Review: Game On

Title: The Bod Squad #1: Game On

Author: Gabra Zackman

Date of Publication: April 6, 2015

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Part caper, part romantic comedy, this hilariously entertaining book in the Bod Squad series features a sassy and sexy undercover operative, Susannah “Legs” Carter, and her Ocean’s Eleven–style team of private investigators.

From Washington, DC, to Paris, Legs is tailing Charles Oakley Palmer III, a white-collar criminal she’s determined to bring to justice. But will romance or betrayal blossom along the way? Find out in the first in a sizzling new series about a team of highly skilled investigators who go undercover to catch criminals—while juggling romance, world travel, and danger around every corner.

My Review:

Maybe I just picked this one up at the wrong time but, though I tend to force my way through every book I take on, I just couldn't force myself to get past 45% of Game On. The cheesy characters, the lackluster plot, and the relatively uneventful story line all came together to make this novel a particularly difficult one for me to finish.

One of the main reasons I couldn't force my way through this novel, despite it's measly 152 pages, was how completely ridiculous the whole story line was. This book uses every cliche ever created and doesn't even use them well. I was cringing at  nicknames such as "Legs" and "Fingers". The second reason I had trouble with Game On was that Susannah was the absolute worst spy I've ever read about. She blows her cover within minutes, she's sleeping around with the enemy, and I just couldn't take anything about her seriously.

 However, I could have lived with everything above if it hadn't been for the writing. The writing itself was what really brought this novel down and made me give it the rating I did. Impersonal and removed the writing offered no real insight into the characters and I felt like the author was telling me what was happening rather than showing me. Even though some of the plot twists were interesting I just couldn't get pulled into the story because I felt like I was watching from the sidelines, rather than living the story with the characters.

That's not to say that the whole story was bad, there were some enjoyable moments throughout, I enjoyed the tongue in cheek dialogue and the exotic locations. Though the plot twists were pretty easy to spot I still enjoyed the idea behind the premise and Zackman had some good ideas, though they just weren't executed in way that made me fall in love with this book.

Overall Game On just wasn't my cup of tea, though I can understand how it would appeal to those looking for a lighthearted action/romance.

2/5

*I received a copy of this novel in exchange for a free and honest review. 

Review: Five Ways to Fall

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths #4: Five Ways to Fall

Author: K. A. Tucker

Date of Publication: June 24, 2014

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.

If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…

My Review:

The Ten Tiny Breaths series has been been an interesting series for me, I've given these books everywhere from five stars to two and I never know what to expect. Each of these books is always a gamble and unfortunately Five Ways to Fall is a gamble that just didn't pay off. While I didn't exactly dislike this novel there wasn't much about it I liked either.  

Unfortunately for the most part, I was bored by the majority of Five Ways to Fall. Sure, the conflict between Reese and her ex-husband and his new wife was a little entertaining but the rest of the novel just didn't have much going for it. There wasn't a whole lot of romance, there wasn't any sort of major life changing conflict, there weren't even cameos of all the characters from the previous novels. Most of the novel was Reese floating through life on her motorcycle, fooling around with Ben, and thinking about how much she hated her ex and his new wife. While a few of her revenge tactics made me laugh the rest of the novel just didn't have any substance to it.

Even from the beginning of the series I haven't been a huge fan of Ben, he's okay but there was never anything special about him that really stood out to me. After reading this novel, I still don't see anything unique about him and maybe that's why I didn't like this one as much as I had been hoping. I was looking forward to watching Ben grow as a character, learning more about his past, and find out what makes him tick. However, he's the same womanizing man-whore he's always been for about 98% of the novel. No real character growth takes place until the very last pages of the novel and I was disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Ben after he grows up a little bit. 

However, the thing that really brought this novel down was the romance, or lack thereof. Ben and Reese spend the majority of the novel fooling around with each other but without any kind of meaning behind it. I'm not a huge fan of one night stands or any kind of romance that doesn't have any real feelings behind it and this was a classic example of the type of romances I just can't stand. Though the end was a little better I wish they had realized their feelings sooner so there would have been more romance to go on, rather than impersonal flings. 

Though Five Ways to Fall wasn't a terrible novel it definitely wasn't my favorite in the series. I would still recommend that fans of the series check this one out but don't expect it to be as good as Four Seconds to Lose or Ten Tiny Breaths. 

3/5 

Review: Archer's Voice

Title: Archer's Voice

Author: Mia Sheridan

Date of Publication: January 25, 2014

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

My Review:

After reading so many amazing reviews for this novel I just knew that I had to read it. It sounded like it had all of my favorite ingredients; a disabled hero, a cute romance, and a heroine trying to overcome her past. However, the farther I got into this novel the more I started to dislike it

The number one reason I wasn't a fan of this novel was Bree. The more I read about her, the more I couldn't stand her. She was a stalker, and not a very good one at that. I couldn't help but cringe in second hand embarrassment as she just let herself onto Archer's property and basically forced herself upon him even though he clearly wasn't interested in her. Archer was slightly more bearable than Bree, but only barely. Instead of making him endearing his naiveté drove insane and I juts couldn't stand the silly little conflicts between him and Bree over basically nothing. 

Not only was Bree annoying but the fact that everything was just so convenient and unrealistic kept me rolling my eyes throughout the whole novel. Archer can't speak? Well conveniently enough Bree's dad was deaf so she already knows sign language. Archer lived alone for the bulk of his life and never went to school? Don't worry, he taught himself sign language from a book. Bree only likes folded over potato chips? Well, good thing Archer is here to buy several bags of potato chips and pick them all out for her. I mean really,who does that? 

Finally, the writing was what really drove me insane. Sheridan tried really hard to use analogies and phrases that just didn't work. There were sentences that I had to read over again just understand what she was trying to say. The steamy scenes were especially hard to read, especially with phrases such as "the sex act" thrown in, they felt more childish than romantic. But  finally, let me share the gem that made me realize this was going to be a particularly painful and cringe worthy read:

"He had a crease in each cheek, not dimples exactly, just the way his cheek muscles moved when he smiled. I stared at those creases as if they were twin unicorns that he'd been hiding from me under his beard. Magical."

...and it was all down hill from there.

2/5

Review: Kushiel's Dart

Title: Phèdre Trilogy #1: Kushiel's Dart

Author: Jacqueline Carey

Date of Publication: May 31, 2001

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: When Love cast me out, it was Cruelty who took pity on me.

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart - a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

My Review:

Kushiel's Dart is one of those books that, for some reason, I got in my head that I wanted to read and I couldn't stop thinking about it once I decided I wanted to take on the challenge. At over 900 pages this book is a big commitment. I was a little wary of starting this novel, because I knew it contained BDSM, something I'm not a fan of, but the rest of the story sounded interesting enough that I decided to give it a shot. 

In the beginning Kushiel's Dart wasn't a bad book, a little slow maybe, but not bad. Phedre's back story was interesting and the world of Terre D'ange was an original one. There is a vast amount of information at the beginning of the novel, mostly about politics, that I never really understood. The writing is really hard to get into, Carey has a very flowery writing style that makes picking out the important pieces of information difficult. Though her writing could be considered beautiful I just wasn't a fan of how slowly and carefully I had to read in order to figure out the most important bits of information. However, the beginning wasn't bad and I read through it reasonably quickly.

Though slow moving the story really hit it's peak at about page 300 and I found myself getting really into the story. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that didn't focus so much on the political side of the novel, which were few and far between, and even  the BDSM aspects didn't bother me much. Maybe it was Carey's writing but I wasn't as disturbed the be BDSM as I usually am, maybe because it was mostly hidden under so many extra words. Phedre was an interesting character, and though I wouldn't say I liked her I had a certain amount of respect for her. This was one of those novels that challenged me to look at certain characters and situations in a different way and I really appreciated that, unfortunately the rest of the novel was just so darn boring.

By page 500 I was so bored I was ready to be done. I've never much been one for political stories and this one was just too much for me. I found myself getting bored by the story and no longer caring about the characters or their mission. I skimmed the last 200 or so pages of this novel and because of the writing I didn't understand a bit of it. Though this novel had a lot of potential, I really liked the idea of Phedre being a spy and courtesan, it was just written in such a way that it was hard to really understand what it was she learned as a spy. Plus all of the characters had such similar and unheard of names I kept getting the mixed up and confused myself. Though this novel had a few things going for it, Kushiels Dart just wasn't executed in way that would make me enjoy it. 

Fans of high fantasy and politics may really enjoy this story but it was just a little over the top for my tastes. I understand why this is such a popular novel, but it just wasn't for me. The writing, paired with the length, just didn't make this an enjoyable read for me. 

2/5

Review: The Shadow Prince

Title: Into the Dark #1: The Shadow Prince

Author: Bree Despain

Date of Publication: March 11. 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

My Review:

The Shadow Prince didn't start off bad, in fact, in the beginning I was rather enjoying it. However as the novel dragged on and on and and I found myself enjoying it less and less, it's needless to say I was eager to finally get to the end of this giant novel. For such a long novel 500+ pages, this was a hard one for me to get through and, I'm not going to lie, it was a bit of a relief to finally mark this one as read.

Lets start with the main reason I didn't like this novel, Daphne. From the beginning Daphne struck me as a little bit of a cold-hearted person, leaving her mom (who obviously loved her so much) to go live with a dad she's never met. Even though I could understand the frustration Daphne went through with a mom who never let her leave her home town I was shocked that Daphne could just leave her without even a second glance. Then later in the novel when Daphne's dad tried to reconnect with her she shot him down at every opportunity. He made mistakes in the past but I don't understand why Daphne was just flat out mean to him all the time. Not that but she was presented as absolutely perfect in every regard, she had a perfect singing voice with a perfect range, so obviously all the girls hated her for her pefection (honestly who wouldn't). Then she blows off the only friend she makes in order to run off with Hayden, despite the fact that her friend warned her over and over that he was bad news.

Now for the second reason I didn't like this novel, Hayden. In the beginning Hayden wasn't bad, but as the novel wore on I found myself disliking him more and more. He was so completely full of himself that I could barely stand to read his self centered inner monologue. I understood that he felt that he had something to prove but his attitude just drove me up the wall. The only thing I'll say about him is that there were a few humorous moments when he was learning about what it was like to live in the human world, but those didn't make up for the rest of his faults.  Plus the romance between him and Daphne felt so forced and awkward that I had a hard time reading it without cringing the entire time.

Now the plot itself wasn't totally awful, it was just boring instead. The majority of the novel is spent at Daphne's new school reading about her perfection in the music department, which, trust me, got old fast. There's been some girls getting hurt from a mysterious assailant, and Hayden just happens to be there every time, making him the prime suspect. However Daphne just knows that it isn't him, despite everything telling her otherwise. I knew exactly where this story was going the moment it started and it wasn't a particularly exciting ride getting there. Of course Daphne and Hayden fall in love, despite the ridiculously small amount of time they spent together, and go off into the sunset to find a way to keep Hayden from having to take her back to the underworld. And don't even get me started on how Greek Mythology played into all this.

The Shadow Prince just wasn't an enjoyable book, no matter how I look at it. I was disappointed at every turn and every time I thought things were going to get better, they didn't. Maybe I'm just a little too old to really appreciate this one but I'm sorry to say that I just don't recommend this novel, especially to older fans of the YA genre.

2/5

Review: The Here and Now

Title: The Here and Now

Author: Ann Brashares

Date of Publication: April 8, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

My Review:

It's been a long time since I read anything by Brashares but I remember really liking the Traveling Pants series so I had high hopes for this novel. Unfortunately The Here and Now lived up to none of them. I was extremely disappointed by this book, it was full of holes and the more I read the less this story seemed to make any kind of sense at all. With two-dimensional characters and a faulty plot, I just wasn't impressed by this novel.

The thing that drove me most insane was how absolutely stupid Prenna was. Throughout the novel there was a little part of me screaming "no" every single time she made a decision. Ethan was no better, and the romance between them made me cringe. I didn't feel any sort of connection between them and whenever they had an awkward conversation about how they wanted to be together I just couldn't take them seriously at all.

Not only that but absolutely nothing makes sense, nothing. First of all we never find out how Prenna traveled to the past and how exactly time travel works. Are they going back? Can they go back? Will they know if anything they did changed the future? We just don't know. Then logic in this book was all over the place, Prenna and Ethan look at a bunch of newspapers from the future and somehow they magically know what they need to do to save the world. How they figured this out I will never know, since they seem to have taken a bunch of unrelated events and somehow figured out the pivotal moment that would end up destroying the future.

Then when Prenna finally figures out what she needs to do to save the world she spends her time playing cards at the beach with Ethan. All they do is play cards, talk about sex, play cards, talk about how they can't be together, play cards; it is so unbelievably boring that there was seriously a point where I fell asleep reading this novel. The only exciting part was the end of the novel, where Prenna and Ethan finally find themselves in the conflict that is going to make or break the future. However, everything leading up to that moment was just plain boring, there's no two ways about it.

Even though this novel did have one exciting moment it wasn't enough to outweigh all of its faults. I really wanted to like this novel but I just can't say that I did. I still believe that Brashares is a good author, but science fiction just isn't the genre for her, I'm hoping for a better novel by her in the future!

2/5

Review: Silence of the Wolf

Title: Silence of the Wolf

Author: Terry Spear

Date of Publication: March 4, 2014

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Gray werewolf Tom Silver is determined to find the wolves who have been attacking local livestock. While tracking the pack through the Rockies, a blizzard forces him into a remote cabin where he hears a plane crash nearby.

When he discovers the sole survivor is a beautiful female werewolf/coyote shifter mix, bound as a prisoner, he knows it's his duty to hide her. Now, they are both at risk as a search ensues for the missing prisoner.

Will Tom be able to protect this beautiful stranger while tracking down the wolves responsible for terrorizing the local livestock?

My Review:

Silence of the Wolf is one of those books that I wasn't really expecting to be amazing but I was expecting just a little more than I got. I felt like this book was just thrown together, without a lot of thought given to the story (which the author contradicted herself on) or to the characters. Though it started off well enough, the story progressively got more and more frustrating, especially on the character front.

The number one thing that drove me absolutely insane was Tom; I absolutely could not stand him. Every time I turned a page he was pulling some jerk move that made me hate him even more. He was so presumptuous and full of himself that watching him try to flirt with Elizabeth made me want to scream and his "smooth" lines made me cringe. Not only that but he didn't even have much of a personality outside of his arrogant attitude, so there was absolutely nothing to redeem him. On the other hand Tom's love interest, Elizabeth,  was likable enough, but that was only because her personality was so flat there wasn't much to dislike.

Not only were the characters awful but the romance was as well. Reading the steamy scenes between Elizabeth and Tom made me shudder and the way their relationship played out moved way to fast for me to appreciate any of it. I couldn't feel any sort of attraction between them and their casual attitude toward their commitment to each other made me question their relationship even more. Plus that whole business of someone taking a video of them kissing and then selling it just weirded me out, I honestly didn't feel the same about anyone after that.

But it wasn't all bad. Even though there were so many things I didn't like about this book it was still sort of entertaining. The little mystery about the murders of Elizabeth's parents and the drama at the end of the book were both pretty good and honestly those were the two things that kept me going throughout this novel. I was genuinely interested to see how those two plot lines would turn out, it was just the characters and the romance that ruined it all. The mystery itself was good, too bad everything else just wasn't.

Even though I've heard a lot of good things about Spear I just wasn't impressed by this novel, however I am willing to give her a second shot in the future. This time though I'm going to have to say that I just don't recommend this one.

2/5

Review: Pieces for You

Title: For You #2: Pieces for You

Author: Genna Rulon

Date of Publication: December 17, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Samantha Whitney survived unimaginable tragedy only to discover she had been betrayed by a man who claimed to love her. Shattered, Sam spends months at a safe haven trying to piece herself back together. Ready or not, the time has come for her to return home.

As Sam struggles to resume a life that no longer feels familiar, she finds unwavering support in an unexpected, familiar face. Confronting Sam’s raw emotions and open wounds head-on, Griffin manages to take two steps forward for every step she retreats.

But when Sam is once again threatened, Griffin must decide how far he is willing to go to protect the woman he wants…knowing the cost of her safety is the risk of losing her.

Pieces For You is a captivating journey of survival, healing, and sacrifice—teeming with honesty, humor, unexpected twists, and love’s unsurpassed endurance.begin to plague Sam, it is Griffin she is forced to turn to.

My Review: 

After how much enjoyed the first book I read by Rulon I was really excited to get my hands on the next installment in the series. However, this book just didn't strike as much of a chord with me as the first one did. I found myself a little put off by how much the entire novel focused on Griffin's looks, rather than on Sam's recovery or an actual plot, and by how perfect all of the characters were. I did enjoy a few aspects of this novel but overall I just didn't find myself as impressed with it as I thought I was going to be.

I think one of the things that frustrated me the most was how shallow Sam was, especially toward Griffin. Griffin was the perfect love interest, he put Sam before everything and dedicated himself to keeping her safe and happy. However, all Sam ever thought about was how hot Griffin was, how his rock hard body turned her on, how his fine ass made her drool; she never focused on anything other than the physical. There was so much more to Griffin than his looks and Sam just couldn't see that, she rarely thought about what he was doing for her or how much he sacrificed for her. Griffin was so under appreciated in this novel it just made me want to scream sometimes. He was so sweet and loving but Sam never commented on any of that, all she ever thought about was how fine his ass looked in those jeans.

The other thing that bothered me a bit about this novel was the lack of plot. Sure, Sam was having a hard time overcoming what she went through but, I felt like the little mystery involving the threats on Sam's car wasn't enough of a plot to really keep the story moving. I felt like too much of the story was spent obsessing over Griffin's looks rather than focusing on other parts of the story that would have fleshed out the plot and added a little more depth to the novel. The majority of the novel was spent going through the day to day basics of Sam's life, which included an almost never ending commentary on how fine Griffin was. I wish Rulon had spent a little more time developing a plot because not only would it have provided more situations for Griffin and Sam to connect but it would have given readers a chance to connect with the characters as well.

Even though there were some things I didn't like about this book there were quite a few things I really enjoyed about it too. The number one being Hunter and Everleigh, I loved them in the first book and it was really fun to see their relationship from another perspective. I was also interested in the excitement at the end involving the conclusion of the mystery, however that aspect of the story played a minor role in the novel as a whole. Finally, I really enjoy Rulon's writing style, she knows how to perfectly blend humor into her novels and there were a few moments when I was laughing out loud at some of the comments made by the characters.

Overall, while Pieces for You was by no means a bad book, it just wasn't quite what I had been expecting after the first novel. Fans of the New Adult genre will no doubt like this series, and I encourage them to give it a try, but this one just wasn't quite my cup of tea this time around. However, I'm still excited to read more by Rulon and see where she goes as an author!

2/5

Review: Twisted

Title: Torn #2: Twisted

Author: K. A. Robinson

Date of Publication: May 7, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Chloe and Drake have found their happily ever after... almost.

When Chloe's mother comes back into her life with a bang, it sets off a chain of events no one could have ever expected. 
Everyone has their demons, and Chloe and Drake's hit them with a vengeance. 

Sex, drugs, money, a crazy ex, and Rock n Roll.... Can they survive it all?

Things are beginning to feel a bit... Twisted.

My Review:

While I hadn't completely loved the first book in the series, Torn, I liked it enough to give Twisted a chance. I was excited to see where the cliffhanger ending from the previous novel would take the story and I was hoping for a more original plot with the new developments the cliffhanger would bring. While I did find myself enjoying the plot much more this time around I was highly put off by the characters, some of the dialogue especially didn't do it for me and left me having a hard time caring about the characters and what they were going through.

From the very beginning I found myself disappointed with this novel, mainly because Drake was such an ass. I don't know what I ever saw in him in the first book but I spend the entire book wondering why Chloe was wasting her time with such a loser. The second he made a comment along the lines of "I'll keep Chloe in my bed like I always do", I was just done. Despite saying that he loved Chloe I just had a hard time seeing respect, especially with comments like that. Call me old fashioned but I feel that comments like that make Chloe sound more like a possession than a person, who can ultimately decide where she wants to be. That situation, and a couple more, just left me with a nasty feeling that made it hard for me to relate to the characters and get involved in their story.

The plot itself however, was much improved from the first book. I was sucked into the drama between Chloe's family and the drama involving Drake. I really got into the conflict between Chloe and her mom and the ending really threw me for a loop. I wasn't expecting that turn of events and the way everything turned out really surprised me. Likewise the decisions Drake made and their implications also made for some interesting reading, though the reasoning for those decisions was a little weak. The ending was a typical cheesy happily ever after but based on the rest of the book it was obvious that was the direction this novel was heading and it really worked for the story.

While I was entertained up to a certain point during this novel I can't say that I would necessarily recommend Twisted. I just wasn't impressed by the relationship between Chloe and Drake and how they treated each other. Character relationships set the tone for an entire novel and the relationship between Drake and Chloe left me with a bad feeling that was hard to shake. Overall, Twisted is just one of those novels that I just don't recommend despite having a few points in its favor. 

2/5

*I received a copy of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Review: The Lonely

Title: The  Lonely

Author: Tara Brown

Date of Publication: February 2, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: The truth is subjective to what the lonely lets in.

Emalyn Spicer has lived with it for a long time. She thinks it goes back further than her memories do. She knows it goes back further than the OCD.

When she arrives at college, her OCD's and the lonely refuse to let her have her wish to be normal.

When she meets Sebastian and starts to fall for him, she lets herself believe it's possible to outrun the things chasing her from the past. But how to you get away from the things inside of you? How do you run from yourself?

Just as she gives up and succumbs to the lonely, the unthinkable happens. She finds herself once again trapped in the dark, once again held against her will.

This time she meets the lonely head on. In the darkest corners of her mind, she discovers there is more to her world than she ever imagined. She discovers that the lonely was there for her, protecting her from herself and her secrets.

How far would you go to find yourself?

This is a dark and captivating novel, tread lightly.

My Review:

I absolutely love reading about characters with mental illnesses. I don't know why but I've always had a fascination with abnormal psychology so when I saw the description for this novel I knew that I had to read it. Though I started off horribly confused I quickly fell into the confusing and OCD controlled world of Emalyn and the constant struggles she had to go through.

The Lonely started off as one of the most confusing books I've ever read. I had no idea what was going on, who any of the characters were, or how they came to be in the situation they were in; however as the novel progressed Brown slowly revealed important plot developments and even though I was in the dark I started to like the confusion.  The first half of the novel really was fantastic, from reading about Emalyn struggling with her OCD to her brutal kidnapping I was absolutely riveted to the novel.

Though the beginning of the novel was fascinating, the last half of the novel really fell flat. The first half had a psychological thriller feel to it but after about 50% the novel took a turn from thriller and into smut territory. While I'm not generally one to dislike smut this wasn't even good smut, Emalyn and her indecisiveness paired with the frustrating  characters, made the last part of this novel almost painful to read. Not to mention the BDSM aspects, which I was most definitely not a fan of.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, I have absolutely no respect for characters who let men beat them and like it. One of the most disgusting trends in literature is the BDSM genre and if I'd known that this novel was going to go in that direction I wouldn't have read it. I really did like Emalyn, and her story was intriguing, but as soon as she started to enjoy (and get turned on by) getting beaten I was just done.

The first half of this novel deserves four stars, but the second half really brought the overall rating down. Though there were a lot of redeeming qualities going for this novel I just couldn't get over the BDSM aspect and how uncomfortable it made me.

2/5

*I received a copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Parasite

Title: Parasitology #1: Parasite

Author: Mira Grant

Date of Publication: October 29, 2013

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

My Review:

When I saw that Seanan McGuire had written more books under a different name I was absolutely thrilled to read them. I've never read a book by McGuire that I didn't like and I had a feeling that Grant wouldn't be any different. Even though I don't generally like books with more of a focus on the science than the fiction, I had a feeling that Grant would turn this novel into something I would undoubtedly enjoy. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would, in fact I disliked it so much that I read about half of it before I couldn't go on anymore.

The hardest part of reading this book was the pacing. For the first 150 pages or so absolutely nothing happened; we're introduced to the main character, Sal, and then we're given a play by play of her entire routine with no variation or excitement what so ever. Normally this wouldn't bother me but as the book went on even the moments that were supposed to be exciting were weighed down by so much science and the bland characters that I couldn't get caught up in what was happening. Maybe as the book went on the plot more exciting but I just couldn't force myself to read another 200 pages or so after reading, and being bored to death by, the first 250 pages.

After reading the October Dayes books and being introduced to a cast of beautifully developed characters with unique and striking personalities I expected the same from this book. However, Sal had a dry personality and lacked the spark that would have made her a relatable character. She had an interesting story but her personality just  didn't do it for me. Likewise her boyfriend, Nathan, bored me to tears and I couldn't feel any chemistry between them at all. Maybe it was because the book started with them already knowing each other, so we never got to see the development of their relationship, but the lack of spark between them was driving me insane. The secondary characters, like Sal's family, barely stood out and I forgot about them almost immediately after being introduced to them. Characters are what make books worth reading and the characters in this novel just didn't have the personality needed to draw me into the story.

At the end of the day I'm sad to say that I can't recommend this novel. Bland characters and a slow moving plot made this novel impossible to get into and though Grant is a good writer this just wasn't one of her best. Fans of science and science fiction may enjoy this one but the technical descriptions, paired with the other issues, just didn't hold my interest.

2/5

Review: Lightpoints

Title: Lightpoints

Author: Peter Kassan

Date of Publication: May 19, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: What if you suddenly discovered you had a sense-and powers-that almost no one else in the world did? When Amanda Lindner Nichols, a 24-year-old graphic artist living with her husband in Queens, New York, is revived from a near-death experience, she discovers she perceives everyone around her as points of light-but not with her eyes. She soon learns she can not only perceive the life energy of others, but she can give and take it. With the help of others like her, she brings her husband Chris to the brink of death and back to bestow on him the same remarkable faculty, and they're the happiest they've been. But not for long. All over the world, people who've been revived from their own near-death experience at just the right moment discover themselves with these same unusual powers. They find ways to use them-some for good and some for evil. When Amanda and Chris encounter a ruthless group of gangsters with the same faculty, tragedy follows-and Amanda faces the greatest challenge of her life.

My Review:

Lightpoints was one of those novels that's hard to review in the fact that it presented a fascinating idea, it just wasn't executed properly. I loved the idea of lightpoints and near death experiences being related and how those two elements worked together. However, dull writing and two dimensional characters brought the story down from how great it could have been.

I really did love the idea behind the novel; original and exciting there were a lot of places Kassan could have gone with the idea. Kassan did a great job explaining each of the characters near death experiences (NDE's) and demonstrating the impact such experiences had on the characters lives. While I was fascinated in the beginning I started to loose interest as the novel went on, I found myself frustrated with Chris's desire to see the lightpoints and the ending just felt a little too easy.

Amanda and Chris were average characters, there wasn't anything that really stood out to me but there wasn't anything that really made me hate them either. Even though I didn't support it, I could understand why Chris also wanted to see the lightpoints and why he thought it was important. I just didn't support why a person would want to go through multiple near death experiences for the mere experience of seeing lightpoints, no matter how much it would impact a relationship.

The largest reason I had a hard time getting into this novel was the writing. Lifeless and bland I felt highly disconnected from the characters and the plot because the writing just didn't pull me in the way it was supposed to. Also the constantly changing perspectives, to characters who could see the lightpoints but had no value to the story, was frustrating. I'll admit, some of the other characters were interesting to read about but, they just didn't help the story move forward. Throughout the novel I was waiting for all the characters to finally start coming together and have a plot start emerging, but that never really happened.

Overall Lightpoints presented an interesting idea but it just wasn't fleshed out all the way. With a little editing Lightpoints could be a great novel, it just wasn't my cup of tea this time around.

2/5

*I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Review: Evolution

Title: Evolution

Author: Kelly Carrero

Date of Publication: April 29, 2012

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Seventeen year old Jade Sommers life tuned upside down the moment she saw the inch long cut across her face, heal right before her eyes.

Jade thought she was going insane, but her boyfriend Aiden Scott knew better. He knew what she was. And like him, she was born this way.

Now if finding out that people like her shouldn't exist was bad enough, Jades best friend is kidnapped by the psycho who’s terrorised her dreams. With the help of Aiden, she has to figure out how to saver her, before it’s too late.

But what Jade doesn't know, is not everything is what it seems. She is merely a puppet in a sadistic game to find out what she is truly capable of – and the game has only just begun.

My Review: 

Evolution is one of those novels that is entertaining in its own way but is also so terribly frustrating it's impossible not to feel annoyed by the end. Even though it's a short novel it felt much longer because of the sheer amount of annoying plot devices and lack of reasoning behind major plot events.

Both Jade and her boyfriend Aiden were mediocre characters. They had just enough personality to keep me interested in them but at the same time they just weren't developed enough for me to really feel connected to them. I really wish there had been a little more back story about how Jade and Aiden met and more information about Aiden's family. I was also very disappointed in the development of Chelsea, Jades best friend who was kidnapped, from what I saw she had a very shallow personality and before I even got know her she was suddenly gone. Not only was I a little annoyed with hardly knowing her character but I wasn't very impressed with the friendship ties between Jade and Chelsea, when Chelsea gets kidnapped Jade takes her own sweet time trying to find her, between make out sessions with Aiden that is.

The most frustrating thing about this novel was the fact that there were never any explanations for what was going on. All of a sudden Jade can do super human things, why? We have no idea. Jade's best friend is kidnapped, why? No clue. Jades neighbor lies about what she saw when Jade's friend was kidnapped, why? Just because. By the end of the novel I was so annoyed with the lack of reasoning behind the characters actions I was about ready to throw my Kindle across the room. It's as though the reader only gets to see the surface of the story without understanding all the components that are making it come together. After the totally random "cliffhanger" ending, which also had no reasoning behind it, I was one hundred percent done with this novel.

Despite the horrible plot development Carrero did do a great job with the writing style itself. Her writing wasn't hard to read or choppy and the entire novel flowed together really well. Unfortunately that is about the only positive thing about this novel. Carrero has the potential to be a good writer she just needs to work on plot development and making sure each of the events in the novel has a purpose. The ideas Carrero had were good ones, they just weren't executed to their full potential.

Overall I wouldn't exactly recommend Evolution to readers looking for an indie paranormal novel. The amount of frustrating events and the way the plot events didn't fit together annoyed me to no end. Evolution just didn't turn out to be my cup of tea.

2/5

Review: Soul in Present Condition

Title: Soul in Present Condition

Author: Mary E. Merrell

Date of Publication: August 17, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Divorced. Check.

Ghost whisperer. Check.

Human servant. Check.

Great. Check.

Rosemary Fernandes never planned on being divorced. She never expected to be able to communicate with ghosts nor be the human servant to a vampire either. But she is all these things. Rosemary has had to get tough to compete in the cutthroat world of real estate and even tougher to face her fears of the supernatural as her paranormal escapades heat up.

Marcus Lyons is a vampire and Rosemary’s master. He forbids her to get involved with any more ghosts, and maintains the secrets they hold will be her death. Rosemary knows helping lost souls is what she’s meant to do, no matter how dangerous. When Rosemary connects with an angry young spirit, Marcus puts a price on her desires. What is she willing to give to help this specter? And will Rosemary’s bargain with the vampire be the end of her relationship with sexy tattoo artist Frank Perez.

Benny Cruz talks all gangsta and sarcastic. His energy is static, and he claims he knows what Rosemary is. Benny believes Rosemary controls the dead, and leads them around on a leash. Rosemary agrees to help the lost soul and prove she can't make the dead do anything, but is someone who helps lost souls move on. Something feels off with this spirit, and Rosemary is sure Benny knows more than he’s telling.

Benny is intent on completing the task he didn't finish. Rosemary must convince the spirit that closure with his family is what’s keeping him here. What’s not done is done. When Benny’s secret risks Rosemary’s life, she must somehow save herself and help the ghost find peace. Can she afford Marcus’ price of flesh and blood and prove to the vampire he is more man than monster? And what happens when Rosemary finds herself falling for two very different men? Even though one may be a killer.

My Review: 

When I was asked to do this blog tour I was told that Soul in Present Condition was the third in a series, but could also stand alone. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that this novel definitely wasn't a standalone novel, there was a huge amount of plot development and character relationships that must have happened in previous novels and I didn't understand Rosemary's relationship with Marcus or some of the other characters.

Not only was I confused by some of the ongoing plot lines but frankly, I was just bored. Maybe it was because I hadn't read the previous novels, but I just couldn't get myself into the story. Even though the premise is interesting enough I just didn't feel drawn into the story or find myself interested in what was happening. I was especially bored by the mystery, Benny wasn't a very interesting ghost and I felt like the majority of the novel was spent talking about Rosemary's dealings in real estate rather than the mystery and the paranormal elements of the story; the two things that would have made the novel much more interesting.

Likewise I didn't understand the character relationships, from what I could gather Marcus, the vampire, was Rosemary's "master" of sorts but I couldn't really figure out how that relationship came to be. I also couldn't figure out the relationship between Rosemary and Marcus's maker, Lucila, the entire novel I was wondering if Rosemary liked her or didn't like her and what their relationship was. The most interesting characters in the novel were Esteban and Vivianna, to be honest I was more interested in their story than Rosemary's.

Despite it all Soul in Present Condition was a fairly well written novel with only a few typos and with a little more polish could be a wonderfully written story.  Maybe if I had read the first two novels in the series I would have liked this one better because Merrell did a great job creating an original story line and giving the characters unique personalities. However, because I was coming into the series with the third book I have a feeling my confusion may have impacted how I felt about the novel.

Fans of the series will probably find no problem with this novel, however it just wasn't my cup of tea since I hadn't read the first two. Those looking for a interesting paranormal mystery might want to check this one out but make sure to start with the first one!

2/5

Review: Crossfire #1: Bared to You

Title: Crossfire #1: Bared to You

Author: Sylvia Day

Date of Publication: June 12, 2012

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness… 

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

My Review:

After hearing such great things about this novel I decided it was finally time for me to give it a try. Even though I went into this novel expecting to love it the farther along I got (as in Gideon and Eva's first meeting) I soon discovered that I wasn't going to like this novel as much as I originally thought.

Unfortunately I went into this novel expecting it to have some kind of plot, which in the end led to nothing but disappointment. This novel had literally no plot other than Gideon and Eva having sex, getting mad at each other, then having more sex. When Eva wasn't having sex with Gideon she was either at work, thinking about Gideon, or doing something with her friend Carey. If there was one character that absolutely drove me insane it was Carey. Shallow with no personality I didn't understand his point in the story other than throwing in uneeded drama about how he was constantly screwing up his own life. Day mentions Carey's history of self harm for about all of a sentence (the one thing that might have given his character even a pinch of personality) and then it is totally forgotten beneath all of his stupid decisions.

One of the biggest things that irritated me was that Gideon and Eva's relationship literally focused on nothing but sex. Actually the entire novel focused mainly on sex, making it impossible for me to forge any kind of relationship with the characters because I knew absolutely nothing about them. Day had plenty of chances to make this novel into something more, with Eva's past of child abuse and Gideon's equally horrific past, but she spent an entire paragraph on these issues before diving into another sex scene and rarely mentioning them again. Plus some of Day's descriptions made me want to do nothing but pull my hair out, the entire novel I was constantly asking myself "why?" as I had to read yet another description of Gideon's... well everything.

For all the things wrong with this book it was entertaining, granted in an idiotic I-wonder-what-dumb-thing-the-characters-will-do-next way, but all the same I found myself finishing this book totally annoyed but at the same time dying to find out what stupid situations the characters would find themselves in next. In a way this book reminded me of a train wreck, it was painful to watch but at the same time I just couldn't look away.

I struggled over rating this one for a long time, I literally went on Goodreads and changed my rating five or six times before I finally settled on two stars. On one hand I wanted to give it three because really, I had a great time making fun of this novel while I was reading it but in the end I decided to give it a lower rating because that's what the novel truly deserved. I know this is a fairly popular novel so I want to know everyone else's opinions, did you love it or did you find yourself in the same situation I did? Leave your comments below!

2/5

Review: Trusted

Title: Trusted

Author: Taylor L. Stimac

Date of Publication: June 7, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: When fifteen year old Tegan Summers catches the eye of local radio personality Rake Johnson, she finally feels like a normal teenage girl. Everything about their relationship feels perfect, except for the unexplained presence that makes her believe she should stay away.

On the same day she meets Rake, another man makes his way into her life: Officer Damien Sanders. His mysterious and often intense warnings urge Tegan to trust him and to end her relationship with Rake. As she works to uncover Damien's motive, she begins to realize that he may end up playing a vital role in her future.

Discover what Tegan must do in TRUSTED, the debut novel by author Taylor L. Stimac.

Would you trust a stranger?

My Review:

Trusted is a very difficult novel to review; on one hand it was very well written and entertaining in its own right but on the other hand there were just some parts of this story that made me uncomfortable and some that made me unable to take any of it seriously.

The strongest part of this novel was how well written it was. There were a few awkward sentences here and there but overall the story was very readable and flowed really well. It was never a challenge for me to understand what the author was saying and I could tell that Stimac put a lot of effort into writing this novel and she really did do a fantastic job with the writing itself. Even though I didn't sense much of a plot the characters were very well developed and Stimac threw in enough events to keep the novel interesting. I was never bored by this novel, but there were just some aspects that I was a little uncomfortable with.

Despite how well written the novel was let's start by addressing the things that I just couldn't take seriously about this novel. The number one being the age difference between Tegan and Rake. When the story starts Tegan is fifteen, and though she later turns sixteen during the novel, that is still a huge age difference from Rake's nineteen years. While three (pretty much four) years isn't much in someone's twenties or thirties it's a huge difference when the characters are in their teens. Not only is it a huge age difference but Tegan's parents aren't even the least bit concerned that their daughter is dating a much older boy, as soon as she turned the magical sixteen it seemed that her parents didn't care at all who she went out with. The age difference between Tegan and Rake is the same as that between me and my sister and I know that I wouldn't be okay with my sister dating a boy my age; maybe it's just me but even though the romance was cute the age difference was just always in the back of my mind bothering me.

Then we are introduced to officer Damien Sanders. While the relationship between Rake and Tegan kind of bothered me because of the age difference I admit that it was cute and in the end I really did like Rake's personality. Officer Sanders is where this novel really started to make me really uncomfortable. A full on stalker complete with the creepy personality and obsession with Tegan he was the number one reason I gave this novel the rating I did. The worst part was that not only was Officer Sanders a creepy stalker who was "in love" with Tegan but she felt attracted to him in return. I could have dealt with Officer Sanders being a stalker, in fact it might have made for an interesting story line, but the fact that she felt attraction to him in return was what really turned me off to this novel.

Rating this novel was difficult for me, because of how well written it was I wanted to give it a higher rating but at the same time I felt so uncomfortable by Officer Sanders (especially after the ending) that I felt obligated to knock it down a little bit. Stimac truly is a talented writer and I can understand how someone would really enjoy this novel; however it just wasn't for me.

2/5

* I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/ publicist in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this post.

Review: Moonlight Masquerade

Title: Moonlight Masquerade

Author: Ruth Axtell

Date of Publication: March 1, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Lady Celine Wexham seems the model British subject. French by birth but enjoying life in 1813 as a widowed English countess, she is in the unique position of being able to help those in need--or to spy for the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess's butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncover the truth. But the longer he is in her fashionable townhouse in London's West End, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver as he falls under Lady Wexham's spell. Will he find the proof he needs? And if she is a spy after all, will he do the right thing?

My Review:

With the idea of forbidden romance, intrigue, and British/French conflict this novel seemed to have the perfect recipe. However, the farther I got into this novel the more and more apparent it seemed that this novel was not going to live up to its potential. It did have its moments, but those were few and far between and didn't make up for all the things that made this novel frustrating.

Celine and Rees were okay to read about, Rees and his spying activities were a little more interesting to read about than Celine but I wasn't particularly impressed with either of them. One of my biggest draws to this novel was because the two main characters were spies, which was why I was really disappointed when there wasn't really any spying. Moonlight Masquerade focused mainly on the day to day activities of Celine as she looked for something to spy on but didn't actually do it. Likewise there was a lot of thinking about romance but very little romance actually happening.

I am not a fan of Christian fiction, not because I dislike the religion but because I can't stand novels that are preachy or authors who try to spread their own personal message through a novel. Unfortunately I didn't notice this novel was a Christian fiction until I was too far in to quit. It started off with a line here or there, which I could deal with, but toward the end the novel took on a preachy and overly righteous feel. I understand that a lot of people may really enjoy this aspect, but it just wasn't for me.

Easily my biggest complaint about the novel was simply that I was bored, not exactly mind numbingly bored, but bored enough to have a hard time concentrating on the novel.  Even though the  idea was interesting it just didn't work out, the characters never actually did anything (which really frustrated me) and there were quite a few moments that the novel took over an overly preachy feel. Moonlight Masquerade had so much potential but in the end it all fell through.

At the end of the day I can understand how fans of Christian fiction may enjoy this novel but it just wasn't for me. The characters spent way too much time thinking about each other as well as their spying activities instead of just going out and doing them. For fans of historical fiction I would recommend skipping this one in favor of something with a little more action.

2/5

Review: A Certain Wolfish Charm Review

Title: A Certain Wolfish Charm

Author: Lydia Dare

Date of Publication: April 2, 2010

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: In Lydia dare's debut trilogy, Regency England has gone to the wolves! "He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full..."

The rules of Society can be beastly-especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untamable as he is...

"A woman whose charm is stronger than the moon..."

When Lily's beloved nephew's behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy's cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon's idea of assistance is far different than hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rogue.

They both may have bitten off more than they can chew when each begins to discover the other's darkest secrets...

My Review: 

With a historical setting, plenty of romance, and werewolves A Certain Wolfish Charm seemed like the perfect novel for me. However, it soon became apparent that this novel wasn't all I hoped and dreamed it would be. With no plot and shallow characters, I quickly found myself getting bored with the story and struggling to finish the novel. Even though the idea was a good one it was very poorly executed.

Although the idea for A Certain Wolfish Charm is a good one the plot just didn't pan out.  The entire novel I kept waiting for a plot to take shape but one never did. Even though things happened it never felt as though the events were leading up to a big finish at the end or that the characters were moving in more than just circles. I guess Lily finding out the Simon is a werewolf could be considered a plot but it just wasn't strong enough to keep the novel on track and to make the rest of the novel mean anything.

Quite possibly the most annoying thing about this novel was the insta-love. If there is one thing I can't stand its characters that instantly fall into absolutely perfect "true love" without even talking to each other first. The most aggravating part of insta-love is that the relationship never feels real. No matter what happens in the novel it always feels as though the characters are more in lust with each other than in love. A Certain Wolfish Charm was a prime example of the characters falling more in lust than in love, making both of them feel shallow and under developed.

Even though the writing was okay the author constantly used the same words to describe characters over and over and over again. I can't even begin to count the number of times I read the words "Lily's delectable form" in this novel. The farther and farther I got into this novel the more the repetitiveness started to get to me until I was skimming pages just to get through anything repetitive. Not only did the author use the same words over and over again but she used the same ideas over and over again. Throughout the entire novel I had to push through pages and pages of Simon and Lily think about how much they loved each other and how they could never admit it and so on. By the time they finally got together I was so annoyed with them I didn't even care anymore.

In the end I wouldn't recommend A Certain Wolfish Charm to anyone unless they were looking to be bored by shallow characters and a weak plot. Even though this novel did have its moments (mainly involving Will and Prisca, who weren't even main characters) it just wasn't enough to make the novel a good one.

2/5

Blog Tour: Fateful Eyes

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Title: Fateful Eyes: Volume 1: The Puzzle and the Journey

Author: Panos Nomikos

Date of Publication: June 21, 2012

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Fateful Eyes is a story about a life spent searching for love, accomplishments, and true fulfillment, within the world upheavals that, unfortunately, characterize the beginning of the new millennium. In his own life, Panos Nomikos (the author) has traveled in many continents, has been acquainted with many different people from different cultures, and he has also humbly attempted to comprehend the dizzying pace of events that are unfolding in such a frenetic tempo around us.
Panos aspires to share those experiences by narrating the story of “Peter”, a cosmopolitan who is traveling around the world at several exotic places, trying to solve a great puzzle, trying to locate a mysterious lady who came from his distant, youthful, and lustful past, and upset his life and his relationship with his affectionate lover. All the while, she is trying to fend-off by the threat posed by that mysterious rival in his heart.
Yet, the puzzle itself is not the essence of this novel. The puzzle is only a “pretext” to justify the exposure of Peter’s tortuous and twisted path in life, as well as to narrate the lives of everyone around him, as they all become unwittingly entangled into the rolling thunder of the world’s current upheavals, terrorism, wars, and economic crises. Like a modern Odyssey, the real essence of this novel is Peter’s long and tormenting journey towards his destination, towards the completion of his mission. Notwithstanding the mystery, the problems, and the upheavals, this story also celebrates love, affection, optimism, and the enthralling beauty of marvelous life.

My Review: 

Fateful Eyes is a tough one for me to review. Being a novel so far outside my genre and unlike anything I had ever read before I didn't have anything to compare it to or any basis for me to base my review on. While it was far from poorly written I just couldn't get myself into the story or feel interested by the plot.

I think the hardest part of this novel, for me anyway, was relating with the characters. Me being an 18 year old girl from the United States I had a hard time relating to the trials and tribulations of a forty year old man from Greece. It wasn't that I disliked the Peter necessarily but having never been in any kind of relatable situation made it hard for me to get myself interested in the story. Likewise much of the novel, especially in the beginning, focused on his job and early life both of which provided important background but at the same time weren't interesting to someone who couldn't relate to the character.

I did enjoy reading about Peter's travels and how he interacted with the environment around him. From Greece to the UK to Manila there were plenty of interesting locations in the novel. Seeing the world through Peter's eyes was an interesting experience and the author has a very intriguing writing style that really worked well for the story. The switch between the past and present was a little confusing at first but once I got used to it I really liked it. The constant switching adds a definite air of mystery to the novel.

As I said, this novel is by no means poorly written but it just wasn't for me. I can completely understand how someone else would enjoy it and I believe that Nomikos has a lot of potential for writing.  Even though it wasn't my cup of tea I encourage those looking for a mystery/fiction novel with a European vibe to check this one out!

2/5

*I received a free copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist in exchange for an honest review and received no monetary compensation from this post.

Author Information:

I am Panos Nomikos and I was born in 1961 in Athens, Greece, this beautiful country that has become lately the epicenter of the raging global financial crisis. During my carefree, youthful years, I roamed the idyllic islands of my home country having fun on the golden beaches under the sun with my friends and lovers. Later on, I studied for a Ph.D. in the UK and I started a career in Information Technology in the maritime sector, roaming again across the world on intercontinental business trips in faraway places in Asia, Europe and America. In the course of my career I have authored numerous essays and articles in professional publications.

Similarly, I have always aspired to share all those views and experiences and my quests to discover my own ‘true meaning of life’ by writing books. My first novel, ‘Fateful Eyes’, narrates the story of Peter, a busy professional who travels constantly around the world trying to solve a perplexing puzzle that has upset his life, whereas his affectionate lover tries to fend-off the threat posed by a mysterious antagonist in his heart.