Almost three years have passed since the release of Revelations, the previous book in J. A. Souders� Elysium chronicles trilogy, but loyal fans haven�Almost three years have passed since the release of Revelations, the previous book in J. A. Souders� Elysium chronicles trilogy, but loyal fans haven’t forgotten Evie, Gavin or Asher. Renegade gave us a chance to explore a gorgeous underwater view with a very dark side, and Revelations really developed our three main characters and set them on a dangerous path.
In Rebellion, Evie, Gavin and Asher are back in Elysium, fighting Mother with the help of Father and his Underground. Mother is fighting back with all her considerable strength and she always seems to be one step ahead. It’s difficult to fight someone who is endlessly cruel. Whatever Evie does, Mother rewards with a public execution of someone the Underground cares for.
Evie’s still missing some of her memories, but her will to live and fight is back in full force. She struggles a bit in this book, mostly with being a symbol for the Underground, but she accepts her role and always does the best she can. She isn’t one to shy away from responsibility, and all her decisions in Rebellion are truly admirable.
After a rough patch in Revelations, the romance shines again. Gavin and Evie spend some of the time apart, as each of them has a different role to play, but when they’re together, the connection between them is palpable. What seemed like the beginning of a love triangle before isn’t one, and Asher plays an important, but non-romantic role.
The biggest problem remains Mother herself. She lacks nuance, any sort of characterization besides ‘evil sociopath�. This was my main struggle in the previous books, and it remained an issue till the end. As readers, we can’t really fear someone who is predictable, and Mother’s one track mind made it easy to guess what she would do next.
The ending of this book, of this trilogy in fact, is Souders� attempt to do something completely different, original and thought-provoking. I believe it was supposed to be a mind-bending finale that would leave us all reeling and thinking about it for days afterward. Unfortunately, the effect was quite opposite. With three books of build-up towards a logical ending, changing the game at the last second infuriated me. I was left confused, disappointed and unsure whether the journey was worth it.
There are several reasons why tropes exist, and all of them are good. Mostly they exist because people find comfort in the familiar. I find this to beThere are several reasons why tropes exist, and all of them are good. Mostly they exist because people find comfort in the familiar. I find this to be especially true for romance readers, including myself. I want new stories, yes, but I also want to know what to expect. I don’t want my romance novel to make me anxious or sad. The very best romance authors understand this and use it well. They give us all the formulas we know well and love, but they also weave in their own signature, something that separates them from everyone else.
When it comes to paranormal romance, Christine Feehan is a superpower. Her Dark Carpathians novels are all international bestsellers, and there are too many to count. Feehan doesn’t fear tropes at all. In fact, she embraces them and uses them to their full potential. In Shadow Rider, the heroine calls herself a damsel in distress and Stefano a white knight on several occasions. I detected a healthy dose of Feehan's self-irony in her words and it amused me to no end.
Feehan keeps writing growly alphas because it’s what she does best. Stefano Ferraro is one of those � he always knows what everyone needs to do, he doesn’t take no for an answer and when he finds a woman worthy of his love, he takes over her life until there’s nothing left. Francesca Capello doesn’t mind at all. She wants to feel safe, and the best way to achieve that is to turn herself into a doll piloted by a rich, mysterious man. The second they meet he starts ordering her around, and he orders her right to the altar. While I myself am uncomfortable with that type of relationship, there’s a reason why the trope is very much alive, and I don’t doubt for a second that Stefano will become one of those romance heroes with legions of fans.
I have to give credit to Feehan for creating a unique, thrilling world. I don’t read that much PNR, but I do read urban fantasy all the time and I’ve never stumbled upon anything like she shadow hunters. They depend on the shadows and move undetected through them to bring justice to those who were abandoned by the system. The families can best be described as super hot, filthy rich, avenging members of the mafia, albeit with the very best of intentions. There is a sea of potential in this world and I look forward to seeing it fully developed.
Of course, Feehan set the foundation for the rest of this series. After all, Stefano has many brothers and even more cousins, all desperate to find that one woman fate has chosen for them. Although I’m not that interested in their future romances, I do want to see how the paranormal aspects might develop.
In short, Shadow Rider is the perfect read for romance fans who enjoy smoking hot, overbearing men and heroines that just want to be swept away.
Nora’s books are one of my most reliable cures at times when my brain begs for a much needed rest. All of us readers have this amazing capacity to shuNora’s books are one of my most reliable cures at times when my brain begs for a much needed rest. All of us readers have this amazing capacity to shut down and unplug, and for me, the best way to achieve this state of complete detachment from my everyday troubles is through one of Nora’s books. While I don’t much care for her paranormal work (PNR is just not my genre), no one writes romantic suspense better than she.
Blue Smoke is an old one, released more than ten years ago, but aside from the years on each chapter, nothing about it seems outdated. It begins as Nora’s story so often do, with our heroine’s childhood and the traumatic event that will determine the course of her life. From the very beginning, Catarina Hale stands out among her brothers and sisters. She is intelligent, inquisitive and systematic, a child that is never really a child. When a fire takes away her family’s livelihood, Reena knows exactly what she wants to be when she grows up. Everything from that point on is just another step toward her desired career as a fire investigator.
We follow Reena through various stages of her life, from one traumatic event to the next. While her career is on an accelerated path, her love life is miserable from the start. Somehow Reena’s love interests, no matter how superficial, always end up dead, and their death always involves fire. It takes a while for Reena to connect the dots, but not so long to make us doubt her intelligence.
As usual, Nora gives us a strong, independent heroine. She doesn’t need a man to save her, and even when the right one comes along, she doesn’t just hand over the reins. If anything, Reena is reluctant to share her life, but Bo Goodnight is just a bit too hard to resist. As we follow Reena through her education and the beginnings of her career, Bo is always in the background, dreaming about the mysterious girl he’s never had a chance to meet. Even though he’s just a touch too perfect, as Nora’s heroes tend to be, he is precisely what our Reena needs. I adored these two together and I appreciated how much time Nora took to develop a true relationship between them.
Even when her books are not perfect, I never hesitate to recommend Nora � not that she needs my recommendation. The woman is simply magical. Sinking into her story is one of my favorite feelings in the world.
Before I say anything else, here’s a fair warning: And I Darken is a book so dark and twisted, so very disturbing that you’ll definitely lose sleep beBefore I say anything else, here’s a fair warning: And I Darken is a book so dark and twisted, so very disturbing that you’ll definitely lose sleep because of it. I did. It is also, however, Kiersten White’s best novel to date and the story that might prove to be defining � for her, as well as for young adult historical fiction. I dare say it’s one of the best this genre has to offer.
What if Vlad III Dracula, Prince of Wallachia, son of Vlad Dracul, brother to Mircea and Radu, was born a girl? Would she still be one of the most infamous rulers in the history of mankind? Or would she be a victim of circumstances, a lost girl governed and directed by men? In And I Darken, Kiersten White offers a version of Vlad that is female, but otherwise unchanged, and a fantastic tale of how she came to be known as Vlad (or rather Lada) the Impaler.
Lada Dragwlya and her younger brother Radu were left behind as children in Ottoman courts by their father as a guarantee that he will behave and not betray the sultan. They were subsequently forgotten by everyone, including the sultan himself, and accepted only by the sultan’s son Mehmed. While Radu came to view the Ottoman Empire as a new home where he was much happier and safer, Lada never forgot where she came from and who her real enemies are.
The third person narrative that goes back and forth between Lada and her brother Radu allows us to see a much broader picture of events. Lada’s chapters are understandably longer, but Radu’s are chosen and placed for maximal impact, always shedding light on something we’d rather not see. The relationship between Lada, Radu and Mehmed is a codependent mess, a tangle of feelings between three people who are mostly incapable of being selfless. It is a complicated knot of love, jealousy and anger so deep that it becomes defining. And I Darken cannot be considered a romance by contemporary standards, not with harems and wives and babies being born. But in an odd, disturbing way it is perhaps one of the strongest, truest romantic relationships I’ve ever read about.
White never tried to reshape the past to fit contemporary moral standards. That’s precisely what makes this book so hard to read, and what makes it stand out among many others. These challenges to our modern sensibilities delight us even while they make us squirm in our seats. The complete lack of regard for human life, embodied in our very heroine, combined with a profound disrespect for women and often children, is often enough to make our stomachs turn. But White turns it around cleverly in what can and should be understood as subversive feminist literature.
Recently I wrote about heroines that are supposedly strong and skilled, only to be proven otherwise at first serious challenge. Lada is not one of them. From the very first page, she is wild, savage and brutal, staying true to the historical accounts of Vlad the Impaler. The question of what made him (or in this case her) become that way is what White chose to explore by staying as close to historical facts as possible.
The journey from Lada the Ottoman captive to Lada the Impaler is far from being over. We’ve only just witnessed the potential, the direction she chose to take. If her beginnings are this cruel and vicious, I can’t even imagine what the future might bring. It’s almost a challenge from White to us readers to stay with her and witness this complete deterioration of her characters, not just Lada, but Mehmed and Radu as well. It will be so difficult, but if this book is any indication, it will also be brilliant.
Melissa Landers’s Starflight has been receiving some pretty enthusiastic reviews lately, full of praise for the cleverness of its plot, excellent dialMelissa Landers’s Starflight has been receiving some pretty enthusiastic reviews lately, full of praise for the cleverness of its plot, excellent dialogues and the author’s wicked sense of humor. If you’re familiar with Landers� debut, Aliented, I’m sure you know that humor is her strongest selling point, but even in that Starflight is far superior. I was surprised by this book’s spirit and charm, not to mention the loud bursts of laughter it surprised out of me. The words ‘pirates in space� should be enough to sell you on the idea of this book.
Solara is a fantastic heroine, resourceful, genuinely strong and willing to do anything to achieve her goals. She’s made some mistakes in life for which she’s still paying dearly, but she’s determined to make the best of her situation. At the very beginning, she agrees to work for Doran, a boy who bullied her in school, because it’s the only way for her to travel where she wants to go. Doran treats her horribly and she pays him back at first opportunity, which leaves us wondering how a romance between the two would ever work.
When they join a pirate ship with its odd crew of misfits, Doran and Solara are forced to work together if they want to stay alive and preferably free. Theirs isn’t an easy truce and they spend most of this book fighting and miscomunicating. It actually does work out in the end, mostly because Landers allows them both plenty of time to transform.
The secondary characters take this book from cute to really special. I liked everyone, from the kind and repentant kleptomaniac to our true star-crossed lovers. I expected Solara and Doran to remain alone, but they found a new family in space when they least expected it.
Starflight will be getting a companion novel about Cassia and Kane, but Solara and Doran will play at least some role in it. Some things were left unresolved and I can’t wait to learn where their travels might take them.
Try to imagine the most fabulous combination of the following movies: Gangs of New York, Kill Bill and Pirates of the Caribbean. Did your mind explodeTry to imagine the most fabulous combination of the following movies: Gangs of New York, Kill Bill and Pirates of the Caribbean. Did your mind explode yet? If yes, well, join the club. If not, just give it another second or two. Hope and Red is, according to its author, the first book in his swashbuckling kung fu gangster pirate romance trilogy. Yes, you read that right and no, I didn’t mistype. At this point, I believe none of you need any further convincing, but bear with me for just a moment longer. After all, gushing is what I do best.
Hope and Red is a bloody, filthy mess of sheer pirate awesomeness. The narration jumps back and forth between its two protagonists: a girl called Bleak Hope and a young highborn thief named Red. As the only survivor of a massacre committed by biomancers, Hope has known very little affection in her young life. She was trained against all rules to become a Vinchen warrior with her heart and mind set on honorable revenge. Red was also orphaned when his mother died from a horrible disease and his father succumbed to hard life and grief. Having nowhere to turn on the harsh streets, he was semi-adopted by Sally the Goat, a legend on the streets of New Laven. With her, Red embarked on many adventures, including piracy and theft.
Skovron’s characters are crude and unpolished, each of them a reflection of their surroundings. His is a violent world, the law of the slum being that the most dangerous criminal rules. I loved the grimy feel of his prose, all the filth and the dialect his characters spoke. Hope and Red don’t even meet until well into the book, but there are plenty other characters to discover until then. The book is fairly long, even for fantasy, but with so many tightly packed adventures and a wicked, dirty sense of humor, Skovron leaves us little time to breathe.
Skovron carefully threads messages about gender equality into his story. Women’s rights have clearly been at the forefront of his mind while he was writing it. Hope and Red is a subtle and entertaining feminist manifesto with a diverse cast of characters and the first (I think) kickass transgender character in fantasy. Although the values were expressed clearly and were essential to this story, they were woven so skillfully and cleverly that they never took over or overshadowed the plot.
There is nothing I would change in this book, not a single detail I wish had been done differently. Hope and Red is complex, funny and flawlessly written. The only downside is that I'd pretty much sell my soul for the next one.
As a big fan of Amy Tintera’s debut duology, Reboot, I was beyond excited to read her first foray into the world of YA fantasy. It’s my preferred genrAs a big fan of Amy Tintera’s debut duology, Reboot, I was beyond excited to read her first foray into the world of YA fantasy. It’s my preferred genre and the one I’m most selective about, but I trusted Tintera to create something thrilling and never before seen. Sadly, while Ruined was exciting and pretty decently written, nothing about it was as original or daring as it should have been. If anything, Ruined is a collage of themes and tropes we’ve seen many times before with just enough novelty to make is seem better than it actually is.
Ruined is told alternately from Em’s and Cas’s points of view. The two belong to countries at war with each other, with much history and bloodshed already between them. Although the narration is fairly divided, it was clear from her first chapter that Em would be the one to carry the book. It was important to Tintera to make her the strong, merciless and isolated heroine, a girl considered useless by her people because she didn’t possess the magic like the rest of the Ruined. When it comes to creating heroines, Tintera clearly knows what she’s doing. I liked Em’s independence and bravery, I loved that she always expressed her opinion, even when it wasn’t prudent to do so. She never came across as whiny or incompetent as so many heroines often do.
The downside of her excellent characterization was the shadow she cast over Cas. In contrast, his character was poorly done, and while it could be argued that he was too young, he didn’t have the personality fit for a future king. Cas was almost too agreeable and forgiving, he let his family, and even Em, walk all over him, and when Em failed to warn him of danger and practically betrayed him, he just forgave her like it was nothing.
That brings me to romance, which was obviously somewhat disappointing. I felt very little chemistry between Cas and Em as his impostor wife and while I didn’t see it as instalove as some readers complained, I also saw no reason for their infatuation. I have no idea where the story will take them or how they might change and evolve, but as it is, there is nothing substantial between them.
I have to give credit to Tintera for her excellent dialogues. As a huge fan of dry humor and sarcastic remarks, I enjoyed all the banter between her characters. Em’s personality came through loud and clear in every random comment and especially those things she muttered to herself in response to something someone said. In addition, it’s clear that Tintera is a great writer with an excellent sense of pacing.
While I might not continue this series (I doubt I’ll even remember the details by the time the second book comes out), I’ll keep an eye out for Tintera’s next project, hoping it will be something I’ll enjoy just a bit more than I did Ruined.
4.5 stars Brenna Yovanoff is the author of my heart and soul. She earned that place with The Space Between (which remains one of my all-time
4.5 stars Brenna Yovanoff is the author of my heart and soul. She earned that place with The Space Between (which remains one of my all-time favorites), confirmed it with The Replacement, and pretty much cemented it with Paper Valentine and Fiendish. With her magical writing, she makes me discover parts of myself or relive emotions long forgotten, which is something very few authors can do these days.
Places No One Knows is a bit unusual when compared to Brenna’s usual thematic, but no less beautiful or effective. This time she takes us back to high school to follow an unconventional romance, with just a touch of paranormal as her signature. Even without the oddities and outright magic we’ve come to expect from Yovanoff’s stories, Places No One Knows is a very powerful book, maybe even more so, albeit in a very different way.
Waverly is perfection personified, both on the outside and the inside. Outside, she projects an air of cool confidence and her every move is calculated. She knows just what to say and just what to do to keep her place in the pecking order and she does it effortlessly. In truth, Waverly is much smarter than the people around her and she knows it, but she also knows how to hide it. she comes across as more than a little manipulative, but one can’t blame her for it because the people she actually manipulates more than deserve it.
Marshall is precisely the opposite. While Waverly tries too hard, Marshall doesn’t try at all. He isn’t just one of those bad boys that are actually mommy’s boys. Marshall is the real deal: hard(er) drugs, alcohol, random girls and despair are part of his everyday life. The real tragedy is that Marshall has potential and an above-average intelligence, but that just makes him more lost and confused.
In simplest terms, Places is a book about the two of them finding themselves and finding each other, sometimes through paranormal means. It’s not an easy journey for them, and there were things I found objectionable, but it’s honest from start to finish. Brenna doesn’t bother with anything moderate or mild. She isn’t one of those authors who pull their punches due to the age of their intended audience, but the raw honesty of her prose is something I applaud and appreciate, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me sometimes. While Places isn’t my favorite of her books, it is perhaps the most important, and at the end of the day, that’s what truly counts.
Advanced review copy provided by the publisher. ...more
What could be more difficult (and more improbable) than a catholic priest and a rock star who’ve been deeply in love since childhood? It is
What could be more difficult (and more improbable) than a catholic priest and a rock star who’ve been deeply in love since childhood? It is a question Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn decided to explore together, and I dare say they found the perfect answer in their new novel, Vespertine.
Nico Blue has reached an all-time low. Things just don’t hold the same appeal they used to, not the fans, not the music, and certainly not the drugs. Being a rock star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, not when you’re doing it without the most important person in your life. But Father Jasper Hendricks is a distant dream for Nico Blue. He was once everything to young Nicholas Blumfield, but then he decided to follow his calling and dedicate his life to God. It’s been years since the two last laid eyes on each other, but with Nico desperate to recover, he has nowhere to go but home.
Once there, Nico becomes Nicky again, and tries desperately to let go of anger and resentment, which is a lot harder than it seems with Father Jazz around to show him what he’s lost. But Jasper himself isn’t as firm in his determination to stay away from Nicky. His calling might be honest, but it maybe isn’t strong enough to hold against Nicky’s appeal.
The progression and the trials of their relationship seemed very honest to me. Neither of them was quick to jump into it and let go of years of different expectations. They had very different plans and they took the time to get to know each other as adults before they decided that their love was strong enough to give up everything else for. The book also highlights the dark side of both worlds, that of rock stars and the church and both men have to work together to find common ground after all that time.
Aside from being almost torturously romantic, Vespertine brings to light some major issues of LGBT youth. Jasper’s work with these kids is equally as important as his love for Nicky and that part of the novel was handled with great care and sensitivity.
Vespertine is everything you want a romance to be: it’s painful, exciting, emotional, deeply romantic, at times desperate, joyful and even illuminating. Aside from being a story about two complex, wonderful men, it makes us think (more) about the problems of kids who don’t quite fit the social norms. ...more
Sloe Ride is the fourth book in Rhys Ford’s Sinners series, in which cops and rock stars collide to create compelling mysteries and sizzlin
Sloe Ride is the fourth book in Rhys Ford’s Sinners series, in which cops and rock stars collide to create compelling mysteries and sizzling romances. It has been more than a year between books so some will have to refresh their memory a little bit, but the Morgan brothers (and assorted relatives) make it very easy to sink back into their world.
In the beginning of Sloe Ride, we see Rafe’s decline into addiction and self-destructiveness, and it’s not a pretty sight. It’s easy to dismiss him as just another spoiled rock star, which is exactly what he is. It’s difficult to sympathize with someone when seeing him at his worst, without really knowing how he got there or what caused him to become that way. Ford pushed the limits with Rafe, coming almost to the point of no redemption, but then she pulled him back beautifully by giving him direction and purpose and making him find his way.
Quinn, the odd one out among the Morgan brothers, has always been likeable, if a bit antisocial and odd. It was made quite obvious, though not addressed directly, that Quinn falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. He is brilliant, but he doesn’t pick up social cues easily and he struggles with things other people find easy, like crowds, or even flirting.
The mystery was done well, as usual. One can always trust Rhys to make it exciting and compelling. She knows how to write a real page turner, and if the romance itself isn’t enough to keep us interested (which it is), there are plenty of murders to keep us glued to our e-readers. Oddly, Rhys’s style bothered me somewhat in this book. It was a bit more choppy and disjointed and I had a hard time following the events, but even that wasn’t enough to seriously diminish my reading enjoyment.
Sloe Ride may be the weakest of the four books, but that’s not saying much when it comes to Rhys Ford. This is an author who knows how to create a mystery, how to lure us in with the promise of excitement and breathtaking romance. Weak or not, Rhys always delivers more than most authors have to offer, and picking up one of her books is a pretty safe bet. ...more
Imagine waking up in the bed of an old, filthy truck, concussed, bound and blindfolded, disoriented and scared, only to realize that a near
Imagine waking up in the bed of an old, filthy truck, concussed, bound and blindfolded, disoriented and scared, only to realize that a near stranger took you from your family and friends, for reasons unknown, and that he’s taking you deep into the woods where no one will think to look for you. That is exactly what Ruthless puts us through on its very first pages, not caring how hard our hearts will beat or how scared we’ll be.
There can be no winner in the seemingly endless mind game that ensues. Everyone needs to lose something and sacrifices have to be made. Ruth is forced to face some hard truths about her life and become a different person, a better person, if she is to survive.
“I think I learned something in our first conversation. He wants to break me down, get to the core of me. My truth is his crack.�
We also jump back several times, at various intervals, to peek into the killer’s mind, see several events through his eyes and learn how he became who he is, how his mind and psyche got irreparably damaged. The scariest thing is that it’s so easy to see, to track the line of events that broke him beyond repair.
Ruth isn’t the most sympathetic of heroines. She is known as Ruthless among her peers because she always does what needs to be done. She too is the product of her circumstances, hard and unyielding because life often gave her no choice. But although we don’t agree with some of her actions, her fear and courage are palpable. Her strength easily translates into sheer determination to survive and such a huge admirable quality instantly brings her closer to us.
There is just a touch of romance as we see signs of love unrecognized and unacknowledged during our glimpses into the past. It’s enough to give us another reason to fear for Ruth and wish for another chance for her and the boy she loves.
Ruthless is one of those rare convincing YA psychological thrillers that challenge you on many different levels. It’s frightening because it can easily happen to any of us, but it also forces you to look deeper and understand both the monster and the girl who simply refuses to become his victim. Highly recommended. ...more
A Murder of Mages is an excellent new fantasy novel with a distinct urban fantasy feel, a rich and imaginative police procedural that tries
A Murder of Mages is an excellent new fantasy novel with a distinct urban fantasy feel, a rich and imaginative police procedural that tries to do so much and for the most part succeeds. It is a very dark novel set in Maradaine, a poverty-ridden city in which violence happens at every corner. We follow Satrine Rainey as she struggles to find her footing after an accident which leaves her husband unable to provide for their family.
It’s clear from the start that Satrine is a true mama bear, ready to do almost anything to feed her two daughters. She has no problem falsifying her letter or recommendation to become a police inspector, even if it means going back to her old neighborhood where she suffered terribly as a child.
Her partner there is Minox Welling, brilliant and misunderstood. He solves impossible cases, but he doesn’t play well with others and his fellow inspectors avoid and ridicule him. Welling soon realizes that Satrine is keeping secrets, but he also sees that she’s a great investigator and he decides to keep quiet. He has his fair share of secrets too, so why would he work against the first partner he’s liked in ages?
I enjoyed Satrine and Minox’s dynamic, especially since there was no possibility of romance. Satrine has a husband at home, and although he’s unable to walk or communicate, it’s clear that she loves him very much. With romance completely out of the picture, we are able to focus on what is truly important � the ritualistic murders of mages Satrine and Welling are working on.
As we learn more about the unforgiving city called Maradaine, we can’t help feeling grateful that we’re observing it from afar, and not actually living in it. It’s a dark and gritty place where poverty and crime rule the streets. It has a distinct historical feel, especially when it comes to women’s rights, and it’s vaguely reminiscent of Victorian London, at least the more unsavory parts of it. Maresca didn’t focus too much on worldbuilding in this first installment, choosing instead to give us only the information we absolutely need. His priority was always the mystery, and it was an excellent one. This is my first book by Maresca, but from what I understand, this isn’t his first series set in this world. It’s possible that the worldbuilding suffered because he counted on his old readers, the ones already familiar with it. But the setting was good enough even for us newbies and it provided a decent enough foundation that can be built upon in later installments.
There will be time for more details about Maradaine down the road. With two well-established characters and so much potential to work with, I predict an even better second installment. Like most series, this takes a while to really pick up, but it’s clear already that we have much to look forward to.
A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review. ...more
When I requested this for review, I wasn't aware that it was the third book in Lexxie Couper's Outback Skies series or that the first two were M/F romWhen I requested this for review, I wasn't aware that it was the third book in Lexxie Couper's Outback Skies series or that the first two were M/F romances, which was lucky in a way. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have requested it and I would have missed out on an excellent, if slightly naive story.
The level of pure heat in this novella is incredible. Couper gives us two lovely characters and brings them together in such irresistible circumstances. The story doesn't have much in the way of character development, not when it starts out with two MCs quite close to perfection, and it doesn't have much of a plot, but it's heartwarming, endearing and just plain hot.
While the whole thing might be a bit idealistic, it's nevertheless a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. The Aussie setting and glimpses of a different culture are just an added plus. Recommended. ...more
There’s a strange comfort in starting a book and knowing full well you’re going to love it, but not many authors can provide it. For me, Rhys Ford is There’s a strange comfort in starting a book and knowing full well you’re going to love it, but not many authors can provide it. For me, Rhys Ford is one of those authors, proven by the fact that I just finished her 9th book, and enjoyed every single one of them. My favorite thing about Rhys is that she always brings cultural diversity in her books, allowing me to learn about different languages, customs and even food. It was Korea and Japan in her Cole McGinnis series, and now she brings us a touch of Mexico and just a dash of Cuba, all mixed together in one Dante Montoya.
Murder and Mayhem is perhaps a bit darker that her other books, but not by much. There’s a real mystery here, not just something superficial to enable and support the romance. If anything, the murders come first and Dante and Rook come second, which doesn’t mean that their romance is any less important or strong. But the focus is all on Rook’s past and the changes his character has to go through in order to truly change his life and accept Dante's affection.
Rhys dazzles with her ability to create characters filled with life, with every single detail about them clear and thought through. Rook, with his horrible abandonment issues, acted exactly as I would expect from someone with his background. And Dante, the juxtaposition of tenderness and strength, never afraid to take risks and be so refreshingly honest about them.
It was hard at first, as it usually is with such fleshed out characters, until we truly get to know them and get comfortable around them. There were times when Rook reminded me of a stray cat, with sharp claws ready to go straight for the eyes if someone gets too close. I loved how slowly his shields went down, how hard it was for him to trust. This relationship, like all of Rhys� relationships, jumped right off the page and turned into something that was almost tangible and incredibly real. Luckily, this is going to be a series, because these characters have so much potential, enough to give us many more stories, possibly as many as Cole and Jae-Min. This is one I'll definitely reread.
3.5 stars Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider is a well-written contemporary young adult novel that will surely find its place in the hearts of many3.5 stars Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider is a well-written contemporary young adult novel that will surely find its place in the hearts of many. It’s a deliberate tear-jerker perfect for those who are chasing a few moments of catharsis.
When a book is repeatedly described as the love child of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, the reader pretty much knows what to expect going in. What’s more, an experienced reader can safely predict the beginning, the middle and the end. The similarities between the three books are undeniable. Schneider rarely strays far from John Green’s proven model, and even when she does, it’s for something that’s hardly important.
Robyn Schneider, thy name is not John Green. But it might as well be.
So does this book bring anything at all to the table, and if yes, what? Well, for one, there’s the quality of Robyn Schneider’s writing, which is excellent. She does sometimes push the profound a bit too far � I’ve found a few passages that were surely meant to be deep, but that made me laugh instead, and not in a good way. But those were rare, and for the most part, Schneider’s style was gentle and elegant.
As far as characters go, they were well thought-through, but they didn’t really jump out for me like they should have. There were some good sides, though. Although she’s a bit of a rebel, Sadie is a far cry from a manic pixie dream girl, which I actually liked. The simplicity of her character made her seem more real and accessible. Lane is a bit more complex, an overachiever, too serious for his actual age and seemingly socially awkward, at least at first. There’s a bit of history between him and Sadie, an old misunderstanding he was unaware of, but the brief past encounter makes their romance seem less abrupt and far more realistic.
The incurable strain of tuberculosis was a nice touch and a great way to isolate characters. The purpose of this disease and Latham was obvious, but still wonderfully done. For me, that was what made Extraordinary Means worth reading, not the potential heartbreak and not even the romance. But I’m sure both will appeal to so many other readers and with good reason. This is already Schneider’s second novel, but she’s already a force to be reckoned with. I just wish she would find her own, wholly original path.
I tried very hard to like this book, but with an asexual character on one side, and an abused one on the other, the story and the characters really neI tried very hard to like this book, but with an asexual character on one side, and an abused one on the other, the story and the characters really needed to ring true in order for it to work. Unfortunately, I felt that the characters were two-dimensional, the issues addressed only touched upon superficially, and Josh as a character struck me as overly weepy and pathetic. In addition, the voices were far too similar.
This was my first book with an asexual character and I expected so much from it, but it really had no redeeming qualities at all. ...more
2.5 stars It is now abundantly clear that McGarry and I will never find common ground. I’ve read several of her books by now, and while I tried very ha2.5 stars It is now abundantly clear that McGarry and I will never find common ground. I’ve read several of her books by now, and while I tried very hard not to nitpick, I inevitably struggled to finish them. It needs to be said that I went into this book with the best of intentions. I was hoping that a new series would mean a clean slate, a new opportunity and a chance to build a very different opinion. Alas, it was not meant to be.
I have to say that I fully understand the appeal of Katie McGarry’s books. They’re passionate and clever and they rely on well proven formulas. McGarry always seems to know what she’s doing, why she’s doing it and how she should go about doing it, and the end result is always a YA contemporary romance built to please her readers.
There’s no denying the quality of Katie McGarry’s writing, though. She may re-write the same formulas, but she does it exceptionally well. Her style is clean, precise and capable of evoking just the right emotions at exactly the right time. It is, I dare say, her saving grace in my eyes and it’s why I kept trying with her books even after several disappointments.
It’s clear, however, that it’s time to give up. My aversion to contemporary YA is certainly to blame, but several authors like Melina Marchetta, Jandy Nelson, Kirsty Eagar, Cath Crowley or Laura Buzo have been able to temporarily cure me of it and yet Katie McGarry never did. I suppose that alone says all there’s left to say.
Maja (The Nocturnal Library)
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