Hachette Book Group

Review (revisited): The Coldest Gril in Coldtown by Holly Black

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12813630I really enjoyed this book. However, I must warn you, it is predictable….and although I Black has said that this is a stand alone book….well I just don’t see her leaving it as it ended…there is just so much more she can do with the storyline….

This novel centers around a teenager named Tana. She lives in a world were vampires live in walled “Coldtowns”….when Tana wakes up after a party and discovers her and a friend might be infected she ventures into Coldtown, knowing it’s her only chance for survival but also knowing that once you become a resident of Coldtown there is little chance of ever leaving….

This whole vampire/paranormal//teenager/love triangle/save the world thing has been done over so many different ways and times…well it’s hard to get really excited and feel like you’re reading something new and different….

Having said that, I really think Black has taken the best of all of those numerous books out there and meshed them together to form a really enjoyable read. You have bloggers connecting the vampire world with the outside, human world. You have vampire fans that would do anything to be turned into a vampire…you have a love interest….you have revenge….you have betrayal….you have family issues….and Black does an excellent job in laying all those out to make a fast paced read…..

But at the end of the day….you still know what’s gonna happen….so if that doesn’t bother you….well I say read on! If you like a book full of surprises and an ending you can’t imagine….well…..perhaps you should move ahead and skip over this read….it might not be for you….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Review: The Killing Season (Carter Blake #1) by Mason Cross

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killing seasonReading the bio of Mason Cross I take it that “The Killing Season” is his first full length novel. Wowzers…what a way to start off! I will definitely be looking forward to many more books in this series. Cross has presented us with a multi-layered character in “Carter Blake”.

This was a fast paced novel that had me hooked from start to finish. Here we meet Carter Blake. There are tons of hints to let us know that there is much to be uncovered in Blake’s history. Blake is someone who finds people who do not wish to be found. How he got his start in this profession hasn’t been reveled, but it is soon obvious that he is very good at his job. What is not so obvious is how he has many contacts on both sides of the law and even a few in-between. In this novel he is hired by the FBI to track down an escaped serial killer.

Thrillers used to be my favourite genre. After many years of reading them they all started to become repetitive. I had to read a dozen predictable books to find just one that stood out for me. If all thrillers were like this one I wouldn’t have had any problems sticking to thrillers only. Cross isn’t a writer that thinks he has to whitewash everything to keep it pristine and clean for the Pollyannas of the world. He also isn’t a writer that relies on shock factor to engage a reader. He’s a writer that isn’t afraid to dip his toes in politics (but doesn’t get bogged down in it).

If I had to point out any fault in this novel it’s that it left me wanting a little more depth to the main characters. Of course, I have no doubt that we will learn more about Blake in subsequent novels. However, the main FBI character felt flat. By flat I mean that there was plenty of background to this character and why she acted like she did, however it seemed like we were only giving the top layers of her and, although it was easy enough to do, left to draw our own conclusions. I guess after reading what I just wrote, I have to admit that Cross gave us enough to know, but I just wanted more to satisfy my curiosity about her. I really enjoyed her and could have spent many more pages getting to know her…

Bottom line, this is a book I highly recommend if you’re looking for a fresh new voice in the thriller/mystery genre….I look forward to reading and reviewing the second book in the series….and I hope the author continues to give up Blake’s history one puzzle piece at a time….

Until next time…
Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review…

Buy it now The Killing Season by Mason Cross

Review: The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith

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20454635This was a fun book to read. I love the way that Seth Grahame-Smith writes and have enjoyed several of his books.

Although it’s described as the sequel to Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, it actually serves as a prequel as well. We get a good look at Henry Sturges in his pre-vampire era and find out how he came to be. There’s an excellent description of what happened after the conclusion of the previous story that was very satisfying to me as a reader. And, we find out that many of the major events, tragic ones especially, in our world’s history had the influence of vampires woven all within their thread.

A minor note on a personal level-this one was a bit harder for me to fall into and then to follow along with because it does bounce around a bit more than the earlier book. Still, the historical events are so accurately written about with Henry easily part of the story that it’s a book I would definitely recommend!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The Last American Vampire

Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

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engulfedMaybe it’s because I’ve heard him so often on BBC radio…but whatever the reason, Mr Sedaris is seriously growing on me. I loved this one! It’s the 3rd book I’ve read/listened to by him. Having him read the books so adds to the experience! I admit, after the first book (MTPOD) I wasn’t sure I was a fan….but after this one, I most definitely am! So funny and brutally honest! I would have to say, having DS as a close friend would be both exhausting and exhilarating! Did I mention how much I love this guy now?

I must warn you though, don’t read a DS book unless you are willing to hear random things that just pop into his head. They are not always appropriate. He dares to say what others only think….He makes no apologizes for who he is….and he doesn’t believe in political correctness when it comes to being an arse. If you are an arse he will not hesitate to tell you exactly that. If you are a such a complete moron, he will not hesitate to tell you and to ask you, LOUDLY, just how it is you manage to tie your shoes each morning…

If you can’t laugh at yourself, don’t bother picking up this book. If you’re offended easily, again, perhaps you should pass this one by…but if you understand sarcasm…and if you sometimes wish you had the courage to say exactly what everyone is thinking but too afraid to voice it aloud…well go on…pick it up….not only will DS be happy to voice it for you…he’ll do so in a very loud voice and have you laughing for more….He would be hard pressed to like, except for the fact that he is usually laughing at himself the most…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it nowWhen You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Review: Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

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*1Well, since Thanksgiving is tomorrow (although being in the United Kingdom now we don’t celebrate this one :-/ ) and since this is a novel about a food blogger…and well….I am a kinda sorta blogger myself….I reckoned it was a good idea to post this review now….

If you check out the reviews for this book they are all over the place….I reckon this means that you either love this book or you hate it…Well, not me…I really enjoyed it….I didn’t love it…but in no way did I hate it….I thought it was charming. Julie was bit of a drama queen, but I loved her. I understand her sarcasm perfectly! It started as a blog and of course if you read any blogs you can understand how witty, engaging and entertaining her blog must have been. This is a movie that I have actually seen for once and I thought the movie and the book went along quite well together. Amy Adams was a perfect fit for the role and I had no problem imagining her as I read this book. If you’ve ever wanted to start out to do something fun and it rolled into something that totally stressed you out and encompassed your entire life…yet you were too stubborn to back down and throw in the towel…or you cared too much…..If you became so obsessed with it that you sometimes forget the other “going ons” in the *real* world….well this is a book you can relate to….I laughed out loud at times and I totally cringed at other times….and I sincerely felt her frustration and the “I’M. AT. THE. END. OF. MY. ROPE. AND. I. JUST. WANT. TO. LAY. DOWN. AND. CRY. PLEASE. DON’T. TALK. TO. ME. FOR. AT. LEAST. 5. DAYS. I. CAN’T. BE. BOTHERED”…..

If the book lets you down at points, well one must only remember that this started as a blog and with momentum and life it rolled into a movie and a book….If it had started out as a book, then turned into a movie and then finished with a blog, well it would have been written in a totally different style I think….

This book gives me hope that it’s true…we all have a book in us just waiting to be written down….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Review: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

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beautifulI wasn’t going to review this one, even though I so enjoyed it. However….after my decision, I read the first few reviews listed on Goodreads….and I felt a bit irritated! So here I am….So many of the 2 star reviews were from people who have read Elin Hilderbrand in the past and just didn’t think this one was as good as the some others….several said, “good characters, good story, good writing, but I liked x or y better”…..So this kind of validates Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee’s decision to never write a second book, eh? Ha Ha! I jest! I jest! Of course this isn’t a masterpiece. I’m not trying to imply that! I’m sure Hilderbrand didn’t mean for this to measure up to a renowned classic….My point is that, not all books are the same….not even the ones written by the same author! How boring would that be? Now, I confess….there are tons of books/authors just like that. I for one, usually grow tired of these very quickly. I guess some don’t….not only do they not grow bored, they almost expect it. Again, this is my first Hilderbrand novel…but if this is her worst….hey ho! I am so excited to read the others!

The second group of people who rated the book low were those that said the story was boring. That the characters were not likable….HELLO!!!!????? That’s exactly why I liked it. I confess (this is not the first time I’ve confessed this) I am not the biggest HEA fan. Life is NOT always a HEA ending wrapped up in huge pretty bow. Life is full of people just like those you will find in this novel. In real life, we often find ourselves out of sorts with those we love the most. To me, THAT is HEA!!!! When we can see something not pleasant about those around us….yet, at the end of the day….no matter how upset we are…..no matter how much something seemed so wrong….no matter how unattractive we found a trait in someone we love….well…at the end of the day, we still love them….we are still committed to them…..a place where we face our mistakes….and we pick up and we move on….NO ONE IS PERFECT!!!!! How frustrating would that be? I mean seriously….if my spouse (I love you, J.) were perfect, I can’t even begin to tell you how annoying that would be! There’s only room for one of us to be perfect! bwhahahhahaha…I jest I jest! Seriously though, isn’t it when we are at our maddest….our most annoyed….where we are looking at someone and wondering WTH did this person come from? and then something happens and we laugh….well….that is the times when we know it’s all worth it, isn’t it?

This is a story that takes place during the last few days before the wedding of a youngest daughter….The story is mostly told in the oldest daughter’s voice….but we also have many others that pick up the story as well….including a notebook left behind by a mother that passed away several years earlier….

There isn’t a person in this novel that I loved completely…..but they weren’t my family…..This novel shows us what *real* life is like….how special events bring together all sorts….You have extended families….you have broken families….you have personalities of all sorts…and for a few days….or a few hours….you throw them all together and then you are forced to sit back and pray for everything to go smoothly…..it very often does not! Here, Hilderbrand presents all of these personalities….often giving them a voice at some point….current spouses, past spouses, children, step children, absent parents, adulterers and innocent bystanders!

I loved this story simply because it didn’t have a clean HEA ending wrapped up in a clean bow. All of the story lines weren’t finished in the end….but we all know that some people live for drama and as their stories started long before the wedding, it’s only fair that they continue on indefinitely as well….I suppose that’s why I don’t care for so many HEA books…. I realise that some people need them in their life…they need everything to be settled and happy at the end…but my life has never been that way….I need to believe in a story a bit (yes, even the fantasy stuff I read from time to time)…..I believed in this one…..

okay….my rant is over…..I think you should give Hilderbrand a try….I know I shall be trying more of her books…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Review: I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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20140707-124504-45904477.jpgI could not put this book down. Because it’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. And she’s amazing.

This is the story of Sam and Emily. From the moment they meet, they realize they’re destined to be together. But there are problems. Sam and Emily don’t just come from different backgrounds. They come from entirely different worlds.

Sam and his little brother, Riddle, have been on the run with their thieving, murdering father since they were little. They haven’t seen their mom since the day they were loaded into the car and basically abducted by dear old dad. Traveling from town to town, they only stay long enough to exhaust the supply of people to victimize. Sam’s guarded and shy, and his only goal in life is to look out for Riddle who has been stuck in his own little world since he was a baby.

And then there’s Emily. She’s lovely beyond belief in both body and spirit. She comes from a good family, has plenty of friends, and doesn’t lack for male admirers. She has a happy, if somewhat uneventful, life. All that changes when fate intervenes and she sees Sam sitting in the back of the church as she sings one Sunday morning. And then everything changes. He becomes her everything, her reason for being. And he begins to live for someone other than his little brother.

But of course love is never easy, and in this story it’s downright dangerous. Sam keeps his family secrets close to his heart, although he finds it harder to do so as Emily’s family embraces both Sam and Riddle. They feed them, love them, and provide that emotional support that’s been missing in their lives. Just when we think that everyone might actually get their happily ever after, dear old dad decides they’ve been in one place for long enough. With nary a glance behind him, he once again uproots the boys and hits the road.

So this is is far as I’m going to go. To find out how the story ends, you’ll have to read the book. And read it you should. These are characters that you’ll find yourself pulling for, laughing with, and weeping inside over. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to read the sequel…

~Thalia

Buy It Now: I’ll Be There

Review: Decadent (Big Sky Pie #4) by Adrianne Lee

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I so enjoy these fun, yummy romances set in a Montana pie shop. Adrianne Lee does a terrific job writing food – it’s totally natural and easily fits in with the storyline. Not to mention Lee’s sensory descriptions are top-notch and make me want pie. Lots of pie.

The romance in Decadent is a little different from books 1-3. Very lusty. More flirting. Roxy is a sensual woman who knows what she wants, so the flirting is overt and you know a physical relationship is on deck.

Wade endeared himself to me. Shy, hesitant, afraid to make a mistake, he has a hard time making his actions match his feelings. Roxy makes some moves, though, and solves that problem!

The end was a little abrupt for me. Roxy leaves and comes back just a bit too quickly and without a lot of explanation. Apart from that one bump, Decadent smoothly sailed the happily ever ship. I was glad to be aboard.

By the way, I started Decadent before bed and was enjoying it so much that I forced my eyes to stay open until I finished it. I closed the kindle waaaay past my bedtime, but I fell asleep happy… thinking about love and pies and Montana skies.

-Calliope

June 2014 release. Only $2.99! And fine to read as a standalone.
buy DECADENT

Review: Until We Fly, by Courtney Cole

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“I stand on a wall to protect what is mine.”

WOW. Just WOW. I started this early this morning and read it in one sitting. I needed to finish it. My heart is in my stomach. My stomach is in my shoes. My nerves are shot. I’m a mess. At one point I had to put my kindle down and walk away to catch my breath. I was so upset. I live for angst filled books, and this definitely filled that requirement.

Synopsis
Ex-Army Ranger, Brand Killien, has always been good.

A good friend, a good soldier, a good everything. .
The problem is, good hasn’t gotten him anything but a crushed heart.

So after licking his wounds, he decides to move on. And moving on doesn’t include being good anymore.

Bad sounds so much better.

Jaded and detached, Brand is determined to never open himself up to anyone again. It’s not worth the pain. Instead, he becomes closed, hardened, aloof.

But then he’s called back home for a family emergency… a family that he is estranged from. A family that he put out of his mind a long time ago for very good reasons…reasons that involve secrets and pain. Reasons he tried hard to forget.

But home is where the heart is, and it just might be where Brand finds his again.

Why? Because home is where Nora Greene is. A fiery, red-headed spitfire, Nora is a thing from his past. A beautiful, feisty thing. When Brand left, she was away at boarding school.

But she’s back now.

And she wants Brand, scars and all.

I have been in love with Brand for a while now. I wanted him to have a happily ever after. I really did. He was a sweet guy and he deserved it. But his heart was broken and he became hard and closed off. He thinks he’s no good to anyone. Everyone leaves him, so he feels unworthy. He lives with guilt, from a past that he can’t get away from. It’s always chasing him.

Nora is living with a controlling father and she is trying to break free. She keeps secrets that could cause more harm, if exposed. So she takes this on all by herself, even if it slowly takes pieces from her.

“People watching has always been a hobby. Watching other people’s lives distracts me from my own.”

An unexpected accident brings these two together and fate draws them closer.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d like Nora. She seemed a bit too forward to me. But after a while I realized she is just a girl who is going after something that will make her happy. And frankly, she desperately needs a bit of happy in her life. Her story was almost more than I could handle. My heart was in pieces over it.

“He made me feel safe in a world that is dangerous and ugly, a world that has only hurt me.”

I honestly don’t know how to put in words, what this book made me feel. Sadness, happiness, angst, overwhelming anger, heartbroken, disgust, content. By the end of this roller coaster ride, I was completely happy I climbed aboard. This is the fourth book in the Beautifully Broken series, but it can be read as a standalone. But you really should read them all. Courtney Cole is an amazing writer and believes in happily ever afters, so even if she drags you through the mud, you’ll get all cleaned up, by the end.

“Sometimes, before we fall, we fly.”

~Melpomene

Buy
Until We Fly (The Beautifully Broken Book 4)

Catch up on the others:

If You Stay (Beautifully Broken)
If You Leave: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 2
The novella, Until We Burn (Beautifully Broken)
Before We Fall: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 3

Review: The Remaining by D.J. Molles

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the remainingDo you want a zombie book that is a bit different? Well here it is! I was a bit surprised just how much I enjoyed reading this one. At no time did I feel like I just wanted to hurry up and finish it! Sadly, that is often how I feel with tons of books….and books with zombies are usually a sure thing….even if I enjoy them, I also get a bit bored with them too….YES….at the SAME time…..that’s just how I roll…..

Anyways…this is about The Remaining and not about my weird personality quirks!

Here we have US Army Captain Lee Harden. Harden is one of 48 Army members that very few people know about. They have secret bunkers under their homes. His mission is to go out after an US Government collapse and try to bring people together and reestablish law and order. Of course this means he spends several weeks at a time down in his bunker to only be told it’s a false alarm and to come out like nothing happens.

However, when this novel starts Harden hasn’t heard from his contact at the appointed time. As one day goes by he knows something is not right. After 48 hours he knows there is trouble.

When he finally comes out of his bunker, he is in for a great shock. The world as he knew it is no longer. He is amazed at just how fast a government can fall. How quick mob mentality can take over. How soon people forget about others and look out only for their own. Yes, we’ve all seen examples of this in this life. The riots after verdicts…..the looters after natural disasters. But that is one city….something that can be contained…what if mass chaos happens world-wide?

I really liked Harden as a character. What he lacks in discipline he makes up for in heart…..it can also be said that what he lacks in heart can be made up in discipline….and NO….they are NOT the same thing….

Harden soon finds out that he can’t carry on with his mission as he hopes BECAUSE of his mission. He is to gather survivors together and try to control blatant violent crimes. He is supposed to protect the innocent whilst at the same time trying to control the non-innocents. His mission would be much simpler if he did not have survivors such as young children and women to worry about. He could move much faster and get more done if he could just leave them somewhere safe…but as the hours go by he is realising that no place is safe.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The only complaint I can voice is that at some points Molles seemed to make it too easy for Harden…at other times he seemed to make it too hard.

There are several more books in this series and I look forward to reading the others soon….

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review copy provided by NetGalley

Buy it now at only $1.99 it’s a steal of a deal! The Remaining by D.J. Molles