Month: September 2013

Review: I Only Have Eyes For You by Bella Andre

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20130914-222021.jpg 4 stars

*Dreamy sigh*

Where do I begin? Let me just say that Bella Andre created a very swoon-worthy character in Jake McCann. He’s rough and tough and domineering and crude and powerful. And he only shows his softer side to Sullivan family members, namely Sophie, with whom he’s been in love since childhood. Who doesn’t love a bad boy with a sensitive side?

Sophie is the bookish sister of six brothers and a twin. They think she’s fragile and want to protect her from struggles and hurt. They want to protect her from Jake McCann. I love that despite her siblings’ opinion of her, Sophie is a strong, brave, vocal woman who knows what she wants. Sophie is the best kind of heroine – she advocates for her own best interests, even when there’s a risk involved.

When circumstances put Jake and Sophie together for a week, sparks fly — good and bad. They find out each other’s weaknesses, faults, and truths. They decide whether being in love will lead to anything more. That’s the best part of being in love: knowing where you both stand, and then determining whether the truth will make you or break you.

Bella Andre’s characters are unique in the world of romance novels. Sophie and Jake stay true to themselves, living the lives everyone knows them to have, and being brave enough to show what’s under the surface.

I want to meet every one of the Sullivans in this series… So I will sign off here and get to the next book.

-Calliope

Buy It Now I Only Have Eyes For You

Review: Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D. B. Johnson

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imageThis is the first in a series of young children’s books. The inspiration for the main character and the series is Henry David Thoreau’s introspective book, Walden. Thoreau wrote in Walden about living in a cabin in Massachusetts for two years.

Henry and his friend decide to visit Fitchburg, which is thirty miles away. Henry chooses to walk. He claims it’s the fastest way to travel. His friend wants to work and save up money to buy a train ticket. Who will get their first?

While Henry’s friend is pulling out weeds in a garden for 25¢, “Henry put ferns and flowers in a book and pressed them.”

While Henry’s friend is moving bookcases in a study, “Henry climbed a tree.”

While Henry’s friend goes to buy a train ticket, “Henry jumped into a pond.”

Yes, Henry’s friend did beat Henry to Fitchburg. Henry didn’t care. He stopped to pick blackberries.

You can decide for yourself which method you would have chosen and why. I won’t judge. 🙂 Just don’t miss out on this book with the gorgeous drawings.

Also, please don’t skip the author’s note which explains his inspiration for the book.

~Thalia

Buy It Now Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

Review: Unspoken, by Jen Frederick

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A girl who has to live with a lie of being known as the school slut meets a marine who has lived that lie.

College romances are so full of angst but this wasn’t too bad, thankfully.

AM makes a bad decision which leads to the many lies that are spoken about her. She tries to just get through school without drawing any more attention to herself.

But she catches the eye of Bo, an ex Marine who lives by his fists. He has only two ways of calming down and it’s either sex or fighting. But when he meets AM, he determines that he needs to be better than that, for her.

What starts out as biology lab partners turns into something more and eventually they put their pasts behind them and make a plan for their future.

I really liked reading about all these marines and their friends. This is the second in a series. I’m hoping she’ll continue with the rest of the guys. They were so funny and supportive. It really was fun to watch them interact.

~Melpomene

Buy it now Unspoken (The Woodlands)

Review: The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman

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74915 A close friend recommended this book to me as one that was fairly balanced on the good and the bad parts of Wal-Mart. The idea intrigued me instantly because I worked there for a while after high school and I have a few family members who work there as well. Not to mention that I shop there because of the limited choices in my area, and of course due to the savings they provide.

The author does a great job of detailing so much about Walmart that is usually not made apparent to consumers for one reason or the other. He details how the company began and how it evolved into the huge world power that it is now.

What Fishman does so well is take one case study and examine it from all angles to show how the impact is both good and bad. Early on in the book he uses the tiny company Makin Bacon to show how Walmart could take a small company and make a huge impact. The owner of the company explains how Walmart makes it possible for it to even exist. Not only did Walmart help the company start but even though the item is sold in other companies without Walmart’s business Makin Bacon would literally have to close its doors.

On the flip side the author goes into detail about Walmart’s negative perception. Part of the issue stems from their unwillingness to do almost any press or even allow their vendors to talk to the media, whether good or bad. Fishman goes into greater detail about how Walmart affects the communities and local businesses in the area.

I found the descriptions of the vendor relations and how Walmart keeps their low prices truly low extremely fascinating. I thought this book did a great job of showing positives and negatives. I generally enjoy nonfiction books only if the author can prove the subject interesting enough. This one did not disappoint.

Buy it now The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works–and How It’s Transforming the American Economy

Review: The Reunion by Amy Silver

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20130912-165921.jpg4.5 stars

The Reunion is so much more than a story of old friends — Conor, Jen and Dan, Andrew and Lilah and Nat — coming together.

It’s about all the ways we think we love one another – freely, unconditionally, conditionally, out of guilt, with pity. It’s about memories that scar us, change us, move us forward, and hold us back. It’s about guilt, sorrow, forgiveness, and asking for forgiveness.

The Reunion shows how people find their way out of the past and into a new future while remaining part of the old group. Jen holds on to old love and loneliness. Andrew punishes himself for the past. Natalie represses anger. Dan burrows into his own little world. Lilah lives in denial. They all feel guilty and feel the haunt of Conor in the French house.

Death knocks several times on the door in this novel. But that’s what makes it so realistic- life demands death at some point or another. So the friends come to terms with the deaths within their group, and then they are able to allow the death of their guilt.

I was impressed with this novel despite the fact that it isn’t my usual cup of tea. The Reunion isn’t written chronologically. It throws the reader back and forth in time across the chapters and in excerpts of letters written between friends. The novel isn’t upbeat or light. Any romance is bittersweet at best. There’s even a sliver tainting the happily-ever-after.

And I loved it. I cried with real pain at the loss of life and love. I laughed with Lilah at her crazy antics. I sympathized with Jen — who I thought got the short end of the stick in every instance. I wanted to rescue Dan, and shoot Cupid’s arrow toward Nat and Andrew.

The Reunion is well-written, thoughtful and thought-provoking. It’s substantial enough for book club discussions and literary analysis. Its authenticity takes a crack at your emotions. It asks what we internally live with that needs riddance. It asks you to face your own truth. Most importantly, The Reunion asks you to love yourself and others without condition.

-Calliope

Buy It Now The Reunion (U.S.)
Buy It Now The Reunion (UK)

Review: Fearless, by Tawny Weber

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Gia is way more brave than I would ever be!!

She has liked Luke for a while, but never, in her wildest dreams, would he give her a second glance. But she is sick of waiting. So she decides to change her appearance and give him a weekend to remember.

But she never thought it would change her life.

Luke is unhappy with everything being handed to him, included women. For once he would like to actually have to work for something. While in Vegas, for work, he meets a super hot woman that he is instantly attracted too. He wants the full weekend with her, but he after a hot night, he wakes up alone. Now he can’t get her out of his head and he’s thinking of changing everything he knows. That woman changed him.

Gia’ head only wanted a weekend, but her heart wants forever.

What is she gonna do now???

I received this ARC for an honest review.

~Melpomene

Buy it now Fearless (The Girlz Guide to Gettin’ It)

Authors are even better in person…

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I love authors way more than traditional celebrities. Meeting Tom Cruise wouldn’t really faze me but meeting my favorite author would make me go into complete fangirl mode. However, I had never had a chance to meet any authors at all before this summer.

935196_4296103779079_1580414677_n In July some book friends of mine informed me that New York Times best selling author Khaled Hosseini of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns was coming to Ohio to promote his new book And the Mountains Echoed. I was ecstatic! This is an author whose books really moved me and I admired. The signing was huge, with a couple of hundred people coming out to meet him. Khaled did a Q&A talk where I found him humorous and really engaging. Also way cuter than I expected! Due to the size of the event there was no picture taking, but I did get my book signed and got to shake his hand.

My next author meeting was totally different. Tessa Dare and Gayle Callen were coming to Dayton.They both write romance novels – Tessa wrote The Spindle Cove series that I had really enjoyed and Gayle I had yet to read. This was at a bookstore in Dayton where there was a small crowd. This was much more interactive and I really loved seeing them talk to us so candidly. I thought they both were really funny and I thought it was awesome that Tessa recognized a friend of mine from their Twitter interactions. I’ve since read Gayle’s latest release that I had signed and loved it. I left there a bigger fan than I was going in.

971108_10200258989500777_870582190_n I then was able to go to a small bookstore in Delaware, OH and meet Patrick Rothfuss who has a huge fan following. The Name of the Wind is a fantasy novel a fellow muse convinced me to read, which I completely loved. This small bookstore was packed and Patrick was amazing. He was hilarious, answered many, many questions in philosophical and funny ways and he stayed way late. Patrick was willing to take pictures with every single person and signed multiple books for just about every fan there.

So my experiences so far have been vastly different. But the common thread they all shared were that the authors were SO great. Since in general authors are like idols to me maybe I assumed they would think they were better than their fans, or thought they’d act snobby. If anything, my meeting these authors made me love them even more. If you can manage it I would highly recommend going to one!!

~Clio

Look for any of the books from these awesome authors here: Search

Review: Fire Inside (Chaos #2) by Kristen Ashley

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imageLanie Heron just wants to hook up with Hopper Kincaid for one night. She’s not been with anyone since the death of her fiancé eight years ago. There’s always been an undercurrent of attraction between the two since they first met.
So the one night stand leads to many more nights together with Lanie, the drama queen, being resistant to any type of relationship with Hop.

Fortunately Hop is persistence and patient and handles her well. He helps deal with her troubled parents as well the guilt that she still holds over the death of her fiancé. Also, we get to know what really happened in regard Hop cheating on his ex. Finally, we learn that Hop is a rock star who can melt Lanie’s heart with a Bob Seger.

This book’s timeline runs concurrently with Tab and Shy’s. So don’t expect a resolution to storyline of Benito Valenzuela wanting to take over Chaos territory.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read. I loved getting to know Hop better and could tolerate the high drama that Lanie can bring. As always, the epilogue worked well to add additional happiness to Hop and Lanie’s HEA.

This is the second book in the series. I highly recommend that you start with the first book, Own the Wind before diving into this one. The motorcycle club is huge and lots of characters are involved. I would hate for you to be confused.

3/5 stars

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

~Thalia

Buy Book 1 Own the Wind: A Chaos Novel

Buy It Now Fire Inside: A Chaos Novel

Review: Shades of Gray(KGI#6), by Maya Banks

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I just love these big alpha men!!! This series is full of them. So far there are 7 books. The 8th will be out in December, and I can’t wait!!

P.J. and Cole compete all the time. I was hoping all the competitiveness was a cover for romance. I’m so glad I was right. It seems this has been a long time coming.

The day after they finally give into their desires; which, by the way, was super HOT, they get called back out on a mission. Cole wasn’t a fan of this mission, but P.J. wasn’t about to let him make the call after one night with him. She should have listened to him.

The mission went unbelievably wrong. I was devastated. The men, on the team, were devastated. Cole was heartbroken. And P.J.? She was destroyed……

She decides to quit the team and go off on her own mission of retribution. She doesn’t wanna drag her team down with this dark path she is heading down. She can’t function any more, until payback has been given.

But Cole doesn’t give up on her. He knew, from the moment he laid eyes on her, that she was gonna be his. Now he had to find her and bring her back and help her get better.

After six months he finds her and is determined to bring her back to herself and help her heal.

“I’ll wait as long as it takes, P.J. I’ll do whatever I can to help you. Whatever it takes for you to heal physically and emotionally. Just know that I’m not going anywhere, and it’s time for you to stop running.”

It’s takes a lot of patience, and love, to show her that she belongs to Cole and the KGI family. No matter what happens, this is her family now and they won’t turn their backs on her.

“I’ll always have your back, P.J. You’ll never have to look far to find me.”

If you can get past the mission scene, the rest of the book is smooth sailing. Just a word of warning. 🙂

~Melpomene

Buy it now Shades of Gray: A KGI Novel

Review: Shadows by Paula Weston

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cover33319-mediumYA Supernatural or Paranormal genre has gone through many different fads. Witches, vampires and werewolves have all been covered to a great extent in a ridiculous amount of books. Some have been wildly successful with the stories they’ve told, spawning movies and fandoms like crazy.

But I read a lot of books in the Young Adult genre and over the last few months I’ve seen an explosion of Angelic books. I’m a sucker for books that draw from an established mythology and either make it their own or expand the established mythology into an even greater one.

And that is exactly what Shadows does so well.  Paula Weston managed to take what I’ve come to expect in an Angel story and add even more to it. This was a very fast paced book – in a good way – I didn’t want to put it down.  The world building done within the book was excellent, letting us see what we need to establish what is to come in the rest of the series.

While this is going to be a series, the ending was not cliffhanger-ish enough to drive me crazy. It left me wanting more but not to the people of being angry at the book. I liked the young adult/ new adult vibe Shadows has as well. Gaby is coping with the death of her twin brother, Jude and trying to move on with her life when the angelic world is brought solidly into her life and is forced to deal with the shocking consequences that brings along with it.

I can’t wait to read the rest in the series. I really liked the secondary characters and want to see much more of Rafa, Jason and Maggie.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

~Clio

Buy it Now Shadows (The Rephaim)