Tag: ARC

• Book Review: “Secrets of the Lighthouse” by Santa Montefiore (ARC)

  Posted at 7:17 am by Laura, on July 29, 2014

  Secrets of the Lighthouse by Santa Montefiore 

  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Publishing Date: August 5
  Genre: fiction
  ISBN: 9781476735375
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Ellen Trawton is running away from it all – quite literally. She is due to get married to a man she doesn’t love, her job is dragging her down and her interfering mother is getting on her nerves. So she escapes to the one place she know her mother won’t follow her – to her aunt’s house in rural Ireland. Once there, she uncovers a dark family secret – and a future she never knew she might have.Meanwhile, Caitlin Macausland is mourning the future she can never have. She died tragically in what the village thinks is suspicious circumstances, and now she is stuck in a limbo, unable to move on.

  And between the two of them is an old lighthouse – the scene of so much tragedy. Can each woman find the peace she so desperately longs for? And can they find the way to live again?

  Overwhelmed with her mother’s expectations and a life she does not want to continue living, Ellen flees to Ireland in search of an aunt her mother rarely spoke of and whom Ellen has never met. Upon arrival, Ellen discovers a whole new family: uncles and cousins she never knew she had, her mother’s surprising history, a rough musician with whom she finds a kindred spirit, and a man burdened by a family secret and town gossip pertaining to his long-dead wife Caitlin. As Ellen begins to piece together her new life and discover her true self, a Pandora’s box of family history and Irish roots unravel.

  Montefiore likes to take her time in this novel. I’ve never read her before, but I want to read her now. Her language is lush, the descriptions stunning, the dialogue authentic, and the characters so fully fleshed — including the secondary characters. I fell in love with the landscape, and then I fell in love with Ellen’s transformation and liberation, and then I fell in love with her and Conor’s love. Everything was so deep and purposeful, and I was filled with a sense of longing to be there at that moment while I was reading (so much so I had to turn on my Irish playlist to satisfy myself!).

  I’m not sure what I could compare this to. It has that ghosts-torturing-from-the-beyond feel to it, reminding me of Wuthering Heights, but Caitlin and Conor’s relationship was nothing like that. She had something wrong with her, an ability to charm and quick to jealousy, much like borderline personality disorder. It was a tumultuous past that inflected Conor with guilt. But watching this dark man change into something light and wonderful around Ellen felt modern and true, realistic and beautiful. I couldn’t put this book down, and whether it was for the landscape or the story, I’m not sure. It’s worth reading and savoring.

  Thank you, Simon & Schuster, for providing this book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Major’s Daughter” by J.P. Francis (ARC)

  Posted at 9:55 am by Laura, on July 22, 2014

  The Major’s Daughter by J.P. Francis 

  Publisher: Plume
  Publishing Date: July 29
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780452298699
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★.5

  April, 1944.  The quiet rural village of Stark, New Hampshire is irrevocably changed by the arrival of 150 German prisoners of war.  And one family, unexpectedly divided, must choose between love and country.

  Camp Stark is under the command of Major John Brennan, whose beautiful daughter, Collie, will serve as translator. Educated at Smith and devoted to her widowed father, Collie is immediately drawn to Private August Wahrlich, a peaceful poet jaded by war. As international conflict looms on the home front, their passion blinds them to the inevitable dangers ahead.

  Very little is known about the POW camp set up in Stark, New Hampshire, in 1944. But it was there, and one can only imagine what sort of fascinations and wonders it induced. Under Major John Brennan, the German prisoners of war are sent out to work for the logging community, treated humanely despite everyone’s mistrust. Major Brennan’s daughter, Collie, serves as his translator and assistant, which brings her close to another translator and POW, Austrian Private August Wahrlich. The attraction is instantaneous, and noticed by all at the camp, but both know that nothing could come from it, nothing could be built on unsteady ground of war. But as the months pass, as Collie watches her friends change and August’s hope for a return to his family diminishes, the lovers consider a future together despite all costs.

  This slow and quiet novel was quite beautiful. The reader follows all sorts of characters, not just Collie and August. We’re privy to Collie’s best friend Estelle’s mind and heart, the difficult decisions she makes regarding her future. We follow the rich brothers Amos and Henry, how vastly different they are from one another, with different dreams and ambitions. We track Major Brennan and his dedication to running a smooth, cooperative camp. Everyone’s story interweaves with another, ultimately colliding in the end’s momentous flight.

  Collie and August’s love is pure. He’s poetic, artistic, and very much a dreamer. He shows us that not all German soldiers are Nazis — there’s a different between fighting with the Germans (enlisted and drafted from Austria and other countries overtaken by Germany) and being a member of the political party. He is kind and open-hearted, a gentleman and a boy, with no ulterior motives. It’s sweet. Collie is an educated young woman, who fights hard to suppress her growing affection. She struggles to maintain that her feelings are simply a little crush, but when she gives in, her fall is great.

  Nothing about this book felt rushed. In fact, everything about it was smooth, enchanting, romantic, and quite authentic. For anyone in need of a deep, powerful historical romance that really does consider the weight of war, this is most certainly the book to read.

  Thank you, Penguin, for providing this book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 3 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Fortune Hunter” by Daisy Goodwin (ARC)

  Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on July 15, 2014

  The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin 

  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
  Publishing Date: July 29
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781250043894
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  In 1875, Sisi, the Empress of Austria, is the woman that every man desires and every woman envies.

  Beautiful, athletic and intelligent, Sisi has everything – except happiness. Bored with the stultifying etiquette of the Hapsburg Court and her dutiful but unexciting husband, Franz Joseph, Sisi comes to England to hunt. She comes looking for excitement and she finds it in the dashing form of Captain Bay Middleton, the only man in Europe who can outride her. Ten years younger than her and engaged to the rich and devoted Charlotte, Bay has everything to lose by falling for a woman who can never be his. But Bay and the Empress are as reckless as each other, and their mutual attraction is a force that cannot be denied.

  Meet Charlotte Baird, a young heiress with a dislike of snobbery and a passion for photography. Enter Bay Middleton, a calvary captain who notices and flatters Charlotte and her family, while still stubbornly maintaining his “lower” position as a pilot during hunting season. Chaos ensues not when Charlotte hears of Bay’s past philandering ways, but when Sisi, the Empress of Austria, visits England to experience the English hunt. Rumored to be the most beautiful woman of Europe, Sisi captures every man’s attention and feeds the fire of gossip among the women. Charlotte is eager to take a photo of the Empress for her portfolio, but after one glance at the finished result, her trust in Bay begins to waver.

  Though the book comes across as a character study on Sisi, there’s an equal balance of attention given to Sisi, Bay, and Charlotte, whose lives were indeed intertwined in history. Charlotte is wealthy but leans toward the liberal, modern woman. She’s quirky and fun, focused on artistry rather than class distinctions and the upcoming season — to her future sister-in-law’s dismay. Bay is a womanizer, but there’s something about his character that switches and softens with Charlotte, leaving you wondering if he’s truly loyal to her up to the very end. Finally there’s Sisi, who truly was a beautiful woman with very strange habits in maintaining beauty. She led an interesting life, and much of what happened to her — or, in this case in the book, will happen to her — is reflected and hinted toward in Goodwin’s novel. Absolutely fascinating. If you ever get the chance to research her or the Hapsburg history, you’ll understand what I mean. She’s a poster girl for the future standard of female beauty and the media.

  Like all great historical fiction, this book took it’s time in unfolding the plot. The drama is slow and low — it’s intriguing, layered, and watching the story come to life is the most fascinating process. Not only are the characters interesting, but the history and social class politics and trinkets at the time, too! For example: photography. The time it takes for a photo to be shot and later developed, the ways in which photography was viewed by various people across the classes, the great things people could do to manipulate their photos. So exciting! And though I’m not much of a horse person, the hunting scenes were thrilling and wonderful — and the race at the end! Phew. Even English cultural norms for the time were compared to that in Vienna when Sisi’s chapters were showcased.

  Well done. A great read for hist-fic readers interested in a particular time in English and Hapsburg history.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from St. Martin’s Press for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 8 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, goodreads, review

• Advance Excitement at a Glance VII

  Posted at 1:18 pm by Laura, on July 6, 2014

  This year, in an effort to blog more, to become more involved with the blogging community, and to keep up with the latest publications, I thought I’d create a monthly post about the ARCs I’ve received. These ARCs will be read and reviewed a month prior to the publishing date. The Advance Excitement at a Glance posts will feature one or two (or more, depending on what happens this year) books to look forward to, and it will motivate me to keep my to-read list on track.

  Last month I shared two YA books out for publication in July. August is filled with ARCs (and I have no idea how I’ll get to all of them!), but I’ll share two in particular that I’m deeply excited about.

  

  Deliverance by C.J. Redwine 
  (August 26, Balzer + Bray)

  Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.

  I can’t do my own summary for this one. In fact, I don’t even care what this book’s summary contains — I just want the book SO BAD. *grabby hands* I love CJ Redwine. (Defiance and Deception reviews!)

  

  The Secret Place by Tana French
  (August 26 [possibly September 2], Viking Adult)

  Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to get a foot in the door of Dublin’s Murder Squad—and one morning, sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey brings him this photo. The Secret Place, a board where the girls at St. Kilda’s School can pin up their secrets anonymously, is normally a mishmash of gossip and covert cruelty, but today someone has used it to reignite the stalled investigation into the murder of handsome, popular Chris Harper. Stephen joins forces with the abrasive Detective Antoinette Conway to find out who and why.
  But everything they discover leads them back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends and their fierce enemies, a rival clique—and to the tangled web of relationships that bound all the girls to Chris Harper.

  Once again, I can’t even do my own summary. Tana French is another author whose books I’ll read simply because her name is plastered on the cover. She’s such an excellent writer, and this Dublin Murder Squad series is so psychologically mind-bending I can’t help but flail.

  Which ARCs did you receive for August? What books are you looking forward to reading?

  Posted in Advance Excitement, books | 0 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, ARC, books

• Book Review: “Through to You” by Lauren Barnholdt (ARC)

  Posted at 9:07 am by Laura, on June 24, 2014

  Through to You by Lauren Barnholdt 

  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Publishing Date: July 8
  Genre: young adult, romance
  ISBN: 9781442434639
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★ 

  It starts with a scribbled note in class: I like your sparkle. Harper had casually threaded a piece of blue and silver tinsel through her ponytail in honor of school spirit day. And that carefree, corny gesture is what grabs Penn Mattingly’s eye. Penn—resident heartbreaker of the senior class. Reliably unreliable. Trouble with a capital “T.” And okay, smolderingly sexy.
  
  Harper’s surprised by Penn’s attention—and so is Penn. The last thing he needs is a girlfriend. Or even a friend-with-benefits. The note is not supposed to lead to anything.
  
  Oh, but it does. They hang out. They have fun. They talk. They make out. And after a while, it seems like they just click. But Penn and Harper have very different ideas about what relationships look like, in no small part because of their very different family backgrounds. Of course they could talk about these differences—if Penn knew how to talk about feelings.
  
  Harper and Penn understand their attraction is illogical, yet something keeps pulling them together. It’s like a crazy roller coaster—exhilarating, terrifying, and amazing all at once. And neither knows how to stop the ride…

  Penn, once-baseball star of the high school, drops a note on good girl Harper’s desk. All it says is I like your sparkle, but it sets off a flurry of excitement and second-guessing. Before she knows it, Harper finds Penn everywhere in her life, and she begins to wonder what it all means. As they circle around one another, attempting to make sense of whatever is happening between them, they discover a mutual attraction that defies logic and reasoning. Harper wishes Penn would open up more to her, but Penn isn’t sure where to begin. It all comes down to trust.

  I’d imagine if I were in the right mood, this would’ve been a far more enjoyable read. That, or if I were into this good-girl-meets-bad-boy storyline in general. I’d hoped this book would show some depth and strength, span several months rather than a few weeks. I’d thought the issues Penn and Harper encountered would be on very serious matters, rather than Harper constantly pestering Penn with questions and drilling him as to why he isn’t talking to her about stuff. A part of me — freshman-in-high-school me — completely understood her thought process, but cringed every time she voiced her questions or jumped to conclusions. Harper was clearly forcing a relationship with Penn, imagining a future with the idea of Penn rather than with who he is in reality.

  However, there were great things going for this book. Penn did have a bit of an unstable home life, and a precarious situation regarding college and baseball scholarships. I would’ve loved to dive deeper into his story. It felt like there was more for him to say. The two perspectives, immediately after one another in pivotal moments, made for an honest interpretation of events and hilariously opposite thought processes. While Harper is filled with racing thoughts, worries, concerns, and assumptions about every little detail, Penn stands there with point-blank thoughts that nowhere near match hers. Example: Harper wonders about the meaning behind his note and what he wants; Penn tells the reader he has no idea why he wrote it. An interesting look into typical girl and guy thought patterns.

  While this book was not for me, and had potential to be something more, I’m sure another reader out there would enjoy something light and fun to read this summer.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Simon Pulse for review.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Vanishing Season” by Jodi Lynn Anderson (ARC)

  Posted at 8:38 am by Laura, on June 17, 2014

  The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson 

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Publishing Date: July 1
  Genre: young adult
  ISBN: 9780062003270
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★

  Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter’s come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I’ve watched the danger swell.

  The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I’m the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I’m tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

  I’m tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don’t know why. I think it’s because death is coming for one of them, or both.

  All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig.I am looking for the things that are buried.

  Maggie and her family move from Chicago to a small town in northern Michigan along the lake coast. She befriends her free-spirited, beautiful neighbor Pauline and Pauline’s long-time shadow Liam. The three are inseparable, until Pauline is sent away. There’s a murderer in town, and Maggie and Liam seek comfort in one another through the long winter, in hopes that their bond with Pauline will not shatter once she discovers them.

  This is not a ghost story, although there seems to be a ghost in this story. The ghost does not do anything except observe. There are moments when the ghost’s existence and Maggie’s life collide, but they are forgettable and unimportant.

  This is not a mystery, although there is a serial killer mystery in this story. Young women are found drowned in the lake, and despite curfews and police protection, the murders continue. Maggie, Pauline, and Liam don’t pay attention to any of this, and therefore it doesn’t matter who the murderer is because our characters are apathetic to the situation.

  This is a love triangle, although it’s not a love triangle. Maggie loves Liam, Liam loves Pauline and falls for Maggie, and Pauline is the manic pixie dream girl who is part hippie, part socialite, and just as beautiful as she is strange. The triangle is the whole point of the story, the entire focus, and yet it isn’t annoying like triangles tend to be. In fact, it feels somewhat authentic to reality, even if the characters felt distant.

  What does that mean? I felt no connection to any of the characters whatsoever, and yet I wanted to know what happened to them. I’ve seen this story played out too many times in my life, my friends’ lives, in school hallways — the complications of love in friend groups. Pauline describes Maggie in such a way that I was baffled (“How in the world do you see her as this, this, and this?”), Maggie witnesses something about Pauline in such a nonchalant manner that she’s unsurprised (yet everything about Pauline didn’t seem to make sense…like she was a mash-up of personalities and actions and emotions), and Liam is described as this wonderful boy and yet, by the end, he seems like a completely different character.

  Despite all of this — not a ghost story, not a mystery, entirely plausible triangle with disconnected characters — the writing was phenomenal. Lyrical. Mesmerizing. Tiger Lily was like that, but Tiger Lily had plot, emotion, connection, and the added bonus of a retelling through another perspective. Anderson certainly has a talent for telling a story in such a way that you fall into it despite all of your protestations.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HarperTeen for review.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: young adult, review

• Advance Excitement at a Glance VI

  Posted at 10:45 am by Laura, on June 6, 2014

  

  This year, in an effort to blog more, to become more involved with the blogging community, and to keep up with the latest publications, I thought I’d create a monthly post about the ARCs I’ve received. These ARCs will be read and reviewed a month prior to the publishing date. The Advance Excitement at a Glance posts will feature one or two (or more, depending on what happens this year) books to look forward to, and it will motivate me to keep my to-read list on track.

  Last month I announced The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, a book you can purchase today at your local bookstore! For July, I have a handful of ARCs, but in light of the YA support lately, I’ll reveal two YA romances.

  

  The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
  (July 1, HarperTeen)

  Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter’s come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I’ve watched the danger swell.

  I’m tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don’t know why. I think it’s because death is coming for one of them, or both.

  Maggie and her family move from Chicago to a small town in northern Michigan along the lake coast. She befriends her free-spirited, beautiful neighbor Pauline and Pauline’s long-time shadow Liam. The three are inseparable, until Pauline is sent away. There’s a murderer in town, and Maggie and Liam seek comfort in one another through the long winter, in hopes that their bond with Pauline will not shatter once she discovers them.

  Sounds like a good romance mixed with some mystery and ghosts. Plus, winter in July sounds pretty nice.

  

  Through to You by Lauren Barnholdt
  (July 8, Simon Pulse)

  It starts with a scribbled note in class: I like your sparkle. Harper had casually threaded a piece of blue and silver tinsel through her ponytail in honor of school spirit day. And that carefree, corny gesture is what grabs Penn Mattingly’s eye. Penn—resident heartbreaker of the senior class. Reliably unreliable. Trouble with a capital “T.” Harper’s surprised by Penn’s attention—and so is Penn. The last thing he needs is a girlfriend. The note is not supposed to lead to anything.

  Oh, but it does. They hang out. They have fun. They talk. They make out. And after a while, it seems like they just click. But Penn and Harper have very different ideas about what relationships look like, in no small part because of their very different family backgrounds. Of course they could talk about these differences—if Penn knew how to talk about feelings.

  Good girl Harper receives a flirty, carefree note from bad boy Penn and she’s immediately unsure of how to assess the situation. Penn doesn’t even know why he was moved to give her the note in the first place. But that note sparks a roller coaster friendship traveling at high speed, leaving both teens reeling.

  Who doesn’t want to read a a good-girl-meets-bad-boy romance every once in a while? This looks like just the ticket.

  Which ARCs did you receive for July? What books are you looking forward to reading?

  Posted in Advance Excitement, books | 0 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, ARC, books, genre: romance, genre: young adult

• Book Review: “The Girls at the Kingfisher Club” by Genevieve Valentine (ARC)

  Posted at 8:44 am by Laura, on May 20, 2014

  The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine 

  Publisher: Atria Books
  Publishing Date: June 3
  Genre: historical fiction, fractured fairy tales
  ISBN: 9781476739083
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★

  Jo, the firstborn, “The General” to her eleven sisters, is the only thing the Hamilton girls have in place of a mother. She is the one who taught them how to dance, the one who gives the signal each night, as they slip out of the confines of their father’s townhouse to await the cabs that will take them to the speakeasy. Together they elude their distant and controlling father, until the day he decides to marry them all off.

  The girls, meanwhile, continue to dance, from Salon Renaud to the Swan and, finally, the Kingfisher, the club they come to call home. They dance until one night when they are caught in a raid, separated, and Jo is thrust face-to-face with someone from her past: a bootlegger named Tom whom she hasn’t seen in almost ten years. Suddenly Jo must weigh in the balance not only the demands of her father and eleven sisters, but those she must make of herself.

  Trapped in a house by an unfeeling man who is ashamed of fathering twelve daughters and no sons, the Hamilton sisters are desperate for life and freedom. The eldest, Jo, teaches the sisters how to dance, and eventually how to sneak out in the night and experience Manhattan nightclubs. With strict rules to never tell a man her name, her home, or give any promises, each sister relishes the liberation and follows Jo’s orders like little soldiers. But soon their father decides to marry them off like a cattle auction, and Jo’s past — a man named Tom she unwillingly fell in love with years ago — could be the sisters’ only salvation, even if Jo must sacrifice her own future for their safety.

  A roaring twenties Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, complete with all the best dances — waltz, foxtrot, Charleston — and a smattering of sisters that are surprisingly easy to keep track of! They fear their father’s discovery above anything else, because his knowledge of their dancing at clubs would certainly mean marriage to men only he’d approve of (and his opinion is one to be severely questioned) or an eternity under lock and key. Jo can be just as controlling though, constantly reminding the girls to keep a closed heart and a tight mouth, earning her the name “General” and the sisters “Princesses” from the swooning men.

  Jo makes several calculating decisions and sacrifices for her sisters. Even though she keeps them on a tight leash, she does it out of love rather than for the sake of the Hamilton reputation like their father. Her devotion to their well-being, happiness, and safety is heartbreaking when Mr. Hamilton gets wind of a giant group of girls who dance and travel together at night. As the story progresses, each sister’s voice grows in strength, her individual nature shining through, loosening Jo’s grip and liberating each girl to pursue her own future. I worried I wouldn’t be able to remember each sister’s name, personality, hobby, and favorite dance, but Valentine does a wonderful job of showing the sisters in action without the reminders becoming repetitive.

  This story was intriguing and fun, and is definitely meant for a fan of 1920s Manhattan, dance clubs and the prohibition, and fractured fairy tales. Setting this particular fairy tale in that era is brilliant and fitting, full of scandal and excitement.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Atria Books for review!

  Last but not least…”I like boats.”

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Lovely and the Lost” by Page Morgan (ARC)

  Posted at 4:41 pm by Laura, on May 11, 2014

  The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan 

  Publisher: Delacorte Press
  Publishing Date: May 13
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, gothic
  ISBN: 9780385743136
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Ingrid and Gabby survived the Underneath. They saved their brother, Grayson, from a future of dark servitude and exposed a plot to undermine the Alliance. But danger still lurks in the streets of Paris, and the Dispossessed, perched on the city’s bridges and rooftops, might not be able to save their human wards this time.

  Two months after surviving the Underneath, Ingrid and Gabby are training hard in their newfound abilities and passions and Grayson attempts to control his shifting. Ingrid works closely with Monsieur Constantine to control her lightning, and Gabby fights demons alongside reluctant Chelle. But disorder erupts upon their father’s arrival and the return of the Alliance. Fallen angel Axia is still plotting to destroy Ingrid, but the Dispossessed, the Alliance, and another secret order have plans for each of the Waverly siblings. There is only so much Luc can manage before things truly begin to tip over the edge.

  Do not continue reading this review if you haven’t read The Beautiful and the Cursed.

  The action, adventure, and fantasy elements are even stronger; stakes even higher; plot even more complicated. What began as a unique spin in paranormal romance (think Mortal Instruments but darker, more dangerous, and with gargoyles) has turned into a lush story for every character involved — so rich in detail, in risk, that I cannot comprehend what the outcome will be in the final book. Side characters like Vander and Nolan are fleshed out further, to the point where the sisters and the reader notice their flaws. In the first book, they made the perfect romantic conquests. The obvious hero of Ingrid and Gabby’s stories. But with this next installment, we learn more about their past, their opinions and values, their future plans. It was a joy to read, because it created a sense of reality in the fantasy.

  The primary narrators — Ingrid, Gabby, Grayson, and Luc — are showcased once again, with their tumultuous emotions and thoughts, their interwoven adventures and separate plots. Gabby struggles with her scars but is strengthened by her drive to become an Alliance member. Ingrid struggles between Vander and Luc in a way that doesn’t come across as a love triangle — it’s complicated to describe, but it’s so very clear which one she loves as a brother and as a lover that it doesn’t feel like a triangle. Her power is more controllable, but with its growth comes extreme danger for everyone involved. Grayson, on the other hand, lacks control in his shifting, but attempts to harness his demon-side and work with the Alliance instead of against them. And poor, poor Luc…he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, and his turmoil just made me want to curl up and cry. So much responsibility weighs him down, and he is forever at odds with his love for Ingrid. It’s heartbreaking.

  Like Morgan’s first book, the final 50-odd pages are just pure action from each point of view. It was like a movie with different camera angles, each new narrator coming into the picture just as another leaves. It’s amazing how she appears to easily weave these sequences together. Well done.

  This is more than a second book in a trilogy. This book could stand on its own. It has its own plot, rather than a link between the first and last books. New secret societies with cruel intentions crop up, new influential characters are introduced, new stakes and struggles and topics. A beautiful and thrilling read. I cannot wait till it hits shelves — and I’m really looking forward to the final book!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Delacorte Press for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: paranormal, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Unfortunate Case of DNFs

  Posted at 7:03 pm by Laura, on May 6, 2014

  DNF: Did Not Finish.

  We’ve all experienced this in one way or another. The book was too boring. The book was too graphic. The book was a walking cliche. The book was nothing like you expected — none of the characters, the plot twists, the writing.

  Over time, I’ve learned to just stop reading something if I haven’t enjoyed it. I’ve rarely come across this issue, and as you can see from the blog, this is the first DNF post I’ve made since the formation of this blog in December 2011. I always manage to find a reason to keep reading books. But with Life knocking at the door, time constraints on digital ARCs, and the simple fact that one should spend time enjoying life’s pleasures, I’ve had to close books early.

  These two particular books — both ARCs due out this month — met such unfortunate endings.

  Royally Lost by Angie Stanton 
  Publisher: Harper Collins
  Publishing Date: TODAY, May 6
  Genre: young adult, romance, travel
  Goodreads
  Why I DNF: Becca whines and complains quite often – it’s a wonder Nikolai is attracted to her at all. She’s got a very first-world-problems thing going on for not enjoying a trip to Europe, as well (even one with emotionally distant family members and old folks). Nikolai is a good enough character, but Becca was incredibly difficult, and so I cannot finish.

  Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn 
  Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
  Publishing Date: May 13
  Genre: young adult
  Goodreads
  Why I DNF: The premise was enticing, and it seemed like it would be a nice, enjoyable, fun summer read. While the first 100 pages felt promising, the rest of the book came across like a completely different story, with a different voice, purpose, narration, characters…
  The motivation for the characters seemed unrealistic and petty, too. While I can completely understand an 11-year-old girl’s vengeful actions and blinding guilt, I cannot comprehend how a person five years later can plan revenge on the off-chance she’d stumble across the person again — and then execute the plan. 
  Maybe this is how classic villains are made. Maybe this is what’s so entertaining about trashy teen TV shows. Whatever the case may be, the book was not for me. I had to stop reading it entirely and instead skimmed to the end.

  Thank you, Edelweiss and MacKids, for providing these books for review. I’m so sorry that I did not enjoy them and could not finish them.

  Have you received ARCs for these books? What did you think of them? In what scenario would you stop reading a book?

   

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 6 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, dnf, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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