Review: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

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cuckooDid you love watching Mike Hammer back in the day? Did Colombo melt your heart? Do you still dream of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe? I have to admit, I absolutely loved watching those types of shows. I loved the language. I loved the smokey rooms. I’m not quite sure how Galbraith has created that magic in a modern-day novel set in a modern-day London, but he has! I swear I heard those old voices in my head all throughout this novel as I read! It was surreal! I really seemed to be reading every line though a smokey haze in a room with jazz music playing in the background.

This is the first novel about Cormoran Strike. A modern-day detective that fought in Afghanistan and lost a leg. He is now barely making ends meet. He has a famous father that he does not talk to. His mother is no longer living. He has recently left his long time on/off again fiancée. He sleeps on a camp bed in his office. His hired help is temp agent that he isn’t sure how long he can afford. He sometimes drinks too much.

yea…yea…yea….sounds boring right? WRONG! There is so much more to Strike than meets the eye. There is a deep longing to know more about him. He keeps to himself. You can’t help but be intrigued by him. You want to know what makes him tick. There is no doubt that you feel a deep-seated morality to Strike. He seems to take the high road. Yet you get the feeling that he has had to fight for that part of him for most of his life. That he has been tempted and he has resisted….but at a personal cost….you want to understand why this is. What has drove him to become the person he is…the man, that for all outward looking appearances appears to be a failure, but one that once you meet him, you know this couldn’t be further from the truth….

Yes, I want to see more of this flawed mess of a man!

Okay, so you want to hear about the controversy over the whole J.K. Rowling thing? Well just forget about it! You won’t find any of that here….I will say, that it gave me pause. If I hadn’t known J.K. wrote it, I would have totally believed that this was written by a man. The wording just fit. She did a brilliant job with this. It just *seems* to be written in a man’s style. Now having said that, and *felt* that as I was reading the novel, it gave me pause…Do men and women write differently? Do we perceive their writing styles differently? Of course I am generalising here…but on the whole, do they? Before reading this novel, I would have automatically said no….but now I am not so sure…and since this was IN FACT written by a woman, well that’s just silly, isn’t it?

I hope Galbraith sticks around. I hope he writes a few more in this series. I *really* want to get to the “inner tickings” of Strike and I want to see where the relationship between him and his secretary goes….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Cuckoo’s Calling

Review: Pawn, by Aimee Carter

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18221310 If you liked Divergent and The Hunger Games, then you will like this book. It’s kind of a combo of both. I’ve been waiting til closer to the release date, to read it, since I knew I was gonna like it, but I didn’t want to talk about it so early and make people mad. 🙂

In Kitty Doe’s world, you take a test, when you turn 17 and that will tell you what job you will do and how you will live. You need a VI or higher to live a comfortable life with enough food to survive. Anything lower, you’ll be lucky to live til 18. And if you do, you’ll end up Elsewhere. That is one place you don’t want to be. Kitty just took her test, and is now a III. That means she is pretty much nothing. She will barely make it. But here is nothing she can do about it, but try and survive, even if it requires her giving up something so sacred.

When she decides to leave and find a way to survive, until Benjy can take his test, she is offered a chance to be a VII, no questions asked. And she took it. She then finds herself Masked as the Prime Minister’s niece, Lily, and then forced to reverse all the damage the girl has caused.

There are so many characters that you think are good, but turn out bad, and vice versa. Kitty has to determine who she is with and how can she get away, before she is no longer needed.

“Never forget the potential one solitary pawn has to change the entire game.”

There were quite a few twists and turn is this story and a few scenes which shocked the crud outta me. Kitty is trying to figure out how to survive being someone else but also trying to change the game to fit her. She is not your simple pawn.

The Prime Minister’s family is quite twisted. Their dynamics were way to crazy, and a little creepy, to even list. Some of their activities, for instance their visits to Elsewhere, were so disturbing, I was shocked. A few times I was wondering who was good and who was bad. But I guess everyone is a little of both.

It seemed that there was a lot going on, in just one book. Everything moved very fast. I’m not sure if I liked that or not. But after that ending, I am dying to see what comes next!!

~Melpomene

Harlequin Teen
Buy it now Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion)

New Releases for Nov 26, 2013

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It’s super Tuesday!!! There are a ton of great books being released today. Again, I’m thanking my family for all the GC. I am using them up quite quickly.

17830559Remy (The REAL series) I love Remy!! That is all I’m saying about that. Here is my review.

17233800Crash into You (Harlequin Teen) I really enjoyed this one as well!! Here is our review.

16101234The Chocolate Heart (Amour et Chocolat) I’m just about to start this one. But here is our review.

17415184Highland Master (The Murrays) Gotta love those Highlanders! I’m hoping to get a chance to read this one soon.

18050760Love a Little Sideways (The Kowalskis) This is Number 7 in the Kowalski series. I have a few of them sitting on my kindle. I am determined to start this series this week. Perhaps while I sit in those long lines on Friday morning.

18221310Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion) This is the first in the Blackcoat Rebellion series. I just finished it yesterday. My review will be up tomorrow. All I can say is, if you liked The Hunger Games, you will like this.

Now, I hope you found at least one book that caught your eye. Make sure you fill up your kindles before you head off to family gatherings. You never know when you’re gonna need a break from all those crazies. 🙂

~Melpomene

Review: The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand

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16101234 I love the Chocolate series by Laura Florand. 2 different authors that I really like – Ruthie Knox and Nalini Singh – recommended these books publicly and I’m so glad they did.

The latest book, The Chocolate Heart, is set in a Parisian hotel for the majority of the book. Summer Corey has been told all of her life that she is a spoiled brat. By her father, by those around her and by the press who loved to follow her around as she made mistakes. Everyone was surprised when about 4 years ago she dropped out of sight and it was rumored she was on an island the entire time. The first time she’s seen again by the public is in her father’s expensive hotel facing off with pastry chef Luc Leroi.

Fans of the series will recognize the Corey last name and will be happy to see some previously featured characters have some screen time. Summer’s father has essentially blackmailed Summer to be in France for a certain amount of time even though Summer hates the city and has only negative memories of the hotel. Luc tries to woo her with his elaborate chocolate desserts and is astonished to have them returned to the kitchen one by one every evening with Summer’s regrets, saying that she does not eat sweets. Luc is bound and determined to get to the heart of this enigma of a woman who does not want to let anyone in.

What I love about this series and what is hard to explain is that it’s about chocolate, but so much more. Looking at covers and reading descriptions doesn’t quite do the books justice because there is so much depth to these books that were unexpected to me at first. This new book does not disappoint at all. I adore the descriptions of the desserts and how they’re made – the author does a wonderful job of doing this in such a way that it captures the emotion and passion that seems to jump from the page. After reading each book in this series I always want to run off to France and find a chocolatier to watch at their best.

Luc is a passionate man but not a typical alpha male in the sense that is common in many romance novels currently. He is intent on Summer and wants to know her and why she is the way she is, while Summer has no desire to get to know him. She wants to run away back to her island and get back to her lonely existence.

This was a beautifully written addition to the series. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to another romance lover.

5 stars

~Clio

Buy it Now The Chocolate Heart (Amour et Chocolat)

Review: This Is Not a Drill by Beck McDowell

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20131120-190720.jpgIn an ideal world, parents would send their little ones off to school each day worrying about nothing more serious than if they’ll have someone to play with at recess. Teachers would be free of the worry that they might have to step in front of an armed gunman to protect their students. And those precious little ones wouldn’t have to suffer through lockdown drills where they practice what to do if a “bad guy” gets into their school. Unfortunately that world does not exist.

Emery and Jake are high school seniors who spend time volunteering at their local elementary school. Their hours at the school are spent tutoring the children in French and just helping out wherever they can. It’s understandable that they’ve formed attachments to the first graders they spend so much time with. Brian Stutts is an Iraqi war veteran who is going through a custody dispute over his son, Patrick. Because he is suffering from violent outbursts as a result of PTSD, he is not allowed to spend unsupervised time with his son. A confrontation occurs between him and the teacher, resulting in an armed Stutts holding the first grade students, the teacher, and Jake & Emery hostage. The high schoolers must not only worry about their own safety but also the safety of the little ones who look up to them.

This is a fast-paced book that’s full of tension and suspense. The author tells the story from two viewpoints, switching seamlessly between Emery and Jake. It’s hard to take at times, coming so soon on the heels of Newtown and all the other school shootings that seem to be in the news on a regular basis. But, will there ever really be a perfect time to grapple with this issue? I also found myself feeling some sympathy for Stutts and what he experienced in Iraq. There’s never an excuse for this type of violence, but there are very real issues that must be addressed before we can even begin to end the violence. Regardless of your politics or where you stand on the issue of gun control, this is an excellent book for young adults and older readers as well.

~ Thalia

Buy It Now: This Is Not a Drill

Review: Remy by Katy Evans

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17830559

“When I take you, you’ll be mine.”

Holy sexual tension, Batman!! I love reading male’s POVs cuz of all the emotions they feel, but this books is nothing like those. Now, don’t get me wrong, this book had emotion, but most of it was filled with sexual tension so raw, I was fanning myself a few times. He is a fierce lover. FIERCE!

It’s starts off on their wedding day. And while he’s waiting for Brooke, he remembers all those things that happened between them. I thought this book was going to basically be Real from Remy’s point of view. But I was wrong. It was Real and Mine together. I was very happy about that. It basically alternated between the now and then. I’m glad we got to see some of his scenes, where Brooke isn’t there. We never knew how he felt about going black and needing the shots. I felt so horrible for him, at those parts. I can’t imagine not being in control like that. Scary.

When we first see Remy meet Brooke, you see how he was thrown off balance, just like she was. It’s nice to see a guy off kilter. The way he wanted her was slightly overwhelming. He was quite obsessive for her. I never knew the depths of his needing love, until this book. He was basically thrown away, when all he wanted was love. He wants to give all of himself to Brooke, if she’ll take him.

And once he has Brooke, he will do everything to keep her.

“I’m not letting anyone take her. I’m not letting her go. I’m her Real. She’s Mine.”

I still loved the way music was intertwined throughout the book. Remy uses songs to show Brooke how he feels, since he can’t quite say the right things. The songs they picked were perfectly written for them. She seems to understand him more and more, with his song choices.

This was a nice ending to the Remy and Brooke story. I know there are more books coming, but those will be about some of their friends. Not that I’m complaining about this sexy fighter, but it will be a nice break from all his obsessive ways.

I received this ARC for an honest review.
~Melpomene

REMY Banner copy

Release date: Nov 26
Gallery Books
Buy it now Remy (The REAL series)

Review: Her Sexiest Mistake by Jill Shalvis

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20131123-175304.jpg

I’m usually a little wary of reading from an author’s backlist. Sometimes their earlier works aren’t up to par with the later ones, and I don’t like to be disappointed. Well, have no fear with this November 2013 e-release of a 2005 paperback. Every bit reflected the same witty, romantic and fun Jill Shalvis I’ve been reading in recent years.

I loved that Mia was a driven, ambitious, self-made career woman. I loved that she made her own destiny. And I totally respected the fact that she had to build up emotional walls to do it. What better foil to her neighbor Kevin, a sensitive, caring guy who just wants to help everyone live up to their full -professional and emotional- potential.

I liked that Kevin nudged Mia to make their relationship more honest and authentic. I liked seeing the push and pull of their emotions. Kevin was a catalyst in Mia’s emotional growth, and even better, a catalyst in Mia’s niece Hope’s adolescent development.

Her Sexiest Mistake is a love story that starts off hot, cools down a little, and then gets emotional. With strong, sensitive Kevin and wounded-but-won’t-be-a-victim Mia, the reader gets all the uncertainties of a new romance AND the happiest of happy-ever-afters.

–Calliope

Buy it now Her Sexiest Mistake

Review: On His List by Wendy Sparrow

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20131119-142353.jpg Remy and Owen meet serendipitously. That’s perfect for spontaneous Remy… but a little crazy for organized, structured Owen. Little does Owen know that he’s going to fall hard for Remy, and loosen up in the process.

On His List is a cute, romantic novella filled with flirtation and double entendres. Even though I am more of a list-maker myself, it was fun to see Owen want to relax and enjoy the insouciance that Remy brought to the table.

My favorite part was the end, when Owen did the most spontaneous thing in his life — all for the sake of love — and then showed how he still stayed true to himself by making the ultimate romantic list. Even Remy swooned.

3.5 stars for 77 pages of flirtatious fun.

–Calliope

Buy it now On His List

Review – LIFE The Day Kennedy Died: Fifty Years Later: LIFE Remembers the Man and the Moment by the editors of LIFE.

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17333556I am a self-confessed conspiracy nut, and make no apologies for it.  Saying that however, I am an intelligent conspiracy nut – I like to review the evidence and make my own conclusions.  Now, we’ve all seen in the last few weeks a flurry of books being hastily released in order to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the day that President Kennedy was assassinated.   Most of these have no merit, and are purely released to garner some money and attention.   This is not to say that this book released by LIFE magazine isn’t making money – you still have to pay for it – but I would rather pay for another JFK book by a respected author/collaboration such as LIFE magazine.

Before we get into the review proper, I must warn you that this is a book with media – the original, unedited Zapruder film; it is only downloadable to tablets, Fires, etc… I’m not sure how the DTB edition deals with it.

This book covers events from the emigration of the Kennedy family from Ireland, right up until the horrible day in 1963.  We are treated with many previously unseen personal photos, some in colour, some black and white, with a running commentary.   As it is told in chronological order, there is a sense of a real narrative here, and it actually makes the read all the more shocking.  Like I said above, I am conspiracy/history buff, so I thought I had known pretty much all there was to know about JFK, but I was wrong!  LIFE magazine has a reputation for preserving history through photographs and articles, and I learnt a few new interesting things last night.

Due to the linear narrative, when it comes time to watch the Zapruder film, it really does pack quite the punch.  Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still audibly recoiled and felt a bit sick.   This was real life, with real people, and EVERYONE was affected somehow.  That is proved in the chapter that collects the “where I was on that day” stories from random people from reporters, to Barbara Streissand, to Bill O’Reily.   The Kennedy’s may have been economically out of touch with many Americans, but even when you have staunch republicans, and Russian leaders say that they were dismayed when died, you know that he was someone unique, and someone to look up to.

~ Pegasus.

Buy it here:  LIFE The Day Kennedy Died: Fifty Years Later: LIFE Remembers the Man and the Moment<

Sneak Peek Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

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17233800 I have loved this series from the beginning – I gave the first book 5 stars, and the second 4 stars (as I wasn’t a big Beth fan). This is Isaiah’s story and he intrigued me from the first time we saw him in Pushing the Limits. I can’t help it, I like guys with tattoos. Guys with tattoos AND feelings? That’s not even playing fair in my opinion!

Isaiah has a crappy life, has been in foster care has a crappy Mom who was in prison but is now out. But he has a few things going for him and he knows it – Noah, his best friend being the most important. They’ve been through hell together and when Noah got out of the foster system he promised to take Isaiah with him and he hasn’t let him down yet. The other thing he has is his mechanical abilities – Isaiah knows he’s talented in that area and he uses it the best he can to make any money he can. He had a third thing – Beth his other best friend, but she disappeared into a better life.

Rachel, however, has a perfect life. She has wealthy parents and brothers who love and protect her…and no friends, crippling anxiety and too many secrets to count. The only thing that makes her happy is taking off in her Mustang. One night she ends up in a street race and when Isaiah saves her from Eric, a street thug who mean business, neither can figure out what just happened.

They have 6 weeks to get Eric the money he thinks they owe him or they are both completely screwed. Meanwhile, Rachel is drawn to Isaiah in ways she didn’t think she could be and Isaiah wonders what exactly she could see in him as messed up as he is.

What I love about Katie McGarry’s writing is that she really gets the details of every little thing. Every aspect of the book felt very fleshed out. From the minor background characters at the street races to the major characters like Rachel’s brothers. I really appreciated finding out in book 2 that Beth did not end up with Isaiah but what I appreciated even more in this book was that the romance did not falter at all. Obviously they had their ups and downs and big obstacles to overcome but there wasn’t hot and cold when it came to the emotions of the main characters. I felt that Rachel balanced Isaiah out much better than Beth ever could have.

I really, really disliked Rachel’s family and there is a scene in the book I all but stood up and cheered. Everyone but Isaiah took her for granted and no one appreciated her. It seemed like she was how many girls feel to the extreme.

Just a small taste of what I liked about the romance –

I don’t want to be without you. I like who I am with you, and I don’t want to go back to who I was before. I love you, Rachel. So this will work. No matter what or who stands in our way.

Overall this book had just about everything I could ask for in a young adult/new adult book: romance, action, family drama, guys with tattoos. OOH – also for fans of this series I just about died when I got to the end and found out that IT’S NOT DONE! She’s writing MORE! The next one will continue on with one of Rachel’s brothers. Who I really despise right now so I will hold out on judging it at the moment. But I love this author’s writing so YAY!

I received this ARC via the Publisher in return for an honest review from both NetGalley and Edelweiss.

5 Stars

Links for all 3 books below because all 3 are great!!

~Clio

Buy it Now (Book #3 ) Crash into You (Harlequin Teen)

Book #1 Pushing the Limits (Harlequin Teen)

Book #2 Dare You To