ARC Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Title: When Dimple Met Rishi

Author: Sandhya Menon

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: May 30th, 2017

When Dimple Met Rishi isn't a perfect debut, but it has so much going for it with its South Asian leads that I want to focus on the good, more than the bad.

First off, my biggest misgiving going into this is that the premise is based on our eighteen-year-old protagonists being set up for an arranged marriage by their parents. So, let me clarify exactly what the synopsis of this story fails to explain in greater detail: Dimple has just been accepted to Stanford and desperately wants to spend her summer at a prestigious program in SFSU designing her own app. She's surprised when her parents agree as easily as they do to drop the money and foot her summer dreams, especially since her mother wants her to find a good husband (Ideal Indian Husband, actually) in college. When she gets to SFSU, however, she realizes that her parents old friends son, Rishi, is also there and unlike her, he's actually been told that their parents are considering getting them married and see this summer as a chance for the two to see if they're compatible or not. It's a little out there, IMO, but it's handled well since Dimple is career-driven and quickly dispels any notions of marriage the moment she meets Rishi.

From that unlikely start, the novel proceeds much like any contemporary romance--only so much better, really. Rishi has grown up in a wealthy household, appreciating his roots and staying true to them at every turn. Dimple, meanwhile, grew up middle class with a stay-at-home mom who had far too much time to focus solely on her daughter's appearance. Dimple feels stifled by the culture her parents push on her but through her interactions with Rishi, she grows to understand their perspective more--just as Rishi understands Dimple and her experience. Their conversations are a wonderful window into the South Asian American experience and while I didn't identify with just Rishi or just Dimple, I identified with many of the topics they covered and feelings they shared.

I especially love that Menon doesn't hesitate to include Hindi, Bollywood film references, and traditional Indian food in a very organic way throughout the novel. It doesn't feel forced and absolutely adds to the story. Further, Dimple and Rishi's parents are a huge part of their life and I love that they continue to play a big role in the novel, especially as we get both Dimple and Rishi's perspectives in this, so we get to see both sides of that parental relationship. Other positive aspects to this one? A diverse cast, ses-positive YA, and a really lovely exploration of Indian culture and the ways it can be confusing but also empowering to young South Asian teens.

Where this story falters for me, however, is in the execution of its romance. I enjoyed the love story, but I didn't fall head-over-heels for it and I found the inevitable break-up and resolution to be rather contrived and unnecessary. I loved the inner-conflicts that both Dimple and Rishi face individually during the course of their relationship, but the actual romance and backdrop at SFSU and secondary character drama didn't do much for me, personally.

That being said, I'm still thrilled to see a novel that breaks barriers with South Asian leads. For me, this is HUGE. Being able to see parts of your relationship with your parents or your immigrant experience in a book is not something I'm familiar with, so for that alone I think Menon succeeded. I hope she continues to write about South Asian Americans because I'm definitely on board for her next book, and her next book, and her next.

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: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Title: The Hating Game

Author: Sally Thorne

Rating: 3 Stars

My shameful weakness is the hate-to-love trope, especially when it's done in an office setting and involves elevator kisses--all of which The Hating Game promised. But while it sounds like it could be another [book:Practice Makes Perfect|5082599], Thorne's debut sadly doesn't even come close.

The Hating Game is a cute, fun read. It takes awhile to really get off its feet, but once it does, it's certainly entertaining. It's impossible not to fall for Lucy and Josh and their all-too-familiar game of hating one another. But where this novel falters, for me, is in the mere fact that it is all so slow. Lucy takes forever to realize that Josh really, really doesn't hate her, even when it's so freaking obvious. Even when these two are together, it's really only by the end that all this sexual tension comes to fruition and I felt as if, with characters this combustive, this story should have been so much more sexier than it actually wound up being.

I'll admit that the drama is kept minimal, which I liked, but this book is merely a romance. Josh and Lucy have no other friends, barely speak to their family members (except when used as a plot device) and they have all the time in the world to spend thinking about only each other--and they do! It made me worry that, when all was said and done, they'd become bored constantly spending every waking moment of their time with each other when they went through such little personal growth, particularly inner development that manifested itself in any way except a thought or two.

Sadly, Thorne isn't going to be a new romance favorite. If you're looking for a fun, flirty, and sexy office romance that features kick-ass females with friends and lives outside of their love stories, look no farther than Julie James and Lauren Layne. I don't mind a protagonist who is struggling and lonely, but I need her to take control of her life and pass that damn Bechdel test! If you aren't as picky as I am about such things, I guarantee The Hating Game is for you.

Review: The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine

Title: The Cursed Queen (The Imposter Queen, #2)

Author: Sarah Fine

Rating: 3 Stars

I have to echo other readers on this one--The Cursed Queen is a disappointing sequel to The Imposter Queen. Fine set up a rich, intricate fantasy world with the latter that only continues in its depth with this novel. With The Imposter Queen we followed Elli, her succession to becoming the Valtia and the subsequent chaos that ensued when her magic didn't manifest as it was supposed to. Thus, going into The Cursed Queen, the reader already knows what's happening to Ansa as the Valtia's power flows into her. The strength of this story lies in the fact that Ansa, at a young age, was taken captive to the Krigere tribe where she was raised to be a warrior.

Ansa has never given a second thought to her true heritage, completely embracing the Krigere ways of slaughter and bloodshed. Especially compared to Elli, Ansa is a violent and impulsive protagonist, prone to enormous waves of emotion that threaten the delicate control she has over her abilities. Her Krigere upbringing has taught her that she is a witch, now, and Ansa despises herself and her powers. At the same time, however, the politics of her tribe throw her life into further turmoil. Thyra, the new chieftain of their tribe following her father's sudden death, has always been a pacifist. Though she is a deadly warrior in her own right, she believes that the Krigere way--plundering, murdering, and stealing another society's food and people--isn't right. Now that she's chieftain, Thyra wants to change it all.

But it isn't as easy as she thinks. Ansa is loyal to Thyra, and loves her deeply, but as the two girls fight their own battles--Ansa with her magic, Thyra as she tries to gain the loyalty of her tribe and find a peaceful way for them to continue onwards without coming to war--their friendship to one another is tested. Ansa and Thyra's relationship is at the core of this novel and while I loved that this homosexual romance was never ostracized or discouraged, I didn't come to feel for it the way I did Elli's romance in The Imposter Queen. Ansa and Thyra have not been strictly truthful with one another and they hold each other in an impossible regard, believing that the other is perfect. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and change as they began to recognize that they were different people than they originally thought each other to be. However, their romance was a hard sell for me because Ansa loves Thyra, but she doesn't love Thyra's new ways of thinking. And, similarly, Thyra loves Ansa but she doesn't love Ansa's one-track mind and blinders when it comes to the flaws of the Krigere people.

In addition to the romance, Ansa as a heroine was difficult to sympathize with. I dislike the phrase "unlikable heroine", mainly because it implies that women are constantly meant to be likable and understandable. I like these "unlikable" heroines because they are the women who don't fit the mold and challenge our traditional values of womanhood. Ansa, by and large, does all this. She's violent, she's impulsive, and she's stubborn and unwilling to change her mind, even if it's Thyra begging her to reconsider how the Krigere people live. It isn't easy to read a novel from her perspective, mainly because she's so close-minded but also because she makes so many tragic mistakes while struggling with her power and in her quest to firmly belong to one thing and put herself in a box. I like the parallels between how both Elli and Ansa find themselves questioning everything they've known and their place in society. But, where Elli won my heart, Ansa is a heroine who takes a long time to grow up. I thought her growth would be more remarkable in the second-half of the novel, but instead she continues to be stubborn and repeat mistakes, only realizing her errors and growing up in the last few chapters.

I will say, though, that it was Thyra, finally, who I adored by the end of the novel. She sticks to her convictions, doesn't shirk her responsibilities, and is loyal to her tribe despite her misgivings about their lifestyle. She's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve peace, whether that be through a battle or another, less combative, means. I also love that Thyra pushes Ansa to think beyond the barriers society has erected for her and she never gives up on Ansa, even when Ansa is at her peak levels of stubborness. It was certainly an interesting choice to read this book from the perspective of Ansa--the character who believes in killing all other groups of people without regard for their culture or traditions or even peace just because she's more powerful--instead of the more rational-minded Thyra. But, I also give props to Fine for her daring and experimentation because, frankly, I think Ansa's perspective came across very well, which made it difficult to enjoy this novel but also seems necessary for the final installment.

Fine is a master of plot and world-building, and neither of those is lacking in this sequel. The Cursed Queen is thrilling and fast-paced and I particularly loved getting to delve deeper into the class and race relations of this world. I really love how they force readers to think about the prejudices we carry in our own society, too, and I am curious to see how all these different people and cultures can come together to find peace and balance in the final installment. Mostly, though, I am excited for Elli to return to the page. I missed her rational mind and calm thinking. Ansa is perfectly drawn up, in this sequel, but the pacing of her growth and the distinct lack of swoon in her relationship to Thyra (and by this I mean my confusion at why they were in love with each other when they clearly didn't really even know each other truly) made this a difficult novel to fall for. Of course, I am absolutely sticking around for the final book but I wouldn't rush out to pick this one up, especially if you were a fan of The Imposter Queen. In my humble opinion, lowered expectations are the way to go with this one.

ARC Review: Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Title: Breath of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #2)

Author: Amanda Bouchet

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: January 3rd, 2017 

I know a lot of people are looking forward to this book--and I was too, believe me--but I have to be honest and admit that I am, sadly, not going to be continuing with this series. A Promise of Fire held an immense amount of potential for a new romantic fantasy series and I loved the progression of both the romantic and fantastical elements. In Breath of Fire, though, instead of offering a breath of fresh air into the genre, Bouchet relies too much on traditional gender roles and an extremely central and heavy romance that I found myself rooting for less and less as the novel wore on. The problem, really, starts with Chapter 1 itself.

Breath of Fire picks up precisely where A Promise of Fire left off (and I mean literally, it picks up exactly where we left off so don't expect any re-capping at all) and within a few pages it is clear that Griffin has uncovered Cat's glaringly obvious "secret" lineage. And, to express just how angry he is about her keeping this a secret, he proceeds to throw objects, smash vases, and then destroy their bed with his sword. Wow. Was this display of male aggression really necessary? Turns out this temper tantrum is all for nothing, though, because obviously Cat and Griffin are going at it like rabbits in the next chapter. But, okay, fine, trying to move on back to the story.

Cat is forced to come to terms with the fact that she must face her past, at one point or the other, and she and her team set out on a quest to protect Sinta in the hopes of then expanding Griffin's kingdom. Ever-so-conveniently, though, whenever Cat recklessly throws herself in danger, a Greek god magically keeps her alive so she doesn't die. Plus, it's not just a Greek god who is invested in Cat's future--it's practically all of them. I'm all for the Special Person trope--I mean, I love fantasy!--but the Most Special Person To Ever Live trope? Please. Fantasy is such an easy genre when your main character has all the powers, all the gods and goddesses behind her; there are no limits to her powers and her abilities. It takes the challenge out of the equation and I love fantasy best when my magic has its boundaries. To that extent, I found the world-building far too convenient and wasn't worried or invested at all because I knew that Cat would figure everything out with the help of some Greek gods and no repercussions.

Add to that that every dangerous scene is followed by a sex scene, regardless of where they are or the fact that they might still be in danger, and I was rolling my eyes. I felt that Griffin and Cat are in love, but what I was really seeing was that they're in lust. And constantly. I get that, I do, but I just wanted to get back to the complex story and inner struggle of these characters, not their libido. Griffin also really grated on me throughout the first half of this novel. He's at the point where all he wants to do is protect Cat and that type of alpha behavior has gotten so old. It takes awhile for their relationship to become more equal and supportive and though I appreciate that it does get there, I hated how Cat constantly felt guilty for helping out in a fight because now Griffin would be focused on her and could get harmed. You both can take care of yourselves!

Anyway, despite these annoyances, I continue to love the secondary characters in this story and the politics between all the houses. Plus, we are able to see more clearly how Greek mythology informs this world and a lot of aspects were incredibly exciting. I think readers who enjoy more romance from their fantasy novels will genuinely love this. Perhaps I'm a traditionalist but the infusion of fantasy and eroticism just didn't work for me, sadly. For readers eagerly anticipating this: don't write it off. It's a strong case of "it's not you, it's me."

ARC Review: Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton

Title: Diplomatic Immunity

Author: Brodi Ashton

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: September 6th, 2016

I'll admit it: Diplomatic Immunity was a tad bit disappointing. I enjoyed Ashton's debut series quite a bit--I didn't love it but I was impressed by the characterization and, mostly, the complex world-building--so I expected a lot from her latest installment. For the most part, Diplomatic Immunity delivered. Just...not to the extent I wish it had.

Piper is an aspiring journalist and I absolutely loved her voice throughout this novel. When she wins a scholarship to attend a prestigious private school for her senior year--a school where the children of ambassadors study!--her life changes drastically. More importantly, for Piper, she now has a shot at winning a journalism scholarship for college. Piper's family is struggling financially and it's up to her to find a way to pay for her higher education. I really admired Piper's dedication. While her parents are supportive and caring, and her relationship with her younger brother is truly adorable, the financial strains her family is under weigh heavily on her. Piper works outside of school and is disdainful of the privilege that the students at Chaswick possess.

In particular, Piper cannot help but be both enamored and disgusted by Rafael, the son of the Spanish ambassador. They literally bump into each other on the first day of school and, ever since, Piper is enthralled by Rafael's world. By the secret party invitations, the underage drinking, and the diplomatic immunity that allows him to get away with it all. In order to win her journalism scholarship, Piper decides to go undercover and get "in" with the DIs, the Diplomatic Immunities, and then expose their crazy lifestyle to the world. But the more time she spends with Rafael, the more she realizes that she just might be wrong about him and if she wants to salvage her friendship with Rafael, she just may have to give up her dreams.

Diplomatic Immunity sounds incredible. It seems like a Pride and Prejudice re-telling, almost, with Rafael the rich and "misunderstood" Mr. Darcy and Piper our modern-day Elizabeth Bennett whose prejudice clouds her judgement. While Piper and Rafael's friendship develops over time, and is extremely believable, I just couldn't fall for this couple. I adored the way that they challenged each other but all-too-often Rafael is forced to ignore Piper because of her class status and I just couldn't forgive him for that. Moreover, he hesitates for far too long to tell her the truth about his relationship status and his excuses seemed flimsy at best, to me. Their friendship drags on for far too long, taking up the majority of this novel, and the time we glimpse of them together is so brief that I remained unconvinced that these two were the real deal.

I also felt rather uncomfortable with the treatment of Piper's financial situation. I think it's important to highlight the stark class differences that exist in our world and, moreover, I really loved watching Piper grow from being someone who was bitter and judgmental to becoming much more understanding that money did not equate happiness. However, I think I would have liked to see more of Piper's family or a stronger discussion of how they came to rely on food stamps since their financial situation only deteriorates over the course of the novel. It's a messy, difficult topic to broach but I think Ashton did a disservice in bringing it to light and then not discussing it quite fully. I really also wanted to see Rafael and Piper work through their class differences more while in a relationship, as well.

Another aspect of this book that I found lacking were the female friendships. Piper's best friend from her old high school, Charlotte, texts, e-mails, and calls her all the time but they never meet up outside of work throughout the school year and their interactions solely revolve around Piper. Charlotte seems like a doll. She never gets upset that Piper has moved on and made new friends, she never shares stories of her life or her struggles or her own dreams of becoming a news reporter, and she is never physically there in Piper's life. It's such a cop-out of a friendship and I felt genuinely annoyed at the way this was handled. I really enjoyed Tell Me Three Things and the messy friendship where one girl moves to a different school and it's genuinely hard to maintain their old friendship but there was none of that nuance in this.

Diplomatic Immunity is a quick read. It's funny and entertaining and the sparring matches between Rafael and Piper are sure to keep you flipping the pages. Piper is a wonderful female lead and her passion for journalism bleeds through the page. I love characters with interests and goals and most of the characters in this novel have those. They have families that are present and make an impact on their lives and they have class baggage that is something that they deal with. So while Ashton may not have made me swoon with this romance or won any points on the friendship department, I suspect that this is going to be a hit among readers far more easy to please than I am.

ARC Review: Made For Sin by Stacia Kane

Title: Made For Sin

Author: Stacia Kane

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: August 30th, 2016

Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series is simply incredible. Each book is better than the last, the characters well-developed and unique in a world that is bursting with originality and darkness. I've been anxious and excited for the latest Downside Ghosts novel for years, but when I realized that Kane was starting a new series, I immediately transferred those emotions onto Made For Sin. And that is, certainly, my fault. Made For Sin is an interesting, certainly thought-provoking new foray into urban fantasy for Kane but it is no Downside Ghosts. Sadly.

Where this novel falters is, unfortunately, in its rocky beginning. Made For Sin takes place over the course of three days and that first day--nearly the first third of the book--is painstakingly slow. The mystery is gruesome, but fascinating, so it is a surprise that it is Kane's characters who leave the story bleak and dull. Speare, our narrator, works for a notorious crime boss in Las Vegas, tasked with determining who has been murdering--and slicing off body parts--of said crime boss's right-hand men. In order to help solve the mystery, Speare turns to Ardeth, a thief and dealer in magical artifacts. But Speare and Ardeth are not safe and as the bodies--and missing body parts--keep piling up, Speare must decide which danger is more pressing: the killer on the loose or the evil in his head.

Literally, there is evil in Speare's head. At thirteen, a demon appeared in Speare's head, sharing his body with him. In order to keep the beast at bay, and satisfied, Speare must sin. If he keeps himself from sinning, the beast could take over--and when that happens, Speare surges back into his body, often overlooking a carnage of death. Thus, Speare has learned the art of sinning like no one else, keeping himself aloof and alone so that the beast cannot hurt anyone else. Unfortunately, what this means is that Speare is quite...boring. When he hasn't sinned in awhile, like at the start of this novel, he is nearly incapable of holding a witty conversation, instead focused on keeping the beast held down. His entire existence revolves around the beast--which I completely understand--but it's akin to befriending someone whose existence revolves around their significant other. After awhile, there's just not that much more to them.

Where this story really picks up is when the beast begins to make an appearance. The mystery is extremely well-paced and unpredictable, so it's not easy to set this book down, and Ardeth, though a little bland at first, grows into her character, proving to be indomitable and clever. As Speare's demon grows stronger, flickering in and out of his mind-view, Made For Sin becomes a strong, four-star read. I sped through the pages, marveling at the complexities and layers that the beast brought to Speare and Ardeth's relationship. The ending, with its plot twists and unexpected sacrifices, is compelling--it's certainly enough to have me eager for the sequel (although another Downside Ghosts book, first, would not be unwelcome).

Nevertheless, I cannot deny that the first third of this story isn't as fascinating as it could be and, further, I feel as if this story has been written before, in bits and pieces, and in some ways better. Sarah Rees Brennan's Demon's Lexicon and Lynburn Legacy trilogy contain demons and voices-in-your-head, respectively. More recently, V.E. Schwab's This Savage Song is about monsters and humans; how a monster tries to keep himself from killing/eating in order to convince himself of his own humanity. It's similar, in so many ways, to Speare's sinning and while this book is Adult while those previously mentioned are Young Adult, there's nothing more that makes this novel better.

Made For Sin is an interesting read. I'm curious to see where the future of this series lies and would love to read more about this world--not to mention, there's an elephant (or demon) in the room that needs to be taken care of. But if this is your first foray into Stacia Kane, read her Downside Ghosts series instead. It's vivid and alive, its characters leaping off the page and never dull, not for a single moment. Its romance is sexier, stronger, and far more swoon-worthy. Naturally, I'll read anything this woman writes, but her latest is a mere shadow of her full potential.

ARC Review: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Title: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

Author: Jaye Robin Brown

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: August 30th, 2016

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit is not a perfect book, not by any means. In fact, it is so full of plot holes and unnecessary dilemmas that I'm surprised I managed to get through it. But Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit shares some deeply important messages in a thoughtful manner that cannot be ignored--perhaps, especially, in wake of the Orlando tragedy. This is a story of a girl who has already come out to her friends and family in Atlanta but who is asked, by her father and new stepmother, to conceal her sexual identity in small-town Rome, Georgia where she moves for her senior year of high school. It's a ridiculous set-up because it hardly seems just that a father who supports his daughter regardless of her sexuality would ask her to change herself, but it brings up a host of fascinating points.

Firstly, Joanna finds that she doesn't mind being closeted. It's not quite true to herself, but in Rome no one stares at her for her outfits or for her lesbian best friend who flirts with every attractive woman she meets. In Rome she is invisible and as confusing as that is, it's also easier. It turns out that coming out isn't something that happens just once. We treat it that way and think about it as such but in reality, coming out means repeating yourself and re-introducing yourself to every community you find yourself a part of and hoping that they accept you. That if you meet their parents or grandparents that they accept you as well. It's a privilege that non-queer people take for granted and I appreciated that Brown called out the blatant heteronormative society we live in and how harmful that is to our own minds and to LGBTQIAP+ individuals around us.

This book calls for further suspension of belief since Joanna reveals her secret to a friend of hers whose parents are both lesbian but she can't trust the girl she falls in love with with the same secret. If Joanna had simply communicated better, half this novel would be unnecessary. But Joanna's journey to support a friend in coming out, making her own plan to come out again in Rome, and deal with telling the truth to the people she's become friends with is all such an important path. It's also important for her parents and those around to her to come to terms with her truth, even if they're re-coming to terms with it. Back in Atlanta, people always judged Joanna for her lesbian haircut and outfits and for once in her life, she's surrounding by people judging her for her character and then accepting other facets of her personality.

To add to the convoluted plot line, though, we have a hacker lesbian and a manipulative theater lesbian thrown into the mix. I don't feel great about the inclusion of these characters and their lack of depth but I did appreciate that the issues in this book were not resolved overnight and no matter how badly the plot was constructed, it was still dealt with in a realistic manner. What's more, in a strange way the fact that girlfriends can also be manipulative--not just boyfriends--and that girls can be just as jealous as boys can be is normalizing. In some way.

What I particularly loved about this book, though, were the relationships. Joanna's relationship with her stepmother evolved throughout the novel to a point where Mother #3 became "mom". Her anger with her father is realistic and festers throughout the story, even though her father has always accepted and supported her decisions. Joanna's new friendships, and especially her romance, are believable and heart-warming and full of swoon. It's just a shame that a host of such fabulous relationships must be against the backdrop of an unbelievable plot, but it works.

This book does a REALLY good job of discussing issues that plague queer teenagers and I'm a huge fan of the way that Brown approaches a lot of important topics. Unfortunately, this contains a terribly implausible plot line so if you're prepared to suspend your belief quite a bit, this is going to be a resounding hit. I'd definitely recommend this one, if only for its thoughtful nature, but it isn't stellar as a story by itself without the queer romance at its core.

Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided

Author: Emery Lord

Rating: 3 Stars

There is no doubt in my mind that When We Collided is a beautiful, important story—a milestone in YA, even. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I have extremely mixed feelings towards this novel.

The Good:
- Jonah, the youngest of the three older siblings in a family of six children, is an old soul at the age of seventeen. After the sudden death of his father, his mother has been tired and unresponsive, constantly crying and unable to take care of her family. It has fallen to Naomi, Silas, and Jonah to take care of their three younger siblings, Bekah, Isaac, and Leah. It is tiring, thankless work and all Jonah wants is for his mother to be a parent, again, so he can go back to worrying about classes and girls like the rest of his friends; so he can join the baseball team and think of a future outside of Verona Cove, California.

I loved Jonah. His grief over losing his father, the pain he carries within him, is heartbreaking and it’s impossible not to fall for him, especially when he’s constantly looking out for his siblings and continuing his passion of cooking, carrying on his father’s restaurant legacy. Jonah’s growth over the course of the novel is realistic and well-timed. I couldn’t get enough of his interactions with his siblings and Ellie, the daughter of his father’s best friend and business partner. Together, the two of them helped each other and the restaurant to evolve and I appreciated their friendship, sans romance. Easily, Jonah is the highlight of this novel—by far.

- Mental Illness. I give Lord immense credit for writing about mental illness in a respectful, well-researched, and nuanced manner. Whether it be Jonah’s confusion and acceptance as he realizes that his mother is depressed, Ellie’s discussion of her older brother’s battle against depression and his subsequent recovery, or Vivi’s own struggle with bipolar disorder, I found When We Collided to be realistic and honest. Vivi, especially, I think is written beautifully. Her point of view is full of lush, flowery prose; she’s the type of extrovert that makes everyone around her want to be in her orbit and it isn’t hard to enjoy her vivacious personality. But the highs and lows she experiences and the sudden turn-around from lucid to not-quite-there is shocking and makes an impact. It helps that though we know Vivi is battling life, we don’t know what she’s up against and, instead, get to experience it alongside Jonah and other people in Vivi’s life. Separately, both of these characters and their story arcs were strong, powerful messages.

The Not-So-Great:
- More. First and foremost, I have to admit to wanting more from this story on multiple fronts. We don’t hear much about Vivi’s friendships with her friends from back home, nor do we get to see her mother’s journey alongside her own. We also don’t get much of Jonah’s family once his mother is on the mend. It’s patched up a little too neatly on that front and in terms of Vivi, I found myself disappointed that her existence at Verona Cove is so wrapped up with Jonah. Where are her friends, her relationships with her co-worker, her thoughts about the people she has left behind in Seattle? Even for Jonah, though, where are his friends? Jonah and Vivi’s love story is so all-consuming but I wanted a broader picture of their lives, not just together but mostly apart.

- The Romance. I enjoyed this love story, I did, and I even understand why it’s necessary. If Jonah and Vivi had simply been friends then this story wouldn’t have had the impact it did. But the romance progressed quickly and simply felt…off. Perhaps it was meant to feel slightly unhealthy, though? Vivi and Jonah love and support one another but there are also moments where Vivi seems to manipulate Jonah or Jonah takes advantage of a situation presented to him. They aren’t bad people but their romance felt weird to me in so many scenes and though some of that is because of the mental illness Vivi lives with, it also felt like something more. Like I said, I liked this romance—it’s well-written and captures that summer whirl-wind feeling—but I couldn’t really get into much of the novel since the plot revolves around this romance and it wasn’t one I loved or particularly wanted to revisit.

There is a LOT of good in this novel, countered by just a few odd blips, but as someone who has loved Lord’s previous novels, I found myself disappointed that her latest wouldn’t be making my favorites shelves. I think this is a book a lot of readers will love, though, and I’m glad this message about mental illness is reaching a wider audience. For that reason alone, this novel is worth a read.

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Passenger (Passenger, #1)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Rating: 3 Stars

I fell in love with Alexandra Bracken's debut when I first read it. So much so that I returned it to the library only to check it out a few months later for a re-read and continued on this path until I eventually forced my local Barnes and Noble to order a copy for me and bought it. It's a gorgeous little paperback that still brings me an inordinate amount of joy.

Needless to say, I was expecting great things from Passenger. Despite not having read The Darkest Minds, I knew enough from reviewers that it had been well-liked and I was confident that Bracken's latest would be nothing short of brilliant.

In some ways, it is.

Passenger is about a young violin prodigy named Etta. Growing up with her single-mother, Rose, and violin instructor, Alice, it has been Etta's dream to become a professional violin player. When a performance at the Met goes tragically wrong, however, she is dragged back in time to 1776 by a stranger named Sophia Ironwood. The Ironwoods are one of the last remaining families of time travelers and, according to them, Etta's mother stole an important artifact from them seventeen years ago and went into hiding. Now that they've found her, they're holding Rose hostage until Etta can find the astrolabe and return it to the Ironwoods, all within a span of days.

I am always bowled over by the unique premises of Bracken's work. We haven't encountered a world quite like Passenger in YA fiction and I don't know why. It is a rich, well-developed concept that I thoroughly enjoyed, especially as the introduction of new information was timed perfectly and never felt too much like an info-dump.

What's more, I really appreciate that Bracken took the effort to discuss meaningful issues in her exploration of history and the strides we have since made--or failed to make. Sophia, for instance, is shocked by the freedoms that Etta takes for granted in the 21st century and struggles, throughout the novel, to find agency in a world that disregards women. Nicholas, the young African American sailor who is  abandoned by the Ironwoods, can't believe in a world where he isn't constantly stared at, scrutinized, or thought to be a slave. When Etta travels to places like Damascus, she's shocked at the thought that modern-day Syria isn't the thriving city she's witnessing from the early 1600s. It's a nod to a multitude of issues that plague us, globally, today and I really appreciated it.

But, I don't think it was enough. I wanted Bracken to do more with this set-up; explore different countries and discuss their history or contrast them more with our modern-day world. I wanted her to tackle issues of cultural appropriation, women's rights in different continents (but not through a lens of white feminism), approach economies and wars from a changed perspective. I wanted her to discuss time on a deeper level--that woozy contradiction between destiny and choice that inevitably arises in a time-travel novel. I just wanted MORE.

More than angst-ridden thoughts from Nicholas's (mostly) unnecessary perspective. More than a romance that seemed a little too convenient, a little too like insta-love for me to fully get behind even though I did begin to warm to this couple on multiple occasions. More than paragraphs I wanted to skim through as these two traveled from place to place and time to time as if pulled along by a string with only a few truly notable thoughts and experiences in each. Most of all, more than another sex-positive YA novel that fails to discuss contraception--hello! I really think Etta might wind up pregnant or with STIs in the sequel! Is no one else worried?--and falls back on common tropes.

Passenger isn't a bad book, by any means. It's unique, compelling, and I really love Etta's voice and character. It's a fascinating approach to time travel and is easy to read and simply fall into. But I definitely wanted more from this story, in many ways, and though I'll probably be reading the sequel, I doubt I'll enjoy it much unless aspects of this story change dramatically to produce a much more mature, thoughtful novel. Definitely recommended, just with reservations--this is one I can see a lot of teens loving but perhaps some readers will be a little disappointed, just as I am.

Romance Reads: Cozy up for Winter Edition

I don't know about you, but especially in the winter I crave cozy reads; the ones that don't require too much thinking and can hold your attention seamlessly. While I can't promise that the following novels will rock your world or make it onto your favorites shelf, they're the perfect pass-time read and I've certainly enjoyed them very much this past season. Plus, at the very least you'll be compelled to go through the backlog of these authors sometime in the coming month and be assured to find a story you fall head-over-heels for; I'm sure of it. :)

Title: When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After, #3) 

Author: Tessa Dare

Rating: 3 Stars

I've thoroughly enjoyed Dare's recent trilogy, predominantly because they feature headstrong, feminist heroines and men who don't fit the classic mold. With When a Scot Ties the Knot, we have the female protagonist we expect--and one I love!--but the hero sadly reverts to being the all-too-familiar handsome man with a tortured past. As a result, the banter and much of the romance build-up didn't feel unique or exciting; it just felt expected. Still, a Tessa Dare romance is better than most and this one still has some fantastic moments and memorable characters so for fans of the first two novels, this is a must-read. For those who haven't picked up a book in this series yet, I cannot recommend them enough. You'll fall in love with these fairy-tale-like settings and vivacious heroines; guaranteed.

You can read my review of Say Yes to the Marquess, Book Two of this trilogy and one of my all-time favorites from Tessa Dare, HERE.

Title: Frisk Me (New York's Finest, #1)

Author: Lauren Layne 

Rating: 3 Stars

What I've come to really love and expect from Lauren Layne are fresh, modern characters--especially women--who are ambitious, driven, and practical in their approach towards life. I've become accustomed to cracking open one of her novels and not only swooning, but also finding rich female friendships and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a working woman than I do in other books in this genre. That being said, Frisk Me read much more like a classic romance novel--which isn't a bad thing at all. It just means that my expectations needed to be adjusted (which they weren't, prior to reading this novel) and is probably why I wasn't as huge a fan of this as usual. I'll definitely be continuing with the series but her debut series had my attention much more steadfastly with the core group of independent females rather than a family of hot Italian men.  Nevertheless, Layne writes complex characters and slow-burn romances that linger so if either of those seem even remotely interesting to you, Frisk Me and the rest of her backlog will be exactly up your alley.

You can read my review of previous Lauren Layne series such as Love, Sex, and Stiletto (After the Kiss, Love the One You're With, Just One Night, The Trouble With Love), Redemption (Isn't She Lovely, Broken, Crushed), and The Best Mistake (Only With You, Made For You).

Title: The Deal (Off Campus, #1)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Rating: 4 Stars

Get this: The Deal is a surprisingly good New Adult novel. I didn't think I'd be saying that this summer, that's for sure. But Elle Kennedy has managed to create the rare gem that is an angst-free, intelligent, sexy, and fun New Adult read. It isn't genre-defying or particularly earth-shattering--in fact, it's basically what you'd expect from its synopsis--but it's still leagues better than most of the novels churned out in the New Adult genre and, by that standard, The Deal shines.

What I particularly love about The Deal is that Hannah and Garrett's relationship is both a slow-burn of romance and of friendship. While its synopsis may seem to portray it as a sex-filled novel, or at least one that begins early-on with sex, in reality the sexual tension is built up and explored in length. Hannah is a rape victim, which we find out early in the novel, having been raped at the age of fifteen. Unlike a typical New Adult plot line, however, in which Hannah is raw and hurting, it has been years after her rape and Hannah has dated in-between. Yet, ever since her rape she has been unable to have a successful sexual relationship with her boyfriends and, at the advice of her therapist, is setting out to pursue one which she finally feels comfortable.

I loved Hannah's character: her strength, her passion, and her determination to move on despite the hand that life had dealt her. What's more, Garrett truly blooms over the course of the novel, proving to be far more than a talented jock. I especially enjoyed the fact that casual sex for women isn't looked down upon or treated with disdain. One of the biggest problems with New Adult novels is the fact that they continually slut shame and put down women who, at their college-age, are exploring themselves, what they want from life, and their bodies. The Deal not only avoids these potholes, it also passes the Bechdel test and I couldn't be happier. If you're searching for a fun, hot, and sexy read, The Deal should definitely make your TBR. It's spades better than most other New Adult reads and I'm surprised it didn't make itself onto my radar earlier.

Title: Playing with Trouble (Capital Confessions, #2) 

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Rating: 3 Stars

I've really been enjoying this series by Chanel Cleeton. Although it plays into all-too-stereotypical tropes about the overblown celebrity-status that politicians enjoy and the minute actions they perform that become breaking news stories, it's still wildly romantic, smart, funny, and steamy to boot. Yet, it turns out that after years, the alpha male just isn't doing it for me anymore. I found Will, from the previous novel in this series, to be far sexier as the down-to-earth "nice guy" who could be hot when the situation called for it. Somehow, the chiseled "bad boy" professor didn't amp up the steam factor, as I expected he would. Nevertheless, though the steamier aspects of this romance didn't impress me, the characters and story play out well. Don't expect anything too different with Playing with Trouble but if you don't mind a classic romantic storyline against the backdrop of sisterhood and D.C. politics--with some really great conversations about not having your life figured out even after undergrad--then this is for you.

What are some of the winter romances you've been curling up with recently? 

Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Title: Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Rating: 3 Stars

A breakdown of Truthwitch:

The First Half: 2 Stars

I'll be honest: I contemplated abandoning this novel many, many times. It's not that it's boring or drags in pace but rather that it simply was not the high fantasy YA epic that the hype had led me to believe. Dennard's debut series wasn't a favorite of mine--not beyond the first book, at any rate--but I still had high hopes for this series. But, let me tell you, Truthwitch is YA fantasy-lite at best, with meager world-building and a slew of rather familiar concepts.

Obviously, my main qualm with this novel is the fact that its world-building is practically nonexistent. We have a multitude of countries who have signed a peace treaty--one which is coming to an end--and as the treaty has not been renewed, war is brewing just around the corner. Why these countries were at war in the first place is unclear. As is the individual politics of each nation, the mannerisms and culture of every country, and the general political scheme at play. The plot revolves entirely around our heroine, Safiya, who is a Truthwitch--rare and coveted witches able to discern truth from lie. In this time of political turmoil, Safiya could be a dangerous weapon in the hand of any politician and, as such, she is whisked away to safety with the help of her best friend and Threadsister, Iseut. What a Threadfamily's significance is and why everyone doesn't have one is something I can't tell you because, you know, lack of world-building.

Safiya is hot-headed and irrational, the type of heroine who acts first and thinks later. It's not quite grating but...it kind of is. Iseut, her opposite in every way, is calm and cool, able to see the threads that bind individuals and display emotions. While both girls are extremely different, I was unable to really become invested in either during this first half. I found Safiya cumbersome and I found Iseut inscrutable. Combined with the poor world-building and the inclusion of secondary characters I felt absolutely nothing for, it is a surprise I continued with this novel at all.

The Second Half: 4 Stars

But, the second half of this novel picks up tremendously. We are introduced to action sequence after action sequence, which keeps us on the edge of our seats, and, what's more, I finally grew to care for these characters. Safiya undergoes a fair amount of growth in the second half of this novel, which I appreciated, and though Iseut grows more and more mysterious--turns out Safiya isn't the only "special" one here!--I also found myself able to understand and relate to her far more than I could originally.

It helped that the secondary characters really begin to shine in this last half, too, becoming individual personas in their own right. Adeuan, the Bloodwitch hunting Safiya and Iseut, is utterly fascinating and I desperately want to learn more about his backstory. As far as villains go, he's rather remarkable. Prince Merik, chartering a ship that holds Safiya and Iseut, is further thrust into the spotlight as our romantic interest. While the romantic tension between him and Safiya often plays out rather childishly--endless bickering!--I warmed up to them by the end. Now, that's not to say that their romantic arc is well-plotted, because it reads rather like insta-love in some parts, and further I find that Merik's personality is composed largely of his concern for Safiya but, I have hope that their relationship will be explored and develop much better in the sequels.

Unfortunately, the world-building doesn't improve in the second-half but it does expand and thought Truthwitch has had a lot of flaws for me, the second-half of this story was thoroughly enjoyable and I am definitely planning to pick up the sequel. For fans of high fantasy, YA or Adult, Truthwitch isn't going to impress. If, however, you're looking for a novel to get you into the first forays of fantasy or simply enjoy the fantasy-lite that YA is known for, then this is exactly up your alley. It has ball gowns and sea monsters, magical powers and dizzying kisses. At its core is a strong female friendship and a journey of growth and development. It isn't the political novel I wanted it to be but, nevertheless, give it a shot. It just may surprise you.

Mini-Reviews: Katie McGarry Edition

Title: Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, #1.5) 

Author: Katie McGarry

Rating: 3 Stars

McGarry's books are the type of guilty-pleasure reads I genuinely feel ever-so-slightly guilty about reading. Not only are they chock-full of the type of predictable drama romantic comedies are full of--an ex-girlfriend appears out of the blue, a more sophisticated guy is interested in your girlfriend, etc.--but they also contain a nearly sickly-sweet romantic couple. Yet, I find that McGarry's writing is simply irresistible. She makes you FEEL for her characters and though I could see the conflicts coming from a mile away, they still made me gasp and my heart squeeze in worry. It's all Standard Romance Plot but, sometimes, that's precisely the kind of novel a girl needs to forget about her finals.

Moreover, what I did really enjoy about Breaking the Rules is the manner in which McGarry writes Noah and Echo's relationship. By the end of Pushing the Limits, it seems as if these two are riding out into the sunset and living their happily-ever-after. The fact that neither Noah nor Echo are completely healed from their pasts is a relief. The fact that they haven't had sex by the opening of this novel and take time to talk about it and discuss their insecurities and wait until they're both comfortable is yet another relief. Most of all, though, the fact that their futures aren't set in stone and are subject to change is a wonderful message. At its core, Breaking the Rules is a romance novel, sure, but it also has plenty of note-worthy New Adult qualities that I support. Now, if only Noah could get rid of that terrible habit of calling Echo his siren and we'd all be that much happier...

Title: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, #1)

Author: Katie McGarry

Rating: 3.5 Stars

McGarry has a rare and fortunate talent in that her novels are compulsively readable. Despite the fact that Nowhere But Here takes awhile for its true plot to emerge, despite the fact that I cringed once or twice at the stereotypes and presumptions made in this narrative, despite the fact that there remains a tad bit too much angsty sexual tension (the kind where you roll your eyes and want to beat your head against the wall in annoyance, not impatience), I still managed to finish this. And, what's more, I might even be sticking around for the companion novel.

While I've struggled with McGarry in the past and fully expected Nowhere But Here to be my last venture into her work, I managed to become sucked into the world of motorcycle gangs that she depicted. I adore a YA romance that features family and individual growth and, alongside some action, that's exactly what this is. It still contains classic McGarry tropes that I don't love but, nevertheless, they aren't enough to completely drag down this narrative. If McGarry is a hit-or-miss author for you, I'd say it's worth giving this one a shot.

Mini-Reviews: The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick, Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman, and After the End by Amy Plum

Title: The Boy Most Likely To 

Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick 

Rating: 3 Stars

The Boy Most Likely To was not at all the book I expected it to be. Despite not loving Fitzpatrick's debut, I picked up this companion on the sole belief that I adored Tim Mason and Alice Garrett--and I do. Yet, their love story, the trials and tribulations they face throughout this volume, are not what I expected upon cracking open the spine of this novel. Tim is the Boy Most Likely to Fail and this is a burden he carries heavily upon his shoulders. Everyone in his family, from his father to his sister, expects the worst from him so when Tim is given an ultimatum to get his act together by December--staying sober, finding a place to live, supporting himself, figuring out his future--he is determined to prove them all wrong. But mistakes just follow Tim and his biggest mistake yet has just turned up on his front door.

I absolutely love the growth in this novel. Tim's perseverance to be a better person, despite being put down by those around him time and time again, is admirable and my heart went out to him. He hides his insecurities and pain behind his laid-back demeanor and flirtatious comments with Alice but the real Tim is a strong and capable man. Alice, too, grows immensely over the course of this story as she grows to accept and love Tim for who he really is, not to mention love herself. Alice has always hidden behind her figure and beautiful face, taking up responsibilities above her age to support her family and sacrificing her dreams to help them. But sometimes the hardest thing is learning to love yourself and actually be selfish, once in awhile, and Alice's tough journey to that acceptance was so beautifully written. Fitzpatrick does this with each and every one of her novels; she identifies journeys and stories that are powerful and painful and messy but ones that need to be told and she does it with such aplomb. I read her books for her rich characterization that is sustained throughout and never falters.

Despite the fact that I loved the ultimate take-home messages of this novel, I will admit that I found it tough to read because of the unexpected events that occur within it. I wasn't a fan of those paths and wished that these journeys could have been explored in a slightly different manner. With these two books I've always wished for this--for these same characters to achieve their growth through slightly different plot circumstances. I suspect it's an issue only I truly have for, either than that, I cannot recommend this book enough. Don't expect a light and breezy romantic comedy because this book is far heavier than it seems but, if you go in with the right mindset, you'll fall in love.

Title: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night & Fog, #2)

Author: Anne Blankman

Rating: 4 Stars

I found this sequel to be even more rewarding than its predecessor. Gretchen's voice is far more developed and mature, though just as vulnerable, which enabled me to instantly connect with her in a way I hadn't in Blankman's debut. What's more, the romantic tribulations that she and Daniel must face alongside the thrill of the historical time period they are thrown into made for a truly enlightening and exhilarating read. Extremely well-written and sure to satisfy fans of the first novel, this is not a sequel--or author--to be overlooked.

Title: After the End (After the End, #1)

Author: Amy Plum

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I really, really enjoyed After the End. It isn't a dystopian novel--though the protagonist believes she's living in a post-apocalyptic world--and that premises is so wholly unique that it was enough to drag me through the alternating chapters in the beginning (which didn't do much for the plot) and into the rest of the enticing novel. Plum's latest series is written impeccably, putting into the confused mindset of our protagonist and introducing us to the culture shock of the modern world. In the midst of all this, though, the real plot lies in a chase, an adventure, and an uncovering of the secrets we're all dying to figure out.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is the relationship between Juneau and Mike, the main characters. For one, neither Juneau nor Mike see eye-to-eye on anything. Mike believes that Juneau has been brainwashed and struggles to believe the truth about her existence--that she was brought up in the wilderness of Alaska, living as a nomad for all her life. Similarly, Juneau cannot believe that her family and mentor lied to her and that, in truth, WWIII never occurred and that the modern world is safe and well. While Juneau is on a mission to find her family, who have been captured and moved across the country, Mike is there to bring Juneau to his father, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company who believes that Juneau knows the ingredients to a secret drug being brewed in Alaska. Their rocky start and eventual friendship is an adventure to behold and I loved the slow and careful characterization of these two.

I did struggle, though, with the actual genrefication of this novel. It started out dystopian, proceeded to be contemporary fiction, but truly ended with traces of paranormal and/or fantasy elements which, for a reader who likes to know what she's getting into, inspired a great deal of confusion. And that, sadly, dampened my enjoyment of this story. I really didn't know what to make of it and, to a large extent, still don't know what to make of the multiple genres this novel can fit into at different stages in its storyline. It was jarring and unexpected, to say the least, but I suspect I'll enjoy the sequel much more having this solid foundation going in. All in all, After the End was an unexpected surprise and I'm eager to devour its sequel soon!

ARC Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)

Author(s): Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: October 20th, 2015

Shockingly, I really did not love this book and doubt I'll be continuing with the sequel either. I adore epistolary novels, particularly when they're written by Jaclyn Moriarty, but a science fiction novel written in this format just didn't do it for me. For one, when compared to the contemporary epistolary written by Moriarty, Illuminae was not as humorous or as poignant. While the story told within these pages is stellar--and very cleverly conveyed through data files, journal entries, and chats--a multitude of other facets did not sit well with me.

1. Illuminae revolves around Ezra and Kady, a young teenage couple who has recently broken up and find themselves on two separate spaceships due to the fact that their planet was attacked. Though Ezra and Kady are broken up, much of their relationship stems from the fact that they used to be dating--and are still in love with one another despite the circumstances that wrought their breakup. As a reader, we don't know Ezra and Kady's backstory. We don't know who they are as individuals, forget as a couple, and their interactions throughout the entire first half of the novel failed to resonate with me. I just couldn't bring myself to really feel for these characters, both through their personalities--so tied up in one another, understandably so--and their situation, so far removed from anything I could even imagine.

2. A few of the methods used by these authors to convey snippets of the story felt distinctly like cheating. While I understand that there are a limited number of ways to tell this story in an epistolary manner, at times it was necessary for this to read like a normal tale. I enjoyed this--quite a lot, in fact--and wonder if Illuminae would have been a stronger novel had it not been epistolary. Kady and Ezra speak to each other through technological means and their diary/journal entries are not truly as soul-searching as one would wish, which convinced me that either than an epistolary format being unique and interesting for Illuminae, it was not necessary. Nor did it improve the story-telling in any manner. Again, however, keep in mind that this epistolary format made me feel more isolated from the story, as a reader, than a part of it so take my cautions with a grain of salt.

3. The pacing of Illuminae was FAR too slow. The events outlined in the synopsis take hundreds of pages to occur and I considered DNFing this novel numerous times. It picked up drastically by the end and I enjoyed the last 30-40% of the novel a LOT, but not enough to want to continue with this series, sadly.

I seem to be the black sheep on Illuminae so I recommend giving it a try. If it isn't meshing for you early on, though, it probably won't click for you miraculously until the end and, even then, it's only a shell of the true emotion you wanted to be feeling throughout the novel. Illuminae is certainly a unique and compelling novel; just not one for me.

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) 

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 3 Stars

It's no secret that Sarah J. Maas just doesn't do it for me. Her debut Thrones of Glass fell seriously short of impressive--for me, that is--and though I have regarded her fans with a degree of jealousy (seriously, no one wants to joins the Sarah J. Maas bandwagon more than I), I still remained skeptical about her latest, A Court of Thorns and Roses. When the masses praise Maas (see what I did there?), their recommendations rarely apply to me. With ACoTaR, however, I admit that this is far superior to Throne of Glass in every way. Not only has Maas's prose improved, but her plot, her world-building, and her characters are more lively and entertaining than ever. Still, though ACoTaR has jump-started her into the hearts of many readers, I'm afraid there is still no room for her in mine.

A Court of Thorns and Roses reads much like a re-telling of the beloved fable, "Beauty and the Beast." And, at first, I loved it. I was head-over-heels for Feyre, the youngest of three sisters who has learned to hunt and feed her feeble family. I waited in breathless anticipation as it was pain-stakingly revealed that Feyre had broken the laws of the land by killing one of the Fey, under disguise of a wolf, and would be whisked away from her home and family to live out the remainder of her life with Tamlin, whose friend she killed. And then, just when it seemed I had arrived at my favorite part of this well-known tale--when Beauty falls in love with the Beast--I had the rug pulled out from underneath me.

You see, Tamlin is no Beast. Tamlin, despite the mask melded to his face, despite the fact that he and his kingdom are under a curse, is a Beauty. And Feyre, too, is a Beauty. Who ever heard of "Beauty and the Beauty"? The crux of "Beauty and the Beast" lies in the magic--the sheer magic--of having a young, capable, intelligent, beautiful woman find something to love in a snarling, grotesque beast. Tamlin, however, is hot. I wouldn't take much of an issue with this--after all, the "Beast" of Marillier's Heart's Blood is a strikingly good-looking man--but at least Marillier's "Beast" is snarling and rude, contemptuous and unapproachable. Tamlin is kind--sweet, even--and is eager to please Feyre. In fact, Tamlin goes above and beyond--ensuring that her family is taken care of, bringing her paints, showing her the hidden beauties of his kingdom--to make Feyre happy. Neither the reader nor Feyre have to work to love Tamlin. It's a foregone conclusion from the moment he transforms from his temporary bestial form to his ethereal self.

Having read Rosamund Hodge's Cruel Beauty, which pushes the boundaries of the "Beauty and the Beast" re-telling with a prickly heroine and a truly horrendous hero, I found ACoTaR to be tame, dull, and boring, even, in its romance. From the hype surrounding this novel, its eye-catching cover, and the synopsis that promised so much more I think my expectations were higher than they should have been. I really thought this was going to be more along the vein of Cruel Beauty than a New Adult novel in a fantasy setting. (And, for those of you on the fence about this, I highly recommend Cruel Beauty as an alternative.)

I find next to nothing compelling about an easy love story. It was well-written, I'll give it that, and I find immense potential in the world Maas has created, not to mention the secondary characters whose personalities are far more complex than that of Feyre or Tamlin, but I just didn't swoon at this romance. Is it fan-your-face hot? Absolutely! But the type of slow-burn, butterflies-in-your-stomach, giddy sensation that accompanies a well-written "Beauty and the Beast" tale was simply missing. Moreover, Mass knows this love story is too easy; she knows that it needs more of a challenge. So, the entire second-half of the novel, that's exactly what she does--introduce a few more thorns into this bed of roses. What I really enjoyed about the second-half of the novel is the fact that we, as the reader, finally feel the stakes at hand. We begin to question and worry and tense up at the thought that these two may not make it through, after all.

But, despite that, I much prefer a novel where the tension stems from the romance between the two leads--the plausibility of it, the question of whether or not it will finally come to fruition--than anything else. Moreover, I have my own plethora of spoiler-y issues with the second-half, namely from the way Feyre is treated as a woman. Nevertheless, I will not hesitate to admit that ACoTaR is compulsively readable and though this wasn't the re-telling I wanted it to be, I'm hoping that the sequel--an original, and not a re-telling, from my understanding--will pull me deeper into this world and its characters. For now, I'll wave the Sarah J. Maas bandwagon a disappointed goodbye.

Romance Mini-Reviews: Burned by Karen Marie Morning, Still the One by Jill Shalvis, The Kraken King by Meljean Brooks, and Crushed by Lauren Layne

Title: Burned (Fever, #7) 

Author: Karen Marie Moning 

Rating: 4 Stars

Burned hasn't been the most popular book off-late. It seems as if every day I open my Goodreads homepage to yet another slew of negative reviews of this novel, alongside the slightly hesitant positive ones. Despite not enjoying Iced, though, I really did like Burned. It's funny, it's light, and it's entertaining--frankly, I don't ask for much more from my Urban Fantasy. Granted, the synopsis is utterly misleading in that the "drama" between Mac and Barrons is low-key and of little worry, but the new characters introduced in this installment have me salivating to find out where Moning takes this series next. I agree with a lot of the points reviewers have brought up about why this novel isn't nearly quite so good--it takes the easy-way-out in some instances, Mac's PoV isn't always necessary, it goes to great lengths to paint morally ambiguous characters are purely good--but I also didn't feel as if these faults were wholly detrimental to the plot line.

Burned is a fast-paced read, one that even I could get into despite my piles of pending work, and re-visiting these beloved characters was a treat. I'm confident Moning has a plan for the rest of this series and I'm prepared to stick along to find out what it is. After all, if she could smooth away the rough edges of Iced then, surely, she can do anything.

Title: Still the One (Animal Magnetism, #6) 

Author: Jill Shalvis 

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: April 7th, 2015

Still the One is, unfortunately, the most disappointing installment I've read in the Animal Magnetism series. Darcy and AJ, the romantic leads at the forefront of this novel, are fascinating characters in their own right. A travel photographer for National Geographic, Darcy has always been a dare-devil, living life to the max. When she meets with an accident that leaves her unable to walk until after intense physical therapy, the course of her life is forever altered. AJ, her physical therapist and brother's best friend, has been there with her through thick-and-thin. So, of course, when she throws herself at him and he rejects her, Darcy is shattered and determined to move on. But AJ is quickly realizing that when it comes to Darcy, he made a huge mistake, and now, he wants her back. At any cost.

Shalvis has an easy way of forcing her characters into your heart and that is no less apparent in Still the One. I adored this heroine, with her prickly nature and tough exterior, all hiding a heart of mush, and this strong and silent hero, whose hurts were so deeply concealed. Darcy and AJ are a perfect match but their love story, full of the push-and-pull that can grate so easily, lost its appeal. Moreover, there are one-too-many tropes used in this one and, ultimately, though I adore these two as individuals, this is one case where I felt as if their relationship was weaker than their separate personalities.

Clearly a must-read for fans, I'm sure Still the One will still satisfy--after all, it's Jill Shalvis. But, nevertheless, I'd lower my expectations for this one, just ever-so-slightly...

Title: The Kraken King (Iron Seas, #4) 

Author: Meljean Brooks

Rating: 4 Stars

Although I harbored my doubts when Brooks announced that The Kraken King would be written in a serialized format, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how effectively it came together as a cohesive novel. The latest in this vividly imaginative steampunk series follows Zenobia Fox, the sister of adventurer Archimedes Fox, and her experiences are no less enthralling than that of her sibling. The Kraken King worked particularly effectively due to its length. It feels longer than her other novels--and rightly so, due to the serial format--but it also allows her to infuse more detail and depth into the world and her characters. The romantic tension is prolonged, a slow-burn that feels so good and the problems that rip these two apart are wholly mental and all the more realistic for it. Of course, Brooks excels at political machinations and introducing new facets to the world she has created, time and time again, so these books are all-round winners through-and-through. If you haven't picked them up yet; do.

Title: Crushed (Redemption, #2) 

Author: Lauren Layne 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Release Date: April 14th, 2015

While the first novel in this series really is the best--Isn't She Lovely--I enjoyed Crushed far more than I did Broken and the vibrant, unique protagonist of this novel completely won me over. I think what makes this series tricky--or at least the last two installments--is the fact that these protagonists are not nice. They don't fit into pre-defined labels of goodness but they also aren't quite the classic bad boy so it's hard to know how to navigate a lot of the sticky emotions in these books. Moreover, the characters are at that New Adult stage where everything just is overly dramatized, mostly because of the nature of the genre but partly because of the age group as well. While I grew a little impatient with the prolongation of the final HEA--seriously, did we need all of those misunderstandings--I still thought this was an excellent novel from Layne. Her adult series definitely sit better with me but this was a genuinely interesting and original take on a lot of classic tropes in the New Adult genre and the more I think about the nuances Layne added to her work, the more I find to recommend within this series.

Review: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Title: Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin, #3) 

Author: Robin LaFevers

Rating: 3 Stars

To be frank, I don't have much to say about Mortal Heart. It's a satisfactory ending to LaFevers debut trilogy--and wraps up all the loose ends nicely--but as far as being Annith's story, I felt it lacking. Perhaps it's simply because Annith isn't as strong a force to be reckoned with as Sybella. It's not that Annith isn't a formidable assassin--because she is--and her force of will is to be respected as she struggles to find the truth within her beloved abbey. Yet, she doesn't possess Sybella or Ismae's dark past which makes their stories compelling from the start itself and though it takes awhile for Annith's tale to find its footing, it continues to lose traction over time, not gain. I love Annith as a protagonist but the journey she undertakes in Mortal Heart pales in comparison to the stakes in both the previous novels. Moreover, the romance did absolutely nothing for me except to make me cringe a time or two and question--a lot--why there couldn't have been anyone else for Annith.

I feel as if Mortal Heart is a tricky novel, being the final installment in this trilogy, and LaFevers succeeds in many ways. Not only does the plot line that began in Grave Mercy reach fruition, but we are able to see our three heroines united, changed, and happier than they were when we first met them. Unlike the last two novels, Mortal Heart doesn't revolve around an assassination or a piece of the plot; it's where the entire story converges into one. Thus, Annith isn't the sole starring character at hand. Though we follow her journey, there are other compelling, strong women at play who--and this just may be my personal love of Sybella--at times undermined Annith's casting into the spotlight.

Additionally, though the romance isn't--and shouldn't be--a deciding factor in the enjoyment of a novel, I wasn't on board with this love story at any point and after Sybella and Beast's tale, felt vastly disappointed with this one. Frankly speaking, I didn't feel as if Annith needed romance. She's such a compelling and strong heroine, one whose loyalties to her sisters and friendships with them makes up so much of her being, that to have that replaced with a romance didn't hold the same weight or resonance for me as it likely should have. Plus, the romances of Ismae and Sybella, held side-by-side with Annith's lack of romance at first and then, later, her romantic interest, only made me feel as if Annith was desperate for the love Ismae and Sybella had found and needed a man to complete her as her sisters did. I have never felt that way about the romances in this series until this odd dichotomy.

Mortal Heart brings up shocking revelations and I have no doubt that die-hard fans of this series will adore this final installment. As someone who didn't plan to continue the series after Grave Mercy--something about that book simply did not tick with me--yet fell in love with Dark Triumph, this final installment falls somewhere in the middle. Not nearly as good as Dark Triumph but far more satisfactory than Grave Mercy. LaFevers trilogy is a beloved one among many and though it doesn't rank among my favorites by far, I love these heroines and everything they stand for. Thus, I do not hesitate to recommend forth this series, flaws and all.