Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

A New Adult story in the form of a more traditional romance is a refreshing change.  There are no gimmicks, no “mystery” element that isn’t much of a mystery, no deals, bets, or games, and there is nothing supernatural or magical.  Frankly, it’s a relief.  In book world there seems to be a trend of 50 Shades-type fetishism, or a story with little to no plot that is only driven by sexual encounters.  Layne gives us a story that we can become immersed in that is driven by Parker and Ben and the simplicity of their story.

The dual narration is great- Ben is a normal guy whose thoughts and conversations aren’t profanity-laced idiocy masquerading as an authentic voice.  He’s a strong character who is presented well on the page and in his interactions with other characters.  Alternately, Parker is not a wishy-washy girl who doesn’t realize how amazing/attractive she is.  She’s a realistically drawn, independent, confident character who can easily be a fictional role model for readers. 

As usual, Layne’s writing is spot-on.  There are many genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud moments that are characteristic of her New Adult stories.  She definitely knows her intended audience and her characters are always representative of them.  The pacing is excellent, the plot progresses at an excellent rate, and although it seems as if there can’t possibly be a satisfying conclusion for both Parker and Ben, there is never a sense of being forced or rushed.  Nor are there any overly sappy, trite moments that make readers want to gag.    

Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne- Definitely read this one.  You won’t regret it.  Available from libraries and booksellers now. 

Deviation (Clone Chronicles #2) by Heather Hildenbrand

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

 

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this installment of the Clone Chronicles.  There were parts that were excellent and full of action.  And there were parts that didn't make a lot of sense, story-wise, and were overflowing with cheese-tastic dialog, characters that had been dynamic suddenly falling flat, and a sense of being rushed through the reading.

Ven really irritated me this time around.  She was whiny, irrational, and not herself.  Which sounds odd to say about a fictional person, but it felt almost as if the book were narrated by someone else posing as Ven.  Several scenes seem to be just tossed in for the sake of inclusion rather than any actual pertinence to the story line. 

Regardless, Deviation is still the second part of this series and I feel it necessary to read if only because you'll miss a few important things and might be confused during the third installment.  You might not be a fan of this one individually, but to get a sense of the encompassing plot of the entire set. 

Deviation (Clone Chronicles #2) by Heather Hildenbrand: A must if you're going to read the series.  Otherwise mass chaos and confusion will ensue.  Available from libraries and booksellers now.

Waiting for April by Jaime Loren

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is decent if you're looking for just a romance.  The problem overall, however, is that it's not just a romance.  There the angle of reincarnation, with a theme of soul mates who will find each other in any time or place. 

The characters are presented well, each being fairly memorable and unique.  The concept of the story is a good one.  Sadly, it just doesn't mesh together.  There is entirely too much time devoted to the coupling-up of April and Scott.  A mystery is hinted at.  Intrigue is introduced.  Danger is definitely dangled.  But the development of plot isn't really there. 

I felt as if the ending was rather slapped together, not to mention unsatisfactory.  If you have read any of my other reviews you'll know that I am not always a fan of a happy ending.  I love an ending that leaves you feeling a little cheated, so long as the ending makes sense for the rest of the story.  But the suspense is quickly flung into an overly dramatic, not-clearly-explained mash-up of plot twists that leaves you dangling over the edge of a cliff by your fingernails. 

Waiting for April by Jaime Loren: I can't say I recommend this book, but I'll leave it up to you whether or not you'll read it.  Just don't be surprised if you're not a huge fan by the last page.

Scratch by Rhonda Helms

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. 

This story fell short for me.  The characters were a little flat, and while the struggles presented could have been riveting they seemed contrived.  I would have liked more development.

I think, more than anything, the writing leaves much to be desired.  It feels awkward, stilted, and forced.  Although given a direct line into Casey's thoughts and feelings, an essential connection is lacking.  I felt badly for her, and I hoped she would come to terms with her past, but I never felt what she was feeling.  I couldn't put myself in her place at all.  Perhaps someone else could have made this story resonate more with me.  It was a quick read, though, and someone  else might enjoy it more than I. 

Scratch by Rhonda Helms: 2 out of 5 stars.  Available from booksellers and libraries now.

Beneath Beautiful by Allison Rushby

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beneath Beautiful is a stunning new adult novel.  Rushby gives us a story full  of introspection, dry humor and awesome characters.  As a somewhat successful author who can't find inspiration for her next book, Cassie is a main character to whom many of us can relate.  Who doesn't have a family member (or two) who thinks every decision should be made for us?  Who doesn't worry that, no matter how much they love us, our best friends might worry for our sanity after making rash decisions?  Who hasn't been torn between doing what we think is right and what might really need to be done? 

Beneath Beautiful is a lovely story of the journey it takes to become an adult.  Excellent writing, wonderfully drawn characters, and a nicely paced plot will leave you wanting more- even after the thoroughly satisfying conclusion. 


Beneath Beautiful by Allison Rushby: 5 out of 5 stars.  Available now from booksellers and libraries. 

Until You Find Me by Amber Hart

I couldn't connect with the characters in this book at all.  Raven annoyed me with her incessant anger and refusal to even try to understand her father.  I admit, it wouldn't be easy to have a dad who seemed to care more about gorillas than his own family, but by the halfway point of Until You Find Me, she still hadn't given any indication of having any feelings other than blind anger.  Jospin also seemed incredibly shallow, with little character development by the halfway point. 

I gave up there because I'd already spent days trying to get into this book.  Neither the characters nor the story had me hooked enough to keep going until the end. 

Until You Find Me by Amber Hart: 1 out of 5 stars. 

The Silver Tower (The Silver Tower Saga #1) by Colee Firman

What started, for me, as a standard tale of a girl who longs to break free of her family's expectations ended up a richly detailed adventurous fantasy that left me wanting the next installment now.  Or sooner, if possible. 

As a protagonist, Sophie was excellent.  She doesn't just accept things as "the way they have to be." There is a lot of development on her part throughout the entire book.  The rest of the cast works well around her, even when people didn't turn out to be what I expected.  There were unlikely friendships made (Maven is a particular favorite of mine), betrayals, alliances, and yes, a romantic entanglement.
 
The Silver Tower kept me turning pages until the very end, and now I kind of regret it.  Mostly because now I have to wait (and wait, and wait) for the next book.  The writing is great, the dialogue is never forced or feels fake, and I'm going to have to find more of Firman's books to read in the meantime. 

The Silver Tower (The Silver Tower Saga #1) by Colee Firman: 4 out of 5 stars.

Handpicked by Dani Oden

As an introduction to college life, Handpicked is fairly accurate and occasionally humorous.  As a mysterious peek into the deep, dark secrets of sorority life where people go missing and someone is stalking the girls of a certain Greek organization, this story leaves a lot to be desired. 

There is a lot of lag time between a girl going missing and a severed hand being left for someone to stumble upon it.  There is even more lag time between the hand being found and the solving of the mystery.  Mostly that time is filled with stale descriptions of classes and parties, and completely inane chatter about the locations of closets, desks, and beds in a sorority house.  By the time the resolution finally rolls around, it feels rushed, disjointed, and frankly, uninspired.

I can't honestly say I'd recommend this, and after reading it I wouldn't buy it for my own collection.  I'm sure someone, somewhere would really love it, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the suspense arena.  The only thing that does recommend it is that the writing style is decent.  Sadly, that just can't override an tepid plotline and a slapdash conclusion.

Handpicked by Dani Oden: 0 out of 5 stars.

Blood of My Blood by Barry Lyga

Barry Lyga delivered an explosive story with twists I didn't see coming.  This is a truly chilling tale of what humans are capable of- murder, torture, and the haunting truth that one never knows what one will do when pressed into an impossible situation.  Blood of My Blood is the stunning conclusion to the Jasper Dent trilogy. 

Blood of My Blood by Barry Lyga: 5 out of 5 stars.

Also, even though I think Jazz might be too young to be familiar with My Chemical Romace, their song "Famous Last Words" is my theme for him.  It ran through my head often during this entire trilogy, and now when I hear it I think of him. 

Midnight Dawn by Jocelyn Adams

This is an action-packed fantasy novel that combines great writing with excellent characters.  Adams presents a world for Addison and company that seems plausible enough to scare you into wondering what would happen if it were true.  Even though I didn't read the first one, I didn't feel like I had missed too much.  All my questions were eventually answered, and the ending was neatly done.  Not everything was perfect, but everyone's fate was included before the final page. 

Midnight Dawn by Jocelyn Adams: 4 out of 5 stars.

Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles

Although the story of the college bad boy taking the freshman nerdy girl on as a dare isn't a new concept, Miles weaves a story that is wrenching and beautiful.  Olivia and Brax both have secrets that they don't want anyone else to know.  They both have clear goals for themselves.  They both have people and circumstances they'll do anything to protect.  From their (planned) meet-cute to the last page, readers will keep wanting more.

There are a few issues with this story- ones that are fairly easily overlooked for the sake of the story.  One is lack of character development for any secondary character.  We get snippets of them, but they have no depth at all.  Much in the vein of Katie McGarry's books, there isn't really any room for other people in the telling of this tale.  They enrich it, but they're not really integral to the plot.

My other issue is the occasional chapter narrated by Brax.  He shows up rarely, narrates for a few pages allowing us insight to his thoughts, and that's nice.  But it's not an even split and I wonder at the motivation behind it.  Why include it at all, if it's not going to fully explain things from his point of view.  These segments mostly present a little more mystery to the story rather than providing real answers.  Although I am thankful that their narrations don't overlap, time-wise. 

Issues  aside, the writing is strong.  I laughed aloud in several places.  I think that, more than anything, is indicative of a writer's talent,.  Miles began with a hook in the prologue and kept this reader turning pages until the end- even if it meant I stayed up much later than usual to finish it. 
This is the first book by Miles that I've read, under this name or her pseudonym, and because of it I am planning to read others. 

Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles: 4 out of 5 stars.

Firebug by Lish McBride

Lish McBride has given readers an amazing protagonist and an excellent cast of characters revolving around her. Ava is fantastically sarcastic, delivering snarky comments to others in the books while directing hilarious thoughts and references to the readers. I laughed out loud several times in the course of this book, and not just because of Ava. 

 Ezra and Lock are her perfect foils, alternately baiting and looking out for her.  They work well as a team, supporting and antagonizing each other.  Readers will find themselves cheering them on with Ava, and wanting to smack them an instant later.  If that's not indicative of best friends, I don't know what is. 

 The rest of this motely crew is also great.  Whether friend or foe, human or otherwise, each person McBride presents to readers impacts the story line.  Although there is clearly going to be another book to go along with Firebug, there aren't many loose ends left flapping in the wind.  Inevitably there are questions, but none that will drive anyone crazy until the next volume. 

I, for one, am greatly looking forward to the next Firebug novel.  McBride is wickedly funny and Ava and company showcase her craftsmanship flawlessly. 

Firebug by Lish McBride: 5 out of 5 stars.

A Lonely Magic by Sarah Wynde

Wynde has built a world in which those in power struggle against each other, and the natural progression of their lives.  Fen is a sarcastic heroine who does her best to keep up with rapid changes (including an attempt on her own life, being transported into an underwater world, and having a tattoo that speaks to her) and doesn't like to rely too much on anyone but herself. 

A Lonely Magic is a little slow to get off the ground, after its intense opening.  It's worth going through, though, to get to all the chaos and mystery that follow.  Here you will find a diverse cast made up of humans and nonhumans, those grounded in magic and reality, and where no one might be exactly whom they seem. 

The cliffhanger ending guarantees at least one sequel, and I'll be waiting for it. 

A Lonely Magic by Sarah Wynde: 4 out of 5 stars.

Third Degree by Julie Cross

I ended up really liking this one.  I wasn't expecting to because I found Izzy to be so condescending and annoying from page one.  Surprisingly, she turned out to be human and a teenager after all.  Her character development is gradual, taking place over the course of a school year and is detailed greatly for the reader. 

Marsh makes a great counterpoint to Izzy, providing us with the guy everyone wants to befriend, even if we don't know it yet.  There's depth to him that Izzy isn't aware of at first- which is nice because Izzy seems to think that she knows everything just because she's a textbook genius. 

There's a fair amount of conflict, too.  Izzy's parents aren't perfect, or perfectly happy, which is a stunner to her.  Her career isn't going exactly the way she expected it would, and she's not even finished being a medical intern yet.  Her nemesis seems to know things she doesn't, even though she's clearly smarter than he.  And Izzy just can't seem to escape Marsh, who seems to take great pleasure in letting Izzy know everything she does wrong. 

At times this entire story appears to self-involved.  (Yes, it's narrated in the first person which lends itself to the thought that it would be self-involved.)  For someone who is so incredibly smart Izzy is outright stupid about life.  No one is more surprised by her shortcomings than Izzy and it's her acceptance of them that makes her redeemable, and Third Degree a good book. 

Thief (Scarab Beetle #1) by C. L. Stone

  Kayli is a thief, who makes sure never to steal from those who can spare a little cash, and she never steals from women or children.  All she wants to do is protect her little brother and get him into college so she doesn't have to worry any more.  When she meets some mysterious guys who want her help to stop a guy from his illegal activities, she wants to help make the world a better place.  But will they be able to stop him in time?

This book had a lot of potential.  It was a bitter disappointment.  Kayli may be a thief with morals, but she has no depth and shows no growth or development.  She is the same on page one as she is on page 339. 

I have to question the sanity of a girl who will put herself into a car with guys she just met, even if she is a fictional character.  I would like to think I would have been a little suspicious of their motives, but she just jumps in and doesn't have a clue where they want to take her.  Or do to her. 
She also doesn't hesitate to have intimate encounters with four guys in as many days- including the villain of the story.  She's so distracted by a pretty face, she can't seem to turn any of them down.  She also manages to string along the rest of the male cast for the entirety of the story. 

Her brand of flirting is everything I would hope isn't actually done in real life.  She hits guys, and then complains when they dare attempt to get her back.  She vocally disdains girls who play the coquette, but she masterfully does the same any time she has a chance.  She also hates it when girls are helpless, yet she plays that card several times too.  I particularly detested her ruminations on why physical violence gets her libidinous thoughts flowing. 

She also can't control her temper at all.  She shoots a guy with a nail gun just because he irritated her.  Did he seem to mind?  Not really.  As soon as he was released from the hospital, he was kissing her again.  She ran away from the team of guys who was supposed to be keeping her safe, straight into the lair of the bad guy, to whom she then gave away every single secret of the group working to take him down.

My biggest issue with this story is its lack of just that- story.  There are 300 pages of Kayli flirting, making out, and telling the reader why she's not ready for a relationship.  There are about nine pages of actual story.  When I finally got to the real action of the book, it was so anticlimactic it was almost laughable.  All the sexual tension dragged throughout the entire book made me even forget what was really supposed to be happening. 

I don't even want to know what happens in the next installment. 

One Tiny Lie by K A Tucker

I was expecting something more dramatic, with this sequel to Ten Tiny Breaths. It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its predecessor.

As the protagonist and narrator, I found Livie to be incredibly one-dimensional. Following the advice of her therapist, she engages in behavior that is out of the ordinary for her, but I don't feel like it added anything to her growth. I don't think she actually grew as a character at all. She just started drinking so she wouldn't think about her hang-ups.

Ashton and Connor were equally unimpressive. One automatically assumes that the bad boy will have secrets that make him more attractive and loveable, while the good guy will inevitably make sure the protagonist doesn't really want to be with him. I could see all of these secrets coming with Ashton from a mile away, which made him kind of dull. Connor appeared so infrequently and was so disinterested in getting to know Livie that I forgot he was even a character sometimes.

Raegan and the other guys from the crew team could have been interesting background fillers if they had shown up more often. Even the characters who appeared in Ten Tiny Breaths became flat and less appealing.

The story itself was decent, but would have been better if the cast had been more developed and slightly less predictable. I had no emotional attachment to anything that happened to Live, especially where the guys were concerned.

Given the detachment from everyone in this part of the series, I'm not sure I want to read the next installment.