Fiction Friday - The Selection by Kiera Cass

Hello my dearies and welcome to today's episode of Fiction Friday!

You may have noticed that I am currently lacking a logo for my Fiction Friday. Sorry, I'm working on that....

*ahem*

I haven't read much YA in the last few months (because frankly, it all started sounding the same) so I was rather surprised with myself for picking this particular book off the shelves. I like the cover (I happen to be very fond of blueish green or greenish blue or however you want to call that), so maybe that explains it. 

This particular YA "distopian fairytale", as Kiersten White calls it on the back cover, is the first in a series by Kiera Cass. I do believe it's her first novel of this type (she wrote one called The Siren earlier, but I haven't read it). It is set in a world after a 4th World War, in a country where the number of your caste determines everything - your job, your prospects, the likelihood of you going to bed hungry or not.

America Singer, aptly named for a country that fought hard for its independence, is quite happy being a 5 - an artist by caste. She's in love with Aspen, a 6, one caste lower than hers, but she doesn't care about that. Love conquers all...or does it? When she's selected to be one of 35 girls to compete for the hand of Prince Maxon in a Bacheloresque TV-show setting, she finds out that feelings are not that simple.

And then, as if falling in like with the Prince in spite of herself, living through rebel attacks and trying to get along with the competition (35 girls wanting one thing? Bitchiness is pretty much pre-programmed there...), she has to decide what to do with her feelings for Aspen... does she love him still?

The whole book was a nicely flowing read, and kept me amused well into the night (yes, I had to finish it before I went to bed...always a good sign for a book). I rather like the way more and more of these fairy-tale inspired stories are turning up. Fairy tales have been around so long for a reason - they're classic plots that fit a whole load of situations and cultures. This book is clearly starting with a Cinderella premise, but I'm very curious to see if it'll start leaning towards a Lancelot-Arthur-Guinevere triangle situation...

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. Ok, so I still prefer the epic scale and intrigue of, say Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archives 1), but this book is GOOD. Definitely one of the best YA novels (especially of the dystopian kind) I've read in the last couple of years, and that's saying something. There's been a lot of really good YA literature going around the last decade or so.

Therefore, without further ado, I do say this book deserves

Four out of Five Stars! 

Bared To You by Sylvia Day

Hello my dearies!

I hope the changing season is treating you well and you have as nice a mixture of morning fog and daytime sun as I'm having at the moment. It's kind of inspiring, actually (horror story, anyone?). But that's not what I want to write about today.

Today, I want to share with you my views of a particular book...no, not the one with the grey. This one...

(ps. I'm an Amazon Associate so if you buy this book via this link you may earn me money)

BARED TO YOU

(A Crossfire Novel)

by 

Silvia Day

I picked it up as a travel read, mainly (and yes, I'm one of those gullible consumers) because it basically said on the cover "this is the book Shades of xyz could have been" if it had been well written. Seeing as the quality of writing in the Shades books is up for debate, I was curious. Curious enough to shell out hard-earned money for an erotic romance that might well turn out to be a waste of the paper it was written on. 

Long story short: Not a waste of paper. I was happily surprised, in fact. 

What it's about....

Meet Eva, female MC and the girl who just moved to Manhattan for a new job. She's sharing a flat with her (gay/bisexual) picture-perfect best friend Cary. It's when she first visits the building she'll be working at, that's when she meets Gideon for the first time. It's only later that she finds out he's in fact Gideon Cross, owner of said building (The Crossfire), control freak, male MC and uber-handsome sexy beast. Cue sexual attraction....

What I liked and what not... 

This book is worlds above That Other Trilogy everyone is talking about. The narrative is fluent, Ms Day knows how to write, the characters are convincing (up to a point) and the story is sufficiently coherent. 

Keeping in mind that this is an erotic romance, as opposed to a plain old romance or, say, a romantic comedy, it's not surprising that there's a lot of sex going on. Orgasms and erections abound. I've read some other reviews of the book and heard that this was a surprise and a bother for some people, but let me tell you, I've read a lot of erotic romances and this is par for the course (duh). Sylvia Day pulls it off fairly well, too - there's some repetition, but hey, it's still well written and easy to read. 

Eva and Gideon are both interesting characters, both with surprising depths, even if some creepiness comes into it on occasion (Gideon is a little obsessive and Eva has her own problems). That Gideon is a  bit of a stalker feeds into the whole control-freak thing, which probably has its roots in the alluded-to but not explained trauma he experienced as a child (there's two more books to come, after all, so no wonder not everything is resolved in the first one). Eva herself has issues with control, though it's unclear which side of the question she falls on - does she want to have control, or give it up? In this book, at least, I don't think she knows herself, even if she insists on needing control over her own life. Eva's lack of extreme reaction to Gideon's more - radical - stalkery actions is easy enough to understand given that her own mother tracks her every move. 

At least they take the (in my eyes) very american way of going to therapy to resolve their issues, so there's some hope that by the end of the series, they'll be slightly less...damaged? Neurotic? Creepy? 

I like them anyway, and I've already pre-ordered the second Crossfire book. 

You should consider this book if...

I'm not going to say "consider it if you liked Shades", because really, did you like Shades? Really? Other than congratulating Ms James on her lottery win of a publishing feat? You should, however, consider this book if you like tormented and conflicted characters with serious and somewhat worrying issues, high heat levels and lots of sex scenes, date-the-millionaire stories and tendencies towards BDSM. 

Accidentally Married to... a CBLS special promo

This is a special post to celebrate Ms Pamfiloff's book reaching 34th place on no less than the NYTimes Best Seller List for Fiction eBooks, as well as RAISE BREAST-CANCER AWARENESS (see below for how she's doing that...)...brought to you via CBLS...

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff's Accidentally Married to... a Vampire, Book 2 in her popular "Accidentally Yours Series", recently hit #34 on the NYTimes Best Seller List (Fiction eBooks)!! "Vampire" has also earned a well-deserved spot on both the Amazon and USA Today Top/Best Seller lists! To celebrate, Mimi Jean is giving away an eBook copy of not only Accidenatlly Married to...a Vampire?, but Accidentally Married to...a God?, Book 1 in the "Accidentally Yours Series", as well, to 20 - yes, you read that right, 20 - lucky winners! Accidentally in Love With...a God? (Book 1, Accidentally Yours) is a Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff  and reached 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. 

Blurb:

Twenty-two-year-old Emma Keane has a secret friend. He’s powerful, mysterious, and devastatingly handsome. In her dreams, anyway. In real life, he’s an enigma. Maybe just a teensie jealous. Definitely overbearing. He’s also a voice only she can hear. So who or what is he? He won’t say. But if she wants to be free, to be normal, Emma will have to trek to the jungles once ruled by the Mayans and find the forgotten ruin holding the answers. However, the ruthless deity she’s about to unknowingly unleash on the modern world might not be so easily extracted from her life. Bottom line, he’s got enemies, and now, so does she. 

And if that caught your fancy, here's an 

Excerpt: 

With his golden face beaming, the man smiled as he stroked my sopping wet hair and cradled me against his warm, smooth chest. “I love this dream,” I said with a breathy voice, then stretched my arms above my head, gazing happily into the most striking set of luminescent, turquoise green eyes I’d ever seen. To boot, they belonged to a breathtaking, masculine face, a face one would expect to see on the cover of a magazine named something like, I’m Way Too Hot to Be Your Man, or In Your Dreams, Honey. Oh, yeah. Without a doubt, I’d topped myself this time. Sculpted cheekbones, thick dark lashes, chiseled jaw, and lips so full they simply had to be meant for kissing or eating something really juicy. He was way hotter than the specimen of perfection from my last dream, and bonus, he didn’t have that scary vibe. I reached up and ran my fingertip along the ridge of his hard-lined warrior nose. “Emma, what in the name of the gods’ creation are you doing?” he scorned. “We really don’t have time for your immature little fantasies. We’re in the middle of a crisis. Do you not remember?” I blinked and slowly moved my eyes from side to side. Jungle? I was in the jungle. And my clothes were wet. Come to think of it, for a dream, I didn’t feel so hot. My lungs burned, my body felt like it’d been chewed up, and my head was throbbing. So, aside from the perfect man with long, damp, wavy black hair holding me in his arms, none of this felt like a dream. It felt… “Holy Mother!” I pushed myself away and rolled into the dirt, pointing in disbelief. “Wha—you—you—?” “Aaah. So eloquent as always, my sweet. It is astounding; you actually have a college degree, yet cannot find better words.” He pushed himself up off the ground. As he rose, my heart stopped, started, then went into overdrive. His legs and spine straightened into a towering mass of unforgiving muscles. With shoulders like a lumberjack and thick, powerful thighs, I didn’t know if I wanted to run away or climb him like a tree. He was utterly enormous. Jolly Green Giant enormous. Except, obviously, not green. More golden brown. He was a gorgeous, towering mass of golden brown perfection. No. Definitely not a cave-dwelling, wart-infested troll. Great. Just great. Now I knew I wasn’t crazy—Guy was definitely real—but now I also knew I was way over my head. He was gorgeous. I stood in awe, my mouth gaping as my eyes attempted to register every rope of muscle, every capacious curve packed with power. Christ, he had to be at least seven feet tall. “Six nine, actually,” he said, guessing my thoughts. “This can’t be possible,” I whispered, my eyes continuing to dart up and down the length of his body, stopping right on dark trail of hair that started just below his navel and continued down, down, down to his enormous beast of a—“Oh! You’re naked.” I turned sharply, but only to stop myself from reaching out to touch it; no man could be that…that…endowed. Wow. “This can’t be happening.” I covered my face. “Emma,” he moved behind me, placing his powerful hands on my shoulders. A jolt shivered its way through my body. I was wrong about the vibe. Way wrong. This man, or whatever he was, radiated hazard. He should come equipped with a set of blinking lights or flares. He was…“Bad. Very, very, bad,” I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose. And pathetically, after everything that had happened, all I could think about was this naked, hard-bodied, glorious “man” who’d just permanently seared his image inside the storage compartments of my female DNA. All men from this day forward would have to survive a mental side-by-side comparison against him. They’d all lose.

Available for ONLY $0.99 at: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

And here's her second book....

Accidentally Married to...a Vampire? 

(Book 2, Accidentally Yours) 

(which also received 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon)


Blurb: 

“If you love her, set her free. If she comes back, she’s yours. If she doesn’t...Christ! Stubborn woman! Hunt her down, and bring her the hell back; she’s still yours according to vampire law.”--Niccolo DiConti, General of the Vampire Queen’s Army. 

The Determined Vampire: Niccolo DiConti has faithfully served as leader of Her Majesty’s army for over a millennium, but he’d rather sunbathe in the Sahara than spend another grueling day under his demented queen’s command. However, no one has ever left her side and lived to tell. So when a powerful goddess prophesizes he will meet his salvation—a human woman he must turn into a vampire with her consent—he eagerly rises to the challenge. After all, how hard could it be to seduce a human female into taking the immortal plunge? Harder than he thinks. Because his mate won’t be born for another three centuries, and when he wakes up in the goddess’ tomb, not only is his life a mess, but his destined female isn’t about to settle for a coldhearted vampire. Can he win her over before it’s too late? Not if his enemies have anything to do with it. 

An Unwilling Bride: On the night Helena Strauss meets the fierce, devastatingly handsome vampire who saves her life in the jungles of Mexico, she knows her world will be forever changed. Because an attraction this mind blowing only comes along once in a lifetime—or existence. And when he claims she is his one true mate, destined to be his for all eternity, it’s a fairytale come true. So what if her knight in shining armor is a vampire? Nobody’s perfect. But discovering the powerful, overbearing immortal doesn’t “do love”? Deal breaker. Helena will flee and set out to accomplish the impossible…sever the otherworldly bond between them. And it turns out, Helena is just the leverage Niccolo’s enemies need to break the mighty warrior and wipe out his people. 

 Interested? Here's a taste:


Excerpt:

What the hell is this place? Then Helena’s eyes focused on something else she couldn’t quite grasp. In the middle of the room, lying across a stone altar, was a naked man with dark symbols tattooed down the length of one arm. But he was not just any man. He was a male so perfect that words would catfight each other just for the honor of describing him. He was a god. A bona fide deity. He had to be. Because a normal man wouldn’t give her the urge to fall to her knees and worship at his feet. Or drool. The torchlight licked his sculpted cheekbones, angular jaw, and full, sensual lips. Every capacious curve and ripple of hard muscle looked to be packed with raw power, and his size left no doubt that he’d been built in another time. A time when giant warriors roamed the earth, looking to rescue lame tourists wandering the Mexican jungle at night. In my dreams. Wait...this is a dream! It has to be. “Move closer my sweet, delicious woman.” The deep voice radiated from every direction, filling the room. Helena’s blood pressure crashed to the floor. She gasped as the weight of her body slammed back against the cold chamber wall to keep from falling. “Hel-hello? Can you hear me?” Fists clenched, Helena waited for a response, her eyes continuing to soak him in. Every inch of him. Was he real? No, he must be a statue. Too perfect. His full lips were built to nuzzle a woman’s neck. Specifically, her neck. And that hair—thick, long waves of black satin—was the kind a woman could grab fistfuls of while being driven insane by those lips. Then there were the diamond-cut grooves of his abs, his perfectly shaped navel, the fine dark hair adorning his lower belly that trailed down to his awe-inspiring man-gear. The size and thickness, even in its slumbering state, was something women dreamed of and scores of artists throughout history attempted to immortalize in marble. He was every woman’s fantasy, she thought. And by every woman, she meant hers…’Cause I’m not gonna share. “Kiss me, Helena,” the seductive voice rumbled. Had the man said her name? No. Clearly, his lips hadn’t moved. The margarita amoebas were attacking her brain and she was losing her mind. “Kiss me, woman. I command you,” the voice echoed, this time compelling her to obey. Helena’s survival instincts gave her a hard kick, jarring her back into the horrific reality of the situation. But as she tried to regain control of her body, her tongue slipped from her mouth and wet her lips. Traitorous tongue. Backstabbing lips. What the hell are you doing? Her body inched closer. “Sì, that is it, my love. I can smell your blood.” Blood? What the...? Every nerve in her body fired on all cylinders, but she couldn’t run even if her hair had been on fire. It seemed the harder she fought, the stronger the force controlling her became. “Brush it against my lips, my love. I want to taste you when you kiss me.” Without realizing it, her hand stretched down to coat her fingertips with the thick, nearly dried blood from her knee. Trembling, she smeared it over his lips. “Now, kiss me, my love. Awaken me, my bride.” “No! No! Let me go!” Helena struggled, but her body’s betrayal persisted. Her head dipped, and her lips rested on his sensuous mouth. In that instant, the compelling force dissipated and her entire body lit up into one glorious pyre of life. Had she been asleep the last twenty-four years? Because she could swear she’d just taken her first breath. Ever. Holy hell, what was that? The torches flickered, and the wind kicked up around her. The altar was empty. She crumbled to the cold, dusty floor. A pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders from behind. “Oh, Christ. You...you’re behind me, aren’t you?” she whispered. The deep dark voice replied, “Sì, my love. Stand, and let me see my mate.” Helena slowly rose to face the naked god behind her. 

Available for ONLY $0.99 at: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


And here's the clue....


One hundred percent (100%) of all royalties received from the sale of Accidentally Married to a...Vampire from both B&N and Amazon THIS SUNDAY will be donated to The Breast Cancer Foundation. 


COMING IN SEPT 2012....

Sun God Seeks... Surrogate? 

(Book 3, Accidentally Yours) 

Blurb:

Twenty-four-year-old Penelope finds herself in all sorts of hot water, vaporous and otherwise, after agreeing to become a surrogate mother for an eccentric, wealthy, and devastatingly handsome man who isn’t exactly a man. 

About the Author: 

Before taking up a permanent residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mimi spent time living near NYC (became a shopaholic), in Mexico City (developed a taste for very spicy food), and Arizona (now hates jumping chollas, but pines for sherbet sunsets). Her love of pre-Hispanic culture, big cities, and romance inspires her to write when she’s not busy with kids, work, and life…or getting sucked into a juicy novel. She hopes that someday, leather pants for men will make a big comeback and that her writing might make you laugh when you need it most.

Website: http://www.mimijean.net
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mimi-jean-pamfiloff/id498303364?mt=11
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MimiJeanRomance
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Jean/218935048190356
Email: mimi@mimijean.net

Illusions by Kacey Hammell - A CBLS Review

This post is part of the Coffee Beans & Love Scenes Virtual E-Book Tour Mar 5-24th 2012

ILLUSIONS
(In the Arms of the Law) 

by 
Kacey Hammell

Genre: Contemporary Urban Fantasy/Suspense/Erotica


Published by:   Decadent Publishing


Source:  VBT eBook Review Copy


Blurb (as per VBT Media Pack):

Protection. Adventure. Love.

It's all found within The Arms of the Law...

Detective Isabella Knowles, a tough-as-nails cop, lives by the law, and knows what she wants out of life. And it doesn't include marriage or all that comes with it. Everything Isabella has ever known seems like an illusion when a new relationship makes her feel more alive than ever before.  She isn’t happy about it and fights it every step of the way.

Burned by his fiancé years ago, seer and P.I., Brady Jacobs never wants another commitment in his life.  But his bachelorhood and heart are threatened when he has one of his visions and see a killer striking too close to the woman he has recently come to love.

Danger lurks close to home and neither Brady nor Isabella like that they can’t control every situation…especially matters of the heart.

Favourite Quote: 

“You taste like M&Ms, babe.”    

What I thought (no spoilers, promise): 

As if it isn't hard enough to be a woman in what is still a man's world - Detective Isabella has to struggle with a precinct full of relatives/friends/acquaintances who involve themselves in her private affairs. Everybody and their cousin wants her to settle down (ok it's her father, mostly), but Isabella likes her job, likes being a detective, and has no intention on giving it up for a white picket fence and anklebiters (her words)

She isn't exactly making things easy on herself, though. Her cousin's partner, Ethan, has a major crush on her - but she only has eyes for Brady. To put it in Isabella's words, he looked good enough to eat. Top that off with being Trenton's favourite psychic P.I. and daddy-approved, and what more could you want? Even the press thinks they're in love. But they're just friends, right? Friends with benefits, maybe...but more? Isabella isn't ready for more. Is she?

Brady, meanwhile, has his own problems. His visions are helpful and thankfully accepted by his immediate surroundings, but you can't save everyone and one case in particular haunts his thoughts. His affair with Isabella - or Bella, as he calls her - is steaming hot and a much-needed release, but it isn't at all like him to be so focused on just one babe...

I think we all know where that's going....and it would, too, but things aren't that easy if you're a seer PI and a detective. Work interferes, and then Brady has that vision that strikes all to close to home... I'm going to refrain from going into more details - don't want to spoil it for you! 

What You Should Consider: 

It took me a little longer to get into this story than it usually does - the rythm of the storytelling took some getting used to, but I do believe that's just me. I've included an excerpt at the end of this post - have a read and see what you think! 

If you don't like characters who dance around each other in an effort to hide their true feelings (mostly from themselves), this isn't the book for you. Both Brady and Isabella know there's more to their relationship than just sex, but it takes time before they admit it to themselves or each other. 

The sex scenes are steamy - so remember that this is erotica, not 'plain' romance. Sex is a major theme (and an enjoyable one, too... ; P ). 


I should probably mention that the epilogue sets up the next novel, so we have a series to look forward to! 


Rating: 

About the Author: 

Canadian-born author, Kacey Hammell is a self-proclaimed book-a-holic, who began reading romances at a young age and became easily addicted.  As a Mom of three, Kacey has made certain that each of her children know the value of the written word and the adventures they could escape on by becoming book-a-holics in their own right.

A decade ago, while working for multiple review sites, Kacey quickly discovered that she was developing the writing bug. Thanks to the encouragement of her own beloved hero husband, she decided to try her hand at writing. 

With a love of contemporary settings, modern day romances and the happily ever after, as well as the excitement of suspense, Kacey creates stories in genres she’s familiar with and that she loves most. She also loves vampires who nibble the necks of the heroines, ghosts who can't leave a loved one, shape-shifters who are sexier than hell and the thought of her very own werewolf or were-cat to tame makes her tremble!

You can find her on her Blog, on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and at kaceyhammell@gmail.com.

Where You Can Get It: 


Amazon (Kindle Edition)
Decadent Publishing
Smashwords


Excerpt: 

Knowing she would soon run out of time before his arrival, and getting more aroused by the second, Isabella hurriedly reached for her bath sponge. Soaping it up, she cleansed her body with an eagerness she was growing accustomed to feeling whenever she had plans to see him.

Sponging all suds from her clean body, Isabella pulled the plug in the drain, and stood in the tub, reaching for a thick, blue towel from the shelf. 

She rubbed vigorously at her body, drying it, and reached for the strawberry body lotion that went with her bubble bath. She poured a generous amount into her palm, rubbing her hands together to coat them in the sweet smell. Then she smoothed it over her arms, her breasts, stomach, and legs. The scent of strawberries made her smile.

Humming Destiny’s Child’s ancient hit Soldier to herself, Isabella wondered how many more minutes she’d have to wait before her soldier made an appearance.

She recapped the body lotion and tucked the towel loosely around her once again. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the sound of the front door closing. 

She hazarded a glance in the mirror. With the mussed, damp tendrils of hair around her shoulders, the towel haphazardly wrapped around her, she looked like a woman eager for a man’s—her man’s—touch.

The sound of a boot hitting the floor with a thud caused her to smile, and she moved to the doorway of the bathroom.

Hearing another boot drop and the sound of heavy breathing, Isabella peered into the hallway. When he finally came into view, she was already breathless, even though she had been expecting him.

Dressed in his usual black denim, form-fitting jeans, and dark hair damp as if he too had taken a few moments to clean up, he was a sight to behold.

Isabella’s heart thudded rapidly and her legs threatened to give out. She noticed his leather jacket, undone, over a naked torso. Obviously his zealousness to be with her had him forgetting a few things.

There they were. The abs, the washboard stomach had her literally teetering on the edge of orgasm already—and he hadn’t even touched her.

Finally lifting her gaze to his face, his smoldering silver-gray eyes captured hers. She had to lean against the doorjamb for support.

He always made her speechless. His beauty, his charm oozed from him with no effort at all. How she had gone so long, so many years as friends with him and never really noticed him in such a way before? Some detective she was, not seeing what was directly in front of her.

As he moved toward her, his pace slowed, as if he knew the effect he was having on her and wanted her to crave him more desperately than ever. His face broke into a sinful grin, telling her he knew exactly what he was playing at.

Never one to let anyone, least of all this man, have the upper hand, Isabella let go of the towel she was still holding around her. It slithered downed her body, pooling at her feet. Noting his small stumble mid-stride, she relished the power she had over him.

Naked and confident, she smiled at the man she needed to feel against her. Desperate to have his hands on her, she called to him.

“Brady….”

With This Kiss eBook Tour - a Fiction Friday Review

(click HERE for tour schedule)

With This Kiss

by Victoria Lynne

Published: Amazon, July 2010 (eBook) and Dell, July 1999 (Paperback)


Source:  ebook review copy from CBLS Promotions

The Blurb (as per tour info): 

Beauty and the beast: they were the scandal of the ton.  All eyes feasted on the beautiful flame-haired gambler in London’s most infamous club.  But Julia Prentisse was interested only in the rake-turned-recluse whom they now called “The Beast.”  She lured him out of the crowded club to a deserted warehouse, where she made her scandalous offer: If he married her and protected her from her uncle, she would help him capture the arsonist who had ruined his life.

An act of heroism had left Morgan St. James burned, scarred for life, but Julia’s bold gaze lit other fires he had long suppressed.  And now this glorious stranger was his bride.  But when he tried to claim his husbandly rights, she demanded three months grace—three months to know a stranger’s mind, to touch a stranger’s soul, to go where no woman had ever gone before.  Into his heart…

Favourite quote: 

"And as your wife, it is my duty to accommodate your wishes. I will attempt to do so—within reason."

"Whose determination is it if my requests are reasonable?"

"Mine, of course."

What I thought: 

I spent most of my early twenties devouring Regency romance novels right alongside my perpetual favourite fantasy novels, so believe me when I say I've read a lot of them. 

Ms Lynn's With this Kiss covers much of the traditional regency romance ground - handsome, rich has-it-all aristocrat and beautiful, not quite so fortunate heroine, love at once reluctant and sizzling. It's also the beauty-and-the-beast story the blurb refers to. Morgan St James is injured, scarred, made ugly in his own eyes and in the ton's, in a fire set by the ominously named Lazarus. Julia Prentiss, the beauty, has suffered at Lazarus' hands, too - and suffers still, for he will not leave her alone. 

Let me start by saying that I love the names Ms Lynn gave her characters - nomen est omen, after all. "Morgan St James" - classic regency name, that. Morgan made me think of pirates, a bad boy, ruthless and successful. St James lends it respectability. Julia is a sensual name, smooth and almost lyrical. Prentiss brings her back down to earth. She's not sensual on the outside, she wants to be thoroughly governed by reason, be independent and proper all at once. She goes her own way as much as is possible in those times. 

Ahem. Sorry, that's my inner writer. 

So, as you can see, I started out reading the story with my writerly parts all expectant and happy. Well, they weren't dissappointed... while this is a regency story that does, as I said, cover much of the traditional ground, that's not all it is. The tragedy that cost Morgan so much comes back to haunt them both as Lazarus reemerges from the shadows, but the danger also pushes the two of them together...and the hunt is on. Out comes Morgan's inner pirate while Julia discoveres her sensual side! Nothing too surprising in that respect, but thoroughly satisfying. The ending is, too, but I'm not going to go into that because I don't want to spoil it for you. 

Suffice to say that this is a smoothly written, easily read regency romance with strong murder mystery elements to heat up the action. The main characters - our beauty and beast - are likeable, loveable and easy to let yourself fall into. And isn't that what we're looking for, when we pick up a romance of any sort?

What you should consider: 


If you've never read a regency romance, do give them a try. This book is certainly a good place to start - it has many modern-life elements (starting with a rather very socially minded and independent heroine) that appealed to me as a modern reader, but Ms Lynne still kept the style of storytelling (especially language-wise) well within the regency frame of things. If you're an old hand at regency romance and like mysteries too, give this a try!

My Rating: 

(8 out of 10 cupcakes)

Where you can get this book: 


Amazon Kindle Edition
Amazon Paperback Edition

Barnes & Noble Paperback
Smashwords

About the Author: 

Victoria Lynne is the author of five historical romance novels.  She’s received two RITA Award nominations, and has consistently earned Romantic Times’ “Top Pick” award.  Called “A Fabulous Storyteller!” by Rendezvous Magazine, her work consistently draws rave reviews and continues to attract new readers.  Her books have been translated into German, Italian, and Spanish, and are currently available online through Kindle and Nook.   

Ms. Lynne lives in Vermont with her husband and two children.  When she’s not plotting her next novel, she loves to get away from her keyboard to ski and hike.

Find her on Facebook, too!

String Bridge by Jessica Bell - A Review

Yesterday I interviewed Jessica Bell, author of Spring Bridge. Today, I'm going to talk about her book...

String Bridge by Jessica Bell

(spoiler-free review, so no worries!)

Published:  Lucky Press, LLC on Nov 1st 2011

Source: ARC from the author

Blurb (as per String Bridge Website): 



Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage—and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfilment in the wrong place.


Quote: 

Music is the shadow of thought. 

page 7

What I thought: 

String bridge is an unusual book, and certainly not for the faint of heart. The story pulls you in - no, Melody does - and you fall right into Melody's world. The language is poetic and lyrical, so much so that music seems a character in it's own right, a player in the game of Melody's life as much as she herself is. Everything around her seems to be conspirint to stifle Melody's dreams and hopes, people around her are fairly drowning in their own problems, and Melody is left more or less to her own devices. Every day problems combine with more serious ones to form obstacles in Melody's path. 

Life is not what she would have planned for herself, and reading her story, you can feel her trying to find herself again, see her discovering bits and pieces of who she was and who she is now. This book is a story of a path taken that leads off the plotted course and into Melody's very self. 

Melody isn't perfect, and her life even less so compared to what she thought it would be, but she's a sympathetic character nonetheless. It's well worth taking the journey with her -  if you dare. 

I'm not going to go into details, plot wise - I don't want to spoil anything for you! 

What you should consider: 

Like I said, this book is not for the faint of heart. This is no airy romance or guess-along mystery. This is a powerful, emotional and very poetic book about one woman's journey to find herself, and perhaps even find her dreams. Be prepared for a serious and engrossing read (as well as seriously engrossing ; P). 

Jessica Bell has also published a soundtrack to the book (of her own devising - she's a musician as well as an author and poet), which you should definately consider buying along with the book! 

My rating: 

(8 out of 10 cupcakes)

Links: 

Book Trailer

String Bridge on...

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Soundtrack on...

iTunes 

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Find Jessica here:

String Bridge Website

Jessica Bell's homepage

Jessica's Blog

Jessica on Twitter

Jessica on Facebook

Friday Fiction - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Many of you out there in the blogging world may already know Ms Mafi and her wonderful blog or her Twitter escapades (@taherehmafi). You can also find her on her website.

Well, her first book has just come out and I'm thrilled to announce that I

1. pre-ordered it
2. received it on Wednesday
3. read it on Wednesday, in the bath, oblivious to the fact that the water had gone cold around me
4. LOVED IT and yet....
5. and am now reviewing it

You should probably know that I always read books all the way through before giving the review any depth of thought at all. I read it, liked it, then thought about the details and this is what I came up with...

SHATTER ME by TAHEREH MAFI

(carefull spoilers ahead!)

Published:  15th November 2011, Harper Collins 

Source:  pre-ordered off Amazon

Blurb/book description (as per Amazon):

"You can't touch me," I whisper.
I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.
He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.
But things happen when people touch me.
Strange things.
Bad things.
No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.
But Juliette has plans of her own.

Quote: 

"You can't touch me" 

Juliette, at various points in the book

What I thought: 

First of all: I absolutely had to finish it. That's aways a good thing - but then again, it was rather easy to read through it in one go. I did like it. But...

Well. Compared to other dystopian YA novels out there, Ms Mafi's book stands out in style, but not necessarily in plot. I was thinking X-Men through a lot of it (there's a girl that can't touch anyone in there, right?). The idea is a great one, and the book starts off great, too, but I did find it somewhat lacking in depth. 

I'm of two minds as to the style used - strike-throughs and numbers and sentences that are pretty much stream-of-thought for Juliette, or perhaps diary entries (first person present, in case you were wondering). On the one hand, it eminently fits Juliette and lets you see her as she is, but on the other, it is a bit odd. I kinda liked it, but it took some reading to get to the point where I didn't consciously notice the oddities anymore, just the story and the mood created. To be fair, this kind of "gimmick"(as one Amazon.com reviewer called it) seems to be quite fashionable right now. About as fashionable as distopian YA novels, I guess. I'm not - in general - a fan of those (I didn't like The Hunger Games, either), but I know many people are (more about that in What I thought of the Setting).  

What I thought of the characters: 

Juliette's mind is a little shattered, much like the title, and it's reflected in the way she tells the story (that's the style thing I'm of two minds about). I'm not entirely sure I like her, though. While she's well drawn, I had the impression she sort of floated through the story, emotionally speaking. She does pull herself together a bit by the end, which is good - she's much more convincing at the end than at the beginning. 

So she got abandoned by her parents - that wasn't really explained to my satisfaction, and I'd have liked to be clearer on the timeline of what happened. She was bullied in school, then there was that incident with the kid that put her in government hands and outed her lethal touch? Or the other way around, but then why was she suddenly given away by her parents? When, exactly, did people find out about her 'talent'? Maybe the (inevitable, given the end) sequel will clear that up. 

And the actual touch thing? She's so afraid of it - everyone's so afraid of it they lock her away for 264 days without touch - that it overpowers pretty much everything else she may feel/think. I know that's probably the point but after a while it bothered me that she didn't seem capable of focusing on anything other than that and how nice Adam is/isn't. 

And Adam is nice. He's the love interest, and he can touch her, too (YAY for love). And he appears to be on her side.... then not...then yes...well, let's say it's a major plot point. 

Then there's the bad guy, Warner. He's actually the best-drawn and most convincing of the characters, and I kind of liked him, in a twisted sort of way. He's both the major villain of the piece (Reestablishment aside) and, at the same time, the major rival for Adam. At least in theory - the idea is there but the setup on Juliette's side is lacking. Who knows, maybe there'll be some redeemable features to him in the sequel that will give this kind of plotline more credibility. 

For comic relief (of a sort) there's Kenji, who makes a brief (insulting) appearance early on and then comes back later. He makes (sometimes tasteless) jokes, comes on to Juliette, and turns out to have a bit of information they really, really need. Uhm yea.


What I thought of the setting: 

This book is dystopian, yes, but only in a very schematic way. General dystopian features are there (they're hungry, government wants control, book burning, etc) but it's not really convincing and at times a little too preacher-y for my tastes. But then I'm not a fan of dystopian fiction anyhow, so maybe I'm not the best judge. 

The start-up setting - the cell - was well thought out, though it appeared a little large to be truly intimidating (they fit two beds in there, didn't they?). Then there's the going-to-the-shower scene that seemed kind of pointless if to me. So what happened if she wasn't fast enough? Why make her go there in darkness? I guess it was supposed to build up the intimidation of the "prison" but it lacked something for that in my opinion. 

The last bit, the bit 'opposition' to the Reestablishment, seemed somewhat contrived. What, they've always been there? Why not act earlier? Or did I misunderstand and this really is some resistance movement rather than a kind of we-are-the-last-of-mankind place where all the "gifted" and their hangers-on end up, protected from the Reestablishment? Again, I have hopes for the sequel...

What I think you should consider: 

If you're a huge dystopian YA fantasy fan, go ahead and buy this. It's easy to read (once you get past the stylistic stuff) and certainly light entertainment. It's mainly romance, though, not so much dystopian society going on. Maybe this will be revealed in a sequel - which, judging by the end of the book, will have to come eventually. If you really, really don't like not having things explained, maybe wait for the sequel and then read them together. 

If you liked The Hunger Games, you may like this book, but don't expect quite so complex a society here. The dystopian setting is just that, a setting, and not a pseudo-character like it is in The Hunger Games or similar books. The setting could just as easily be the 'ordinary world'.

All in all, though, I liked Tahereh Mafi's debut novel, and if you like YA romantic fantasy, do go ahead and have a read.  

Quite apart from all that, do go visit her blog, it's fantastic. 

Rating: 

6 out of 10 cupcakes...