Mini-Reviews: London Belongs to Us by Sarra Manning, Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama, and The Next Together by Lauren James

Title: London Belongs to Us

Author: Sarra Manning

Rating: 4 Stars

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did, but I should have known better because Sarra Manning. This entire book is a crazy roller coaster of an adventure as our heroine, Sunny, finds out that her boyfriend has another girlfriend from his previous school and has been two-timing her for the entire duration of their "relationship." Sunny starts off wanting to forgive him, but as she searches London for him, she begins to realize that she deserves a lot better. The plot doesn't seem all that revolutionary, but the people Sunny meets on her night--girls who encourage her to stand up for herself, friends who tell her that self care is not selfish, buddies who support her for who she really is, and even other girlfriends who prove that women support each other instead of putting each other down--make this a wonderful story. I love these types of strong friendships and this book passes the Bechdel test ten times over. It also has so many meaningful conversations about class, privilege, and race. Just... I love Sarra Manning. Can every YA book be this nuanced and yet still so much fun?

Title: Monstrous Beauty

Author: Elizabeth Fama

Rating: 2 Stars

Oh, this book had so much potential. I want to start by saying that, whatever my reservations with this story, I did really love the mermaid lore. Fama's mermaids are deadly and savage and I loved them. However, the story, which alternates between present-day where Hester, a young teenager, begins to investigate her family history where every woman has passed away after giving birth, and between a time years ago when Syrenka, a mermaid, fell in love with a human, Ezra, and left the ocean to be with him, leaves a lot to be desired. 

Syrenka's story is vastly more interesting than that of Hester's. For one, Hester has sworn off of dating because she doesn't want to end up like her mother and grandmother before her, which is rather faulty logic because dating someone very rarely equates automatically having a child with them. What's more, Hester's storyline undergoes some vast changes, with some rather late insta-love happening and weird details seemingly explained away such as her absentee parents and her far-too-understanding-best-friend Peter. It just never came together for me and I wasn't able to love Hester as a heroine, either.

Syrenka, though, I adored. Her story is expertly told but the mystery plaguing the novel and subsequent solution is all a little too flimsy for my liking. I'm not one for strange supernatural tales, so perhaps this is just a case of "me-not-you", but Monstrous Beauty is a novel I'd skip, fascinating folk lore and all. Take my advice and read Fama's sophomore novel instead: it's brilliant.

Title: The Next Together

Author: Lauren James

Rating: 3 Stars

I had heard a lot of praise for this novel before launching into it, but it wound up falling seriously short for me. I really love the premise of this one--a couple, separated by circumstances in every generation but they keep managing to find each other again in their next life. It's done quite well, too, with James slipping between eras seamlessly as she makes us swoon for this couple. But, where the issue crept up for me was in the final third of the novel. Our main era, essentially present-day-ish, features Katherine and Matthew as high school students. As we learn how they fell in love in previous lives, present-day Katherine and Matthew are investigating their aunt and uncle, respectively, who were married and then labeled as terrorists. Of course, they realize that they are their reincarnations but their love story, based completely upon their recollections of past lives, is flimsy at best. I couldn't root for present-day Katherine and Matthew, despite loving all of their past incarnations.

What's more, the explanations for how Katherine and Matthew remember their past is essentially non-existent. The book is written in such a way that it seems as if there is some higher time-traveling power that is watching over Katherine and Matthew and reincarnating them to save the world, for some purpose or the other. But, none of this is ever explained. I suppose I have to pick up the sequel, but I'm so confused and rather irritated by the lack of answers that I won't be launching into the companion novel. The Next Together is well-written and I'm impressed by the multiple historical fiction love stories bound together in this one, but the ending doesn't pull off this intriguing premise as much as it promises to and, by the end, I was only left disappointed.

Review: Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Title: Wanderlost

Author: Jen Malone

Rating: 2 Stars

I received an ARC of Wanderlost a few months ago and, after sampling a few chapters, I completely wrote this book off. Aubree, the protagonist, was a tad too immature and whiny for me to handle and her voice simply didn't speak to me. But when the raving reviews of Wanderlost began to flood in closer and closer to its release date, I dug out my ARC again and resolved to give this novel another try, with an open mind.

Well, it turns out my first instincts are spot-on. Wanderlost didn't improve much for me past those first few chapters and while I found redeeming qualities, certainly, this isn't a novel I would recommend. In fact, do yourself a favor a buy a copy of Kristen Hubbard's Wanderlove instead--similar title, relatively similar premises, but a much stronger plot and romance.

My number one issue with Wanderlost was Aubree. Elizabeth, Aubree's older sister, is whip-smart and determined--she always gets her way and she doesn't let anything stop her. When Aubree throws a party with underage drinking and Elizabeth covers for her, Elizabeth is arrested and can't leave the country to lead a tour around Europe as planned. Since Aubree now owes her, big time, Aubree takes her place and leaves her small town, for the first time, terrified to be traveling to Europe. Aubree is so ungrateful. I won't deny that Elizabeth isn't the most supportive older sister, but Aubree refuses to see the opportunity in front of her eyes. I found her inner monologues so frustrating and wanted her to open up, see eye-to-eye with her sister, and seize this experience.

Aubree gets there--eventually!--but it takes so very long and I found myself unimpressed by her growth arc. The tour itself is cute, with six elderly men and women and Sam, a sophomore in college who is added onto the tour last-minute to help his grandmother with her elbow injury. Sam is downright adorable and it's hard not to fall for him. Why he fell for Aubree? A mystery. Their romance didn't make me swoon in the least and the matchmaking going on between the grandmothers and grandfathers on this tour made me roll my eyes. It was so very cliche.

I appreciate that Malone really does develop Aubree and Elizabeth's relationship over the course of this novel and, what's more, she tries to add facts about different European cities. It doesn't feel atmospheric and the prose is unremarkable but it's easy to forgive that with Sam around. But, this novel fell so short of being wonderful for me. I wanted Aubree to really grow and change on her own but it felt as if so much of her opening up was due to Sam. And that isn't a bad thing, but I wanted more of her individual growth, too. And, perhaps I was comparing this too much to Just One Day and Wanderlove. (The latter, especially, features a 17-year-old girl on a tour in a foreign country for the first time, traveling alone, so the similarities were inevitable.)

Wanderlost isn't exceptional, new, or ground-breaking. It's a quick, simple read that will make you smile. The conflict isn't anxiety-inducing and though there was a particular plot point that surprised me quite a bit towards the end, this book is exactly what you imagine it will be--sadly, nothing more.

Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Star-Touched Queen

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Rating: 2 Stars

Well...that was disappointing! The Star-Touched Queen is a novel I've been looking forward to reading all year, mainly because of its inclusion of Indian mythology. I've grown up on tales of Indian mythology and was so incredibly excited to see Chokshi use these myths to build her fantasy world and characters. While the stories within these pages are accurate, they are also few and far between. I didn't feel as if this was a realm based upon India mythology. I didn't feel, really, like this was a world that was well-developed at all, frankly.

Maya, a princess of Bharata, has been told she is cursed from the time of her birth. Her horoscope speaks of death and destruction and, as such, Maya has always believed that she will never marry. But when her father, the Raja, compels her to kill herself on the eve of her wedding, all to prevent a war, Maya nearly follows his instructions. Until, that is, Amar knocks the vial of poison out of her hands and whisks her away to become the Queen of Naraka. Amar cannot tell her about his palace or its mysterious corridors until the next cycle of the moon but he asks Maya to trust him. But strange doors keep propping up and the whispers of the palace warn Maya away from Amar. Is she in more danger listening to them or falling for Amar?

I think this story really begins to crumble once Maya reaches the Otherworld with Amar. Not only does the pace of the tale slow down, the days long and filled with Maya basically wandering around the palace, but the world-building is extremely flimsy. Amar and his scribe, Gupta, cannot tell Maya anything and, as such, we don't really learn much about this world either. What's more, I felt as if Maya acted foolishly for the majority of this novel. She listens to strangers she's never met before, re-calls the advice of Mother Dina, a woman who hated her in her father's harem, and ultimately causes all the problems she has to face in this novel. I admired her resiliency and her relationship with her younger sister, Gauri, but she wasn't a heroine I really understood or felt for.

Maya and Amar's romance is also...unremarkable. My main issue with it, frankly, was that Maya doesn't trust Amar. She feels drawn towards him because of some connection she feels to him, but despite his actions and words she doesn't trust Amar at all. So during the second-half of this book when she has to save Amar due to circumstances, she suddenly falls in love with him through her memories and realizes she can trust him. It just wasn't romantic or believable to me.

There are very few strong secondary characters in this book beyond Gauri and the villain. Maya makes almost no friends in the palace and this book simply sparked no feeling in me. I wish this had been a stronger fantasy and a stronger romance. I understand why readers of fantasy-lite would enjoy this one. If you're not someone who requires a depth of world-building then I could overlook a lot of flaws and get into this romance, too. But, sadly, The Star-Touched Queen has wound up being the most hyped-up and disappointing book of the year for me.

Review: Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Iced (Dani O'Malley, #1; Fever, #6) 

Author: Karen Marie Moning

Rating: 2 Stars

Iced is a shockingly disappointing installment from Karen Marie Moning. Honestly, I can't believe this is the same author who wrote the first five books of the Fever Series, charming readers with her impeccable plotting and honest narration. While there are a plethora of issues with Iced, many of which have been discussed at length by earlier readers, the crux of my problem with this novel is not Dani or her narration; it's the flimsy plot, the unnecessary glimpses into the minds of characters who offer nothing to the tale, and the cheap tactics by which Moning distinguishes the "good" guys from the "bad" ones.

Although Iced could have easily been set a few years after the end of Shadowfever, mostly to give us a narrator who isn't fourteen-years-old, this novel takes places shortly after the events of the first five Fever books. Dani, now estranged from Mac, is captured and blackmailed brutally by Ryodan who forces her to help him discover how--and why--parts of Dublin are slowly being iced over. If it wasn't bad enough that Dani is being bullied by Ryodan, she has to contend with Christian, whose transformation into an Unseelie Prince seems to be tampering with his sanity, all while trying to enjoy her childhood with the people she actually wants like Dancer, a genius kid who is one of Dani's only true friends.

While Dani's narration can take some time to get used to, I have to admit that I actually like her. Seriously, I have nothing but respect for Dani. She's young, talented, and thrown into a world where she's the smallest fish--not to mention the fact that Mac, who was like an older sister to her, has now abandoned her. Dani may be reckless and naive, but she does the best she can in the circumstances she's thrown in. Moreover, she keeps a clear mind and unlike other characters in the novel (*ahem*, Jo!) she is able to see Ryodan and Christian for what they are. Ryodan, for all the swooning readers do over him, is, plain and simple, a bully. He secures Dani's cooperation by blackmailing her and hiring Jo as a result of that transaction and, for that, Dani detests him. She does her best to maintain her freedom and sense of independence and, in doing so, often violates Ryodan's many rules which allow him to keep an eye on her. Yet, despite the fact that Dani tells everyone who will listen that Ryodan is bad news, out of everyone else in this book, he's possibly the adult that treats her best. Which, honestly, is despicable. Ryodan is likable simply because in comparison to Christian, who is a full-fledged pedophile, he is a saint. Ryodan doesn't sexualize Dani and though he is possessive of her, he never crosses the lines that Christian does.

Speaking of Christian, I feel genuinely sorry to see him have sunk this low. Back in the day, Christian was hot. I mean, we all swooned over this guy. Now? Ick, you can't get me out of Christian's head any faster! Moning includes one too many chapters from Christian's perspective and it's beyond disturbing. Not only is Christian obsessed with Dani, thinking about her constantly and trying to convince her that someday they will be together, but even the actions he completes that have nothing to do with Dani are disturbing. I just feel sad that Moning felt compelled to mold him into a sick, genuinely reviling character. Thus, in comparison to Christian, I can completely see why readers are falling head-over-heels for Ryodan. I'd prefer anyone to Christian. Yet, that doesn't negate the fact that Ryodan isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy and though I suspect I might grow to like him more as the series progresses--after all, that was the case with Barrons, too--I'm not holding my breath.

Characters aside, Iced is a novel composed of filler pages. Not much happens in such a hefty volume and the fact that Ryodan requires Dani's help is a flimsy excuse for a plot to be built upon. It isn't until the last hundred, or so, pages that the plot finally picks up and Iced ends with a bang. Hopefully, this means that Burned will be far more entertaining and far less cringe-worthy. At any rate, I'm hoping that a healthy dose of Mac and Barrons can reclaim the magic of the Fever Series. While Moning's novels often deal with brutal, horrific themes at least they've had an adult protagonist cope with those situations. Dani, at fourteen, is just too young a character and to expect her to be on par with Mac, physically and particularly emotionally, isn't fair. What's more, I found that Mac's story is an emotionally compelling one: her sister has been murdered and Mac wants revenge. With Iced, the motivations feel cheap and lack depth. Dani's backstory certainly pulls heartstrings but her past has little to do with her present.

I knew, from the mixed reviews--many of them unhappy ones--that Iced wasn't going to be a favorite of mine. I just hoped, foolishly perhaps, that knowing what to expect would make the experience of reading this far more tolerable. I guess...not. Iced is slow, torturous, and not what I would expect after a five fast-paced, action-filled novels with revelations and plot twists around every corner. Needless to say, if Moning plans to keep fans reading this spin-off, Burned will need to be a really good read.

Update: Burned is good! You can read my mini-review of it HERE. 

ARC Review: Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Title: Princess of Thorns

Author: Stacey Jay

Rating: 2 Stars

Release Date: December 9th, 2014

I picked up Princess of Thorns expecting a fairy tale re-telling on the scale of Jay's Of Beast and Beauty.

Don't do that.

Princess of Thorns is nothing like Of Beast and Beauty, which is, frankly, a disappointment. Of Beast and Beauty burst upon my bookshelf last year with a fresh, innovative take on the age-old tale of "Beauty and the Beast." It wasn't solely Jay's creativity that set it apart as one of the finest re-tellings of "Beauty and the Beast" to be told, it was also her willingness to explore all-too-human themes in a fantastical settings, her risk-taking with a truly evil villain on hand, and her impeccable pacing that introduced plot twists when the reader least expected it. What's more, at its core Of Beast and Beauty is a love story; a beautiful one. It's impossible to pick up Jay's former novel and not become lost in the swirls of tension, passion, and love that emanate from these characters. Sadly, Princess of Thorns contains none of that.

For one, it should be noted that Princess of Thorns is not a re-telling of "Sleeping Beauty." Instead, it continues the original French story, only instead of ending completely in death and demise, Princess Aurora's two children live and are raised by the fey to eventually fight their evil ogre family. Princess of Thorns begins promisingly enough, what with a prophecy being foretold and Ror, our protagonist, becoming a fierce and determined leader. Certainly, from the first few pages, Jay's latest seemed to possess the qualities needed to make Princess of Thorns as big a success as Of Beast and Beauty but, alas, it was not to be so.

My main issue with Princess of Thorns is, quite simply, that it is boring. Aurora is on a quest to win over an army and save her younger brother, Jor, from his current imprisonment with the Ogre Queen who wishes both Ror and her brother dead. With her is Niklaas, the eleventh son of an immortal king who has cursed his heirs to turn into swans on their eighteenth birthday so that his kingdom may never be turned over to them. (Also, can I just inject here that this entire plot thread is ridiculously weak? Is this meant to be another re-telling similar to Marillier's Daughter of the Forest randomly interjected with "Sleeping Beauty"?) Niklaas finds Ror and, presuming that Aurora is her younger brother, Jor, agrees to help her on her quest if Jor will introduce Niklaas to his elder sister so Niklaas may propose marriage to Aurora. Niklaas needs to marry in order to escape his curse but Aurora's fairy blessings prevent her from even kissing another and, parading around as her younger brother Jor, their relationship forms into a tight friendship after their initial revulsion passes. Though their journey could have been intriguing, with "Jor" diplomatically fighting to win over an army or find one (*ahem* Aragorn in Return of the King when he rallies the ghost army to fight for him!), this novel passes by with Aurora and Niklaas merely walking, sleeping, talking.

What's worse, there's barely a hint of chemistry between Niklaas and Aurora. I enjoyed the manner in which their relationship developed but I wasn't wholly involved with it. Plus, Niklaas is the type of male protagonist who enjoys boasting of the broken hearts and cold beds he leaves behind and while Aurora is strong, capable, and a perfect match for him, I found Niklaas's subtle misogyny to be...unpleasant. Of course, Jay allows her characters to grow and change over the course of the novel and the ending is satisfying, though anticlimactic. It isn't the epic battle we expect it to be and, on that count, it's disappointing. Jay doesn't pull out all the stops when it comes to her villain this time around either--yet another upsetting factor--but the last few pages ensure that readers finish Princess of Thorns with a smile if nothing else.

Unlike Of Beast and Beauty, this novel is not introspective, reflective, or thought-provoking in the least. The relationship dynamics are all present--and I really enjoyed the glimpses of Ror and Jor's sibling relationship--but ultimately, this isn't a novel to boast about. Its gorgeous cover aside, I wouldn't recommend it and frankly feel as if readers who expect the same caliber of Of Beast and Beauty will be happier skipping out on this one. Sorry Princess of Thorns, but you leave much wanting.

You can read my review for Of Beast & Beauty (which I highly recommend!) HERE. 

Release Day Review: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Title: The Vanishing Season

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson

Rating: 2 Stars

I should have fallen under the spell of The Vanishing Season. I love a quiet, slow, introspective novel that is primarily character-driven. Combine that with Jodi Lynn Anderson's melodic prose and the result is a miracle, the way Tiger Lily is. The Vanishing Season, however, despite containing elements that I would have usually fallen head-over-heels for, somehow  managed to keep me at a distance. Its cold, unemotional stance never allowed me to fall for its story and, unfortunately, this remains one of my most disappointing reads of the year.

I didn't make it too much of a secret that I loved Tiger Lily back when it came out and, similarly, I didn't make it much of a secret that I expected to love The Vanishing Season when it released. With its synopsis promising a murder mystery, ghosts, and small town setting, I really couldn't fathom how it could possibly go wrong. Well, here's how: mismarketing. Seriously, whoever wrote the synopsis for this novel needs to buy themselves a copy of The Vanishing Season, actually read it, and then do the world a favor by resigning.

In reality, The Vanishing Season is the story of Maggie, our unassuming protagonist, who moves into a small town and befriends the beautiful Pauline and her childhood friend, Liam, who is utterly besotted with her. Maggie hears stories of girls in nearby towns who are mysteriously murdered but, make no mistake, this is not a murder mystery novel. Anderson, in no capacity, focuses on this background plot line throughout the course of her narrative and The Vanishing Season very firmly remains an intriguing character study. Admittedly, there is a ghost, but more on that later.

Now, I am all for character studies. Courtney Summers's novels are all, in my opinion, intense character studies of her multiple protagonists, just as Tiger Lily managed to be an in-depth analysis of Peter and Tiger Lily's doomed romance. The Vanishing Season looks closely at the dynamics of these three friends--Maggie who is falling for Liam who is hopelessly in love with Pauline who cares for no one. It is a love triangle, but admittedly an interesting one. I didn't quite mind exploring the changing dynamics between these three, at least not at first, but as the novel wore on and certain circumstances came to pass, I grew irritated, mainly because nothing much happens in this book with the exception of this strange love conundrum. The Vanishing Season is a slow, slooooow novel and I'm not sure I ever even fully got into it in the first place.

Every chapter finishes off with a first-person account from the ghost who resides in the home Maggie has just moved in but, nevertheless, this is not a ghost story either. Much like how Tiger Lily was narrated from Tinker Bell's perspective, parts of this novel are narrated from the ghost's perspective and she looks in on these lives. I practically skimmed these sections in the beginning, though they later became the most interesting part of the narrative. Ultimately, however, I find it difficult to summon up much feeling for any part of this story--forgive me, readers, for this apathetic review.

What I do feel quite strongly about, however, is the ending of this novel. For those of you who don't already know, I love ambiguous, unlikable, and tragic endings. Sure, a happily-ever-after gets me smiling every time but a tragedy gets me thinking long after. Where Tiger Lily concluded on a bittersweet, brooding note, however, The Vanishing Season ends in such a way that the reader is left distraught. Anderson's novel lacks true meaning. We've stuck with these characters for so long through such a meandering, tiresome plot only to have the ending reflect the cruel twist of fate when karma doesn't work out and bad things happen to good people. Thus, it isn't an ending I felt added to the meaning of the novel, of my life, or of the world as a whole.

Every book, in my eyes, should have a purpose; a goal or reason for being written. Maybe it's just written to entertain--which, trust me, this book was not written to do as its so dull--or it's written to express a theme or a belief, but the conclusion of this novel only further detracts from this story because of its inability to convey a strong, wholesome message. Perhaps there are gems of wisdom weaved into this conclusion, but I definitely missed them.

The Vanishing Season failed to inspire feeling and, for a character-driven tale, that only spells demise. Its plot disengaged, its characters failed to compel, and its conclusion left me devoid of much hope for our universe. Thus, I really can't say I recommend this one at all. In fact, I'm going to pick up my well-worn hardcover of Tiger Lily from my shelves--I seem to have forgotten why I loved Jodi Lynn Anderson so much in the first place.

ARC Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception (Remnant Chronicles, #1) 

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Rating: 2 Stars

Release Date: July 8th, 2014

The Kiss of Deception is a bundle of contradictions, both on and off the page. It has a love triangle, it doesn't have a love triangle; it tells a tale of deceit, it doesn't truly hide any deception from the reader; its protagonist is a strong female, its protagonist is weak-willed. While I wasn't too keen on picking up this installment--at least not until the entire series had played out--the reviews left me in deep confusion. After combing through GoodReads far longer than I should have, I finally decided to pick up my ARC and simply dive in. Even if I didn't enjoy the romance, the reviews guaranteed that the second-half of this novel was a significant improvement and the political plot threads would certainly keep me satisfied.

Wrong. 

As I mentioned, The Kiss of Deception is a novel of contrasts; in certain sections of the book, certain tropes seem far more evident than in others. Thus, I hope you will forgive me for taking the liberty to spread open this volume and critique it from its first-quarter, to its second, to the last half. I promise, this review is spoiler-free. (Not bitter-free, though, be warned!) 

The First Quarter (A.K.A. The Set Up) 

The Kiss of Deception begins with Lia, the princess of the realm, fleeing her arranged marriage with the prince of Dalbreck. Lia ascends from a long line of princesses with power--known as the First Daughter--and, for that reason, they are prized above all else. For Lia, this means that her abilities will join her to a man she has never met all for the safety of the kingdom. What's more, Lia doesn't truly possess any magic--her gift never blossomed and it seems it never will. Thus, to escape the sham that her life is about to become, she escapes her wedding and decided to strike out on her own. 

Following Lia's escape, the prince of Dalbreck makes his way after her, determined to meet the woman who dared flee her wedding alter, and, what's more, an assassin troops after her as well. During this first quarter of the novel, the tale is told from the perspective of Lia, the Prince, and the Assassin. Lia finds a job as a tavern maid and her attention becomes sought after by two men, Rafe and Kade, only both Lia and the reader don't know which one of these two is the Prince and which one is the Assassin. I found this portion to be reminiscent of typical fantasy works as Lia trekked across the country alongside her friend, Pauline, and their evolving friendship is so realistically portrayed throughout the narrative. I further appreciated Lia's willingness to embrace a new lifestyle and the format in which this part of the novel was written worked exceedingly well as I found myself trying to guess just who was who. 

Unfortunately, there are trickles of a full-blown love triangle in the beginning quarter of this novel as well. As a princess, Lia has never experienced intimacy with a man because of the fear her older brothers and father have inspired in any potential suitors. Thus, as a tavern maid she is given infinitely more freedom in every regard, including this one. I understood her as her thoughts strayed towards comparing and contrasting these two men, but it became irritating too. I wanted Lia to lose her naivety quickly and I also wanted the pace of the novel to pick up. It just felt too slow, this beginning, with so much being set up and the characters lacking true personalities. The Prince and the Assassin, especially, read far too similar during this portion of the novel to stand out and I didn't want Lia to fall for either of them. 

The Second Quarter (A.K.A. Who Will Lia Pick?) 

I'm not sure if it's a positive or a negative that Lia finally sets her sights on one of her two potential suitors in this section. Of course, the love triangle theme continues on during this last half of the first half, but once Lia sets her sights on one man, it was certainly a relief. Yet, what really shines in this aspect of the novel is the perspective of the prince. As he gets to know Lia, he also finds out why she fled her wedding and the accusations she holds against him are ones he uses to grow, change, and become a better individual. (The prince finds out about Lia's feelings through eavesdropping--she never reveals that she is a former princess.) 

Yet, what truly annoyed me about this section is the fact that both the men in question, the prince and the assassin, begin to love Lia. Granted, Lia only loves one of them, but she still holds the other in high regard and the very fact that two men love the same woman constitutes a love triangle label, in my opinion. Now that the set-up is over, you'd think there would be more action but, instead, this section continues at a languid pace, outlying the normalcy of Lia's life. As we near the half-way mark of the novel, circumstances become evident to Lia and she recognizes that escaping from her wedding had many unforeseen and negative consequences on the kingdom as a whole. Thus, Lia prepares to head home--and we finally get our first glimpse of some action! 

The Third Quarter (A.K.A. Action! ...Sorta) 

With Lia heading back to reclaim her throne, tensions run high since the assassin has yet to make his move and the prince, who hasn't claimed his royal position either, must make a decision about the future. Before Lia can reach her palace--or even near it--however, she is kidnapped. I won't be giving away any more details because of spoilers, but I'll say that she was kidnapped by The One She Didn't Choose. What I liked about this part of the novel is that we finally see Lia grow and embrace her destiny. While she began this novel by running away, as the situation turns dire she forces herself to leave behind a life she loves--a life of freedom and love--to return to her home. When this plan is further thwarted, the backbone she grows and the determination she assumes are admirable. I finally began to like Lia at this stage in the novel. Moreover, Lia's relationship with her brother, Walther, is built up over the course of the novel and its continued realism and strength even at this stage of the novel only added to our growing depth of Lia as a character. Of course, the relationships at this stage are at their most complex as Lia is reeling from truths that have finally been revealed and The One She Didn't Choose still cares deeply for her, despite kidnapping her. 

Sadly, I continued to feel a classic love triangle vibe as this portion of the story plodded along. It made me anxious throughout reading the narrative and the perspectives of The Guy She Did Choose were so weak in this section that I truly felt as if the romance was, once again, about the overtake the narrative. Due to the fact that Lia was no longer stationary, however, the world-building began to expand in this section and the political set-up at play, here, is certainly interesting to say the least. Unfortunately, with the focus of this novel being entirely on Lia and her relationship with these two guys, any real political situation was neatly prevented from being expanded upon. Instead, in this particular portion of the story, Lia gets to know her captives a bit better and their culture reflects further enhanced the world-building at play. 

The Last Quarter (A.K.A. The End) 

As I mentioned before, as this story draws to a close the love triangle is only further heightened as it becomes more and more obvious that both the men we met at the beginning of this story are besotted with Lia. Nevertheless, there are plenty of interesting revelations in this last quarter and as Lia undergoes various experiences, she finally transforms into a different kind of heroine, far removed from the naive girl she used to be. While I loved Lia's growth throughout the narrative, though, and found the reveals of "deception" to be well-timed, the ending of this story did little to strengthen my resolve in it. 

The Kiss of Deception is a novel centered around the growth of one heroine, which I love, but sadly this growth further stems from a love triangle and various acts of "deception" that never kept the reader shocked, surprised, or entertained. It's a story where little happens and the world-building, though interesting, is not impressive enough to keep me glued on for another installment. Just too little happens in this story and, towards the end, when the tale finally finds its true stride, it ends. 

Not only were the characters in this novel rather a-typical, but the desert setting and princess plot line has been done before and in far better instances. As a high-fantasy fanatic, I can claim that The Kiss of Deception is fantasy-lite, at best, if not romantic fantasy outright. It doesn't have a classic love triangle (not for its entire duration, at any rate), but even a situation where two guys are interested in the same girl seems to annoy me. What's more, The Guy Lia Did Choose and Lia have a very small romantic arc to constitute as true love. It needed a great deal of expansion for me and nearly leans towards the insta-love category in some ways. Ultimately, there is too little to recommend this novel forward. When I said that The Kiss of Deception came to an end, I meant my involvement with it came to a close as well. Granted, there are positive points to its narrative--I won't deny that--but this simply was not for me. The Kiss of Deception: here's to hoping I forget about you and your deceptively beautiful cover very, very  soon. 

Mixed Bag New Adult Mini-Reviews: Contemporary, Fantasy & Classics

While not all of these books have been explicitly labeled as New Adult, I feel comfortable throwing all four into this category as the age group of the characters perfectly fits this mold. Secret Society Girl and This Love are perhaps more traditionally New Adult, but Moth & Spark features young protagonists on the cusp of adulthood and Joyce's classic focuses largely on self-discovery prior to adulthood, covering a time span from Young Adult to New Adult.

Title: Secret Society Girl (Secret Society Girl, #1)
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Rating: 2 Stars

It seems Diana Peterfreund and I are truly meant to go our separate ways. For Darkness Shows the Stars underwhelmed me when it released, but I attributed my distaste of it to my love for Jane Austen's Persuasion, the novel Peterfreund attempted to pay homage to through her re-imagined futuristic setting. It - evidently - didn't work for me but, surely, Secret Society Girl should have. Of all my trusted reviewers, not one has found true fault with this novel. Thus, I must warn readers to take this review with a grain of salt. I am not of the majority opinion. Not at all.

While the premises of Secret Society Girl is intriguing enough - a young girl welcomed into an elite, previously boys-only, secret society - its execution falls flat. I found myself alternately bored while reading this, unable to connect with the main character or any of her friends. Although certain sections held my interest, for the most part, I found myself unimpressed - and unmoved by - the "witty" dialogue, "complex" relationships, and "secret" society happenings. But, as I've mentioned before, the fault clearly lies with me. I picked up Secret Society Girl hoping to discover a new series to label as a favorite but, it seems, we are just not meant to be.

Title: This Love (University of Branton, #1)

Author: Nazarea Andrews

Rating: 3 Stars

A quick read, but not one that makes any remarkable strides in the New Adult Genre. This Love deals with a forbidden student-teacher relationship, but this aspect of the romance is largely ignored by both love interests until the last quarter of the novel. In some ways, I can see the logistics behind this - a summer fling that wasn't supposed to come with emotional attachments - but I felt oddly distanced from the romance at hand, likely because of it. Andrews fails to play up the forbidden element which forced This Love from a unique category to a rather predictable one. I found the plot line to be reminiscent of typical romance novels, complete with two leads whose past troubles force them to seek solace in one another, only to find love instead. Unlike Unteachable, where the student-teacher romance only adds to the plot, This Love isn't a novel I'd recommend for those looking for a slightly different flavor of love story. Andrews's prose isn't anything spectacular and, I'm afraid, neither are her characters. In conclusion: not a bad novel, just one I feel remarkably indifferent towards.

Title: Moth & Spark
Author: Anne Leonard
Rating: 3 Stars

Moth and Spark is fantasy-lite. While it contains a plethora of intriguing ideas, the world-building, dragons, and magical elements aren't as deeply explored as the romance is. Quite simply put, though this could have easily been molded into an intense, political fantasy novel, it remains focused on the love story at hand. For an adult novel to push aside the intriguing political machinations of its universe, keeping its best qualities - dragons and magic - at bay, only compels it to dim in light of other fantasy novels. Leonard's writing and characterization are rich, but not rich enough to warrant remembrance. Not a bad debut, just a little different from what I expected...

Title: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Author: James Joyce

Rating: 2 Stars

It took my class a lot longer to finish this book than it took us to finish Crime and Punishment. Joyce is - by no means - a bad writer. If anything, his attention to detail, the clever symbols he incorporates into his work, and the motifs that recur again and again to create a larger meaning are all deftly woven together. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a wonderful piece of work in the sense that its subject matter is intriguing - a moral, internal struggle reconciling religion, lust, and identity - and, moreover, it remains a testament to more than just artistry, but history as well, drawing heavily upon its time period. Yet, that being said, Joyce's "stream of consciousness" prose did not sit well with me. I was unable to appreciate Stephen's character, feeling constantly distanced from the narrative throughout, and this novel's tediousness is its downfall. For modern readers, at any rate. Within my class itself, I struggle to name a single individual - with the exception of my enthusiastic teacher - who truly enjoyed this. Now, having finished the book, I am able to appreciate its significance but the experience of getting through this was far from entertaining. It's the way of classics, I suppose - you love some, you loathe others.

Contemporary Summer ARC Mini-Reviews: #scandal, Magnolia, and On the Fence

Title: #scandal
Author: Sarah Ockler
Rating: 2 Stars
Release Date: June 17th, 2014

Frankly speaking, I'd encourage readers to skip #scandal entirely. Seriously. If you haven't read Ockler before, I'd dissuade you from beginning with this novel and if, like me, you're a fan, you're simply better off re-reading one of her previous titles.

#scandal dealt with one too many issues for it to handle with aplomb. When Lucy's best friend, Ellie, is down with the flu and unable to attend prom with her dashingly handsome boyfriend, she forces Lucy to be Cole's date instead. Only, Lucy has had a crush on Cole since before he began dating her best friend and now, at such close proximity with him for an entire night, her feelings rush back, all at once. As luck would have it, however, Cole returns her feelings--a truth he can admit to, as he and Ellie broke up before prom--but before their break-up becomes public, an image of Lucy and Cole kissing goes viral instead.

Now, I don't know if it's because I spend more time on Goodreads than on Facebook, but I felt oddly distanced from this story. Lucy begins the novel already in love with Cole, which left their romance a pile of disappointment as I was unable to become emotionally involved in it. Ellie, from the first page itself, stood out as an odd type of best friend, forcing her friend to accompany her boyfriend as his prom date, and I cannot claim to truly feel the bond of friendship between these two girls. Even more than that, though, #scandal deals with cyber-bullying in a manner I find to be woefully disappointing. Lucy is attempting to clear her name from the scandal she is associated with, all while trying to find out who stole her phone and posted the picture--along with other incriminating ones--online. Thus, the entire problem of cyber-bullying is dealt alongside a heavy dose of gossip and drama, which didn't work for me. Quite simply put, I barely have anything to say about #scandal except for the fact that its characters failed to resonate with me, its plot felt flimsy and underdeveloped, and with the exception of that gorgeous blue background color, I'd prefer to entirely forget about the existence of this novel. Excuse me while I hunt for my copy of Bittersweet to remind myself of what a classic Sarah Ockler story reads like; this innovative approach just didn't do it for me.

Title: Magnolia

Author: Kristi Cook

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Release Date: August 5th, 2014

Magnolia is a delightfully light, quick summer romance. Cook attempts to set up a reverse Romeo & Juliet situation in Magnolia as her romantic leads, Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marden, absolutely detest one another while their families--old, Southern-style households determined to uphold decades-long traditions--are eager to see them together, if only to finally witness their families joined together by more than friendship. But Jemma and Ryder are determined to keep those dreams exactly as they are--dreams. While the two used to be friends, recent events have created a rift between them they aren't keen to breach. Until, that is, a deadly hurricane sweeps through town and Jemma and Ryder find themselves alone, dependent solely on each other for survival. While the hurricane unearths even the ground itself, Jemma and Ryder finally unearth the secrets in their past, realizing that the line between love and hate is far more transparent than it seemed.

Without a doubt, Magnolia is a lovely, tickle-me-pink love story, full of the tension we crave between romantic leads as we witness them--grudgingly--grow to love one another, putting aside their former emotions. Cook writes the focal hurricane scene believably, at least for this Northern girl, building suspense to drive forward the plot line while sustaining the atmosphere of Southern charm she creates within the first few chapters. There are a decent number of story lines running through this tale: Jemma coping with her older sister's sudden brain tumor; dealing with the attentions of Patrick, a cute boy whose DUIs indicate a persona not entirely suited for Jemma; and realizing that she, Jemma, may not want to attend the local universities her parents have picked out for her but may, instead, want to attend film school in New York City. Yet, Cook manages to weave these together for they all contribute to the general confusion Jemma feels during the time, while simultaneously getting to know the boy who she has self-declared her very own Public Enemy #1, Ryder.

I found it easy to slip into Jemma's narration and rather enjoyed it, with the exception of a few scenes where I felt as if her voice distanced the reader rather than included them. Ryder, too, is the complete package of swoon, proving to be far more than the "villain" Jemma paints him out to be from the onset of the story. In fact, I found myself anticipating their interactions, merely because both Jemma and Ryder were mature and self-aware enough to know when to put aside their differences and work together, but they aren't above throwing a jab or two at one another regardless. Their tentative journey to an ultimate relationship, despite balancing their own desires from that of their parents, is more than just a little rewarding. While one particular plot point towards the end of the story forced me to raise my eyebrows in annoyance, for the most part--those personal narrative moments aside--Cook's latest novel certainly surprised me. Don't expect an ocean of depth and you may just close this book with a grin. I know I did.

Title: On the Fence

Author: Kasie West

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: July 1st, 2014

On the Fence is the first Kasie West I've genuinely enjoyed. While her previous contemporary romance had me reeling in disappointment and her debut, Pivot Point, did little to convince me of her writing prowess, this upcoming novel hit all the right notes. 

We've all read or seen or heard, in some form of media or the other, the classic tale of a beautiful young girl raised in a household of men, brought up to be a vivacious tom-boy. Charlie fits that bill perfectly, unable to remember a life before her mother's death. For as long as she has known, all she's ever needed is football, her older brothers, the reassuring presence of her father, and Braden, her best friend and neighbor rolled in one. Until, that is, this summer. While searching for a job to pay off her speeding tickets, Charlie realizes how woe-fully un-feminine she is. And, lo and behold, On the Fence won me over at last. Charlie's narration is deceptively easy to slip into, reading strong and honest, bold and unique, which is quite refreshing. Yet, the vulnerabilities she began to expose as she discovered aspects of her personality she never even knew existed, spoke to me. I completely felt for Charlie; for her mother-less childhood, for the manner in which her family never spoke about her deceased mother, and for the swirling confusion in her heart whenever Braden approached. 

West copes with the family machinations in this novel beautifully, building realistic relationships with believable dialogue. Though it can feel partially stereotypical at times, it isn't wholly so, which makes the necessary distinction. Braden, especially, is such a delightfully complex hero; a buddy to Charlie's brothers, another son to Charlie's father, but merely a friend to her. While he seems to treat her as "one of the guys", the midnight conversations these two share along their shared fence made me fall head-over-heels for their romance. Not only do these two complement one another perfectly, slowing falling--and discovering--their love, but they also accept and understand each other for their true personalities, not the facades they hide behind. On the Fence surprised me with its unexpected depth and, finally having found a Kasie West novel I like, I can only hope the trend persists. If you're looking for a feel-good love story, one filled with a realistic growth arc and strong familial relationships (not to mention a swoon-worthy best friend romance!), On the Fence is your best bet, rain or shine. 

ARC Review: Tease by Sophie Jordan

Title: Tease (Ivy Chronicles, #2) 

Author: Sophie Jordan 

Rating: 2 Stars

Release Date: May 27th, 2014

In a rare display of symbolism, the cover of this novel is every bit as off-putting as it needs to be. When I first looked at the ARC of this novel, I was originally disappointed as I felt the cover image - with those models looking at the viewer and at each other so oddly - would work against an otherwise excellent novel. Unlike its predecessor, however, Tease is exactly the typical New Adult novel it is projected as. Where Foreplay managed to draw me into the college lifestyle, warm friendships, and a romance that defied stereotypes while playing within them, Tease follows an all too-familiar cookie-cutter formula which has, fortunately or unfortunately, run its course.

Tease follows one of Pepper's best friends, Emerson, as she finally meets a guy willing to get to know the real her beneath her multiple layers of barriers. Frankly speaking, I am not exhausted of this particular plot-line. I think that with maturity and time, there comes a point in every relationship where honesty is needed above "faking" it and considering the state of women's self-esteem all around the world thanks to the media, I am not surprised that this a theme authors keep returning to and readers keep embracing. After all, every character is different and their approach to their growth isn't the same either, appealing to certain types of audiences more than others.

In the case of Tease, though, this wasn't the case. Emerson is estranged from her family, bitter at the world, and uses guys to further the image of her sexual experience. Moreover, she enjoys teasing guys as it gives her a modicum of welcome power of her life. I get that. Where I had a difficult time with this story, however, is in the fact that Emerson's growth is peppered with recycled tropes playing a large role in her agency. Whether it be the alpha-male, Shaw, whose insistence at control forces Emerson to give up her own control and learn to trust and open up to him or the sexual abuse which drives forward her present-day motives, Emerson's story line dulled my senses, causing my eyes to skim over the pages instead of lean in with barely-contained excitement.

Admittedly, my dislike for alpha-males is a personal one and, as far as they go, Shaw is definitely one of the better, nicer guys whose dominance doesn't dictate his every action. Nevertheless, Shaw's personality as a love interest never came alive for me and, moreover, his connection with Emerson seemed purely physical. No, not purely physical, but if Emerson had met a different stubborn, alpha-male she would have likely fallen for him too as his controlling qualities would have forced her to open up under his probing gaze, just as she did with Shaw. Moreover, I am growing a little disgusted by the blatant use of sexual abuse in every single New Adult novel to further the plot line. I am not denying the fact that the percentage of women who experience sexual abuse is high - it is - which makes the chances of all these characters suffering from some type of sexual abuse a realistic statistic, but the manner in which this is explored is never to the full depth and capacity it needs to be. In Tease, this aspect of Emerson's past is a negligible detail, mentioned and utilized to increase the drama of the story line instead of address serious allegations of potential rape and our societal view of it. Emerson's trauma and baggage is big enough to deal with without adding sexual abuse into the mixture, so its presence only clouded an already disappointing story.

For fans of Sophie Jordan, I have a feeling Tease may prove to be a success. Seeing as I've only ever enjoyed Foreplay, I am certainly the first to admit that I went into this with grossly high expectations and have had to pay for those hopes dearly. Perhaps, for me, Foreplay was only a one trick pony. Either way, I won't be lunging for the next book in this series; lesson learned.

Review: Deeper by Robin York

Title: Deeper (Caroline and West, #1) 

Author: Robin York 

Rating: 2 Stars

I feel as if I've been saying this all too often over the course of the past few days, but...

...what a disappointment.

Deeper is a rather excellent New Adult novel, much the same way Easy is, but it failed to charm and enamor me. Moreover, York uses far too many tropes, forcing my eyes to roll as a knee-jerk reaction. Frankly speaking, the "bone melting" glances, the "weak knees" and the "flash of heat" is all getting a little too boring at this point. Caroline is rendered speechless by West's very presence and West's point of view does little but shake off his manliness, throwing him into a spotlight as a love interest whose every waking thought is consumed by "his girl", a possessive streak that begins long before these two even become involved. West and Caroline meet on the first day of college and for eighteen months, West is literally lusting after Caroline. Do guys really do this in real life? It feels like a rich fantasy New Adult authors have created in order to make their love stories seem more plausible because, surely, if the male love interest is sexually interested in the female protagonist for months before they wind up together it just must be True Love.

Caroline, a victim of sexual abuse after her ex-boyfriend posted naked pictures of her online, isn't a heroine I despised. In fact, her determination to barrel through each day is admirable and her actions - seeking out West for safety - are understandable. But, it all just feels too familiar. Caroline and West develop an easy relationship together, sexual tension aside, but they aren't "friends", a pretense of maintaining distance between them. West, in order to fulfill the typical role of a "bad boy" dutifully sells drugs, an exterior which, of course, hides a true softie. Plus, West is the only guy on campus to see Caroline's situation for what it is: harassment. With these New Adult novels, it feels as if there can only be one good guy, or else we have a love triangle on hand. Every other guy on this nerdy campus calls Caroline a slut or posts dirty remarks in response to her pictures - except West and his roommate, Krishna. It felt contrived, convoluted, and a bit unnatural; as if the reader is being forced to accept and love West. Also, where in the New Adult handbook is it a requirement for the love interest to beat up the crappy ex-boyfriend? I've never seen a fistfight in my life, yet, so I don't know why New Adult is crawling with violent alpha males, but I'm bored of it.

Deeper certainly discusses the issue of sexual abuse in a tasteful manner, shedding light on the atrocities the internet can contribute to. Nevertheless, its characters fit all-too-typical molds, the romance focusing a bit too much on the steam and chemistry than on individual growth or development (which I feel may have been more appropriate for this story), and the bottom line is simply that I am bored and fed up of these overused tropes. York writes them well, using them in a powerful manner, but no matter how well you dress them up, tropes remain tropes, from trust issues to rabbit sex. It seems I've gotten into the habit of reading quality New Adult - books like Unteachable or My One & Only - so Deeper fell into my lap as an unpleasant surprise. While I thoroughly enjoyed Knox's About Last Night and fully intend to pick up her other full-length adult novel (Ride With Me I think...?), York's New Adult fiction isn't my cup-of-tea. It seems that New Adult these days must include romantic "healing" and a heroine who is the victim of sexual abuse, but within those parameters, there are only a fraction of stories to be told. And, here's the thing: they've already been written, time and time again. Freshen up, New Adult.

ARC Review: Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

Title: Royally Lost

Author: Angie Stanton

Rating: 2 Stars

Release Date: May 6th, 2014

Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince. Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour. When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?

If "The Prince and Me" and "The Lizzie McGuire" movie had a love child, Royally Lost would be it. Frankly speaking, I have nothing against a cute, cheesy, and unrealistic romance - in movies. In books, I find myself rolling my eyes and craving more depth. Stanton's latest is predictable in every way from the coincidental meetings of Prince Nikolai and Becca to their swimming adventures, balcony conversations, and stolen kisses. Unfortunately, I went into this novel expecting something a little more like Just One Day and Wanderlove and, as such, was disappointed by the rather silly love story this novel presented.

Royally Lost isn't wholly lost, though. Stanton provides plenty of historical background to the European countries and landmarks Becca visits, making this journey an authentic one, and, moreover, the sibling bond between Becca and her older brother Dylan is realistically written. Becca's entire family situation, from her behavior after her mother's death to the eventual relationship she is able to form with her younger step-mother, is paced impeccably and although it held potential for more, it did attempt to provide Becca's character with more than just "sun-kissed hair" and classic American looks. Nikolai's situation as well - wanted to escape responsibility, not understanding the necessity for a monarch in the twenty-first century, etc. - all felt true to the age group of this teen, but, again, there were so many lost opportunities in the execution of this plot device.

Stanton hits the nail on the head as she uncovers that teens, during this time period in their lives, have no idea what their purpose is or, for that matter, why they must perform duties they dislike or feel no passion for. In this manner, both Nikolai and Becca are thoughtfully put together, giving rise to a perceptive story of growing up. Or, would have given rise to this novel if Nikolai and Becca weren't so caught up in their romance. While the "secret/undercover prince" concept of this story is - thankfully - not the cause of too much drama/angst, the main focus of both these characters remain each other. When Becca doesn't see Nikolai she's worried about him and vice versa. Instead of discussing their looming futures - Becca's college or Nikolai's impending enrollment to serve his country's military - the conversations between these two are increasingly cheesy. Granted, there is a certain degree of growth to both their characters, but the type of depth, resolution, and ultimate discussion I craved - anything similar to Wanderlove or Just One Day in their exploration of teenage opportunity, scope, and perspective - was sadly missing.

Ultimately, I felt as if this story had the potential to be a much better novel than it was. Although Royally Lost is a delightful story to curl up with as a guilty pleasure or feel-good romance, it does little to improve the gap between the YA and NA genres, failing to incite the type of thought-provoking conversations that other travel stories have done in the past. As such, I just cannot recommend this book. Sorry Royally Lost, but you would have been better off not being found after all...

ARC Mini-Reviews: The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher & The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand

Title: The Killing Woods

Author: Lucy Christopher

Rating: 2 Stars

Release Date: January 7th, 2014

If Lucy Christopher's name hadn't been printed on the cover of this novel, I wouldn't have believed she wrote it. Granted, the prose is gorgeous, but the emotional complexity, character depth, and general plot originality I've come to expect from the author of Stolen wasn't present in this novel. Not in the least. Admittedly, I didn't expect The Killing Woods to be another Stolen, but I didn't expect to feel so apathetic to it as a whole either.

Told in alternating points of view, Christopher's latest is about a young girl whose father is charged with the murder of her classmate. Where The Killing Woods shines is in its portrayal of the emotions Emily feels, both after her father is accused and during his trial. What makes this situation so black-and-white is the fact that Emily's father has been suffering from PTSD after returning from the war and is often unable to discern from memory and his own reality. Thus, as Emily is left to pick up the pieces of human cruelty - friends abandoning her, questioning if she's a killer too - and confusion - who could have committed the murder? Damon, as the boyfriend of the murdered girl, is both outraged over her death and worried. Just the night before he had been out in the woods with her, high, and doesn't quite remember what happened. If he killed her, he wouldn't even know how he had done it, or why for that matter.

While this premise and set-up is fascinating, the slow unveiling of the murder isn't. Both Damon and Emily remain flat characters, never truly coming alive, and the story itself drags, bogged down by clunky chapters of Damon running through the woods, trying to remember what happened the night his girlfriend died, and Emily perusing her father's bunkers for clues of his guilt. Although the eventual reveal is satisfactory, the book as a whole is dull and forgettable. For fans of Christopher, I am afraid this will wind up being nothing more than a disappointment. And for those new to her work, do yourself a favor and pick up Stolen. It'll blow your mind; promise.

Title: The Chocolate Temptation (Amour et Chocolat, #6) 

Author: Laura Florand

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: January End, 2014

I can always rely on Laura Florand for a butterflies-in-my-stomach read, especially on a cold winter day when all I'm really craving is chocolate from one of these kitchens she writes about. The Chocolate Temptation follows Patrick, the suave second to Luc Leroi we met in The Chocolate Heart. You remember him, don't you? Always ready with a smile, a laugh, and a swoon-worthy face to lighten up your day. It's just too bad Sarah, the young American intern in Leroi's kitchen, doesn't think so. After all, as Sarah keeps trying to convince her intelligent Korean brain, she hates him. As we've established over the years, however, hate isn't all that far from love...

I practically squealed when I realized that The Chocolate Temptation finally took us deeper into these delectable kitchens than the previous novels ever have. Patrick is in charge of Sarah and, as always, Florand is the master of sexual tension. If you thought the heat from the ovens was hot, think again, because the steam between these two as they brush against each other in the kitchens is sizzling. Patrick, for instance, can't stop thinking about Sarah - about the concentration with which she does her work, her pure dedication to perfecting the art of cooking, and the passion she throws into work, tiring day after tiring day. On the other hand, Sarah cannot help but admire Patrick's talent, all while hating the way he will break her heart someday, even without realizing it.

As Sarah and Patrick get closer, however, they begin to realize that their facades of perfection are just that: masks. For me, the Florand's novels always have a two-fold appeal. One: the tension. As I keep mentioning, Florand's writing is divine. It just curls its way into your heart, creating emotion where there was none before. And two: the depth. Each of Florand's novels are romances about broken individuals, not necessarily broken in the same way or to the same degree, but who have barriers around their lives. What I particularly love is that she tackles a new issue with every one of her books, making them all such a delight to read. With Sarah and Patrick, both of them suffer from severe insecurity. Sarah, as a replacement child for the son who was killed in North Korea, never feels as if she's up to the mark and Patrick, a foster child, feels the same. Nevertheless, seeing them work through their struggles and find a way to trust and support one another was heart-warming.

Moreover, what I really love about Sarah and Patrick's relationship is that each of them have different dreams, but make conscious efforts to pursue them. Sarah, for instance, was a successful engineer in Caltech but she left her home and family behind to begin her life-long wish of sugar-making. Both the courage and guilt Sarah feels at pursuing her own dream, selfishly some would say, is depicted perfectly. Similarly, Patrick who - ironically - wishes he could be an engineer undergoes a mental journey as he realizes that dreams change with time and what he wanted as a twelve-year-old boy is not necessarily what he wants as a man now. Florand always touches upon such honest aspects of adult life with her novels that I feel enriched having read them. While the last few chapters of this book could veer on the lovey-dovey side, her books never fail to sate my thirst and bring a smile upon my face. Just as I expected, The Chocolate Temptation is a winner; another one.

Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Title: The Distance Between Us

Author: Kasie West

Rating: 2 Stars

I've been itching to try a Kasie West novel ever since her debut - and successive sophomore novel - took the blogging world by surprise. I have a wide variety of friends in the blogosphere, all with different tastes, but if there's one thing they agreed upon, it was that this book was good.

Um, not so much for me.

I really enjoyed West's prose, so I have a feeling I'll be back for more, and this novel just flew by so quickly and was practically impossible to let go of, but ultimately I wasn't charmed. It tackles on a little too much, a little too poorly, and although I struggled with aspects of the story, the parts I really loved were more-or-less pushed under the carpet and dealt with in a very shot-gun conclusion that wrapped things up a little too neatly for my tastes. Ultimately, however, my main issue is that this story is oozing with potential - potential that is, sadly, never acted upon.

The Distance Between Us tackles a rather generic love story - rich boy meets poor girl - but it has a lot of promising elements too. For one, Caymen (the poor girl in question) owns a doll shop with her single-mother who she maintains a strong relationship with. For another, the reason Caymen and Xander (the rich boy and heir of an expensive hotel business) are drawn together is not because of "chemistry", but because they are both struggling to find their place in the world. While Caymen is initially wary of Xander's extended hand of friendship, primarily because her father is a wealthy lawyer who abandoned her mother and never attempted to contact her, the premises of their relationship seemed promising.

Well, talk about a wake-up call.

For me, the most disappointing aspect of this novel was the fact that Caymen and Xander's attempts to help each other find their perfect career was merely a plot device to draw them together. I've found that the age of seventeen is on the cusp of Young Adult and New Adult; it tempts authors to push that boundary and tackle the more complicated questions of a looming future, but also draws them back to safety of a well-worn love story. And, sadly, West took the easy route out. Although I appreciated the fact that Xander used his wealth to expose Caymen to options she wouldn't have considered with her poor background, the opposite did not hold true and Xander's introduction into a life of "poorly" occupations was lacking in depth. Moreover, by the end of the novel this entire plot thread was thrown out of the window in favor of - you guessed it - needless drama and a convenient conclusion.

Even past the immediate plot of this story, the characters failed to truly jump out at me. While Caymen constantly describes her relationship with her mother as being strong and supportive, it isn't ever shown throughout the narration. Additionally, while Caymen and Xander push out of their stereotypes of "poor" and "rich", their friends remain black-and-white, eating at gas stations or making lewd comments. Furthermore, I cannot claim to have been enamored by Caymen - or her narration, for that matter. Although I appreciated her sarcastic tone, the constant comparisons between her lifestyle and that of Xander's grew tiresome and the issue as a whole is, as I've mentioned previously, handled a little too neatly. Moreover, Xander lacks any real personality beyond being kind. I often have trouble connected with nice romantic leads, merely because nice does not constitute the entirety of a person. Okay, Xander is nice and caring...what else? What makes him tick? What skeletons are in his closet? Give me something!

And, on the subject of romance, West throws in another love interest in this novel - one who is at the same economic level as Caymen - and though he is far more interesting and shares many more passions than Xander does, his character is purposefully left under-developed so as to keep the spotlight on Caymen and Xander. It's such an unnecessary plot device that does nothing for the romance or for the message of this novel in terms of stereotypes. In fact, all it succeeded in doing was grate on me. West not only has a huge fan base, but she has devoted readers who have extolled this novel far more than it deserves, in my opinion, and I simply did not expect these sorts of plot tropes from such a well-known story.

I am sure that The Distance Between Us will continue to win over fans, but much like My Life Next Door, this is one contemporary that just has not worked for me. While I can at least claim that the latter had many solid scenes and used its characters (and their economic statuses) to its advantage, this novel ends the novel very quickly, failing to go back and address many of the self-discovery issues that Caymen and Xander face and solving the monetary problems between them a little too easily as well. I would still recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance and I will, definitely, be reading West's next romance (I am a sucker for best-friend romances!), but I need my story lines to be a tad bit more realistic and contain a much needed dose of substance. We'll see if West moves in that direction...or not.

Mini-Reviews: Her Best Worst Mistake, The Spectacular Now, and Starry Nights

Title: Starry Nights

Author: Daisy Whitney

Rating: 2 Stars/DNF

Release Date: September 3rd, 2013

Where to begin with Starry Nights? From the beginning itself, the narration struck me as off and as the novel progressed, I was unable to connect with the story. Unlike Whitney’s last book, When You Were Here, her latest is devoid of much emotion. I was unable to become emotionally attached to any of the characters or even come to care about them. Moreover, for a novel set in France, this book could very well be set anywhere on Earth. Whitney fails to describe her vivid setting and capture the aura of a new country, one teeming with romance and magical qualities. As a French student – one who has been forced to study art excessively by a rather obsessed substitute teacher – I didn’t have much trouble following the narrative voice, but the lack of descriptions lead me to believe that many readers may possibly be confused by the art terms or merely bored by them. I know I was. With the exception of its cover, I am sad to admit that there is nothing exceptional about Whitney’s newest novel. It didn’t work for me, but just maybe its final version will be slightly more polished and woo readers everywhere.

Title: Her Best Worst Mistake

Author: Sarah Mayberry

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I picked this up late at night, hoping to read a chapter or two before calling it a day, but I wound up inhaling this entire short novel within two hours and seeing the beginning of the next day instead. And I love that feeling; there are few things more wonderful than losing all sense of time in a book and waking up to find that the world has moved on, even while you were stuck in a haze of fiction. Her Best Worst Mistake is surprisingly readable, being both sexy and thought-provoking, with a brilliant cast of characters to boot. Usually, with a summary as sketchy as this one - sleeping with your best friend's ex-fiancée - I'm typically running in the other direction, but the overwhelming amount of positive reviews for this one made me too curious to resist. And I'm glad I didn't. While I doubt I'll pick up anything more from this author in the foreseeable future, I know I won't be able to get this remarkable love story out of my head for awhile. If you're in one of those moods where all you need is some sexy times, thrown in with a couple who walks that fine line between hate and love where the tension is just sizzling, then look no farther. Her Best Worst Mistake won't be your worst mistake, but it could very well be your best. Guaranteed.

Title: The Spectacular Now

Author: Tim Tharp

Rating: 4 Stars

I'd have never picked up this novel in a million years if it weren't for the fact that the screen writers of "500 Days of Summer" wrote the screenplay for the movie version of this novel. And Shailene Woodley, of course. It seems a little shallow to admit that, but it's the truth. I'm not a fan of Contemporary YA and I'm especially not a fan of novels about teenagers partying and drinking - which is, admittedly, a lot of what this book is. 

Yet, the narration throughout this story is superb. Sutter, the teen who has popularity, a car, a job, and a girlfriend. A really big heart. But also a drinking problem. An addiction. And reading his tale is a little like stepping into that mindset yourself. It captures the essence of the teenage years, but also the scary cliff that looms ahead when you're lost in your world. Sutter is so deeply dark with so many layers to just keep peeling. Aimee, the girl he intends to save, is just as screwed up in some ways and I love her unrelenting depths as well. All of these characters are written so starkly; realistic and raw in a manner that is difficult to describe. And this ending, though not the one I was clamoring for, did manage to grasp life in all its highs and lows. The Spectacular Now is a spectacular slice of life itself, with all its messiness and flaws, complications and oddities, and though it's not my favorite book out there, I can't recommend it enough.

Mini-Reviews: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey & Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Title: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

Rating: DNF/2 Stars

I didn't finish The 5th Wave, but not for lack of trying, mind you. I picked this book up with great excitement, determined to love it, and while the initial chapters were delightfully creepy, as were the opening and closing lines of the consequent chapters, the middle was disastrously boring. And I hear this gets better, but I can't read this anymore. And I honestly feel terrible for saying that, especially when I make a conscious effort to read at least half of a novel before I DNF, but after a hundred pages, I simply could not turn another page.

First and foremost, if you haven't read The 5th Wave already, then please go sample the first few chapters. If the writing style works for you, then, by all means, run out and buy this book. I guarantee you will love it. On the other hand, if, like me, you're struggling to keep reading, then do yourself a favor and drop the book at once. For me, Yancey's writing style was far too tedious for me to keep up with. And I don't mean tedious in the Dickensonian sense where he writes and writes and writes. It is tedious merely because the bulk of it is composed of flashbacks when all you're truly wondering is what is going on right now. Furthermore, there is just so much extraneous information. I feel as if Yancey was trying so desperately to help us build a bond with Cassie, the main character, but all that information didn't solidify anything. Instead, what really made me like Cassie were the one-liners on morality and how humanity had changed so much since the alien invasion. And, this is a little late, but if you didn't know, this book is about an alien invasion. Actually, I lied. It's about survival and humanity - which is far more interesting - but the way this book is written just makes it come across as dull.

And, really, that is my only complaint. Okay, scratch that, it's not. I didn't actually get to the romance aspect of this novel, but I know I wouldn't have liked it because I predicted it from the start and I (a) hate when I predict events in a book and (b) it was a very cliched, coincidentally convenient, and over-done romance trope. As a character, Cassie has little to offer and the detailed re-telling of her past life did little to move me. While I cannot deny that Yancey is bursting with creativity, his idea for an alien invasion one that is absolutely stunning, it is also poorly executed. I love that there is no black and white in this book, that so much of its strength lies in that exploration of the gray area that reveals the stubbornness but also the cruelty of humanity, but without a solid story to fall back on, the philosophy in this novel was lost on me. While I won't be continuing this series, I am still excited to pick up Yancey's debut trilogy in this hopes I have more success with it than I did this latest installment.

Title: Fall for Anything

Author: Courtney Summers

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Please, please don't make me talk about this one. I can't. Fall for Anything is the type of contemporary grief novel I have been clamoring for; the type of book that is a mere snippet of time. It sucks you in from the first page and leaves you just as easily suspended at the last. Fall for Anything unflinchingly leaves no answers. It explores suicide in a manner that is painfully striking; one that reminds us all that there is no answer to this type of death. And even more startling than that, there is many a time no answer to life or the actions we take. Each of the characters in this book are boldly drawn, in lines that leave them full and developed, but obscure like a stranger we may meet as well. We see them, we feel them, we watch their transformations and even understand some of their actions, but not all of them. Never all of them.

Fall for Anything almost seems like a photograph, achingly familiar and not at the same time. Eddie, with all her real, honest, and life-like characteristics is almost painful to read about, her narration ringing true with the parts of our own selves we find hard to label and distinguish. Even the glimpses of grief that reverberated within the other characters in this novel were striking. Fall for Anything is not the fist-in-the-mouth type of read that Summers usually delivers, but this quieter, more achier kind of novel with the whispers of the past and echoes of unanswered questions is gripping in its own light. Fall for Anything is not for everyone and the lack of answers will likely frustrate many, but for those who hunt for ambiguous endings, even in the dark, this will leave you hollow.