :( D+

9) Also Known As by Robin Benway

I've read one book before by Ms Benway, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June, and therefore was interested to read Also Known As. The thing though is I didn't really know what to expect story-wise. As it turns out, our heroine, Maggie, is a 16 years old girl who grew up soaking her parents' trade: international spies. She turns out to be a genius safe-cracker and her skills are needed for the next mission in New York City. In the meantime, she needs to blend in at her private high school where for the first time in her life, she starts making friends... Roux the ex-mean, popular girl who slept with her best friend's boyfriend and therefore is now a social outcast and Jesse Oliver, a nice, popular boy and also the son of Maggie's target. Overall, Also Known As was a quick read. I enjoyed the writing and Maggie's interactions with the others. I liked that she had a close relationship with her parents, perhaps because or their situation is so particular, and felt that the sudden awkwardness between them was very realistic. I also liked Maggie's new friends, particularly Roux. I can't deny a certain pleasure at seeing a mean girl getting comeuppance, but at the same time, Roux broke my heart because it's obvious how lonely she is :( And not just because she didn't have friends, but her parents' negligence... As for Jesse, he was charming and crushy-worthy :) While Maggie had to lie to her new friends for most of the book, I'm glad that she came clean to them and let them on when it was necessary :) As much as I enjoyed reading Also Known As, I do have one complaint and that is the storyline. I think Ms Benway was aiming for something similar to Ms Carter's Gallagher Girls series; however, she missed the mark because she lacked a solid intrigue/mystery and the thrilling aspect of it. Like with The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June, I feel like Ms Benway has a good idea in mind, but isn't able to fully develop it and doesn't have a full grasp onto it. As a result, this idea which should be the foundation of the story instead becomes something secondary, almost like an afterthought. Add in the short timeline which makes everything seemed rushed and what you get is a book with great potential and missed opportunities. C+


10) Written in Red by Anne Bishop: A


11) Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire

After the events of Discount Armageddon, life goes on as usual for Verity... but not for very long. She's unsure of her status with Dominic and before things can be cleared up, he comes with the news that the monster-hunting Covenant of St-Georges is sending a party to start a purge, i.e. killing everything and everyone who isn't human. Verity spreads the word out to all cryptids, but not everyone can evacuate New York City and therefore, Verity must step up to the plate and protect her city.

I think Midnight Blue-Light Special was on par with Discount Armageddon. It was a nice read and passed time, but I didn't love it or feel the need to climb the curtains because I wanted the next book so much ^_^; I enjoyed the writing and the new characters introduced, especially Uncle Mike, and liked that we got to know Verity more. And those Aeslin mice? You can't help but have a huge smile on your face LOL. I was also happy that we got Sarah's POV. She was an interesting character and I was curious about her. I thought she'd be tougher though, a bit more like Verity. However, when you think about it, she's never had to really fight given her mental powers... and she was there when Verity needed her. It was a different kind of bravery. The let-down for me with Midnight Blue-Light Special was the plot, once again ^_^; It seems like I'm being picky, but I can't help it. It's simply that there was a lot of build-up for the Covenant of St-Georges and the purge and in the end, it feels like nothing really happened. Talk about anti-climatic. It seemed to me that the Covenant were more interested in Verity than the cryptids in the city... Finally, there's Verity's realizations at the end. The first is that she is in love with Dominic and vice versa and the second, that her real vocation is being a cryptiologist and not dance. Both realizations were a bit abrupt to me. Yes, they were in the works and it was logical, but I didn't see really see what made Verity come to those revelations. C

12) You Are Invited by Holly Jacobs: B-

This was a sweet and enjoyable category romance that I picked up. The story is about Mattie Keith whose best friend, Bridget, has passed away from cancer and has left her the custody of her three kids. Mattie has always been a wanderer, moving around the country from town to town and holding odd jobs; however, she steps up to the plate and is trying to do her best for Zoe, Mickey and Abbey - 11, 8 and 6 respectively. However, Bridget's brother, Finn, doesn't make it easy. A successful surgeon, Finn feels guilty for not having been there enough for his sister. He doesn't want to make the same mistake with his nieces and nephew and therefore fights Mattie for the children's custody, believing that he can provide them a better lifestyle.

So I thought Ms Jacobs did a great job the characters and their feelings. Mattie is a great woman, changing her life around to take care of Zoe, Mickey and Abbey. Everyone is still grieving for Bridget and adapting to these major changes. As much as Mattie loves them, there are moments of resentment which is totally understandable. Then, Ms Jacobs brings in Finn who needs to rebuild his relationship with Zoe, find time for his family. That part of the book was excellent and very realistic. What didn't work as well for me was the romance. For most of the book, the focus was the family and finding an arrangement for the custody... As a result, I felt the romance between Mattie and Finn was very abrupt, sudden. Their romance wasn't gradual. It went from 0, we are fighting for custody, to 60, we are in love. I would have liked more development, more romantic scenes for the two of them. Another niggle I had with You Are Invited was the custody battle. I was annoyed with Finn for his reasoning: he had money therefore he could give the kids things that Mattie couldn't. That's true; however, what's also true was that with his job, Finn had no time and couldn't put them front and center in his life like Mattie could do. If the whole battle was really about money, I don't see why Finn couldn't help Mattie financially. Why did the money seem available only if he was the guardian? That didn't make sense to me :( Finally, as much as I found You Are Invited enjoyable while reading it, I have to take the grade down from a B to a B- because the story wasn't very memorable. Just before writing this post, I looked at the title and the author's name and simply couldn't remember the story of this book... and I'm usually really good at it. So a solid story which doesn't stand out ^_^;


13) Once Tempted by Laura Moore: C+
Upcoming Review.

***

Balance
Books bought: +8
Books read: -13
TBR pile: -5


Genres
Category Romance - 1
           --> (Contemporary - 1)
Contemporary Romance - 3
Historical Romance - 1
          -->(Regency - 1)
Romantic Suspense/Mystery - 1
Young Adult - 2
Paranormal - 1
Urban Fantasy - 4

***

Nowadays, if I hit the double digits number of reads, I consider it a good month :) Yep, I'm that easy... or desperate LOL. But seriously, 13 is not bad at all :) Pretty much what I'm used to reading I would say. There were some really good reads which I actually did manage to review... Again, yay me! LOL. Among them, Written in Red by Anne Bishop really stood out for me. Definitively the read of the month, closely followed by Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs and Slashback by Rob Thurman. Looks like I'm still on a urban fantasy kick :) Then there were a lot of okay/good reads. Seriously though, after writing this post, I'm wondering if I'm not too picky? And I'm starting to realize that they are characters readers - those for whom the H/H are the most important element in a book - and that I'm a story reader. Of course, characters are important, especially the main ones... but to me, it's more the story, plot, mystery, suspense, conflict, etc. that I remember. And if a book can have both, winner :P So yeah, March was a nice month reading-wise. Not a great one, but not a bad one either :)

What about you? How was March? Do you remember? LOL.