Review ~ Dark Souls (Dark Souls #1) by Ketley Allison

ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 29th 2013

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Description:
19-year-old Emily desperately wants a name for what she is. For what is consuming and torturing her. For what is changing her. 

But she’s not crazy like her mother. She’s not. 

Emily may not be as crazy as she thinks, because her body is no longer her own. Something is stirring inside her. It is soft, seductive, and tells her what to do to survive. As Emily learns that her world has been infected by demons that consume human souls and fit seamlessly into the bodies they empty, she must also accept that she is one of them. Yet, she is different from the rest, because her darkness didn’t inhabit her, it was awakened. 

And Emily must choose a side.

My Opinion

OK, so I will admit this book has taken me a long time to read - like a few months- as certain things have got in the way and I had to put it to one side for a while. However I have finally been able to finish it over the last two days.

When the author contacted me about reviewing this book I was intrigued as she told me it was a NA paranormal novel. As most NA around right now include romance, it caught my interest. I'm also a big fan of darker novels and this is what Dark Souls seemed to promise with both the blurb and the title. It was definitely at the darker end of the paranormal scale but now that I have read it, I would say it would better classed as a book aimed at the upper YA market.

The start of this book intrigued me. It built up questions nicely that developed the suspense and tension about who and what everyone was. It also created a good relationship between Emily and Macy. I liked their friendship and I could relate to Emily's situation when being dragged out by friends. It was believable and set the book up well. 

I read the first 30% with no problems at all and I found myself wanting to read on. However, after that I felt the book didn't hook me as well and, unlike other books, I know exactly why: the secrets were left hanging too long. Most of the problems I had with this book stemmed from that reason as rather than receive answers to move the story on quicker, I felt things dragged a little and I just grew to dislike Emily. For me she didn't do enough to find anything out for herself and I just couldn't sympathise with her in any way as she fought a the battle with her demon. I found her to be too isolated and shut off which, for me, created a cold character that you don't want to vouch for.

Saying that Dark Souls did pick up again but it wasn't until the 80% mark did I find myself wanting to read more. Once Emily found out what she was everything started to become better as there was another element to the story than just "what am I?" However, once Emily's character is revealed, everything else became kind of obvious as to who Asher and Gwyn were and what was going to happen. 

Personally, I would have liked the reveal to come earlier and then learn about Emily's demon side even more as things like the powers were a little underdeveloped. I feel that if this had happened then there would have been more depth to the book and allowed for a more climatic ending.

Overall though, although Dark Souls didn't connect with me, paranormal fans might enjoy this, especially if you're into darker fiction. The relationships are believable, the start is tense and I liked the different take on demons that aren't related to Hell. I thought the way the author portrayed them was interesting. Dark Souls shows the potential this author has but I feel the structure and pacing of the book needs a bit of work to develop certain aspects and add more depth so it can be a great read.

Review ~ Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 28th January 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Description:

Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. ESPECIALLY not boys.

Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be.

Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means.

My Opinion

Personally, I am slightly disappointed by this book. It started off well but then just became predictable with every twist glaringly obvious way before it was revealed. Basically I continued reading it because I was waiting to see Brooke's reaction. I didn't hate the book, there was something that kept me reading (which I will explain later) but it just fell a little flat and I feel indifferent to the story so I'm finding it hard to write this review as I just didn't connect or engage with it very well.

Anything to Have You started off well. I liked the friendship between Brooke and Natalie it was believable and I could sympathise with Natalie's attitude of not wanting to party but being dragged out by friends. The characters worked well together and I think Brooke's wild side complimented Natalie's more reserved, introverted nature. They bounced off each other and I liked the banter between them.

However, everything slowly started to go down hill after the first party. The author tried to set it up so there would be questions as to who had done what but it was just blatantly obvious, and after that the clues as to Natalie's condition were unmissable - well to everyone but her that is. I just found it irritating that she didn't consider the one factor that was so obvious. As well as this, the dual points of view were annoying. The book is written in first person and in parts so you get big chunks from Natalie or Brooke's point of view. This surprised me when I first saw it as I wasn't expecting a switch at chapter 8 and I thought it might be an interesting spin. However, most of the time it started off repeating previous events just from Brooke's pov. To me it felt like it was just padding and that there wasn't enough story to begin with so to fill it out the author retold sections which wasn't necessary. I feel that if you are going to do dual povs then the story needs to be moved along by it not moved backwards. Personally I feel that the author should have used third person if she was going to tell certain situations from both Natalie and Brooke to limit the repetitive nature.

Overall, I don't really have much to say about this book. It was predictable and slowly went downhill but ended alright. It wasn't bad but I think it's just an average read as there was nothing that made me go wow. I just feel very indifferent.

Review ~ The First Christmas Without You by Michelle Betham

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 19th December 2013

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Description:
A story of love and hope at Christmas, The First Christmas Without You is an emotional and poignant novella. A truly magical Lapland fairytale…

Jessie Collins has always wanted to visit Lapland. But this Christmas, more than any other, it’s the place she feels she really needs to be as she tries to come to terms with a future she really needs to start living.

My Opinion

The First Christmas Without You was a very short read that I flew through. It surprised me with where the author took the story as I was not sure what to expect when requesting it. The description gives virtually nothing away so all I had to go off was the title. It turned it my thoughts were way off base though.

Set in Lapland, it created the perfect winter feel with a hint of magic that comes with Christmas and snow. I will admit I didn't feel there was much description with the setting and I would have liked more to really involve you in the world but you could still see the world through a general knowledge. However, because of the small amounts of detail, the writing flowed quickly and the character's story evolves rapidly which kept me engaged.

There was an instant attraction but the mixed emotions and hardly any contact didn't make it seem like a whirlwind romance. I would have liked more of the romance but the book ended in a nice sweet spot that leaves you smiling which was surprising. Everything I had heard up to reading The First Christmas Without You was that I would need tissues it was so sad but honestly, I didn't feel sad at all reading it. I sympathised with Jess and felt sorry for her loss but I never felt sad for her. I went in with the idea that it was going to be about a break up but I was soon corrected in the first few pages that Jess lost her husband. I guess this was the sad aspect people were talking about but personally because it's only stated and you never hear about Jase when he's living I didn't feel much towards it as there was no connection built.

Overall though, it was a quick, sweet read about getting over the loss of someone. It was enjoyable and something I sped through in front of the fire.

ARC Review ~ Midwinter Magic by Erica Ridley

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 1st December 2013

Publisher: Intrepid Reads

Description:
After an eye-opening congressional hearing, former corporate shark Jack Morgan redirects his ill-gotten gains toward charity work. However, his attempts to bring holiday cheer to a Bolivian village meet with one disaster after another: canceled flights, crumbling luggage, implacable customs officials. His plans disintegrate further when he runs into a sexy tourist with . . . wings?

As Jack's guardian angel, Sarah Phimm has her work cut out for her. When his latest volunteer mission risks his life, she's forced to reveal herself to him—but only in part. She can't risk him knowing the truth. He's everything her immortal heart desires, but can never have. She soon discovers that keeping him safe amidst death bridges and tumbling telephone poles is far easier than guarding her heart.

My Opinion

I have been hunting around for Christmas novellas a lot at the moment, especially ones with romance as although they are slightly cheesy, they are normally feel good reads.So, when I saw a Christmas novella by Erica Ridley on NetGalley, of course I downloaded it. I loved her novel Charmed when she contacted me about a review so I was intrigued about this little novella.

Midwinter Magic for me was a slow starter. It took a long time for me to get into it and personally I felt it only started to pick up around the fifty per cent mark. I found the beginning to be very slow and repetitive with the same things being said over and over. It was like I was stuck in a cycle of "Jack wants to help," "Sarah wants to tell him and help other people but she can't break the rules." There was a lot of this repeated because the book was written like it was narrating their thoughts. Personally I would have liked more interaction with the character and more speech as I found myself skipping sections due to the repetitive nature.

However, saying that, at just over fifty per cent the book really changed and started to pick up.Erica returned to the playful style that I had become accustomed to in Charmed and I found myself hooked and finishing the novella in hardly any time at all. There were parts that made you smile, there was action and a trip to Nether-netherland which is always good in my books. There was a slight Christmas aspect but being set in Bolivia it wasn't the white Christmas I love in these types of books.

Overall it's a quick, easy read with a Christmas theme. It's what you would expect from a book like this and was enjoyable. 

Review ~ Impostor (Variants #1) by Susanne Winnacker

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: Jan 2nd 2014

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Description:
Tessa is a Variant with extraordinary abilities. She could be a hero, but all she wants to do is fall in love ...

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she's spent the last two years with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. There she trains with other Variants, such as long-term crush Alec, who each have their own extraordinary ability.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor - the stress, the danger, the deceit - but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she'd do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

My Opinion

I can't help but feel really let down by this book. The blurb sounded really interesting. Superpowers, romance, murder, mystery? I couldn't ask for more from a description. However, I just feel that it was a really average read now I have finished it. For me there wasn't much originality in the book and it seemed like Sophie McKenzie's Medusa Project with a slight serial killer twist.

For me, the main issue was that it was all just very predictable. I felt that the author kept trying to lead you in certain directions to believe who the killer was but in the end it was so blatantly obvious that it was a false set up, it only left one possible conclusion which I figured out at forty per cent. For that reason there wasn't much suspense in this book for me. The fact that there was a relatively small cast who weren't developed that well with background also made it easier to figure out. I feel that if the author had gone into more depth about each suspect then it would have been less predictable.

As well as this, I found the book to be kind of sick and twisted. A gilr pretending to be a dead girl and lying to her parent??? And then at the end they have to lose their daughter all over again??? I know it says it in the blurb but reading it is different when you get dragged into the story. I just felt it was twisted and wrong. Like why did she have to turn into Maddison, she could have investigated just as well as some one else.

The other thing was the irritating unrequited love that was added to the story. It was painful to read. It doesn't make Alec likable and it switched from romance to murder, romance to murder. It rendered the book jumpy and I just didn't like it. Tessa seemed naive and had a lack of common sense which drove me insane.

The one thing I couldn't figure out was everyone's motives. I knew that Alec and Kate were keeping from Tessa but the author gave no clue as to what that was. However, when everything comes together at the end I did feel it was a bit anti-climax and a let down. I finished on a 'was that it?' which is never good for a book.

Overall the premise was interesting but for me Impostor lacked development and structure. It was too jumpy and predictable. It was a quick and short book but I feel it needs more development in the mystery and character aspects to turn it into a good mystery/suspense. For me, Impostor is average.

Review ~ Echo Bay by Gina Robinson

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 17th September 2013

Description:
SOME MEMORIES ARE TOO PAINFUL TO FACE
Tara Clark is spending her first Christmas at her grandparents' resort lodge since herbrother died near there in a snowboarding accident on Christmas Eve ten years ago. When her matchmaking grandma sets her up with tiny Echo Bay's newest resident–none other than her ex-fiancé Ryan Sanders–not even a record snowfall can dampen the rekindling of a love that wouldn’t die.

SOME LOVES ARE TOO STRONG TO DENY
When Ryan Sanders returns to the small town he grew up in, his life feels nearly complete. But as the snow piles up in the week before Christmas, and his ex-fiancée Tara shows up, Ryan has to face the truth that he has never really gotten over her. And with Christmas Eve fast approaching, all he wants for Christmas is Tara.

My Opinion

I've had this book on my iPod for a few months, yet I've been putting off reading it because of the Christmassy and festive theme. I just couldn't muster the energy to start thinking that far ahead but now coming to the end of November I decided it was okay to start reading it finally!

I'm not sure this is going to make sense but this book felt like it had a homely, Christmas feeling and atmosphere that just enveloped you in the beautiful landscape and setting the author creates. Everyone in the book pulls together, knows each others business and I liked the over all effect the author gave the lodge. It was a friendly and welcoming vibe that almost made me fall in love with the place in my head.

I loved reading books set in ski resorts in the winter. For me they are the perfect fireside reads, especially when they involve romance and this book had both. I liked that the book included struggles that Tara had to face by moving back to Echo Bay and I liked she was strong enough to face the fears on the slopes. The ski sections were a nice change of pace in the book.

As well as this I loved some of the sweet moments in the romance - especially the first one in the forest. They were playful, sweet and put a smile on my face. They were the moments that felt most realistic and natural in the book for me, in regards to their emotions. I really wanted more of these sections as for me, the build up to the romance is always better than the actual romance. This was was of the problems I had with the book. There wasn't much of a build up. Tara and Ryan were a very much hot and cold couple and I found some of the shifts in personalities slightly annoying. 

When Ryan and Tara weren't together, there are a lot of thoughts and for me this slowed the pace of the book dramatically. As well as this sometimes they could be quite repetitive as the book would switch from Tara and then to Ryan. I like seeing inside a characters mind but for me that's all this book seemed to be. I wanted a bit more action, whether on the slopes or interaction in the romance. 

The only other issue I had was the meddling grandparents. At the start of the book it was cute and sweet. However, when Margie was still interfering towards the end I found myself starting to dislike her. I just wanted her to let the relationship unfold by itself, and I felt it lessened the romance.

Overall though, Echo Bay was an enjoyable winter read. It made me feel Christmassy and although it's a bit slow and stiff in parts, the sweet heart warming moments and HAE makes up for it.

Review ~ Stage Daughter by Sheryl Sorrentino

Paperback received from the author in exchange for a fast track, honest review

Release Date: August 1st 2013

Publisher: Self-published

Description:
Every unmarried woman fears unwanted pregnancy (just as every married man dreads discovering he fathered an unknown child). Sonya Schoenberg dreamed of someday becoming a famous actress, but instead, a hapless, one-time tryst with a Muslim man lands her the lifetime role of single mother. 

Alone and forsaken by her family, Sonya tries to keep her dream alive through her “stage daughter,” Razia, now a precocious pre-teen enrolled in a competitive performing arts school. But Raz prefers drawing to drama and has no problem defying her mom to get what she wants—be it piercing her own ears, doing a dumb dare, or hunting down her biological father, Aziz. While Sonya struggles to keep a tenuous hold over rebellious Raz, she stubbornly sets her sights on transforming her mom’s “sperm donor” into a doting dad. Meanwhile, Aziz (the father of two in an arranged marriage) follows a script all his own trying to convert his newfound daughter to Islam. Can this troubled threesome improvise a successful “second run” despite deep-rooted animosities and seemingly insurmountable barriers? Or will bitterness and bigotry forever steal center stage? 

A daughter's determination, a mother's mistrust, and a father's faith collide in this witty and powerful story of healing, forgiveness, and family.

My Opinion

I was intrigued into accepting this book because I was curious about how the author was going to deal with so many factors. It had the promise of rebellion, a teen trying to find herself, family values and religious conflict by which the two parents do not agree. I was interested to see how she entwined all the themes.

What I liked about Stage daughter was that it moved at a fast-pace. The chapters were kept relatively short but were filled with quite a bit of detail. The author didn't hang around in one scene for too long so this made the book easy to continue and I managed to finish it in around five hours. 

As well as this, the story did have realistic elements to it. You could clearly see the emotions of the characters being true and although I didn't really connect with them, it was believable. You could see it happening in real life so it did make the book feel authentic in that sense. The strongest emotions that were believable and for me crafted well was the love of Razia. The worry, love, anger and determination for her to have the best life possible was clearly there and easy to recognise, even if Sonya was a bit controlling.

Another thing I liked was the fact that the author included more to the story than just a rebellious child. She showed different aspects of both Sonya and Aziz's lives so the book did have more depth to it. Also because the who book was written in first person it was easy to see things from the character's POV. I will admit the writing style did confuse me slightly though as each chapter brings a new view point - either Razia, Sonya or Aziz and I feel that if you are going to write in first person like that you need to state the name of the character who is narrating at the beginning of each chapter. Because Stage Daughter did not do this I found myself turning the page to a new chapter thinking "oh no, who's POV is it going to be from now." and when it first happened I even read chapter 1 again thinking I had misinterpreted who was speaking. By naming each character this problem would have been avoided.

My biggest issue with this book however is the age of Razia. The author places her at twelve years old, however because of her attitude I imagined her to be more around fifteen or sixteen. For me everything she did felt wrong for her age. I'm not saying twelve year olds don't go through these types of things but in a book it felt slightly weird to read. I mean Razia was cursing, smoking weed, piercing her own ears, running away, becoming an emo and nearly getting suspended. Her language also seemed a bit mature and stiff. In my opinion that is a lot for a child to go through in such a short time. I can understand wanting to rebel and find herself but I think the author went a bit over the top with her reactions - it just didn't feel right for her age in my opinion.

As well as this Sonya didn't strike me as the best parent. Her love for Razia was obvious but then she would go around f-ing and blinding inn the school playground and at times used violence. She also said things that made me think "would you really say that to a 12year old?!" For me it was these parts that made the book a bit far fetched for me. There was too much going on. I think the author needed to narrow down the issues and focus of a few rather than trying to cram as many as she did in.

Moreover, because there was a lot going on in the book I did feel the story was a little jumpy at times. I did read one chapter about Aziz and it seemed to come out of nowhere. There was no hints (except one and it wasn't obvious until you skim back), build up or anything - the information was dumped on you. I can see how it linked and was part of Aziz's story but I would have like more build up to that moment so it didn't seem so random.

OK, now before I go any further, I want to state that this is purely my opinion on the book. It is not meant to offend anyone so please don't take it that way, it's just how I felt when reading.

When I accepted Stage Daughter I knew there was going to be religious elements, however I didn't realise how heavy it was going to get. I will admit that at times it became overbearing and I felt like I was being lectured on matters of Islam when Aziz was speaking. He was always quoting the Quran or trying to be a good Muslim. I also feel that the author was deliberately picking on the most extreme laws in the religion. I don't know whether it was to show a cultural difference between westerners and Islamic beliefs but for me, once again it was too over the top and was a bit unbelievable. I know Islam is stricter in certain regions and I'm not saying the author didn't do her research, but I came away with a lot of questions from the book about whether Muslims really do some of the things the author listed. Although some of them were true, after checking with my friend (who is Muslim) he informed me that a lot of it was not and that they were the extremist cases which did leave me slightly annoyed as it seemed like a bit of a generalisation and stereotypical.

Overall Stage Daughter was a fast-pace read that touched upon many issues. There were parts I liked and parts I found let it down. I would have liked more on Razia wanting to become an artist as I felt besides at the beginning and end that issue disappeared and I would have liked a bit more action. For me the same thing of Sonya getting angry at Aziz and insulting him became old quickly and I would have liked more diversity. Stage Daughter is an interesting book but for me there were too many factors that stopped my connecting with it.

ARC Review ~ Teardrop (Teardrop #1) by Lauren Kate

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 22nd October 2013

Publisher: Random House UK

Description:
Never, ever cry...

Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean.

And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense.

Can everything you love be washed away?

My Opinion

So when I was trying to think about what to say in this review my mind kept returning to the similarities in Fallen. I didn't really want to end up comparing them as they are a separate series and I wanted to give this book a chance rather than judge it on Lauren Kate's previous work, however now that I've read it I just can't help but find a lot of similarities. 

Lauren Kate's Fallen series lost more of my interest as the series went on, I loved the first book but by the end I was reading just to see how it ended and that's what I ended up doing with Teardrop. It started off well and I loved the idea of Atlantis, Eureka not being able to cry and romance. In fact I loved the prologue, it really hooked me and I loved it was from Ander's point of view. Now looking back I wish the whole book had been like that. 

Of course there were aspects I liked. The cover is beautiful and only made me want to read the book more. As well as this the book does have its fast-pace and engaging moments. It fell a little flat in the middle for me but the start and the ending were the redeeming qualities to this book. There was some good action and although a lot of the storyline was predictable towards the end it does make me want to read on and leaves you with the promise of more action and drama. 

The main thing that I didn't like about Teardrop was Eureka. She was a bit bland, naive and because of that it made her a bit annoying and I couldn't really connect with her. It seemed to take her a while to figure things out and for that it was frustrating. As well as this she didn't seem to have much of a personality  I wanted her to be strong like when she was around the twins. When they were involved she came into her own but after that she reverted straight back to her old ways.

Overall I think the premise of Altantis is interesting and although parts of the book were predictable or slow there were enough factors that enabled me to enjoy this book. For me, I think it is going to be the next book that makes or breaks the series for me as I liked the way it ended and what it promised to come. 

Review ~ Fallen (After #1) by Traci L. Slatton

Paperback received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 12th July 2011

Publisher: Parvati Press

Description:

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides eight children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other.

My Opinion

It was the premise that caught my attention with this book. I liked the idea of the Mist as it wasn't going to be the standard paranormal novel. It also had strange powers, the promise of romance and a dystopian theme so obviously it sounded like my kind of book. However, having finished the book I feel a little let down as the book didn't live up to what I thought it would be.

The book started off really well and did catch my attention. It set everything up nicely and portrayed Emma as a strong determined female lead. It was also tense and introduced the subject of the Mist well. It showed how deadly it was and it also hit upon a mother's love for their child. However I felt that as the book went on this atmosphere was lost. Emma stayed strong throughout though which was good but I couldn't connect with her. I wanted more thoughts, to see inside her mind and get her opinion, especially as this book is written in 1st person.

For me there was just too much text and not enough speech - and the speech that was there felt very stiff. It made the book very slow to read and dense so I found myself skimming sections, especially nearer the end. I felt that there was a lot of unnecessary description that didn't really add anything to the story and there were parts that were underdeveloped which I wanted to know more about. For example the whole paranormal aspect is never really explained very well. We get a little idea about the mist but have to wait until the penultimate chapter for it to be revealed, which was frustrating. Also the abilities created by the mist weren't really developed well for me. Emma had a healing ability but I didn't understand how it worked and why she couldn't heal herself or certain condition and I wasn't keen that the author made the character unwilling to learn as for me it felt like an easy way of not having to come up with the back story. I wanted to know the limits of the ability, how they were created and what triggered it. It needed to be more developed. 

As well as this I didn't really understand the setting.  I think it was in Paris (can't be sure though). Slatton created such a diverse range of nationalities in her cast of characters that it became slightly unrealistic as it just didn't seem to fit with the location. It was hard to keep up with who was who and then it led to questions to why were they in Paris to begin with when the Mist hit - something that wasn't really explained.

My biggest issue with the book though was the relationship. The description implies a "sweet" romance but it just felt wrong to me. The first time Arthur appears, Emma basically gets him to look after her and the children by offering sex. After that Arthur seemed to force himself upon Emma and she some how went from being reluctant to pleased by it within a matter of seconds. It was unrealistic and kind of creepy. I couldn't see how she would fall for him after stuff like that and it didn't make him likable. 

Overall, although there is something I can't put my finger on that kept me reading. However, Fallen was just too slow for me to engage with it. For me it needed to be broken up a lot more with speech or shorter sentences to change the pace every now and then. It also needed more development in terms of the paranormal aspect. The premise has potential and I think with work it could be an interesting book however for me I feel slightly indifferent and that it was just an average read right now.

Review ~ The Trouble with Mojitos by Romy Sommer

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 17th October 2013

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Description:
Turquoise blue waters. Sandy white beaches. Mojitos... Film location scout Kenzie Cole has found herself in paradise. Working in the Caribbean for a week is just what she needs to escape the long line of exes in her closet. Though the last thing she expects is to be picked up at the resort bar by a disgraced former Prince!

Luckily for Kenzie, exile is suiting the man formerly known as Prince Fredrik very well. And it’s not long before his rugged, pirate charm is proving hard to resist.

But Rik’s been spending his time in paradise exorcising demons of his own and he has danger written all over him. If Kenzie was sensible she’d run a mile instead of lose herself to lust - although, they do say sometimes you have to get lost before you can be found....

My Opinion

Well this book just has me stumped. On one hand it was a nice, sweet book but on the other I feel it was lacking something and that is what's bugging me - I can't put my finger on it what was missing. I did enjoy it but I had this empty feeling once I'd finished it, I was slightly confused (I'll explain why in a bit) so I decided to sleep on my review and see if I could figure out why this book has stumped me.

Firstly, I love the setting in this book. I would love to live in the Caribbean and so imaging the authors world was like a dream come true for the few hours it took me to read The Trouble with Mojitos. I also liked the fact that Kenzie and Rik were exploring islands that had been left untouched for years, it made a nice change from touristy sites and romantic getaways in places like Paris. 

As well as this the author definitely managed to cram a lot of history into the small amount of pages. I liked how Rik's history was dragged out from the book and although there are a lot of obvious hints as to why he is in the situation he's in, I liked that we had to wait to get a confirmation on our assumption. I would have liked a bit more detail on what actually happened with all of Kenzies other 'bad guys' as well though. I felt her back ground was a bit underdeveloped and rushed, with a story about one guy coming out right towards the end.

For me the book started and ended well but the middle fell flats slightly as the pace slowed down. I think is where the main issue appeared for me. I just felt really detached from the characters and didn't engage with their story. I found it all a little predictable and although the romance was sweet, I didn't find it passionate. For me I wanted more playful flirting and teasing from Rik's side as the build up to the romance is my favourite part normally. He said he was going to be able to make her beg for him by the end, but he never really did a lot to follow through on that in my opinion. I just wanted more.

I did like the ending though and I was glad the book picked back up when Kenzie returned to Europe. At least Rik had a bit more fight in him. However the epilogue just didn't make sense. It was like I had walked into a totally different book and because there was no mention of rings at all in the previous chapters I was just the confused so although the book redeemed itself it then crashed back down on the last few pages and rather than a happily ever after ending I was left frowning as I tried to remember if I could have missed something.

Overall The Trouble with Mojitos is a sweet read that did keep me turning pages. It was quick at had a lot of detail in certain aspects but not in others. It was enjoyable but personally I feel it lacked the wow factor which is maybe why I feel indifferent to it - it needed more of a build up in the romance. If you like quickly sweet reads though you may want to check it out, it's by no means a bad book - I just didn't connect.

Review ~ Untraceable by S. R. Johannes

Copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 29th 2011

Publisher: Coleman & Stott

Description:
16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. 

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. 

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

My Opinion

Ok wow, where do I start with this book... On one had I was really gripped by it, especially at the start but on the other I am extremely frustrated by it. This description intrigued me into requesting this book but this book definitely took a different turn to what I was expecting.

Anyway, I'll start with the good points. First of all the start really hooked me. I really enjoyed  the mystery and suspense created. I also liked how Grace was portrayed as a strong, determined, kick-ass character that was able to fend for herself. I liked how driven she was to discover the truth no matter what others said. Her judgment wasn't swayed and I admired the author for sticking to that. Normally, I find it common for authors to make their characters doubt themselves and their belief. Grace didn't do that which was good. Moreover, I liked her dry sense of humor.

As well as this I liked the romance sections, they were a nice break from the heavy emotions and trauma in Grace's life. I liked that it enabled the reader to see a different side of her - a more relaxed side. The book also moved at a fast pace so kept my interest well.

One thing I liked and found original was that the chapters were named "survival skills" and had a message underneath each one. I enjoyed them and they also set up the theme for a chapter - it was just a unique thing for me.

Right...so now on to the negatives. For me it was the first half of that book that was great but the second half really let it down. It felt like the author involved too many people, too many problems and plot strands that it all got too much for her to keep track of by the end. For me the ending was ridiculous, every time something happened I just kept thinking "really another one?" and then you read on another chapter and it just got worse. I couldn't keep up with who was alive or dead - it was just stupid. 

For me the author went off the plot of a daughter finding her dad too much and it became more about an animal cruelty message. No matter how much I'm against animal cruelty and agree with her message, I don't want to read about their treatment in graphic detail. I wasn't prepared for it and in the end I skimmed those sections as I hate it.

Another thing that I just found made the book unrealistic was the continuity errors. Grace would go into the woods in daylight and 20 minutes later she was pulling out a torch because it was so dark. It just didn't make sense! Also, for someone who grew up and was taught all about the woods, Grace never seemed to be that knowledgeable about anything. Besides a few basic things like keeping up wind to avoid being tracked, Grace seemed to have no common sense and just kept making mistake after mistake which I just couldn't believe. I mean who lights a fire when they are trying to stay hidden?! Also Grace was uncoordinated so it just made it lack believabiltiy even more.

The final thing that really annoyed me while reading this was the British side of things. I don't know why but when Americans write about British characters they always resort to this stereotypical demeanor that is like it has been ripped from Mary Poppins. WE DON'T SPEAK LIKE THAT, SO STOP IT!!!! "Smashing," "Crumbs," "Bloody" are not words you will hear coming out of a fifty year old's mouth let alone a 17 year old English teen. It was so false and everything about the English sections really wound me up. Every time Mo came up some comment was made about his accent or the difference in country. We aren't another species, it doesn't need repeating over and over again. Everything about the whole British section needs re-writing for me to not only modernise the language but to also correct some of the terms as some of the things Mo says are not things people in the UK will say. 

Overall the first half of Untraceable is really good and I think it has potential. There are some issues that need correcting for me, the British thing being one of them but none the less it was an interesting read that did sustain my interest.

Review (ARC)~ Steel Lily (The Periodic Series 1) - Megan Curd

eARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 20th August 2013
  Publisher: Self-published

Description:
AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued. But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

…Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

My Opinion

I'm really struggling to make my mind up with this book. On one hand I liked certain aspects while on the other it didn't really capture my interest as much as I thought it would. I'm not sure if I went in expecting too much after seeing all of the five star reviews but for me I think I'm swaying towards feeling slightly let down. It started and ended well but for me the middle fell flat and didn't deliver as much action as I would have hoped.

First of all the world building in the book was great. Megan Curd describes everything in detail so you can imagine it perfectly. I did feel it was a little excessive at times but when introduced to a new setting for the first time it definitely puts a clear picture of the surroundings in your mind and grounded you in the novel. I liked the colours and senses used to describe the world but I'm still not sure what all the cogs were about though...

As well as this I also liked the Elementalist part. It's one of my new favourite paranormal aspects right now so this was the main reason I agreed to review this book. I liked how the powers developed throughout and Avery became stronger but I would have liked a little more detail on them and the other Elementalists. There were brief moments but after mentioned once you very rarely met them again. Such as Kloey, I loved the scene with her in the dining room but after that, I don't think she appeared other than in conversation at the end.

One thing I think was clever was how the author tied the title into the book. I didn't expect Steel Lily to carry a meaning outside of the title but I liked that it was a subtle metaphor carried throughout the book. 

OK, so now the issues I had with Steel Lily. The main one was age of the characters, especially Jaxon. Jaxon was made out to be this hot, muscly guy but then he was revealed to be sixteen? It just didn't fit with characteristics and I think he was pitched too young. In fact all of the characters seemed too young and I couldn't help but imagine them around 18/19. Their mannerism, physical descriptions and attitudes were all older than they were created at and to me it felt wrong, especially in the romance (which I wasn't too keen on, it felt awkward). Also Jaxon had dreadlocks and not that I have anything against that but for me that made him the opposite of the 'hot hero'. 

As well as this the author used a lot of idoms "rose tinted glasses" etc throughout the novel. I can handle a few but there seemed to be an excessive amount in Steel Lily and I found them slightly irritating as they are so common. Also a lot of times they were used it was when characters were giving advice and once again it made them older than they were supposed to be. As well as this I  wasn't keen on the banter between the characters as I didn't find it funny. 

While on the topic of writing there were a few continuity errors. I didn't understand how Avery and Alice would recognise carbon fibre and silk if they had been living in dome 4 all of their life where they were just scraping by. I also didn't understand how she could have not recognised Legs straight away. There were a few others as well that just led me to ask questions as it didn't make sense. This was an ARC though so I hope these have been caught in the final stages of editing.

Overall I'm really undecided about Steel Lily. I think the description is good but for me the pace was too slow and could not hold my interest for a long time. I was reading it in bits, rather than getting immersed. For me it lacked any 'wow factor' and I feel it's just an average story. It's enjoyable as I wanted to finish it but was average.

Review ~ Goddess (Starcrossed #3) - Josephine Angelini

Paperback purchased by myself

Release Date: 23rd May 2013

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Description:

She must rise, or they will fall ...Helen's powers are increasing--and so is the distance between her and her mortal friends. To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a dangerous traitor is lurking among them, and all fingers point to Orion. Still unsure whether she loves him or Lucas, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, or risk all-out war. The final book in this heart-stopping trilogy.

My Opinion

This will be another short review as it is the final book in the trilogy and I don't want to give anything away. I was eagerly awaiting the release of Goddess since I finished Dreamless and although it isn't my favorite series the book definitely delivered.

I found Goddess to start off quite slowly and it took me 3 days of stopping and starting before I was hooked. However once I got over the initial slowness it gripped me and I read the rest in one sitting. I had this with most of the books in the series. The start always confused me or took me a while to get into so I kind of expected it with Goddess.

Once the story got underway I liked the action, mystery and use of prophecies to give alternative views on how the book could play out. Although I knew how it was going to end and wasn't really surprised it was intriguing to see how the author tied everything together, especially with a complicated family history for all the Scions and gods. As well as this I liked the use of Helen's memories to give us little clues about what has happened and what was going to happen and the flowed in brilliantly with the the main narrative. 

The ending was definitely the best part. I love an action filled ending and although it's predictable (aren't most final books) the action was great! Not a lot happens in between but the ending is worth the wait. It was also a satisfying ending that ties up all the loose ends and answers all your questions which was great as the book ended on a high for me.

One thing I wanted more of was romance. There was hardly any! It was all subtle hints and interpretations and I wanted more from Helen and either Orion or Luke. This side of things felt really under developed for me and I kept hoping for more and being disappointed. 

Overall Goddess was an enjoyable read and ended the series satisfyingly. I don't think it lived up to the standards of the previous books in the series especially, Starcrossed but it was enjoyable none the less. I would definitely recommend the series.