Cover Reveal: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Another cover reveal! Aren't you excited?

Well, I AM! Because it's a cover I've been dying to see myself!

And the book sounds AWESOME - it's by one of my favorite authors!

So, BEHOLD!

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: March 2014

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Tella Holloway isn’t happy. Her mother rushed them out of Boston and into a craptastic house nestled in Middle of Nowhere, Montana. To make matters worse, Tella’s brother is sick, and though a dozen doctors can’t determine the cause, her mother is sure Montana’s “fresh air” will help. Now Tella spends her days being homeschooled, and uses her imagination as entertainment.

But when a small blue box appears on her bed, Tella’s world is rocked. Inside the strange package she finds a white ear bud—and after she fits it into place and touches its blinking button—an unknown voice fills her head. Tella is invited to join the Brimstone Bleed, a race across four ecosystems: desert, sea, mountains, jungle. The voice in Tella’s ear explains she has 48 hours to retrieve her Pandora, an animal genetically designed to help her win.

Tella has never been the sporty type; she’s more a cheerleader than an athlete. But despite her mother’s warnings, she’s determined to compete in the race. And she’ll do anything to win, because if Tella is the Brimstone Bleed victor, she'll be granted a specific gift—the cure to save her brother’s life.

Add Fire & Flood to your Goodreads shelf!

What do you think of the cover? I, personally, LOVE it. It's so simple! And I feel like it's not girly, and not, um, manly, I suppose is the adjective I'm looking for. It attracts anyone is what I'm saying! Am I right? Isn't it great? :)

Review: The Reluctant Marquess by Maggi Andersen

The Reluctant Marquess by Maggi Anderson

Publisher: Knox Robinson Publishing Ltd.

Publication Date: March 6, 2012

Rating: 3 stars

Source: E-copy sent by the author from a giveaway

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Charity Barlow wished to marry for love. The rakish Lord Robert wishes only to tuck her away in the country once an heir is produced.

A country-bred girl, Charity Barlow suddenly finds herself married to a marquess, an aloof stranger determined to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself. She and Lord Robert have been forced by circumstances to marry, and she feels sure she is not the woman he would have selected given a choice.

The Marquess of St. Malin makes it plain to her that their marriage is merely for the procreation of an heir, and once that is achieved, he intends to continue living the life he enjoyed before he met her.

While he takes up his life in London once more, Charity is left to wander the echoing corridors of St. Malin House, when she isn’t thrown into the midst of the mocking Haute Ton.

Charity is not at all sure she likes her new social equals, as they live by their own rules, which seem rather shocking. She’s not at all sure she likes her new husband either, except for his striking appearance and the dark desire in his eyes when he looks at her, which sends her pulses racing.

Lord Robert is a rake and does not deserve her love, but neither does she wish to live alone.

Might he be suffering from a sad past? Seeking to uncover it, Charity attempts to heal the wound to his heart, only to make things worse between them.

Will he ever love her?

What I Liked:

You all know my love for a good historical romance. Almost every historical romance novel that I read, I enjoy on some level. This book took a little more for me to like it. I wasn't completely sucked in by the chemistry, the romance, or the plot. The characters were interesting and likable, and the characterization is done well. I just wish the author could have slowed done and given readers more.

I actually really like Charity. She is our heroine of the story, and she reluctantly agrees to marry Robert, in order to uphold her godfather's wishes. But marriage to the new Marquess of St. Malin isn't all that it seems. Robert is detached, distant, and he doesn't seem to care that she is not used to high society and all of the things that come with being in society - like the social events, the dresses, the gossip.

Charity stands up for herself, despite several social blunders. She didn't give up on Robert, even in the end, when she did something irreversible. She never really obeyed him, especially when it came to his mother. I'm so glad Charity did what she did at that point in the book. No spoilers though!

Robert is... complex. He's actually not, but he's more complex than Charity. He doesn't want to be married to her, but he totes her around to societal occasions and shows her off. He acts like he wouldn't care if she decided to have a man on the side (which she does NOT do, by the way), but we all know he cares, and yet, he has a mistress. He doesn't want Charity anywhere near his mother.

I like Robert, and I understand why he's so distant. I like Charity, and I understand why she got so fed up with society and balls and Robert. She's kind of a boring person, but she makes up for it with a sweet personality. Robert, on the other hand, is all around frosty.

The romance is really slow in this book, as was the chemistry. We don't really feel it until the second half of the book. I'm kind of mad that the romance was so slow. This is a historical romance novel! But, that's okay. It picked up eventually. At the end.

The end is pretty good, if not predictable. There wasn't a significant change from beginning to end, except the obvious change of feelings. So, a happy ending. I wish more could have happened in the end, in terms of the plot, and not just in terms of the characters.

What I Did Not Like:

This book is EXTREMELY short. I think the page count for the paperback edition is around 250 pages. That's short! I feel like the author rushed through key parts of the novel, in order to get to the "good stuff", like Charity's interactions with society. The author does not include small but necessary scenes that indicate chemistry between Charity and Robert. And within the larger, more important scenes, there isn't a lot of indication of chemistry either!

So, the romance seemed extremely slow, in a very short book. The pacing isn't bad, but the book should have had more scenes with Robert and Charity sharing cute and intimate moments, despite Robert's frustration with being married, or Charity's dislike of society.

I really don't like slow romances in historical romance novels. I think there should be a slow buildup of chemistry throughout the novel, until a certain point. In this novel, there is no slow buildup of chemistry. There are light mentions of chemistry throughout the book, but until the actual scenes of romantic behavior, there is no real chemistry.

I think the author did a good job of making us believe that Robert and Charity fell in love with each other, by the end of the book. But the physical side of that was definitely lacking.

This book was all-in-all extremely predictable. I feel like I could have mapped this book out from chapter one. Maybe it's because I've read so many historical romance novels, but I really think there could have been more to the plot than just a slow romance.

Would I Recommend It:

Hmmm, not really. My three-star-rating is definitely on the negative side of three stars. This isn't the most impressive historical romance novel, and honestly, if the author hadn't sent me an e-copy of this book (over a year ago, I might add, and not necessarily for review), I probably wouldn't have read it. I mean, does the cover scream historical romance? Not really. I would've skipped right over this one.

Rating:

3 stars - but on the negative side of three stars. I enjoyed this book, but I probably won't read it again.

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Review: Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: April 30, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

What I Liked:

When I first heard that Aprilynne Pike was writing a new book, I was thrilled! I love the Wings series (well, I haven't read the last book. Shhh, don't tell!), so I knew that I would be getting my hands on Life After Theft as soon as possible. Same goes for Earthbound! I can't wait to read it. Though I'm way of the concept, I'll definitely give it a try.

So anyway. Life After Theft. One of the things that drew me to this book was the fact that it's in a male's point-of-view. I've definitely been liking this tiny trend of having parts of the book or the whole book in the male protagonist's point-of-view. This entire book is in Jeff's point-of-view, and I certainly enjoyed that. his voice was very authentic and male-sounding, in my opinion.

So Jeff can see and hear and communicate with Kimberlee, a dead girl who had a wee bit of a problem when she was alive. She was a kleptomaniac - meaning she had the constant physical and mental urge to steal things. So, Kimberlee believes that the only way for her to disappear is for Jeff to give back all of the stole items that she hoarded when she was alive.

And thus begins our story. It was weird and crazy to read about how Jeff was putting stolen goods in the open for the rightful owners to retrieve. Eventually, it got to the point where he need help, because more items needed to be given back, and in a larger place, like a store, or a school...

Needless to say, the plot was interesting. I never really felt bored, especially during some of the trickier times when Jeff had to give stuff back to people, and there were problems!

The romance is strange. I like it, and I don't. Jeff's love interest is tormented by a bad past, and yet, I know she cares about him. He definitely cares about her. I just don't think the author did a good enough job of convincing readers (or, just me) to like this girl. Maybe I'm just judging her, but I just don't like her. 

Overall, not too bad! Definitely an interesting book.

What I Did Not Like:

Half of this book I just did not find believable. I understand that it's a paranormal-type book anyway, with Jeff being able to see Kimberlee (unless you believe in that sort of thing), but it seriously felt like a contemporary novel. A good thing, right?

Well, not really. Not when I'm not convinced of some of the thing that happened. Like Jeff's first encounter with the police. Or the fact that Jeff agreed to help Kimberlee at all.

And how about WHY Jeff can see Kimberlee? That was a huge problem for me. I wondered, throughout the entire book, why he could see her and no one else could. Can we get some insight, please? I understand if the author wants this book to be more of a contemporary-like novel, and if she did not want to get into the details of the paranormal aspect of this book, but you can't NOT explain why Jeff can say Kimberlee and no one else can.

And I didn't like Jeff's lady love. I just didn't. She rubbed me the wrong way from the start, and especially towards the end, when she started acting weird. And I seriously cannot believe that a school administrator could blackmail a student like that. I highly doubt that would happen. I mean, anything is possible in terms of corruption, but I didn't find that believable.

Basically, there were a lot of inconsistencies that bothered me a lot.

Would I Recommend It:

Um, yes, but not really. If you have enjoyed Aprilynne's books before (the Wings series), then I think you should keep reading her books! This book is really interesting and engaging. But, if you have a ton of other books that are really calling to you, don't read this one. It's not a MUST READ.

Rating:

3 stars. I don't regret reading this one at all! But I'm glad it's a standalone novel, because I probably wouldn't be reading any of the follow-ups.

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Review: Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication: May 21, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn't giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

What I Liked:

Oh my gosh guys! I really did not think I would like this book as much as I did! I mean that with no disrespect towards the author or the editors or publisher or anyone, but I when I picked this one up from Edelweiss, I didn't think I would LOVE it. I thought it would be an enjoyable read, but nothing new or awesome that I would really like.

Well, I was WRONG. And I am so happy to be wrong. I loved this book. I think it's a stand-alone, and it might be one of the first stand-alone novels that I've read this year - no sequel or companion. I think that's great - because I am a little tired of trilogies and sequels and more sequels. Companions are still fine by me, but I'm really liking stand-alone novels right now. It's a wonder that I don't read more stand-alone novels.

Anyway. Transparent. What a story. I was confused at first at Fiona and her invisibility - because the author kept coming back to her clothes, and how her clothes are fancy, but all anyone sees is her clothes. Then I realized, people can see Fiona's clothes, but not her. I thought that people couldn't see her at all - no body, no clothes. But it makes sense - and that's why she has to do missions naked. Interesting.

The novel starts with a bang. Readers are introduced to Fiona and her mother via a mission for Fiona's father. We get to see how Fiona's father works, how the missions, work, and just how much Fiona does not want to be doing anything for her father.

So, when Fiona's father threatens Fiona, her mother takes and they run away from Fiona's father. And the story gets awesome and crazy from there. You don't just run from the epic siren-man who lures any person he wants into doing what he wants. 

I loved the story's progression. The plot is smooth and bumpy at the same time. The author gives readers enough time to acclimate to the new setting, to new characters and love interests and relationships, and yet, she keeps the action coming. We get normal life scenes, and then we get not-so-normal life scenes. Fun!

Ahhh, the romance. I'm not going to give any names, but let's just say I saw that one coming as soon as we meet Fiona's intended love interest, and I am glad things go... well for them. I wondered how Mrs. Whipple would pull off romance with an invisible girl in the picture (or, NOT in the picture, I suppose), but she did, and for that, I applaud her greatly.

I could go on. I really could. But I won't. You should read this one. 

What I Did Not Like:

There wasn't much that I did not like, really. I think there could have a better explanation as to how and why there are people with supernatural powers. It seems like so many people have supernatural powers! And yet, when Fiona gets to her new school, people shun her, not just because of her father, but because she has a supernatural power. 

Anyway. This book was so good, and it's definitely a 4-star book for me. And what a wonderful, 4-star-rated book it is!

Would I Recommend It:

Yes! Very original, very smooth writing, very interesting plot. I think anyone could read this book and at least like it. It goes by very quickly, and it's not dense and epic and not too emotionally-charged, so you won't be reeling for days. That's a good thing!

Rating:

4 stars. It just FEELS like a 4-star rating to me, versus a 5-star rating. But I assure you that you will not regret reading this book!

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Stacking the Shelves (#26)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books and swag they've received in the past week!

So, what did I get in the week of Sunday, June 16th to Saturday, June 22nd?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

An ARC of Fractured by Sarah Fine

(Graduation bear not included; I just stuck him in there)

A signed hardcover copy of Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

(thank you, Justina and A.L. Davroe!)

From NetGalley:

To Sin with a Viking by Michelle Willingham

(Yum...)

From Edelweiss:

The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

That's it.

I know. 

Dismal week.

But that could be good for me.

Anyway! How was yours?! :)

Feature and Follow Friday (#24)

The Feature & Follow is a creative meme that allows bloggers to get to know each other, and gain more followers! It is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

If you would like, it would be great if you followed me via Email, GFC, Linky, Bloglovin, or Google+ (all on the right). Let me know in the comments if you did, leave a link to your blog, and I will comment and follow back! I always do, I promise! Thank you!

Q: Share your favorite literary quote! 

Well, that's easy. ONE of my favorite literary quotes is from Speechless by Hannah Harrington (AMAZING book, by the way)

"Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage."

Swoon Thursday (#23): Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor!

His voice trails off. His mouth is at my ear, then on my lips. His are soft, and they fit mine perfectly. I kiss him back, warmth flooding every inch of my body. He holds my face, kissing me harder as if to make up for all those times we could have kissed but didn't. Everything disappears, and it's just him and m,e, and I finally realize how much I wanted this to happen all along.

- eARC, 93%

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

This book didn't have too many swoons, but there were two major ones - very different, but equally meaningful to Anne. And I'm not telling which boy is involved in the swoon I shared ;)