New Releases

Review: Seducing Lauren, by Kristen Proby

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01sed After Lauren divorced her hubby, she thought her troubles were over, but she was so wrong. Now her ex is trying to get half of an inheritance that he thinks he deserves. He’s willing to cause her all kinds of trouble, physical and psychological.

Ty has had feelings for Lauren for a while now, but wanted to give her time to get her life back together after leaving her scum husband. So now that she appears to be moving on, he is making his move. But he has no idea that keeping her safe was on the docket. But he has no problem doing that. In fact, without him there, I’m pretty sure she would’ve backed down from her ex.

Lauren wasn’t used to being cherished by a man. So being with Ty was very new to her. They was he loved on her and took care of her, was so refreshing. He brought her into his life and his circle of friends. She has been alone for so long, she needed that.

Every time we saw her ex, I wanted to reach inside and beat him with a bat. He caused so much trouble for her and gave her so much heartache. At one scene, my stomach dropped and I had to step away. I wasn’t prepared for that.

But I did enjoy the romance. They were very sweet together. They were also very hot. The perfect combination, in my eyes.

I’m also glad we got to see Josh and Cara again. I like when characters intermingle within series. And I know that Ty’s sister will be in the next book, so I can’t wait to read it. I’m sure it’s going to be another winner.

~Melpomene

I received this ARC for an honest review.
Buy Seducing Lauren (Love Under the Big Sky Book 2)

Catch up with Loving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky Book 1)

Pre-order Falling for Jillian

Review: Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan

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This is a romantic story, in the old-fashioned sense of it being nostalgic and dreamy and sigh-inducing. It blends a historical-coming-of-age story with a contemporary “finding oneself” plot. Rosie leaves London to help her aging great-aunt in the countryside. While she’s there she makes connections that fulfill an emptiness she didn’t even know she had. There’s a happily-ever-after, but it’s a tad bittersweet, kind of ironic for a sweetshop owner. 🙂

I loved Rosie’s story: her capers as a medical nurse, her hilarious clumsy attempts at traveling in the country, and her funny attempts at making friends.

I really didn’t like the flashbacks to Aunt Lilian’s youth. I’d be all into Rosie’s story and then BOOM Lilian’s story would interrupt it. You might like the alternating flashback format, but it seemed disjointed to me.

I really DID like the candy recipes and the editorial comments at the beginning of each chapter. I felt like the author was talking to just me, drawing me into the book!

My absolute favorite favorite parts of Sweetshop of Dreams were: when Rosie (with Edison by her side) tells off the dentist and Edison’s mom; and when Rosie goes careening off her bike head over heels. Yes, head over heels.

Sweetshop of Dreams turned into a contemporary romance after all. “Love is caramel… Always welcome… Easy melting of two souls into one… A taste that lingers even when everything else has melted away.” Lilian may have missed her chance at true love, but Rosie certainly “got lucky” when she moved to Lipton.

-Calliope

buy SWEETSHOP OF DREAMS

Reveiw: The Bees by Laline Paull

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TheBeesI was excited to get this one. The story line really intrigued me. I love bees.

After reading this one….well…..I’m not sure if it’s suppose to be a YA novel or not. If not….well….it should be (although, there are a few points that felt like a Disney movie…you know when you’re watching a movie with your kid and you both find a part funny….the kid…well who knows why, but you, the adult, get the hidden meanings in a joke)….I can’t really say that I enjoyed “The Bees”. I didn’t hate it….I just didn’t enjoy it. The writing style (to me) seemed very simplified. Although it has over 300 pages, it seemed like it was a very simple story. The main character never seemed to develop. By that, she seemed very naive and childlike….and by the end of the novel, even though she was much older….well, she still seemed very childlike and naive.

I would also like to point out that I’ve always imagined bees as being very intelligent and social insects. This book, in my opinion, portrayed them in one of two ways….blind and brainwashed, always following without question or as complete back-stabbing, evil, vindictive assholes. No in-between….and honestly, there isn’t much to cheer about with either type.

I’m not at all sure that I learned anything new about bees in this novel either….of course, it’s not a documentary on bees…I mean, seriously, even I didn’t believe that bees could talk or anything….it’s just I kinda hoped that I would learn more about these fascinating insects….instead what we have is a story about a bee that changed her bee busy hats on a daily basis…one day she was this, the next day she was something else….often changing back and forth, supposedly from one group to another….

So I feel silly saying it, but the way the main bee jumped about and how one-dimensional the characters were made it a very unbelievable book for me….yea yea yea….I *do* realise that this isn’t suppose to be real…but still…..I like to pretend sometimes and this book just made it impossible to do so…..

and whilst you’re laughing at that last bit, I want you to think back to “Charlotte’s Web”….yea….that’s right….go on and tell me Wilber wasn’t real!!!!!! Go on then!!!!!!!! Pssssffftttttttttt….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Bees by Laline Paull

Review: Ugly Love, by Colleen Hoover

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01uglyI am a puddle on the floor. My pillow is soaked. My side table is filled with tissues. I.AM.WRECKED.

There are books that you’re so afraid of reading, not because they’re bad, but because you know that they’re going to be so good, you’re afraid you won’t be able to adequately find words that will depict how this book made you feel. This is what Ugly Love did to me. I had to pull out my trusty thesaurus and here are a few words. Paralyzed, distressed, ruined, helpless, speechless, awestruck, undone….You get the picture.

Tate Collins has recently moved in with her brother, while she works on her master’s degree, in nursing. She has no time for friends, let alone finding love. But sometimes love doesn’t always listen to us, nor does it go by our timelines.

Miles has a past, that he keeps close to his heart. He is content with being a pilot and hanging with his few buddies. He’s been alone for years and wants nothing to do with women or with finding love. His past has shaped him and he refuses to change.

When Tate and Miles meet, the attraction is almost instant. But neither one of them wants to do the relationship thing, so they just decide to have sex, with no expectations. Since they weren’t even friends, this should be an easy thing to do, right? After all, Miles has only two rules that need to be followed.

“Don’t ask about my past. And never expect a future.”

Sounds simple enough. But soon feelings start to get in the way. Hearts get shattered. Tate starts to have feelings but she knows that Miles doesn’t want this. But how can you stop loving someone, if they want you too? Is it even possible?

“If I were capable of loving someone…it would be you.”

Watching Tate put her feelings out there, and having Miles throw them aside, made me mad. He slowly chipped at her. He started to bring her down, without even trying. I wanted to believe he was good. I wanted to see him come to grips with his past. I needed him to. I knew he wasn’t the jerk he came off like. But his actions were proving me wrong.

But when his past is revealed, it broke me. I could never have imagined this. Many tears were shed. I was a mess. But Miles made more sense now. His actions were based on a past that was riddled with heartbreak.

“And I realized…just now…the God gives us the ugliness so we don’t take the beautiful things for granted.”

By the end of this book, you will truly know how ugly love can be. But even if it’s ugly, it’s beautiful.

“It’s not that I don’t like you, Tate… I just don’t want to like you. I don’t want to like anyone. I don’t want to date anyone. I don’t want to love anyone.”

Colleen Hoover is truly the master of creating heart healing, soul crushing, tear jerking, emotionally draining, redemption earning books. This book was no exception. I have no idea how she does it, but every book has the ability to bring me to my knees. But I gotta say, if Colleen didn’t love Happily Ever Afters, I doubt I would’ve recovered from this book.

Honestly, my simple words still didn’t do this book justice, when all I really wanted to write was:

Buy it. Read it. Love it.

ULTeaser4

~Melpomene

Release date: August 5, 2014
Buy Ugly Love: A Novel

Review: Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

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20140728-154355-56635463.jpg There’s nothing quite like having a sister to help you through life. In Lucky Us, the expectation is that Iris will take care of her little sister Eva after their loved ones abandon them. But it is Eva who holds together the relationship, with dim hope and quiet strength. The sisters embark on an adventure like no other, opening their eyes and their lives to worldliness and shallow sophistication. They try – but fail – to piece together a family. They try again. And again.

Lucky Us is about losing a family and finding a family. It’s about the damage that a mother and father can do and undo. It’s about making a life out of nothing but the kindness of strangers, and then recognizing that kindness as the only love you’ll ever know.

This book is historical fiction, set during the 1940s, referencing the war and its horrors, and illustrating the stunning commonalities among Jews, Germans, and Japanese. I don’t even like historical fiction, but I was taken in by the human facet of the decade. It read so much like contemporary fiction that I forgot what decade I was in. The crafting of this book is exceptional, the format perfect for the story, and the writing is tight, with every substantial paragraph meaning more than you think.

Lucky Us is hopeful. Eva shows how a young woman can endure much – maybe not with joy but with grace – and find acceptance for the life she has.

I found Eva so impressive, gracious, and strong. The grand finale in Eva’s life is the return of two loved ones. Adding them to the one who never left is Eva’s happily-ever-after finally coming to fruition. Lucky, indeed.

–calliope

Note: Amy Bloom will give a free talk about LUCKY US on Friday, August 1, at 7p.m. at RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut.

buy LUCKY US

Review: Return to Homecoming Ranch (Pine River #2) by Julia London

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Sigh. I wanted to love this book. I liked some of it, like the romance, the realistic struggles of Libby and Sam, and the changes happening at the ranch.

But Libby’s relationship with her mom and sisters needed more development. I would have preferred more of that subplot than about Libby’s ex-boyfriend and her stalker-ish behavior. Reading about Libby’s obsession and Ryan’s pathological lies was just depressing. I wanted to skip the downhearted ramblings. I know depression is real, as is alcoholism and PTSD… I just didn’t expect them all to be subplots in a romance novel!

If you loved Pine River #1, and you’re okay with real life struggles making up a big part of a romance novel, you really will enjoy Return to Homecoming Ranch. As for me, I like my happily ever afters preceded by predictable solutions to the small problems in life. 🙂

-Calliope

BUY Return to Homecoming Ranch (Pine River Book 2)

Review: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

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Half a kingI’ve been meaning to read Joe Abercrombie for ages…I’ve heard so many great things about this writer. So when NetGalley had his first YA available as an ARC I thought I would apply. I am so glad I did! What a fantastic novel!

I have somehow convinced myself that I am not a fan of the fantasy genre. However, every time I talk myself into trying one I often find myself with a novel that I love. I am flummoxed trying to express just how much I loved it. This is one of those novels.

Here we have a young man with a deformed hand. He is passed over to be the next King and instead is to become a minister. Circumstances come about that change everything and the young man is indeed, offered up as the next King. This is a position that he has never wanted. He is just a young boy that lacks the strength and confidence to be a leader of men.

As often happens with kingdoms and politics, the young man finds himself betrayed and left to fend for himself. Armed only with only his wit he must now try to reclaim his rightful inheritance. He finds his champions among the lowest of men and they set out upon a quest to set the kingdom to right.

This is classified as a YA novel and I can understand that. I would caution that it needs to be mature YA. There is some violence within these pages. I think any novel such as this might appeal “out of the box” to young males. There are kingdoms, high seas and sword fights abound. However, I must give major props to Abercrombie here….even though the “hero” of the story is a young man, some of the strongest characters within these pages belong to not men, but to women and young girls. Abercrombie does a fantastic job of erasing all gender bias lines. The strong women in this novel are not “out of the norm”. No one even takes notice of them as females. They just *are*. There are enough of these strong females that there is little doubt that in Abercrombie’s fantasy world they are not a rare occurrence. No one looks twice at them or questions their power just because they are females. The men just follow them as they would any leader….it’s a nice thing that you don’t often find in popular novels. Strong independent women should not be a thing that one should even feel the need to comment on or point out….but sadly, I do feel that need…..and I find it refreshing to find these leaders of men in YA novel. Bravo, Abercrombie.

I am hard pressed to pick a favourite character out of this novel. There are just too many great ones to try to pick from. Abercrombie places this young man in just the right circumstances to not only build a weak boy into a strong man….but he does so with such finesse that lessons learned build up his character as well. He also places just the right mix of good and bad people in the young mans path to enable this wonderful transformation to occur. These lessons and the transformation are not without heavy personal and physical price. If you’re looking for a feel good happy story full of kitten whiskers and puppy tail wags, you are best to go elsewhere….

I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series. There are so many ways that this story can twist and turn….it will be a grand adventure for sure…..

And I can say that I have moved Abercrombie’s other books up my TBR list as well…..

Bravo! Bravo! Job well done, Mr Abercrombie!

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Buy it now Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

Review: The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

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20140222-093602.jpgAfter I read Creep, Jennifer Hillier instantly become one of my favorite new authors. The sequel, Freak, sealed the deal. Now she’s back with a new stand alone novel. The question is, does it stand up to the brilliance of those first two books?

Back in the 80s, Seattle was gripped by terror as the Beacon Hill Butcher terrorized the city. That fear was put to rest when the Butcher was killed by police chief-turned hero Edward Shanks. Thirty years later, Shanks is ready to move into a retirement home. Grandson Matt, an up and coming chef and soon to be reality cooking show star, is the lucky recipient of Edward’s large Victorian home. Renovations to the family estate soon turn up family secrets that have long been buried. A side story concerns Matt’s girlfriend, Samantha. Sam is a true crime author determined to find out what happened to her mother, who she believes was one of the Butcher’s victims even though her death came after his crime spree ended. I have mixed feelings about these characters. Edward is a scary, cantankerous old man. Matt is a self-centered egomaniac with huge anger issues. And Sam is a likeable enough person although I found her to be a bit of a pushover.

I was beyond excited when I received this book. I expected a pulse-pounding, on the edge of your seat page turner, and I wasn’t disappointed. It kept me interested even though you pretty much know who the killer is and where the story is likely going from early on. Although this one doesn’t have the suspense/psychological thriller aspect that the author’s previous two books did, it’s still a great book. My only complaint is that I felt that the ending was a bit of a letdown, wrapping up in a handful of pages after building to a crescendo for the last fourth of the book. Still, this is an excellent third novel from a promising author!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: The Butcher

Review: Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen

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underOh dear…where to start? When I first started this book I feel in love on the first page. I was so intrigued. It was a mystery that I wanted to solve page by page. I wasn’t in a rush, it was one of those warm glows that feels oh so very lovely that you just want to savor it bit by delightful bit! I still felt this way at 30%. If anything, I was even more smitten with this novel. I loved Sophie, the main character, despite her naivety. I loved Jag. I loved India and all of the settings….The Palace. The romance. The women’s quarters. I even loved the mother’s cruelness. Not that I liked her personally, I just liked the elements she brought into this story. The layers she brought forth were yet another mystery for me to be intrigued by and a mystery to solve….

At about 40%…..well…..I realised that all of my love was based on appearances. Oh come on now….don’t act like that….you know we’ve all done this…..don’t lie! Who hasn’t fallen in love from the first moment and imagined it to be all of these wonderful things….and you dig and you dig…and then you realise….well, hell’s bells….this isn’t as mysterious as I had hoped. This isn’t as complex as I had hoped…..sigh….

Now don’t get me wrong….this isn’t a short novel….It’s a nice 400 pages….you should be able to fit a lot into 400 pages! Right? Yet, I felt that this was just a rough draft. It was missing bits I needed. There just was too much missing. Why didn’t Sophie fight? How did she end up where she was? Why did she leave India when she didn’t really have to?

I still loved this book. I am just a bit disappointed in Alison McQueen. I mean, she had everything here before me. She dangled this beautiful setting….these star crossed lovers….this wonderful story right in front of me face! She had me salivating! I mean, I had to wipe the drool off of my face. I had to try to control me glee. I bragged to everyone I could once I reached 30%…….and then….alas…..she broke my heart. It’s like being promised a homemade cheesecake after having a sunday roast……Looking forward to it all week with promises of how lush it will be…then the weekend comes….things get hectic…..and on Sunday you’re handed an instant turkey roast meal with special offer cheesecake flavoured biscuits! Yes, it has enough flavour for you to appreciate it. Yes, you are thankful for it…..yes, it did fill you up…..however….all you can think of is just how much more wonderful it could have been…..

so yea, I’m mad at you Alison McQueen. I KNOW you can do better than this….this was a 800 page novel that you chopped down to 400…..and yes, the shell is there….and yes it’s beautiful….but damnit….I want me meaty bits…..I not only want your words to feed my body…I wanted them to feed my soul as well….

Don’t get me wrong, I loved it from the start…..and I didn’t mind the ending…..I just missed the middle….

Sigh……Maybe next time…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review Copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Buy it now Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen

Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

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20140426-172618.jpgPredictability in an author is a good thing, but so is the unknown. I enjoy knowing what I’m in for when I read a new selection by a favorite writer. But it’s so much better when an author delivers something different yet equally amazing with each new novel. Chris Bohjalian is just such an author. With this latest work, he once again has gone off course in a delightful way for me.

Emily Shepard doesn’t have a picture perfect life. Her parents drink and argue too much and are miserable with their lives in Vermont. Emily “fails to live up to her potential” according to counselors at her school. She’s always right on the edge of things, flirting around with major trouble. Still, she lives in a nice home, loves writing in her journals, and adores her dog Maggie. Then it all begins to fall apart in a matter of hours. The nuclear power plant where both of her parents work has a meltdown, killing her parents and scores of other people. Her town is declared radioactive, and to make matters worse everyone blames her father for the devastating accident. So Emily does the only thing she knows to do. She flees her small town and heads to Burlington where she joins the ranks of homeless teenagers trying to survive. Hooking, stealing, using drugs, cutting…Emily experiences it all during the few short months she’s on the streets. If not for the love of a lost little boy she might have stayed there. But one tragic event leads to another and she eventually finds herself back on the road to home, to confront her emotional demons as well as whatever physical ones might remain.

This book started off well, pulling me in very early on. It proceeded nicely if somewhat uneventfully for about the first half. Then the story built to a crescendo, ending on a high note. Especially memorable for me is the moment when the reader finds out the meaning behind the title. If anything was missing for me, it would be that I was left with a few questions about some of the major characters. But still, sometimes it’s better to be left wondering than to be given an ending that you don’t like.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands: A Novel