New Releases

Preview: Flat-Out Celeste, by Jessica Park

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FLC

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Synopsis
Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

I loved Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Matt. Heck, I even cried when reading those! But nothing prepared me for what this book would do to me. Nothing prepared me for the heartbreaking feelings of loneliness, Celeste would show us. The feelings of trying to fit the mold that world has put on us, was almost more than I could handle. The feelings of wanting to find that perfect person, who will accept you, warts and all, and love you for them.

Celeste know she’s different. She tries to blend in and go unnoticed. She wishes she had friends, but thinks she’s too different and people won’t “get her”. Getting through high school is just the next step in her life. She’ll go to college, because that’s just what comes next. But what she wasn’t planning on, was Justin Milano. Meeting him throws a wrench in her plan and makes her start to think about other things besides school.

Justin is just the best. When we first meet him, I thought he was perfect. Outgoing. Crazy. Silly. But under that silliness was a boy made just for Celeste.

“You’re in a war.”

It was a painfully accurate way to describe her state. “I am.”

“I understand that. There are battles, some greater than others. But they are worth getting through.”He held her tighter. “This is the fight, Celeste. You’re in the middle of it. I feel that.”

“Because you have endured your own?”

Yes. I got through mine, and you will get though yours.”

For some people, this is a romance. It’s about a young quirky girl who meets a young quirky boy and live happily ever after. But this story was so much more. It’s about being yourself. It’s about letting people in, even though you’re scared. It’s about never giving up on yourself. It’s about letting go and seeing where the wind may take you. And, of course, it has a bit of love.

There are no words to explain how I felt when I finished reading this book. To say I loved it, doesn’t even come close. I am sitting here sobbing and can’t stop. When I thought Jessica’s, Left Drowning, gripped me, that was nothing compared to this. NOTHING.

“I found my hinge, Matty.”

On a personal note, I love someone who could easily be Justin or Celeste. Heck, in high school, either one of them could’ve been me. So as I was reading my heart was shattering. The feelings of helplessness and longing were almost too much to bare. I know my loved one has felt this way. The feelings of trying to change, as to appear “normal”, and it making no difference, almost crippled me. I felt horrible!! Because in fact, I actually encouraged the “acting normal” a few times. Now I realize this is fiction, but this gave me a glimpse into the workings of my loved one. Never again will I be like that. People should be able to be themselves, no matter what others think. High school sucks. Truly, it does.

This book also gave me hope that there is the perfect mate for my loved one. The perfect person to hold them together when the world tears them apart. The perfect person to calm and focus them, when things get out of control. The perfect person to love them, when they feel no one ever could.

I received this ARC, for an honest opinion. So again I’ll say, my honest opinion is, that this was way more than a NA romance book to me, it was life changing.

~Melpomene

Buy Flat-Out Celeste (Flat-Out Love)

Buy Flat-Out Love

Buy Flat-Out Matt (Flat-Out Love)

Review: The Marriage Pact by Linda Lael Miller

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20140518-214023-78023213.jpg Parts of this book were fun, and other parts were a little hokey, and still others were a little bit confusing. I’ll tell ya what’s what, and you can decide if it’s a book for you. (I totally believe everyone’s tastes are good for them, and some people’s mediocre is other people’s terrific. So read on.)

Hadleigh and Tripp grew up together, and despite her wedding that didn’t end in I-DO, and his wedding that ended in divorce, Hadleigh has always been a little bit in love with Tripp. Tripp’s persistence and Hadleigh’s reluctance create fun romantic tension that I loved! Tripp is a chivalrous, handsome cowboy and courts Miss Hadleigh with notions of settling down. The one little problem with the romance was that it jumped abruptly from Hadleigh not wanting to give in to her own feelings of love for Tripp, to all of a sudden being all-in, head over heels.

This book is the first in a series, each centering on one woman in a circle of three friends. They make a pact to support each other in their searches for husbands. This is the part I thought was a little hokey. Do people in their late 20s/early 30s do this? Make pacts with charm bracelets and promises? I’ve never heard of such a thing. It seemed very teenager-ish to me. And a little contrived. I think best friends would naturally be there for each other without a formal agreement!

I love Miller’s characters: well-thought-out, likable, distinct, and memorable. Tripp being a gentle, loving, caring, rich, gorgeous, perfect cowboy hero? I dig it. But I’m not a fan of the heroine changing her tune in a New York minute, nor her friends contriving a marriage pact.

–Calliope

buy THE MARRIAGE PACT

Sneak Peek Review: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

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aaaaa***This novel will be released in the USA May 27, 2014***

This was a stellar first novel. Hayes did a superb job. I gave this my highest rating, but after thinking about it for a day or two I have to knock it down just a bit….I will get the messy parts of what I didn’t like out-of-the-way first….

This is a story about a “retired” government agency director…well we all realise that there is no such thing as retirement when it comes to this type of thing….So “The Pilgrim” is born…and must go into Turkey to try to stop a “clean skin”, someone who has no history in any of the databases of the world….The “clean skin” or “The Saracen” has set out to commit biological warfare on American soil and Pilgrim has very little time or information to stop him.

Okay, the problems….The novel felt disjointed at times…as Pilgrim is telling the story, I was not sure if he was talking about the present or current events. He would be investigating a murder in current time and jump back to previous events….but because the entire story was told after the fact, you weren’t sure if his musings were at the present time period, the past or at a near future time. The other thing that flummoxed me was the fact that a murder investigation that started in NYC, totally unrelated to the Saracen’s evil plan to destroy America, is related to a murder in the exact same location that Pilgrim has to go track the Saracen. It was just too convenient and far-fetched. Somehow, Hayes expected us to believe that all of the unrelated events and characters meet up and interact within a small Turkey city….

I haven’t figured out how Hayes could have avoided this…but it lays within my mind that just a few simple changes or additions to the novel could have cleaned all of this up. I blame it all on the author’s previous television experience. Seriously….stop laughing at me! Telly viewers seem able to suspend disbelief and logic for short periods of times. Readers expect the author to have thought out all of the logic and have it laid out just right for their readers. If the author is unable to do so, at the very least his fine editor should be able to correct it…..

Having said this, I still really enjoyed this novel. There are plot twists that seem outrageous after the fact, but they seem perfectly logical as the story is being told. This is a hard book to review, because some of the twists are so outrageous. It will be hard to explain to someone why it’s such a great novel, without them looking at you and saying….”riiiighhhtttt”…..but they are the best parts of the book! They don’t *read* outrageous. I think any reader would be hard pressed to figure out all of the clues and timing. Yet, as I sometimes do, I did not feel cheated or that the writer was pushing too hard. This didn’t read like a modern-day thriller that is a best seller because it was written by a famous author that is relying on his name and not his skill to sell a book….This is a book that should sell and make a bestseller simply because it’s written with a plot that is scary and very real. It’s hard to put down…not because you want to hurry up and finish it….but because you’re gripped in fear and your heart is racing and you have very little choice but to carry on…scared or not, you must not let go….Like a roller coaster ride, you are secretly thrilled by your terror…..This book is real….this type of thing is what any Country needs to be looking out for….not nuclear war heads…but little glass vials….I just hope that there are many “Pilgrims” out there in the real world. There is little doubt that “I Am Pilgrim” is the start of a great new series….Since it is Terry Hayes first book, I have great hopes that the series and the author both grow and mature over time…I look forward to seeing if Pilgrim is able to accept that he is deserving of the things he wants in life. That he, too, is entitled to a little bit of happiness….Terry Hayes has a great opportunity to take a very conflicted hero and grow him into a household name…

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now I Am Pilgrim

Review: Room for Love by Sophie Pembroke

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20140515-225338.jpg Well, I have never met a sweeter hero! Nate is the gardener, sure, but he’s also at innkeeper Carrie’s beck and call when her inheritance – The Avalon – endures some hilarious emergencies. He is just determined to do right by Carrie and her grandmother’s legacy, even if Carrie doesn’t appreciate him.

This guy figures out how to get exotic purple roses the day before a wedding! He takes care of the drunk and hungover stag party friends, the elderly friends of the inn, the gardens, and most importantly, Carrie. He doesn’t want anything in return, either. Well, he WANTS, he just doesn’t EXPECT. 🙂

Carrie is a workaholic, out trying to prove she can do anything, do it herself, and do it well. She can, of course…. but the handsome gardener decides to help. And that, my friends, is the start of something beautiful… Funny, crazy, nostalgic, and beautiful.

-Calliope
buy ROOM FOR LOVE

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

Happenstance is LIVE!!!

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01hap
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: In The Mirror by Kaira Rouda

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in the mirrorThis review is dedicated to my father, Donald O Epp, Jr who lost his battle to lung cancer last week. RIP, Pops and fly high….I love you…always…xx

So here we have a book about a young woman with cancer. There’s no secret that this is a book designed to tug on your heart strings. And it does exactly that. Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written. The main character does some really questionable things. She makes some unwise decisions, almost to the point of being over the top. As a reader, I was starting to question what was going on. The author reins it all in and handles it beautifully. A layman in the story provides answers to any misunderstandings or wrong feelings the reader might feel as well by explaining some of the feelings and thought processes a cancer patient might feel.

At the end there is one small part that I feel could have been left out entirely from the book, and in my case, it would have made the book even better. Having said that, I understand that not everyone in the world can handle story-lines that don’t have a solid wrapped up finish to them. I *do* understand why the author threw this little bit in, but again, I wish she hadn’t. It did take a bit away from the story from me instead of adding to it like it probably did for others. Overall I still really enjoyed this book. I found myself seeking it out and in a hurry to return to it when I did set it aside. If I had started this book on a weekday instead of a weekend, I’m pretty sure I would have finished it all in one day. I enjoyed it that much.

On a more personal note, I might have been moved so much with this book because I recently was told my father has stage 4 cancer. That’s a tough thing to hear as a family member. Let alone for the patient. It’s also awful because I just happen to be on a totally different continent and can’t be near him. It’s hard to even write that….let alone acknowledge it.

I enjoyed this book so much because just as all of us must ask questions and wonder, “why me…why us”, these characters do as well. They struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Of guilt. Selfishness. Resentment. Thankfulness. The list goes on and on. It never ends and day in and day out they struggle with the roller-coaster ride that is cancer and the emotions that they have to struggle with. Seeking answers where some may never be found. Of what it means to be sick. Of what it means to want to go back to happier times. Of wishing it was someone else instead. Of seeing others enjoying life as if nothing has happened. Of survivor’s guilt…Wishing that a loved one did not have to go through this, but so thankful that you’re not the one that has it…of feeling guilty that you’re healthy and happy and someone you love is not…I appreciated this. I think everyone, regardless of where they are in life can do the same if they read this book. Something such as this will always be felt most by the patient. That goes without saying. But cancer is horrible enough that it doesn’t just scar the victim. It effects those all around them as well. Who doesn’t want to save the world? Let alone their child, or their lover, or a parent, or their best friend…..yet, somethings are not ours to decide…they are just ours to deal with….

That’s a tough pill to swallow…..

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Review: The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

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thelowlandWhen I first read “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri, I was amazed at her ability to tell a story. It was a collection of short stories and I felt as if I was there in every story. The characters came to life for me. I was amazed at her ability to make me feel as if was right there….I not only clearly heard the characters voices, I also felt what they were feeling, I touched what they touched….as someone that doesn’t really enjoy shorts that much, it was a totally new experience for me. I couldn’t believe the depth that she gave to the characters….This is my first novel by Lahiri for me. I have a much different reaction.

I loved this story. I thought the novel was made up of great characters as well. Here we have two very close brothers that grow up in Calcutta. One stays. One moves to America. They both get married. They both have a daughter. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong. This is a complicated story. It is filled with revolutionary ideas. With rebellion. With lies. With resentment. With misplaced loyalties. With guilt. With desertion. With helplessness. With secrets. However, it also has deep love. It has redemption. It has acceptance. It has hope. It has new beginnings.

This is the type of story I absolutely love. Rooted deep in culture. Blending of new cultures. Complicated family dynamics. Self sacrifice. However…it just fell flat for me.

I can’t explain how frustrated I am with this novel. I mean, Lahiri has this amazing ability to make me feel so much in the collection of short stories, and yet, here, we have a full length novel and a chance for me to really connect with a great group of characters and….well….it just doesn’t happen.

In Maladies, I felt that I was part of the story…that’s how wonderful Lahiri’s story-telling abilities were….In The Lowland I felt as if I was reading this novel through several layers of barbed-wire. That I was forced to remain apart from the characters. As much as I truly desired to be drawn it…well…It just never happened. I was made to keep my distance.

I know what Lahiri is capable of. I know I should have loved this book….ever single thing needed was there….but for some reason it just didn’t happen….I just couldn’t connect with any of them. It’s like that one tiny piece I needed to connect and to see inside the characters was missing…or misplaced….and I just didn’t feel as if the characters were whole….I didn’t just feel this way with one character…I honestly felt that way about every single one of them….

I am so disappointed…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Review: How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love by Ken Baker

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20131130-204119.jpgThere is an unnatural, unhealthy obsession with being perfect in today’s world. We are constantly bombarded with images of celebrities who have been airbrushed within an inch of their lives. Young girls especially are being inundated with the message that who and what they are is never good enough. Spray tans, teeth whitening, diet pills, fiendish workouts, liposuction, eating disorders, plastic surgery…you name it and it must be done in the name of beauty.

Sixteen year old Emery has always presented herself to the world as a happy, funny, self-deprecating person despite being an extremely overweight teenager. On the inside, how, she is an emotional mess. Her life is far from perfect. Dad Jasper is an ex-NBA player now obsessed with working out and presenting the right image to the public. He is also an absent, uninvolved parent. Mom Brandi is the ultimate trophy wife determined to stay thin and young. And sister Angel is an aspiring model/reality show star who also happens to be shallow and self-absorbed. Is it any wonder Emery has issues with food and body image? She copes with these feelings by binge eating. Her boyfriend Ben, who is also overweight, professes to love her just the way she is. When her family is approached by a famous reality show producer with a tempting offer, Emery and her family can’t resist. For the promise of a million dollar payday, she agrees to subject herself to the scrutiny of the viewing public as she attempts to lose 50 pounds in 50 days. The dark side of the reality show world is revealed as she attempts to reach this goal. She also must face some hard truths about her family and especially herself if she hopes to ever be healthy both physically and emotionally.

I loved this book and read it in one day. It was that hard to put down. Emery’s sharp wit, sarcasm, and sense of humor carried the story. You can clearly tell that she’s using humor to cover up a much deeper pain. I was pulling for her from the very beginning to succeed in spite of her callous, narcissistic family. At first glance it might seem as if this book is an endorsement for the “Hollywood business” of being perfect. Emery does spend a great deal of time trying to achieve the unattainable goal of being perfect. But the story goes deeper than that. It’s a message that what we see on TV and in magazines is in fact NOT reality. Emery does want to be skinny and pretty. What young woman doesn’t? But she also struggles with doing what she knows is the right, healthy thing to do. This book is categorized as a young adult book, and I do think older, more mature teens, girls especially, would appreciate and benefit from the story. Use caution, however, with younger teens as the language is a bit harsh and sex is mentioned on more than one occasion. A humorous, fun to read story with a great message!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love

Review ~ Carthage, by Joyce Carol Oates

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18750474Have you a read a book where the words, the soul of it, the understanding, just completely resonated with you, and yet continually challenged your thinking?  How about a book, despite the fact that the narrative isn’t a free flowing, easy-on-the brain journey, yet keeps you engrossed and reading way past your bedtime.  Or perhaps even a book that leaves you speechless, but yet leaves you wanting to get up on the roof and sing its praises.    Yeah…  Those books are very rare indeed.    I am one of the lucky ones that have found a book that embodies all of the above experiences.   Carthage, the latest novel from Joyce Carol Oates, exceeded anything that I could have imagined.

Now, I am Oates virgin.   I of course had hear of her, but had never read any of her books.   Oates was one of those authors that I put into the “I must read something of theirs one day”.   When Carthage was released, I finally bit the bullet.   I wasn’t too sure what to expect; Oates is an extremely successful author and there was definitely an air of apprehensive mystery around her – in my opinion.   When I finally got my copy in the post, I was so excited and instantly began to read, or more accurately, devour.

Those that are knowledgeable in Ancient Greek history, will recognize that Carthage is the name of an ancient civilization, way back in the day.  So instantly, you have this connotation of potential tragedy brewing.   This of course, is before we even get to the names of some of the characters!  Zeno (a Greek philosopher who was known for his paradoxes) and his daughters, Cressida and Juliet (the main protagonists from Shakespeare’s tragedies Troilus and Cressida and Romeo and Juliet, respectively).  Now, I’ve seen other authors try and replicate their novels after tragic plays etc…, but Oates does it so subtly, yet delivers such a punch, that it doesn’t feel like a parody at all.   You feel the tragedy and the irony in such a profound way and indeed in such a contemporary fashion.

The plot focuses on the search for Cressida who has gone missing.  The blame is soon put onto Juliet’s ex-boyfriend, Brett, an injured soldier, recently returned from Iraq.   A fairly simple plot one may assume.   Well, yes, it is.  However, what makes it so complicated, and yet so fascinating, is the peppering of differing perspectives, and “truths” that Oates spreads throughout.   Where one character has a deep perspective on events, another character sees it in a completely different light; the reader is teased and led down the proverbial garden path, on more than occasion.

I really can’t say much else in case I inadvertently spoil it for someone, so all I’ll say is that you should go out and read, no scrap that, EXPERIENCE, this tour de force of a novel.    After reading this, I am going to have to buy some other novels by Oates.   Any suggestions, dear readers?

Well, I am going to go and sit in a book slump…..

Pegasus.

Carthage