World After by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee
My rating: 5 of 5 genies
Published: November 19, 2013
Genre: Paranormal, YA, Apocalyptic, Romance, Dystopian
Publisher: Skyscape
Source: Purchased
Pages: 438
Format: eBook
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

My Review

There are no words for this book. The funny thing is that I went in expecting nothing but perfection. Ee floored me with Angelfall and I just couldn't conceive of a world where the book following such excellence was lacking in any way. I needed World After to be as good, if not better than Angelfall. Spoiler Alert: It was.



The curse of the second is pretty much something I implicate when going into sequels, simply said, they tend to be less enthralling than their predecessors. But the curse? It didn't exist for this book. Ee is an author after my own heart, this is why her books are my kryptonite, I feel like she writes for me. So thank-you for this, Ee, it was superb.

World After follows the events of Angelfall and Penryn is slowly recovering from the scorpion sting that left her paralysed. She's with her family, Paige is finally returned, but the experimentations done on her have altered Penryn's baby sister in ways that go much deeper than the physical. Her pain was palpable, and finding the sister she lost in the "Low Demon" now in her stead was a struggle for Penryn. Her mother, craziness aside, latches onto her daughter and encourages Penryn to look in Paige's eyes because those haven't changed; she is the same sister and daughter they know and lost. Surprisingly, Penryn has difficulty with this, and if things aren't hard enough, they still don't know what to feed Paige. It isn't until one incident at their base refugee camp that the gory answer is arrived at.

Paige needs meat. Raw meat, most readily available in human beings. There is an uproar, and the rest of the survivors try to capture her and she flees the camp, leaving Penryn and her mother to find Paige yet again. Clara, an unexpected survivor who Penryn saves from being sucked dry by the scorpions/"locusts" comes along for the ride, and together they embark on the quest to save Paige from the unpredictable angels, herself, and from hurting anyone else.


Yeah, not so much.

I was taken rapture, by the incredible storytelling and the characters brimming with anguish and determination to survive. I think more than anything, this series is a chronicle of survival and persistence even at the worst of times.

Penryn grew, into the kind of Heroine one cannot forget about simply by closing the book. She stays with you, making you question her actions as well as what you might do in her place. If your world was turned upside down, the man you loved apart from you, and your family ravaged...what would you do? I'd hope I would act as Penryn did and kick some serious ass! Can I get a "what-what" for her skills with Pookie Bear!?



I was very pleased, and excited that more of Raffe's past was revealed through his sword and also that some insight as to what Paige went through was provided. I think I would have hated it if her whole experience with the angels was glossed over, and Ee gave just enough detail about her abduction that satisfied but did not completely satiate my curiosity. As always, I am hungry for more and the next book is something I absolutely must have.

World After was full of action and entertained me to the very end. Much is revealed about the Angels as well as their purpose on Earth. Uriah's motives are despicable, but then again was any less expected? Things are more complicated than they appear and I am glad there will be 5 books to unravel the mystery of this new world and its many conspiracies.

Did I mention, I am hella pleased to have more Raffe and Penryn coming my way? I NEED this two to happen, damnation aside. Their chemistry is crackling and my tummy warmed at their reunion. I'm shipping this so hard, it hurts. Raffe did not disappoint me and the fact that he recognized Penryn right away made the romantic in me swoon for days! I'm in love. World After is the kind of book that satisfies and I am so happy.



This book was everything I needed it to be, the perfect sequel with an ending that makes me ever loyal to Ee and this series. So beautifully written...All I want is the next book!

5 FLAMING GENIES!

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 genies
Published: October 1, 2013
Genre: Mature YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Pages: 336
Format: Hardback
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Shocking secrets.
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-wrenching treachery.
When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

My Review

Death.

Never before has Death looked so good. I give props to Kresley Cole; she wrote this character in such a way that completely changed my mind about the Reaper.

From what I recall of Poison Princess he didn't feature that much in the story, save a few threatening inner monologues between himself and Evie, and the odd flashback here and there. Going into Endless Knight, Death was not my preoccupation, Jack was. The Cajun stole my heart during the first book, and while I still hold a tender place for him, Death shares more of my affections. I'll break the book down into sections and better explain what I loved:

Setting: This was perfect! Throughout the book, the group journeys through the wasteland in search of Evie's grandmother, also avoiding the other Arcana and Bagmen following closely on their tail. Firstly, Endless Knight picks up from where the previous book left off with Evie just having done away with the Alchemist and Jack standing there shocked beyond belief. There is desolation everywhere and from the imagery of blood splattered on the woodwork, dripping from Evie's talons, you get a sense that this world is far from ordinary. Other books I have read in the genre cannot compare to Cole's gorgeous and thrilling world of the A.F. I loved everything.

This is a world that I immersed myself in, picking up the book and not stopping until it was finished. I couldn't get enough of their terrifying circumstances and the world post Apocalypse is so very perfectly written and conveyed.

Plot: I couldn't believe how engaging this story was; I never saw anything coming, save a guess on rare occasions, and even then there was more to the revelations than I could have assumed. Impressed is probably the only way to describe how I feel about Endless Knight. It thoroughly impressed me, and this is a sequel done well. I never felt like putting it down, the writing flowed and a consistent peppering of adventure ensured that I never grew bored or tired.

Cole does dance a fine line between YA and Adult with some of the more mature scenes involving Evie and Death, even the cave scene with Jack seemed more risque than the average young adult book. For this, I have to suggest the book for older readers in the 17+ or 18 and above age range. The scenes are steamy and my contention is that Evie doesn't seem like a 16 year old in all of them. I am not complaining, yet simply noting that if a book is written for a particular age group, it should stick to content appropriate for that audience. Mainly, it would have been more consistent with Evie's character had she acted her age.

Then again, I suppose it isn't every day that the world ends and maybe those scenes are proof that she needed to grow up quickly? It depends. I loved this book either way, but that was me giving younger readers a heads-up.

Characters: Not going to lie, Jack got on my nerves a little at the beginning, he blamed Evie for keeping her powers a secret and had little hissy fits earlier on. Needless to say this was annoying, especially in light of what is later revealed about him and Evie's mom; his emphasis on truth is hypocritical in retrospect.

He would distance himself from the group and be all broody, but later when things worked themselves out and he accepted the truth of the Arcana I loved me some Cajun! I was all vouching for him to get Evie away from Death, sure he was trouble, until I met him.

Officially, I've jumped ships. A little. My feet are kind of half in one boat and halfway on the deck of another.

Death was trouble, make no mistake, but I can't for one second figure out a better reason to be bad than for him. He's a lesson in proper character development, and as I got to know Death better, I respected his character more. He isn't good, what he does at the end keeps him firmly from being that, but I have trouble detesting his character. In a weird way, this is pleasing. I like characters with shades of grey and because of their shared past he seems perfect for Evie; I want them to be endgame.

And Evie, she was the leader I needed her to be. Initiating the treaty with the other Arcana and also defying death, she was fierce and is coming gradually into her own. It is no secret that I've liked her from day one, she is relatable and someone I do not mind rooting for. I'm glad Cole kept her as the girl I fell in love with in the beginning. You get a good idea of what there is to lose, also how things hang in the balance, and as more characters like Lark and Ogen are introduced, other dynamic Arcana included, one thing is for certain: it is anybody's game to win.



The ending left me thrilled and equal parts worried. What will happen to Evie...and Jack? I wanted to slap Death and cheer simultaneously because he took control of his life and went about getting the girl he wanted, but I disagree with his method. The way I see it, he's going after what he wants, but her indecision aside, I wish he'd waited for Evie to resolve her feelings; it would have made him the better man.

*Sigh*

And then I remember, he's Death, and will probably never be the "better man" in that sense. I just hope his ultimatum doesn't ruin things for him and Evie's relationship. Cole did it again; I need her next book AASAP: Already As Soon As Possible!

5/5 genies

Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills
My rating: 2.5 of 5 genies
Published: September 9, 2013
Genre: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Little Dove Publishing
Source: Purchased
Pages: 389
Format: eBook
Purchase At: Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect…

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.

Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about...until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.

As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy…where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

My Review

Going into Very Bad Things I had somewhat high hopes, and giving the high rating it has on Goodreads, I figured I would not be disappointed. Sadly, I was. Really, this book in its entirety wasn't what the first few chapters promised it would be. The characters kind of unraveled mid-way and became unlikable as they made a habit of acting out of character. A lot of the indecision between Nora and Leo drove me crazy. Also, the cheesiness! Let me explain:

Nora crap, I forgot her name for a second there Blakely is an almost all too forgettable character and this is not good, particularly not for a female lead. She goes through a lot, ignored by both her parents and forced to meet unrealistic expectations of perfection set by a demoness of a mother. Nora has a past that is heart-wrenching, and after years spent trying to make up for what her mother makes her believe is her fault, she snaps.

At the opening house for her school, Briarcrest Academy, where she is asked to speak, Nora tells the faculty and all its visitors to go f**k themselves. Yes, I know what you are thinking, and I agree: this address would definitely make me enroll my children in the school! Look at the speech training offered to its students, truly this is a spectacular institution.

I kid.

Jokes aside, this little act of rebellion is exactly the wake-up call Nora needs to shake her life up and she realizes that the time has come for her to take back control. So she makes a list. Comprised of Very Bad Things, this list is designed to rid Nora of the label of "perfect" she has been branded with for so long.

The plan is brilliant, really, and the first act of licentious behaviour on the list happens to be vandalism of the newly purchased building across the street from her aunt's bakery which the owner intends to reconstruct as a gym. No, she does not vandalise the building, that would be silly. No, Nora goes for the money and takes down the Escalade parked outside.



Brighter ideas have never been had.

Basically, she wants to turn the luxury vehicle into something reminiscent of a preschool bus, and for the most part she succeeds. Until she's interrupted by Leo, the owner of said gym and Escalade. Long story short, he's pissed and mad as hell that Nora has vandalised his car. He remembers her from the open house, because uttering such kindly words as Nora did makes one hard to forget.

Not to mention, he is attracted to her because the doctrine of Instalove dictates that the two have a "moment" following her address. He notices her, she notices him, it's meant to be except he's like 6 or 7 years older than she is and prison is no joke. He knows the outburst from the open house can't be normal and realizes that Nora is fighting some serious demons. The book is basically about Nora coming to terms with her past and forging a new future of her choosing as well as her and Leo fighting their strong pull to one another, and yet failing woefully.

Now, I really liked this book for its prologue and first chapter, those are what convinced me to buy Very Bad Things. However, as the story progresses, it becomes evident that not only is there not much of a plot, but the characters lose their appeal the more time a reader spends with them. For instance, I enjoyed Leo at the beginning, he was sweet-ish and very attractive. By the end? I was done with his "f***" this and "f***" speech, and the ever-present indecision with Nora.

Call me old-fashioned, but I do not understand sleeping with someone you do not have feelings for. What point is there in that, and what happens after you're finished? I'd be mortified. People act like sex is nothing and if you aren't giving it up, then you're a repressed prude who is uncomfortable with their sexuality. Are these really the only explanations available? I digress, but this is inaccurate.

If Leo didn't think Nora was sleeping with his brother, then it was with some other guy. It was like she had to be getting physically intimate with someone and this drove me insane! It made me think he thought extremely little of her, one, and secondly, that he was insecure to the point that he was projecting his own promiscuity onto her. I don't know why this was done the way it was, but I fell out of love with him; insecure guys are a turn-off and Leo was surely that with a good measure of instability to boot. I didn't find it all too romantic that he and Nora would share kisses and talk dirty, only for him to pull back and be like "Girl, I ain't ready for no relationship." The hell?! It was ridiculous.

I felt for her and what she'd been through, thank God Finn was dealt with at the end, but I couldn't decipher who Nora was as a person. Was she insecure, spunky, troubled, confident, innocent, or a sex vixen? It seemed that the author was trying to make her into all these things at once and the conflict was evident.

I liked Sebastian, he was the saving grace in all this and his humor kept me going. I didn't like Leo so much because he did stupid things and his getup as the typical bad boy (tats, dirty mouth and "heart of gold") didn't endear me to him in any way. Sex does not equate love, and I felt that when it came down to it, Nora and Leo shared a lot of physical attraction. I'm just not convinced that a majority of it was emotional; she loved him because she felt like it was right and he the same. They didn't know each other and I think the fight to keep from jumping into bed was what the story focused mostly on.

It was cheesy in some parts, primarily in the middle where talk of Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet and other cliches abound. I wasn't feeling it. Especially since there was little need for the dramatics. I'm leaning more towards 2.5 on this; the lack of plot and proper character construction noticeably suffered the read and while some might enjoy Very Bad Things, I couldn't like it as much as I'd hoped. I kept reading, hoping for more to come of it, but the story does not offer much by way of strong characters nor well-written plot. I finished it, but I would not read Very Bad Things again.

2.5/5 Genies

Waiting on Wednesday (16): The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*

This week I'm waiting on...

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Releasing: September 3rd, 2013

Goodreads Summary

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

I love the cover!! Holly Black is one author I've seen around a lot, especially because of her Curse Workers series, about which I have heard nothing but good things. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown looks fantastic, and the majority of bloggers lucky enough to snag ARCs agree that it's creepy to the max and well written.That is all I need to know. 

P.S. If you haven't heard yet, then here's your opportunity to snag Roy Huff's Everville: The First Pillar for free AND Everville: The City of Worms for .99 cents now until the 3rd of September! It's a steal and a total deal, don't miss out :)

Waiting on Wednesday (15): Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*

This week I'm waiting on...

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Releasing: September 10, 2013

Goodreads Summary

From the author the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

How could I not want to read this book?? Eleanor & Park freaking rocked my socks. Let alone my raging love for Rowell's writing, that cover pretty much sold me. Bring it!

What are you waiting on?

XX,

Review: It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist

It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist
My rating: 3.5 of 5 genies
Published: April 9, 2013
Series: It Happened at the Fair #1
Genre: Historical, Christian Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Howard Books
Source: Purchased
Pages: 418
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.


The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading It Happened At the Fair, but it isn't my best book by this author. Deeanne Gist gave me A Bride Most Begrudging, Maid to Match and A Bride in the Bargain, all of which are Historical Christian Fiction guilty pleasures of mine. I love her books because Gist knows how to write Christian romance provocatively without losing that faith aspect. At the Fair leaves me conflicted because it didn't hold as strong a faith value as her previous works.

Both Cullen and Della pray, Della even sings "Jesus Loves Me" when she gets nervous in confined spaces, but I couldn't connect with their brief instances of faith. I could not help thinking that they held a faith similar to that of many Americans at the time, people who didn't mind enslaving others and doing away with the rights of said people. They worried about propriety like any other individuals living then, but there was no sense of God really being there, and not much besides good character set them apart.

More things were overt and focussed on, like the Fair and it's beauty. Gist did a remarkable job bringing this piece of time to life and wrote splendidly of what the World's Fair had once been like. The exhibits, bustle and sights were exploding out of the pages. Still, Cullen and Della might as well have been figures in a Historical setting. It was a Historical novel by a well known Christian author, the book itself not necessarily being Christian.

That aside, I liked At the Fair. It was funny and smart, a novel to happily pass the time with. I wasn't a fan of the main conflict in the story, Cullen is engaged to marry a childhood sweetheart when he encounters Della at the fair. He had left the farm to sell his automatic sprinklers, striking out, but with his hearing slowly receding it doesn't take long before the suggestion is given that Cullen take lip-reading classes. Della is a teacher at the School for Deaf Children and the person Cullen beseeches to teach him lip-reading. They've met before, he having saved her life before, but it takes some convincing, Cullen agreeing to act as tour guide for Della, before she agrees to the lessons. There is chemistry between the two, but with Cullen keeping his distance due to his engagement, their affection wasn't as open as that of most couples. It was more like mutual attraction, and a very nice shirtless scene, before Della fall in love and then Cullen.

There is the matter of Wanda, Cullen's betrothed, but a confrontation eventually leads to a satisfying end. At first it was odd seeing Cullen go from displaying limited affection to full-blown gestures, kisses and all. In retrospect I do think this showed the extent to which he withheld himself out of respect for both Wanda and Della. He is an upstanding man with great character and a mind for innovation. There is opposition and a lot that he has to overcome, but Cullen handles it excellently. The way he doesn't engage with instigators like Bulenberg made me respect him.

Della didn't feel as real to me as Cullen, her real name is Adelaide and I spent some time figuring out where "Della" came from, but she is not a bad character. I think she could have been developed more, but by far not a bad job on Gist's part.

The story was good and complete with an interesting look into the spectacular World's Fair that made this a unique book for me. Still, it was more Historical fiction than anything else and I would have liked stronger characters with greater faith value.

3.5/5 genies: It Happened at the Fair is a great Historical look at the World's Fair, captured beautifully by a talented author. 

Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
My rating: 3.5 of 5 genies
Published: April 30, 2013
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal/Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Pages: 371
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

My Review

This book could have been better. I say this because Sweet Evil was the book that I pimped everywhere. I can't say that I will be doing the same with Sweet Peril because Wendy Higgin's second instalment wasn't as strong as her debut.

Sweet Peril takes off where its predecessor left and we're back with Anna and her daily Nephlim grind. She's got to work to keep her dad off of the other Duke's radar, turning the human population towards alcohol and drugs, but her heart isn't in it. Partly because she's half angel, and also because Anna's predominantly occupied with thoughts of Kaidan, missing him. They are still trying to take down the Dukes and gather allies, but it felt like all that really mattered was how much Anna missed "Kai." The fate of the world rests in her hands, and all Anna really wanted to do was see the boy.

To be fair, she does take the responsibility of saving Neph and Humankind seriously, but the teen swoony romance could have been dialled down. They are in love, I get that, but it felt like their romance dominated most of the book. I was looking forward to reading more of Kaidan and Anna, but with the way it was handled in Sweet Peril, I began to tire of their romance. It was like her life basically revolved around him, and one can only read about how smouldering a guy is before it gets to be enough. There are issues with Kopano, as can be expected, as well as an interesting revelation that has to do with Neph and their badges, but in all honesty Sweet Peril had more to do with Kaidan and Anna not being together than anything else.

I expected more substance, and even though we meet more of the other Neph, discovering additional information in regards to the prophecy, I wasn't as enamoured this time around. The series is still fantastic, I love you Wendy, but I'm hoping that Sweet Reckoning will more than make up for where this book fell short.

3.5/5 genies: Sweet Peril is compelling, and while it picks up nicely from where the former left off, this book fails to deliver as emotional an impact as the first.

Review: Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan

Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 genies
Published: May 24, 2013
Series: N/A
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Smashwords
Source: Purchased
Pages: 234
Format: eBook
Purchase At: Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

“If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”

I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to…

“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his.

With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?

My Review

This book essentially provides every girl's ideal scenario: two hunky guys fighting it out over her. Except, choosing between the two isn't as easy a decision to make as you would suppose. Not when one is saying that he'll "fix" you, while the other's asking you to break. I find that this is what sets Unbreak Me apart from other books; there isn't really a villain, just the characters dealing with hard issues and bad people making the task difficult. Normally the good guy wants to do one of the following: either fix the female lead, or catch her when she falls. The jerk is supposed to want the absolute worst for her, but what do you do when both men are "good" guys?



The characters were what sold Unbreak Me; I loved Maggie and Asher, even William! I would never want to be in her shoes, because they both obviously care a good deal about her, they just have differing notions of what Maggie needs.

Maggie herself is a complicated and jaded character. Nothing could have prepared me for what I eventually learn of her; you think you know what it means to carry around baggage, but not the kind Maggie's hauling. She is dealing with A LOT and in a small town where nobody forgets, jeering calls of "Lucy" (Loose-ey, get it?), have long since become synonymous with her given name. The whole town thinks she's a slut, even her family, but I won't spoil that, and you can't help but wonder how the character lasted as long without shattering into a million pieces.

Asher's like this sexy rocker who sees the cracks and knows something's about to break. Maggie wears the slut tag like a badge and outwardly doesn't mind what a lot of people think about her. She's not looking for serious, but Asher's not about to trifle with Maggie. He's the guy telling her she deserves better, but that'll happen only if she starts being honest with herself and him.

This is where William and Asher agree, that Maggie needs to let someone in, but that is where the similarities end. He's loved Maggie for longer than Asher and he is at the ready to stop the wedding with her sister should Maggie say the word, though it would have been nice if he hadn't gotten engaged to her in the first place. I thought I'd hate William for putting the sister's in that predicament, but I saw how conflicted he was since he really did love them both, but in different ways. You know the drill.

In the end, it really did come down to Maggie and what she needed. I was torn because my loyalties had 100% switched to William by the end, and I really wanted him to be happy, but healing does come for Maggie and that is all that really matters. This is among my favourite New Adult novels, it's mature and involves sexual situations and coarse language, so be wary. Other than that, Unbreak Me receives a solid 4/5 genies from my end.

Packed with unexpected twists and heartbreak, Unbreak Me is memorable and beautiful, a fantastic New Adult novel!

Waiting on Wednesday (14): Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*

This week I'm waiting on...


Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Releasing: October 1, 2013

Goodreads Summary

In the second book of the Arcana Chronicles Evie has now fully come into her powers as the tarot Empress. And Jackson was there to see it all. In the aftermath of killing Arthur, the tarot Alchemist, Evie realizes that a war is brewing between the other teens that, following the apocalypse, have been given powers and its kill or be killed.

Things get even more complicated when Evie meets Death, the mysterious, sexy Endless Knight. Somehow the Empress and Death share a romantic history - one that Evie can't remember, but Death can't forget. She is drawn to the Endless Knight, but is in love with Jack. Determined to discover why she's been granted these powers, Evie struggles to accept her place in a prophecy that will either save the world, or completely destroy it.

Because there can never be enough Jack, period. I needed this book for my shelf once Poison Princess was finished. October can't come soon enough, this one is definitely on my wishlist!

What are you waiting on?

Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 5 of 5 genies
Published: February 26, 2013
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Library Loan
Pages: 325
Format: Hardcover
Purchase At: Amazon.com or TheBookDepository

Goodreads Summary

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

My Thoughts

Eleanor & Park is such a profound book. I went in thinking that this would be one of those over-hyped reads that everyone loves for no particular reason. I am so happy to say that this book is definitely not that. I'm so in love with Eleanor, with Park and this story...Rainbow Rowell pretty much catapulted herself to the very top of my "love" list with this book. She's amazing.

Plot: I like that the story progresses from them disliking each other to a lovely kind of love which first grew from friendship. You really get the sense that these two, Eleanor and Park, are from entirely different households. They shouldn't even be bumping shoulders, but they do because she's got nowhere else to sit on the bus, and Park being the grudging gentleman offers his much coveted empty spot. She sits, they don't talk, pretty much the end of story. Except...there's just something about Eleanor, and that Park...

Seeing their friendship develop was the best thing. They bond over music (rock and roll of course) and comic books. This is where Park warms my heart, he gives her things like his music player, a device her lousy step-dad, (responsible for kicking her out of the house for a year), and mousy mom, (who did not retrieve her daughter for a year), could never provide. He lets her pretend, that she doesn't have to go home to sharing everything at least three ways. He's her little piece of escape, and I was just as lost (in him) as Eleanor.

This book captures them pretty much at that weird phase in high-school, where you're uncomfortable in everything and all the world seemingly has a magnifying glass trained to watch you fail. This sense of awkwardness helped the story. You could tell that Eleanor was uncomfortable with her body, that everyone else wanted her to feel uncomfortable, but that Park just couldn't get enough of who she was. He likes her, even though the other kids call her Big Red, (assholes), and she's not from the best home. He likes her, and I loved him.

Setting: The setting was a throwback to the 80's, Bon Jovi you forever have my heart. All the big hair, Walkman's and leg warmers...really it was rad. There's a fair amount of cussing in this so be warned going in, the language is coarse at times. Eleanor & Park takes place in a town of disparity. You have some families like Park's who are pretty well off, they aren't rich, but compared to Eleanor's brood, there isn't much to complain about. She's living in tight quarters and hand-me-downs are a way of life, necessities.

Most books have this huge border between the rich and poor, like poor people must be segregated, but Eleanor & Park was more realistic. Sure the divide exists, but it is not hardly as huge. He can make it to her house by foot, no need for hitch-hikes or bus tickets, and the two exist somewhere inbetween.


Aw. Call me sentimental!

The placing of the story was both chosen and written well, if it were any different I don't think I would have lost myself as entirely in the novel.

Characters: This is the big one. Characters like these feel like precious marbles rolling about. You want to pick them up, dust them down and describe them all, but that isn't very efficient. Eleanor & Park is made up of an ensemble of very real almost-people. Almost because they are fictional, keepin' it real y'all, but they're endowed with enough problems and failings of their own that you almost forget they're fictional. There's a list of characters with issues: Eleanor has home problems, she's being bullied by some pervert writing nasty things in her notebook, and her stepfather is the crown regent of all douches. Park has a little bit of identity issues going on, he's half Korean and doesn't fully know what that means. His parents love each other, but he is feeling a little out of place with himself. There's also the matter of women still being primarily dependent on men; Rowell brings to mind the struggle many mothers and wives faced, trying to strike a balance between being a home-maker and independent.

This is why I say that everyone has something going on. Even the mean girl has problems, hell hairspray is not the answer to everything!


I speak the truth.

Eleanor was my favourite. She is sarcastic, opinionated and awkward. She is the kind of heroine I should have grown up reading; curvy and real, Eleanor truly does feel like a person. I'm kind of sick of YA/NA novels having model thin girls alone ending up with the great guys, like being big immediately disqualifies you from happiness or something. The cute guys are going to want even cuter girls, YA/NA says, and I am happy to report, Rowell pretty much slapped that idea upside the head.

For many people life is struggle. They don't live picturesque realities marred solely by one event! Life is like being tossed down a hill (you know the more dangerous version of the kind kids roll themselves down on). If by the end of it you're somehow unscathed, everyone knows you were wearing shin pads. Eleanor was rolled down that hill. She didn't make it out without bruises, but she's inspirational to me; I know she is going to inspire somebody else as well.

Overall: This book is not perfect. It ends pretty sadly and I did consider briefly pulling out a blue light in case Rowell had written the actual conclusion in invisible pen. Alas, this was not so and it really does end like that. It was realistic, true to what usually comes of life and young love. It doesn't mean that I liked it. I would have preferred a better resolution to things, but there is no use crying over spilt gin. At least I think that is how the saying goes? I see the glimmer of hope there on the final page, the idea of Eleanor and Park is still there, but truthfully I would have liked more. These two belong together.

I'm sure somebody could find faults with this book, that is why it isn't perfect, but I certainly couldn't fault Rowell or Eleanor & Park for anything. I liked the story, loved the characters and fell for the romance. It got me hard and my permanent copy is on its way in the mail now. This is why lending books from the library is pretty much pointless; when the novels are as good as Eleanor & Park, I end up buying them anyway.

5/5 genies: 5 million bajillion genies, again and again, this book is incredible! By far the best read of 2013 :)

Tour Stop: You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

You Are Mine (Mine #1) by Janeal Falor
Release Date: May 6, 2013
Series: Mine #1
Pages: 273
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance

Goodreads Summary:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts. Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Purchase: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Kobo

This Book is on Sale Now for $.99!! 

Advanced Praise for You Are Mine:

“I was blown away by the beautiful writing, haunting themes, and chilling visuals.” ~Becca at Nawanda Files 

“There were times when I had to fight back my tears and the emotion that this book drew from me made me feel so connected to what was going on as if I was actually there. You Are Mine should be on everyones to-read list and I cannot wait to see what Janeal Falor comes up with next.” ~Danielle at Coffee and Characters

“May I kiss you now?”

 No. Kisses leave me feeling sick. “I suppose it would be for the best.”

 He leans closer. I want to pull away. Thomas's kisses were callous. Painful even. The thought of more of that makes me feel queasy. But giving my permission somehow makes it harder to pull away.

His hand reaches up and brushes my face. Flecks of gold are mixed with the green of his eyes. Suddenly, he scoops me into his arms and plops me on his lap. I yelp. “Sorry, I guess I should have warned you first.” 

After straightening my skirt with quivering fingers, I hold myself stiff. His nose nuzzles against the side of my neck. Warm lips brush my jaw and sweep along my cheek until they reach the corner of my mouth. My breath comes in shallow gasps. He smells lightly of citrus.

I don't move. His fingers tangle in my hair. His lips hover over mine. A nervous flutter grows in my chest. The creak of the door opening spurs him into action.

His lips touch mine. Flowing and sunny. They grow firmer. It feels so much better than I thought it could. His fingers run through my hair, the tendrils falling out of their confinement. Heat grows between us. He pulls me closer to him. Not only do I manage to refrain from fighting him, but I want to draw even closer.

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Author Connect: Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Website

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