Month: May 2014

Review: Sweet Filthy Boy, by Christina Lauren

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“I want to love all of my life as much as I love this night.”

Can I be honest?? I never expected this book to be as amazing as it was. I expected romance and silliness, and a good story. But I never expected the angst and emotions and the sweetness. Be still my heart. I feel in love with this sweet filthy boy. Completely, head over heels in love.

I will also admit, that I never even read the blurb for this, until I just start this post. I went in, with no preconceived ideas or views. All I knew was this was by the same girls who wrote Beautiful Bastard series. I was shocked by this story. If the others are going to be this way, sign me up right now. Where are those pre-orders??

Mia just graduated from college and is going to business school, in the fall. But before she goes, she plans on having the best three weeks of her life. Then her new reality will set in and the life she never wanted, will be hers.

Ansel is truly the perfect sweet filthy French boy. He will melt your heart as well as your panties. Serious swooning happened, while reading this. Honest to goodness swooning. The man was so sweet I could picture his dimple in my mind. I wanted to reach in and just love all over him. He was just too…too sweet and sexy. When he speaks to her in French…be still my heart.

“He’s the one making me lose my breath, making me feel like there’s not enough room in my body for him and air at the same time, but nothing has ever felt so good.”

After an insane one night stand, she makes the life altering decision to follow him to France. She wants a summer of fun and playing before she has to live a life she never chose.

But as the weeks go by, all the playing lines are distorted and she questions what to do. It doesn’t help that Ansel is the perfect boy for her. It doesn’t help that he brings her out of her comfort zone. It definitely doesn’t help that actually solves some major issues for her, quite easily I might say.

On a side note, Mia has some issues that many people face and I was so happy to see it addressed in here. I have never heard of a story line mentioning this, and I mostly read love stories. But not all love stories are perfect. Not all thing match up. I could sense her frustration and I felt right along with her. I appreciate that aspect of the story.

Ansel was not only the most gorgeous Frenchman, had the most dirtiest mouth. One of the best parts of this story were his scribbled phrases, he would leave her each day. Cracked me up!! That dirty boy made me blush!!

I really enjoyed this story and I seriously can’t wait to read the next one. If it’s anything like this, I may have to buy these for my shelf.

~Melpomene

Buy Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons)

Review: Elephant in the Sky by Heather A. Clark

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20131229-111656.jpgThe subject of mental illness is very much at the forefront of our thoughts these days. Unless you or someone you know is personally affected by it, it’s easy enough to push the idea to the back of your mind. However, with every mass shooting or unspeakable tragedy that makes the evening news, we are once again reminded of the often unimaginable consequences of living day to day with mental illness. We don’t often think of very young children as being stricken, but it does happen.

Nine-year-old Nate has always been a unique, if somewhat difficult child. Although his mom, Ashley, has always felt that something about her son was a bit off, she and her husband Pete have just chalked it up to Nate being a bright, energetic boy. But as Nate gets older, his differences become more obvious. And, the results of his unusual behavior become more serious and eventually dangerous. At the same time, Ashley must deal with the pressure of her high-powered job and the demands placed on her from it. The story alternates between two perspectives. Although most of the story is told through Ashley’s eyes, we are given glimpses into Nate’s mind and his thought process as he tries to deal with his demons. The author skillfully weaves an intriguing story of a family trying to pull together under the pressure of an enemy not yet fully identified.

This book touched my heart in so many different ways. As a parent, I felt the pain, embarrassment, and grief that Ashley and Pete experienced as they came to grips with their son’s mental illness. Nate’s story was entirely believable and broke my heart as I read of his inner struggle. And of course there’s Grace, the older sister who is also affected by her brother’s turmoil. The story pulled me in immediately, and I wasn’t able to put it down. As I get older, it’s becoming harder and harder for me to stay up past midnight. When a book keeps me reading until the wee hours of the morning like this one did, it’s definitely a five-star read for me.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Elephant in the Sky: A Novel

Musing: When Authors Like Our Book Reviews

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I’m going to speak for all of us when I say that we don’t write book reviews for fame or fortune. Nor recognition or accolades. We write reviews because we love to read, and we want to share our love of books with other people. You.

But you know what happened? We’ve found some excellent byproducts of the reading, reviewing, and blogging process!

Naturally, we get to interact with other people who like to read what we read: other bloggers and our blog followers. Book conversations? Ummm yes, please. Definitely.

Sometimes authors interact with us, too, which is pretty cool. Even a simple retweet makes me feel like my efforts made a difference to someone. Some muses have entire conversations (twitter, Facebook) with authors.

Today I found something that just took the cake. I was googling a book I’ve read in the past, and to what did my wondering eyes did appear? An excerpt of a Random Book Muses book review… ON AN AUTHOR’S WEB SITE! Yes, you heard me right: authors are using excerpts of our reviews on their web sites. How cool is that?!

So I googled some more.

Hello! More excerpts on more author web sites! I even found one of Pegasus’ reviews in its entirety.

Here are some of the links, so you can check out these wonderful, friendly authors yourself:

Megan Mulry

Jennie Jones

Vincent Lam

Laura Florand

…and the one that started it all…
Susan Mallery

It all makes me giddy, really.

So thank you, authors. Thank you for the love. We appreciate you noticing our words about your words. ❤️

-Calliope

Happenstance is LIVE!!!

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Have I mentioned how much I love Jamie McGuire’s books!! Of course I have!! Beautiful Disaster is my all time favorite book. So when she said she was writing another book, I was thrilled!!

Teaser2

#1 New York Times Bestseller Jamie McGuire returns to self-publishing with this page-turning YA account of Erin Easter, one of three Erins in the small senior class of rural Blackwell High School who not only share a first name, but also their birthday. Easter, raised by a neglectful single mom, keeps to herself and admires Weston Gates from afar. The other Erins, Erin “Alder” Alderman and Erin “Sonny” Masterson are the darlings of the community: daughters of the two wealthiest families in town, best friends, cheerleaders, and everything Easter isn’t–and they never let her forget it. Alder has even claimed Weston since the 8th grade.
Weston is a well-liked star athlete, and the son of two prominent attorneys. He struggles daily with the pressures of living up to his family name and secretly empathizes with Easter’s feeling that she belongs somewhere else; in a different life. Not until he begins sneaking nights out with Easter does he gain the courage to buck expectations and acknowledge his feelings … both for his future, and for her.
A shocking tragedy rocks the tiny town, and Easter’s life is turned upside down in the best way possible. But when the truth is revealed and everything she thinks she wanted falls into her lap, life only becomes more complicated.

My Review

Well, I LOVED this!!!! This was the perfect action packed story. So much happened and I was left fully satisfied. It was nice to have a shorter book to read, instead of another epic. With Beautiful Oblivion coming out in a few months, this was a nice little taste of Jamie’s awesomeness.

Erin Easter has a rough life. Bullying, and absent dad, and an there but not there mom, are the gist of her life. She is just trying to hold it together until she graduates, then she is out of this town. She used to love it here, with the other Erins, but at some point, it all changed for the worse.

But one day, her life seemed to change for the better. Weston actually talked to her. Soon he was sneaking out to see her and showing her that she is worth more than what these people of her.

I totally loved Weston!! He was so kind, when he finally decided to be. I loved how protective he was of her, even to his own girlfriend. I love the way he slowly began to grow a backbone and stood up for things that were wrong. When he started to care more for Erin, the words he would speak, totally made me smile. He was so very sweet.

“I can’t give up on you now. When we spend time together, I feel this peace that I don’t get when you’re not around. It’s kind of like when you’re a kid and you put on fresh PJs after a bath and get into a made bed with clean sheets straight out of the dryer. That’s what being with you feels like.”

The strength that grew from them being together, was totally needed when the tragedy of the story happened. Which then leads to the shocker of the story, which rattles the entire town. They must lean on each other, in order to get through this next phase of their lives.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I am dying to know what happens in their relationship and where they’re headed after they graduate.

A bonus in the book is the first chapter of Beautiful Oblivion. But I can’t read it. I need to be shocked and surprised. I never read teasers. So this is taunting me. That sneaky Jamie McGuire. 🙂

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

~Melpomene

Buy
On Amazon Happenstance: A Novella

On BN Happenstance: A Novella

Review: The Deep End of the Sea, by Heather Lyons

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01deep Because you have to sink, to the deep end of the sea, in order to rise.

WOW! This book has left me speechless. I am completely shocked with what this book held between it’s covers.

This story is about Medusa. Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking Clash of the Titans or Percy Jackson. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. But I’ll admit, part of me thought that way though. But this is about love and reinventing yourself. This book is about taking control of your life and not letting all the bad things hold you back.

Medusa lives alone on an island, away from everyone. She is cursed, for something she had no control over, and is to remain there for all of her life. She has scales all over her skin, snakes on her head and her eyes are the deadliest part of her. With just on look, and you’ll become a statue forevermore.

“I am a monster. The worst kind of monster. The kind that people have told stories about for thousands of year.”

But what you don’t know is that she hates being a monster. She never wanted this. She has compassion and cries for those who see her eyes. Medusa cares for those who catch her off guard. When she turns someone, her heart breaks for them. But she cares for them, the best she can.

If it wasn’t for her friend, Hermes, Son of Zeus, I don’t think she would’ve remained sane after being secluded all these years. Even though she keeps her eyes covered, he risks death every time he visits her. Hermes was the sweetest and most caring person. He would do anything to help her rid herself of this curse.

After a stroke of luck, and with help from a few gods, her curse is reversed, and she is thrust back into the land of the living. She must become stronger and learn to rely on others to help her. She is no longer alone. And soon she realizes that Hermes is no longer just a friend. Watching them fall for each other was so sweet. Medusa has no idea how to feel about her best friend. She is overwhelmed with crazy feelings and is shocked to find out that he feels the same way.

“I’m afraid I fell in love with you shortly after we met. I told you last night you fascinated me from the very beginning. The more I got to know you, the more I found myself falling…”

And just when things seemed all calm, the past turns up and is ready to destroy everything she has worked so hard for. Again, she must learn to rely on herself and her new friends to help her through is horrible time. Dusa must be strong and remember that the past does not shape her future. She can be strong and take control of her life.

“…Violence is not picky when it comes to victims…We are part of a group no sane person wants to join, and yet we are members anyway…There is no way to exit the group once we’ve joined; all we can do is try not to let it define us.”

I will admit, the last 20% of the book had me reeling. My emotions were all over the place. The love story devastated me. And then there was a twist I never saw coming, but it made the story even more beautifully tragic. I struggled with finding the right words to use to describe this book. Nothing seemed right. This was another post that I should have just written, “Read it.” This was definitely not your usual Greek Mythology story. It was so much better than that.

~Melpomene

Buy The Deep End of the Sea

Review: Special Interests by Emma Barry

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20140506-000210.jpg Special Interests is smart and sassy. Millie the idealist meets Parker the jaded, and they form an uneven friendship on Capitol Hill.

Parker is practical, working 24/7 to pass a budget. Millie is principled, standing up for the underdog. They grow to depend on each other, and something more than a friendship develops.

I love the quick-witted conversations, the last-minute phone calls, the impetuous touches. Millie doesn’t take any crap from Parker, and he respects her for that. I also appreciate that even though they don’t agree 100% on the best budget package, they manage to plow through their differences and maintain a personal relationship.

My very favorite scene is when Parker takes Millie home for Sunday dinner. What a fiasco. An eye-opening, fireworks-filled, falling-in-love turning point. It reminded me of real life, when those you love defend a position you disagree with, but their commitment to their values is so attractive it makes you love them even more.

–Calliope

Last time I checked, this was only $3.03 for Kindle!
buy Special Interests

Review: The Child Thief by Brom

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The Child ThiefHave you heard of Peter Pan? Of course you have! But Have you read Peter Pan? If you have…well have you ever stopped and thought about the story? Have you really thought about Tinkerbell? Wendy? Peter?

At the end of the novel, Brom quotes from the original Peter Pan

The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins.

Lines like this were the inspiration for Brom to write this book. Trust me….once you read this novel you will never….ever….look at Peter Pan the same again….

I don’t even know where to start…there is no way I can do this justice with my mere words. I am so disturbed by this book. Yet I loved every single minute of it…It is fairy-tale, myth, legend and nightmare all rolled up into one huge story that can not be contained between the simple covers of a book. It seeps into you. It is indeed like a mist. It surrounds you. It pulls you in and changes your reality. It makes you believe in the impossible and confuses your senses. Do you love Peter or do you detest him? Do you want to run and play with him or run and hide? All I know for sure is I couldn’t wait for it to end…and I hated for it to end….Brom is now up there with my must read authors….and although I read often, there are too many great authors out there to have very many MUST reads, but Brom just earned a spot….peter…peter….peter….oh my…..

As an afterthought Gerald Brom got his start as an American gothic artist and illustrator….and just so you know, the artwork in this book is insane!!!!!

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now The Child Thief by Brom

Review: Then and Always by Dani Atkins

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20140215-153936.jpgWow! I sure didn’t see that coming. Isn’t that just the best feeling in the world as a reader? I am always deeply humbled by authors who can make me feel this way simply by using their words.

Twenty-three-year old Rachel Wiltshire wakes up in the hospital after a nasty fall to find that everything she remembers is no longer. In her new reality, life is much more pleasant than her memories lead her to believe. Her dad is no longer dying from cancer. She and her high school boyfriend are still together and are, in fact , engaged. Her dreams of going to university and becoming a journalist have been realized. And dead friends are now among the living. To be honest, her newly discovered life is much more pleasant than the one left behind in her memories. While everyone around her chalks it up to a simple case of trauma-induced amnesia, Rachel struggles to come to terms with the collision of these two worlds, all the while feeling that everything is not as it seems.

This novel by Dani Atkins evokes feelings of sadness, longing, nostalgia, and oh-my-goodness-I-can’t-believe it. While most of the story is engaging enough and proceeds in a nice, orderly fashion, the last few pages alone are well worth the journey. A five star read from a promising author!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Then and Always: A Novel

Musing: Keeping Up with NetGalley Approvals

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20140504-141055.jpg Do you use NetGalley? It’s a repository full of advance copies of books that haven’t been published yet. You fill out a profile page, peruse the available books, and request the ones you want. Publishers approve or decline the requests, and if they approve one, you can download an electronic copy for free. Yes, free! FREE BOOKS! Then you read, write a review, post it, and boom, you’re done.

Well, actually, if you’re like me, you end up selling your soul for these “free” books. The books have publish dates and archive dates associated with them, both of which create pressure to read fast, review fast, and move on to the next one.

I’m actually a little bit proud of my NetGalley achievements. I’ve been approved for 117 books since last July, and I’ve read 101 of them. I have a handful to read in May and June.

Then I have THE EIGHT. The eight NetGalley books that were published in 2013 that I just haven’t gotten to. That’s what the picture is up there. The eight unread, need-to-be-read NetGalley books.

They’ve been on my kindle for so long that I’ve lost all excitement for them. But there are only eight. I should get going and get them over with.

Any ideas which one I should start with?

–calliope