********* Learning to Fly *********
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It's so very hard to ever pick one single favorite book from o
********* Learning to Fly *********
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It's so very hard to ever pick one single favorite book from one's childhood, but I have such an easy time picking out tons of 'favorites.' The Betsy-Tacy books would definitely be up there on the favorites list.
If there was ever a book character in child form who came close to who I was a child, it would have been Betsy, the star of these books. She was all over the place, and I loved her for it. Her crazy schemes and ideas often mirrored some of the games that I forced my own friends to play. She loved to write and explore, and gently 'boss' her friends into doing things. I can relate.
And while I do have lots of memories of fun adventures and the like, I don't think I got to live quite as epically as Betsy did, so my former child self loved to indulge in these books and take my own imagination to another level of what childhood could be like.
I'm glad that adulthood didn't dampen the enjoyment of these stories. Maybe it helps to be able to remember how I felt the first time that I read the books. Because, for whatever reason, I never get that same giddy excitement when I try to read a newer/more modern children's book. The closest I came might have been with the Percy Jackson series, and that's more likely because the author included humor that would also appeal to adults, so that's kind of cheating.
The illustrations absolutely MADE the reading experience. Every single picture helped recreate Betsy, Tacy and Tib's world in my mind. I never would have imagined anything half as grand as what the illustrator gave the readers. Given that I was reading a historical book, I wouldn't have known how the clothing looked, or the rooms, etc. so it was an extra treat to have someone explain everything to me through pictures. And the girls were so darn cute.
The magic of the Betsy-Tacy world was a large part of my favorite childhood reading experiences. I was happy to get to revisit this world and still find that the magic had never left.
End note for offensive content warning : (Very) Brief mention of blackface. Little Tib reflects that she could perform a character in a play if she blacks her face. If I were to read this story to a child now, or let a child read the story, I would use the mention as a teaching experience to illustrate why this behavior is wrong and hurtful, and I would explain the history behind it. If this same mention was entertained as acceptable in a modern day book, I would refuse to finish it. Any modern author should know better.
There's also a touch of outdated gender roles in the mix as well. When Tib expresses interest in growing up to be an architect, her father tells her that this is something her brother would do, and that she would become a housewife. Again, I'd use this as another teaching moment to show how times and people have changed. Perception was not always the same as it is now. And history can be used to learn how to do better than the people who came before us.
Why don't I remember Beverly Cleary being such an a-hole with her writing?
Wait. Let me rephrase that before I ruin the name of one of the most belovedWhy don't I remember Beverly Cleary being such an a-hole with her writing?
Wait. Let me rephrase that before I ruin the name of one of the most beloved childrens' writers of all time.
Cleary did something with The Luckiest Girl that very few writers of fiction for younger readers do today : She REFUSED to coddle the reader by giving them everything they wanted. We were given a sweet-bitter-sweet resolution. Notice the use of sweet twice? This is because the sweet outweighed the bitter by a large margin. This book was definitely meant to satisfy. But it didn't satisfy with the neat little bow that so many modern stories tend to serve up.
Don't worry. There's no messy. Luckiest Girl is a throwback, written during an era gone by, when people were cordial and pleasant, and boys kept their hands to themselves, or at least 'pretended' to for the sake of the parents of the girls they were trying to date. In reality, I'm sure the stories were different up at those fabled parking spots where boys took their dates. But of course, none of that would ever be recorded in a Beverly Cleary book. Here is the land of eternal youth and optimism.
I first read and loved this story as a child, which is why I'm shelving the book additionally under childrens as well as YA (the protag is a teen). This is a very innocent story of young love. Yes, the majority of readers would consider Luckiest Girl as outdated, but I don't care. There's nothing wrong with an occasional peek at the past.
Who knew an 'almost kiss' could be so darn exciting? After reading book after book of in-depth adult content (that would be sex, people), there was something extremely magical about picking up this book and getting to read about a girl who was excited just to be seen by the other girls wearing a cute boy's letterman jacket.
It's hard to top the feeling that comes with just about any book which reminds you of your childhood. I remember being young and wanting to go on an adventure like the character Shelly got to have. The California described in this book was partially reminiscent of the California that I knew and loved growing up, but when seen through the eyes of the past, it was also a landscape that I never got to see. I wanted to go to California past and live in Shelly's less-hectic world. She made it seem like she was having so much fun!
I would love to encourage people to go back and revisit books that were their personal childhood favorites. There's something wonderful about getting to recall these little moments of joy from the past. Sometimes you'll read a passage or scene that brings to mind things that you'd forgotten, and it's like getting to recover small magical moments that you hadn't realized you'd lost. ...more
I spent a half hour writing a review and my computer crashed on me right when I was almost done. I will try again to review this properly in a few dayI spent a half hour writing a review and my computer crashed on me right when I was almost done. I will try again to review this properly in a few days when I'm not as frustrated as I am right now. But I loved the book. Yay for that....more
[image] 3.5 stars. If there's one thing Laura Florand does with excellence, it's taking the reader and dropping them down into a magical setting.
Once [image] 3.5 stars. If there's one thing Laura Florand does with excellence, it's taking the reader and dropping them down into a magical setting.
Once Upon a Rose had me wishing that I could be the main character in the story, just so I could visit an enchanting valley in France which smelled like Roses.
I don't even care for Roses.That's how good Laura Florand is at her atmospheric crafting.
Rose started out perfectly. It took no time at all for me to settle in to the story. Imagine your car breaking down in the middle of the night. Imagine walking up to a house and being invited in. Imagine a whimsical party happening. Imagine a hot, tipsy guy swooping you up into his arms and holding you close to him while he and his family entertain you with tales of their life.
Wouldn't you want to be there?
And THEN...the next day, you wake up to find yourself staying on the grounds of a rose harvesting farm. Soft breezes carry the scent of flowers while bushes sway back and forth.
Said hot guy is shirtless and picking roses to be sent off and used for the perfume oil.
And you can witness it all from your front porch.
Sign me the hell up.
The second half of the book slowed down a bit but it was still a lovely read, nonetheless.
I missed the ever present humor that was abundant in this author's Chocolate Thief series, but the great atmosphere made up for it.
Sometimes, lowering your expectations is a good thing. You might end up getting more than you thought you would.
He knew their bad start was ge
Sometimes, lowering your expectations is a good thing. You might end up getting more than you thought you would.
He knew their bad start was getting even worse, and he loved it.
A few people warned me that The Chocolate Kiss didn't have the same magic as its predecessor, The Chocolate Thief, and this is true.
But that doesn't mean this book isn't magical in its own right. It's just a different kind of magic. Where book 1 was sparkles, rainbows, and unicorns, book 2 was more like a rabbit being pulled out of a hat. I don't even say that as a bad thing. It's just a different type of magic, one less grandiose and in-your-face.
The setting itself counts as part of this magic. Picture a chocolate shop/tea house filled with hats and witches and references to sorcery. I'd want to hang out there. [image] Anyone remember the movie You've Got Mail? If not, I'll refresh your memory. The lead female had this adorable, magical little book shop. The lead male moved into town with a big box book store. Their rivalry ended up sparking something more. This is sort of the premise for Chocolate Kiss. Magalie has the charming little shop. Philippe has the notoriety of being one of Paris' most famous pastry chefs. So of course, when Philippe moves in on Magalie's block, there's going to be some tension and rivalry.
"Magalie. Do you want me to be a beast?"
Rivalry (as a rule) can make for some entertaining fights and encounters. This book doesn't disappoint.
I love reading "neighbor from hell" stories. It's much more fun to watch enemies become friends than it is to see people who instantly like each other.
I may not be tripping all over myself the way I was with reviewing the previous book but I still thought this was cute, sweet and had the perfect amount of rivalry tension to make the story delectable.
3.5 stars. P.C. Cast is a bit of an odd duck. Gihugic? Really? I mean, I was down for the use of ginormous (because duh...that word is perfectly usabl3.5 stars. P.C. Cast is a bit of an odd duck. Gihugic? Really? I mean, I was down for the use of ginormous (because duh...that word is perfectly usable), but there has to be a stopping point somewhere!
At least there wasn't raging, explosive diarrhea in this book. Oh wait...
She should be sore and tired and probably battling a raging urinary tract infection from too much sex.
OMG, MS CAST. WHY DO YOUR CHARACTERS SEEM TO HAVE SUCH VIOLENT BODY REACTIONS?!
All kidding aside, I found Goddess of Light to be a fun little escape. I'm still surprised at how much less frustrating these books are from her House of Night series. There's still a small dose of silly behavior, but the dial is turned down quite a bit. I, personally, wasn't sure what Apollo saw in Pamela (she reminded me vaguely of some of my least favorite Kristen Ashley female characters) because from what I recall, most of their conversations revolved around her job and her love of fashion.
So I'll just focus on Apollo. I kind of missed all of his badassery from the prior book. He was less of a presence here. However, he was still entirely "male lead" material. So there we go. Me likey just fine.
As a romance/slash/sexually charged book, Goddess fit the bill for the mood I was in. Of the two books I've read in this series (I skipped number 1), both worked as entertaining late-night reads. This is the perfect kind of escape when you just want to get in to the story without having to work for it.
There's something about the notion of being with a god and possibly having a future as a goddess which makes for good brain candy. It's not a horrible fantasy to have, right?
"Perhaps I should bring her a gift..." His words floated through the chamber as his body wavered and then disappeared. "I think the heart of the God of Light will be gift enough," Lina said, sighing heavily. Hades shrugged one shoulder. "Jewelry never hurts."
Up until the end, I enjoyed most every moment.
NOW, that's not to say that the end was bad. Most readers will find the end completely endearing. This would have been an ending that I enjoyed in a literary fiction or magical realism book.
It WAS a good ending. And since we all know that romance books have happy endings, there's no spoiler in saying that the ending was happy (okay, there were no hand jobs...not that kind of happy ending).
BUT, I wanted a different ending. Did this same type of resolution actually happen with Apollo in the old myths/legends? Did Apollo even ever have a girl? Because I was unsure why (view spoiler)[Pamela was so happy to drink of the river Lethe. If I'd been in her shoes, I would have been nervous and sad that I was losing everything I had in the present, even if my future was guaranteed. (hide spoiler)]
Also, was Apollo (view spoiler)[ever going to be a god again? I'm not sure if I understood. Was he only going to be born and reborn as a human? (hide spoiler)]
Gah. I am so torn. I think Pam should have just stayed (view spoiler)[in Elisium and they could have hooked up there. (hide spoiler)]
It was all so sweet, but WEIRD!
Sorry for those end spoilers, but I'm hoping someone has an opinion on this! ...more
Rooftoppers was a fun read. If my ten year old self had read this, surely I would have rated the book 4 stars. My adult self wasn't as invested (sinceRooftoppers was a fun read. If my ten year old self had read this, surely I would have rated the book 4 stars. My adult self wasn't as invested (since I wasn't the target audience; my opinion doesn't count against children!), even though I appreciated the charm of the story. Matteo reminded me slightly of a childlike Han Alister, or perhaps a far more innocent version of a scamp from Oliver Twist.
Caught between the upper end of childrens' and lower end of middle grade, I'm shelving the book as childrens, although readers of both age groups might find something to enjoy with Rooftoppers.
I might keep the book to gift to my younger son in a few years.
The little illustrations present at the beginning of each chapter were a nice addition to the story.
If cats like Max existed, sites like Match.com would go out of business.
Adorable story with a stronger start than finish. I am not really a cutesy booIf cats like Max existed, sites like Match.com would go out of business.
Adorable story with a stronger start than finish. I am not really a cutesy book reader, but one of my groups put this up for a buddy read, so I relented.
"It's a kitler." "Kitler?" "A cat with a mustache."
Max is a loyal pet. He wants to find a match for his owner because she deserves some happiness for treating him so well.
Did I mention that the cat himself was the narrator?
Was this a mate for Melody? Had Max found him already?
Nope. Try again, Max. In typical cat fashion, Max has a few detours on the road to love.
The rapidly moving laces were almost impossible for Max to resist, but he managed to control himself.
This story would have been more awesome if Max had spent most of his time seeking out Melody's mate and running into a variety of characters. Alas, the funnies started to dwindle as serious time crept up on us.
Ah well. I guess I'll describe this as cute but forgettable. ...more
4.5 stars. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I probably over-gushed in my status updates but I don't care. I still
Stacia loses it in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
4.5 stars. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I probably over-gushed in my status updates but I don't care. I still feel like gushing. Let me have this. I don't do it very often.
I've never been a huge fan of most chick flicks but there's something about the feeling that I got while reading The Chocolate Thief which made me want to curl up on my couch and watch the couple from inside this book come to life, while starring in a pretty, magical world on my television. Note : this book is romance, not chick lit. If you've known me at all, you'll already know that I don't always have the best relationship with chick lit, which is probably why I waited so long to read The Chocolate Thief, even with all of the glowing recommendations. The cover had me thinking I would be picking up chick lit - which the book is not.
I honestly couldn't stop smiling while reading Chocolate Thief. Just as soon as I thought I was done being giddy, the feeling would come back again. And again. And again. ~ There were silly antics aplenty. ~ The ridiculous arguing actually added to the story instead of detracting from it. ~ The chocolate descriptions were so wonderful, I wanted to sample every single creation. ~ The balance of humor, plot, and steam had me glued to every page. ~ Sylvain was divine. I'm not sure how the author managed to write him so I was able to read into his passion, insecurity, arrogance, sensitivity, and romantic vulnerability without making him come across as anything less than wimpy or a jerk (it truly could have gone either way). But somehow, he managed to be all of these things and it worked. Seeing his point of view helped instead of hurt the cause in this (rare) instance.
Cade (yes, this is the chick) thinks : He was so delicious. How unfortunate that he was such a jerk.
Our French hero was a pain in the ass but it was in the most amusing way. I wanted to see the look of horror on his face every time he was presented with the offer to sell his chocolate recipes. I would have been just as indignant as he was, and probably just as arrogant. IT'S GRADE A CHOCOLATE, PEOPLE. IT SIMPLY CAN'T GO ON A WAL-MART SHELF.
Sylvain's response: He gritted his teeth on a surge of fury. What did they teach people in that country?
Is this where the hashtag of first world problems is supposed to be inserted? Because our lead female probably got tired of being lumped in with the stereotypical wealthy American. It was kind of nice to read about a person who wasn't down on her luck or dragging tons of baggage with her. She was just a silly, driven, slightly odd duck, trying to make her way in the world. Her stalking and thieving antics were hilarious.
I mentioned the chocolate descriptions earlier, but let me address the fantastic imagery in the book as a whole. *cue wistful sigh*
All around her, the sorcerer lurked, in every darkest shadow. He was not there, of course. Logic told her he was home asleep. But logic had little to do with the feel of him. He was here. She felt him here. Watching her explore his lair - his eyes gleaming in the shadows.
The descriptions continue, setting a mood which is delicious and spine-tingling at times in a good way. When the story comes to a head with Cade becoming The Chocolate Thief, you want Sylvain to appear from the shadows, and hope and wait until he makes his appearance.
In case you missed my status updates, there was a FABULOUS scene with steam that is now on my list of "favorite book scenes ever." No joke. Every so often, I want to high five an author. This is one of those times. The staircase scene = perfection.
The "fast fall" aspect was handled well. Not all speedy romances translate quite as smoothly without looking too desperate or needy. I found the pace believable for this particular couple. These two people had such a strong connection through their passion for chocolate that it made sense how they would be so drawn to each other in a whirlwind of strong emotion.
Do I have complaints? This is not really a spoiler but if someone doesn't want to know about when the steam happens/doesn't happen in the book, don't click on this tag. (view spoiler)[I kind of wish that the steam level had taken longer to grow because I felt like climax came too soon (hah) and things tapered off too much after that. The second half focused more on the romance, which I did like, but I didn't understand why all of the sex scenes started fading to black after a while because we got much more detail in the first half of the book. It seemed inconsistent. (hide spoiler)] For those not reading the spoiler - it was a VERY minor complaint, and nothing that detracted much from my enjoyment of the story.
Romance readers - read this book! It's funny, cute, sweet, and sensual. So many romances only hit a few pleasure points, but Chocolate Thief swept the board with its magical setting and offbeat characters. Just like Sylvain's chocolate, the recipe for this book is divine.
From his pocket he whips out a red lollipop - one of the fancy ones you can only get at the Cracker Barrel.
3.5 stars. It is entirely possi
From his pocket he whips out a red lollipop - one of the fancy ones you can only get at the Cracker Barrel.
3.5 stars. It is entirely possible that the above sentence made me think of the unfortunate interview in the picture below.
[image]
That noted, I do think Cracker Barrel has some awesome candy.
What's my point in all of this, you ask? Well, my point is, that I might have laughed a few times at the character antics in Racing Savannah. It was a fun, cute, and enjoyable love story.
I won't act like there weren't a few moments sprinkled throughout which made me twitchy, but I'm able to overlook a little bit of awkward pining, repetitive questioning of self worth, an overdone focus on scents, and ridiculous snap judging when there was some character growth present. It was all kind of a balancing act. Sure, I kind of had a "trying to be relevant?" thought when Twilight and Harry Potter references showed up, but then one of the main characters had Star Wars sheets and I couldn't help but smile. So yeah...balancing act. We almost toppled over a few times, but I felt like there was enough positive to keep the stack from crashing.
I never want to hear my dad say "doing the nasty" again.
When stacking this book up against similar books in the genre, I think it came out ahead of the last several I've read. I wanted to smile. I wanted to see some horse racing. And I guess I got that!
The strength of this story was mainly in the humor and the details around Savannah chasing her dream of racing horses. The characters themselves were not always three dimensional in my mind. I felt like they were popped out of "make your own YA character" molds and dropped into the story.
Even if I didn't attach to the characters and wanted to tell Savannah to loosen up a good portion of the time, I'm glad I took a chance on the book. It might have taken me a week to read because I was busy, but I keep coming back when I had the chance.
"In my heart, I'm an exotic dancer," Jack replies. "What. A. Dumbass."
This book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
3 "I appreciate the effort" stars. Not bad at all...I think most people adored North Pole Reform School more than I did. In all fairness, the humor wa3 "I appreciate the effort" stars. Not bad at all...I think most people adored North Pole Reform School more than I did. In all fairness, the humor was well-timed, the flirting was sweet, and there were enough sugary feel-good holiday moments to satisfy lovers of fun holiday movies near and far. Even though Santa started off as kind of a grouch and zombies surprisingly got a nod, the story stuck with a traditional "what goes on at the north pole" theme, complete with elves and lots of Christmas-related puns and names.
Other than a few swear words (which never bother me, but seemed out of place in this particular story), North Pole had a very "family friendly" kind of vibe.
If you're looking for a fun book to kick off the holidays with cheer, this might be a story you want to check out. I'm no Grinch, but I think I might have been hoping for a bit more mischief with the words "reform school" in the title.
Are you an adult who loves to read and chat about young adult books? Join us over in the Rated YA-MA group! ...more
Not long ago, I noticed that the amount of books I'd given 1 star ratings to had eclipsed the amo
Newsflash : Stacia actually gives a damn.
Not long ago, I noticed that the amount of books I'd given 1 star ratings to had eclipsed the amount of books I'd given 5 star ratings to. There was something about this shift which bothered me. Had I truly become so jaded by reading that I'd somehow completely forgotten how to fall in love with books?
Today, I realized that this isn't the case. It's nice to be reminded that I can fall hard for a book after having a long, dry spell.
The feels were all over me. I couldn't wash them off if I tried, and I don't think I'm ready to let go of them yet anyway.
"Wouldn't it be funny if we're the ones that start the whole lock thing?" "Maybe we do." "I like that," she says. I don't have the heart to tell her that in 2010, all the locks will be removed. Or that, in 2011, they'll start reappearing. They can cut our lock off. We'll just come back here together - in 1998 and 2008 and 2018 - and replace it every time it gets removed.
There's no way to review this book in-depth without spoiling, but if you were a fan of Time Between Us, you'll find more of that goodness in Time After Time. I wasn't sure if the author would be able to pull of a sequel which could live up to the first book, but this was truly the icing on the cake. If you haven't read Time Between Us yet, do yourself a favor and get on this right away if you're a fan of sweet love stories without annoying characters. Contemporary romance (whether YA, NA, or adult) has suffered the past few years from heroes and heroines who are parodies of real people. I felt Bennett and Anna's story the way I would feel a story as if I were living through it myself. There are no TSTL females or over-confident jerky males up in this mix. I sat back and watched two normal people living an extraordinary life.
...and I got teary eyed while doing it.
"I don't get to hold on to any of it. I can't stay here. This isn't my home. And every time I have to go back, it kills me. Every. Single. Time. And it always will."
To whom it may concern in the movie industry : Time Between Us needs to be a movie, please. I don't care if this subject has been done before plenty of times. I'm willing to forget I ever watched any other, similar movies for the sake of this story.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes provided from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
[image] Sometimes love is sweeter the second time around. I'm thrilled how my second short story of the day turned out to be a success, especially [image] Sometimes love is sweeter the second time around. I'm thrilled how my second short story of the day turned out to be a success, especially since I struggled to connect with the previous story I'd read earlier.
This was my first time picking up anything by Rachel Gibson and I'm happy to report that it was a positive experience. I'm not sure why I hadn't tried her before, but I think I might have been under the impression that I'd be reading bargain-priced-grocery-store-style-basic contemporary romance. And maybe this wasn't all that far off in style, but I don't care because I honestly enjoyed Blue by You.
It was :
Cute Funny Sweet Sexy
...and managed to fit my current mood perfectly.
Kasper and Blue met when she was 18 and he was 21. Their instant chemistry fueled a passion-filled experience. Then before Blue could even process what had happened, Kasper was gone. Over two decades later, these two cross paths again. The magic is still there, but Blue doesn't feel like she's able to open her heart up to the man who broke it once.
I don't always like flashback scenes, but Kasper and Blue's original meeting was handled in such an intense and beautiful way that I was completely caught up in their chemistry. The first stirrings of young love is a feeling which so many of us can relate to.
By allowing us to see the past, it guides the reader to dare to hope for what could be. I was drawn right back into Kasper and Blue's love affair when they met again, even though twenty two years had passed. Because I knew the past, I was invested in wanting their lives to come full circle.
"You make me ache," he whispered against her cheek.
The "deep south" setting felt like a third character and the history of the rivalry between Blue and Kaspar's families was downright amusing - think Hatfields and McCoys. The relationship was built on teasing banter, and was revived on teasing banter. These two were quite the pair.
"Believe it or not, we have better things to do at Dahlia Hall than gossip about your family." "Like marry your cousins and make big-headed babies?" Weren't the Pennington men supposed to be sugar-mouthed? "That hasn't happened in a hundred years!" Or so. It was kind of a touchy subject.
It's rare that I find a short story which manages to include enough detail to make for a rewarding read. Blue to You managed to do this and leave me satisfied when I was finished. I will definitely be looking to read more Rachel Gibson in the future after being impressed by this short little gem of a story.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy....more
Embarrassing life moment #72 : The daughter of the people you work for informs a room full of guests that she saw a man touching your "bubbies."
3.5 stEmbarrassing life moment #72 : The daughter of the people you work for informs a room full of guests that she saw a man touching your "bubbies."
3.5 stars. I get it, Claire. I've lived through that exact same moment, except without the use of the word bubbies. Darn kids.
"It's gross, pressing your lips against a girl. Papa and Mama even used their tongues. It makes me sick."
The kids are part of what made The Governess Club : Claire such a fun read. One minute they were fighting, the next they were peeing their pants. Yes, I do mean it. The kids were hilarious. Some of the conversations involving kissing and how babies were made had me grinning.
This is an extremely short read. In a way, that's a good thing. You get in, get some laughs, indulge in some sexy time, and get right back out. I didn't mind the rushed love story, even if screamed insta-love. The romance was actually quite adorable. The overall feel of the book worked fine as a quickie. I kind of liked the weird Mary Poppins-meets-Little Women-meets-The Prince and the Pauper thing that was going on here. The characters were likable and the story was easy to enjoy. These are the types of books that work for people who are in a reading slump and need something quick and painless to clear their heads.
Jacob was a man with a secret. He took a job as a tutor, looking to hide from his past. Even though he could have come across like any other duke or earl, there was something real about him. He saw what he wanted and he went for it in a way which came across as bold without necessarily being alpha for no reason.
"You really shouldn't scrimp on your smiles. They have the power to make men do foolish things."
Claire was a lovely woman who caught the eye of many men. She knew her station in life, yet didn't wallow in self-pity in order to gain attention. I appreciated that her innocence was portrayed as something that just was, almost as if she was fine with shedding that skin when the time was right, and didn't need someone else to convince her when that time was. Her character struck me as one of the least complicated HR heroines I've read in quite some time.
Simply put, this couple was a lot of fun to watch when they were together. My favorite scene with these two was a great mix of sweet, fun, sexy and cute. What was this couple doing? They were making toast. Yes, toast.
Screw the fancy dinners and lavish gifts. If you want romance, THE GOVERNESS CLUB CONVINCED ME THAT TOAST MAKING IS WHERE IT'S AT.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some toast might have been burned in the making of this book. Who am I to say? All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final copy.
Declining to write a real review or rate this book. I'm not going to rehash my personal opinions about other off-site issues because we went there alrDeclining to write a real review or rate this book. I'm not going to rehash my personal opinions about other off-site issues because we went there already on my review for Flat-Out Love. My opinions haven't changed and I won't be reading anything new by this author, but I wanted the closure for Matt and Julie's story that I didn't get in FoL, so I decided to read this short follow-up companion for that reason.
Moving on. If you haven't read Flat-Out Love, do not pick this up or you will be confused. There is a prequel to FoL, a few of the FoL chapters re-written in Matt's PoV, and an epilogue to FoL from Julie's PoV. Everything jumps all over the place and you won't really get the gist of the story if you try to read this first.
For what it's worth, I didn't realize that Matt would be so into (view spoiler)[oral (hide spoiler)], so that was a nice little surprise. ...more
Logan's PoV. For as much as I complain about all of these Pre Read thoughts :
Woo hoo, I'm excited to crack this open!
Hellllooooo boobies on the cover.
Logan's PoV. For as much as I complain about all of these side stories with series....it's Logan. He's my Dimka 2.0. I'll take it!
Post Read thoughts :
I'll keep this short and sweet, since the page count is small and I don't want to write something as long as the read itself.
Being in Logan's head was not what I'd expected. I wanted to see more of his thoughts toward Gwen, but other than going back to what he was doing at the end of book 4 (which wasn't really a romantic moment) and a slight measure of time past that, I didn't get any sort of big insight about Gwen through his eyes.
Was this a must-read for the series? Probably not. No reader is going to be lost if they go right from book 4 to book 5. This truly was an "extra" little snippet, and in a way I'm grateful for that. It's always preferable to keep the "in between" shorts optional for the reader. I wasn't going to miss it though because I will take my Logan scraps, thank you very much.
This was pretty much a quick and easy way to spend a few minutes, so I'm glad I had this to read while I had an awesome man in the kitchen making dinner for me. :p
Spartan Frost was provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I probably won't rate Nutcracker Prince until I do a re-read because my feelings might have changed in the years since reading.
Yes, this is a basic hI probably won't rate Nutcracker Prince until I do a re-read because my feelings might have changed in the years since reading.
Yes, this is a basic harlequin-type romance that's been churned out among a long chain of books at a mile a minute, but I read this darn book several times, many years ago, because I loved the mysterious KGB agent and his secret relationship with an American woman who he never got over. There was more to it than the typical "here's daddy back to reclaim his child" story (as advertised with that cover).
Just going off my recollected feelings, but this would have been an enthusiastic 4 star back when I read it. Will the book have held up with time? Who knows? I hope to get a copy of this someday and see if it still gives me the warm fuzzies....more
3.5 stars. I'm pretty sure I've already made the Hex Hall meets Sky High comparison, but I can't not bring it up again. This is the kind of comparison3.5 stars. I'm pretty sure I've already made the Hex Hall meets Sky High comparison, but I can't not bring it up again. This is the kind of comparison which should be perceived as a good one, though. Burn Bright followed a promising (yet shaky) first book and amped up the danger, adventure, and (somewhat) forbidden attraction.
There's still one part superhero sci-fi...
"You just told us the world is ending. I'd like to know how much time I have to prevent it."
And several parts paranormal romance...
"Our first date is not going to include hospitals, Harrowers, apocalyptic predictions, or my mother."
But it's not a confused genre thing which has me liking what's going on. And it's certainly not the hodgepodge of different character traits and plot points that I've seen in other, popular series, because these books are not working with the freshest ideas or most unique story.
This is simply all about the fact that an author came along and decided to bring the fun and adventure and romance - and it all came in a smartly written package.
I have absolutely no notes in my book copy about stupid decision making or awkward social skills. Imagine that.
Leon was willing to die for me. It was the sort of thing that sounded romantic in theory; the type of wild, passionate declaration you hear in movies. But this wasn't a vow. It wasn't a promise. It was a fact. Cold, hard, inescapable. And it didn't feel romantic. It felt terrifying.
A female lead who gets it? Who knew?
Moms with young teen daughters might enjoy the experience of reading the Dark Star books together. The emphasis on family and loyalty is a positive message set in a story which doesn't feel preachy or disingenuous.
This would be a cute little movie franchise. Go, Disney, go.
Book provided from publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted from the final version.
I'm right there with you, Gwen. Not a whole lot can really beat LFQ, although hanging out with a bunch of flying gryp
Logan Freaking Quinn.
I'm right there with you, Gwen. Not a whole lot can really beat LFQ, although hanging out with a bunch of flying gryphons comes pretty close!
As if the talking sword and the wolf as a pet weren't awesome enough, the "Stacia really wants one of those" factor was increased with the addition of gryphons. WHY CAN'T I HAVE A GRYPHON??? That Gwen Frost gets everything. Never mind that evil beings are trying to kill her at every turn, because she gets cool toys. And Logan Freaking Quinn. Sometimes life is a trade-off. Danger for all the swag, right?
These books are so much fun. I don't get near enough fun in my book-reading life. I need more crazy adventures with mythical creatures, apparently.
Daphne's black eyes fixed on the dead reapers. "So," I asked. "How was breakfast?" Daphne arched an eyebrow. "Obviously not as exciting as yours."
This installment of the Mythos Academy series surprised me. I was happy to see much less repetitiveness of character descriptions this time around. Estep's writing appears to have been been polished up quite a bit, of which I wholeheartedly approve.
I wasn't happy with having to wait SO darn long to see Gwen's my Logan (before you start worrying that I have strange creeper tendencies, I always picture book characters as older than they are), but when he showed up, he showed up in a big way and made the wait worthwhile.
One of my favorite things about Midnight Frost was getting to see everyone pulling together as a team, even more so than they have in the past. Nickamedes has inched his way into my heart, so it was sweet to see Gwen really pulling for him. In a way, this band of misfits has become their own sweet little family and I love it.
I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say about Midnight Frost. Those of you who have been reading along so far, I'm hoping that you'll enjoy this as much as I did. The start was a little slower than I would have liked (which seems to be a weird thing about this series in general), but the second half of the book was great. Those of you who haven't been reading and like mythology and adventure, put this series on your list. It can be fluffy at times but sometimes that's okay - especially when you're having too much fun to care.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes were taken from the pre-published copy and may be changed or omitted from the final copy.
"It's because I am odd. I can't help it." God help him, he wanted to kiss her senseless. He wanted to kiss her senseless because she was odd. "P
"It's because I am odd. I can't help it." God help him, he wanted to kiss her senseless. He wanted to kiss her senseless because she was odd. "Pippa-" he said, knowing he shouldn't speak. She cut him off. "Don't tell me it's not true. I know it is. I'm strange." "You are." Her brows knit together. "Well, you don't have to tell it is true either."
I'm sure some of you are probably wondering why I would choose to start off a review with such a peculiar quote.
Here's why I chose it : odd is good. In fact, odd is better than good. How could I not root for a quirky, cute, bespectacled, science-loving heroine? The hero fell for her oddness. How darn adorable is that?
In fact, I really couldn't tell you that much about the hero himself. He didn't really stand out for me as far as male leads go...and to be honest, I didn't really care. However, he did play a very nice role in what was a very impressive scene of seduction involving unconventional methods. Often, what we aren't expecting is the thing that ends up appealing to us the most, and this scene worked quite nicely for me. In fact, I think this scene is what a lot of people are going to be talking about when they read the book. However, I can read a hot sex scene any day, so that wasn't was impressed me the most, even though this is technically a romance book.
Why? Well, let's go back to the odd thing. Instead of the heroine's voice narrating every single perfection about the male lead and his sensational face or physically fit body, we got to hear about how much Pippa loved Cross's bones. Yes, that is what happened. She went into detail about how she loved the way his bones were formed. Nerdy Girl wins points with me.
What else should I say? I think I might have seen this story a few times before, in which a woman propositions a more experienced man to "enlighten" her on the concept of coupling (there's your 5 second book summary in a nutshell), but it really was the female character herself that was the breath of fresh air in this book.
I have no humor or witty quips for this review (sorry friends, I'm still coming down from a food coma because of the evil holiday faeries who kept shoving food in my mouth). One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is a pretty straightforward historical romance. If you like that sort of thing, then there's a good chance you'll enjoy this book. If you don't read HR, then I'll see you in another day or two with something different for your consideration. :p
This book provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review....more
Stacia (the 2010 club)
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