The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2) by Bree Despain

January 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2) by Bree Despain
Release Date: December 28, 2010
Publisher: Egmont USA
Source: Audiobook
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace’s relationship with Daniel is put in danger – in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her – not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to the The Dark Divine

Review
As soon as I finished the first book in this series I had to start the second one, even though I feared the middle child syndrome. Although, to be fair, I fear that with EVERY series I read. This book did not suffer from the dreaded middle child syndrome as much as previous books have! The Lost Saint picks up quickly after the first book ends. Grace’s brother is still a werewolf, Grace has been infected with the curse, and her father is on a great search to find the golden child, Jude, because the matriarch of the family has slowly begun to lose her mind because her son isn’t at home anymore.

I thought The Dark Divine was a dark book, but The Lost Saint proved to me that Despain could get even darker and make me wonder what twist and turn she was going to make next. Throughout the book, Grace is searching for her brother, Jude, while she herself is becoming a stronger person/werewolf. Plus, a new mysterious person enters the scene, and while you could tell they were bad, you were never quite sure of what they were going to do. Of course, Grace, being a teenager, finds the appeal of the mysterious interesting (heck, I at almost 25 find the appeal interesting.) It was fast-paced with twists and turns that I did not see coming. That being said, if the two main characters, Daniel, the boyfriend, and Grace, would have just talked most of the conflict wouldn’t have existed. Yes, I get they are teenagers and they aren’t supposed to be “logical” (something I have issues with). But seriously, if I’m supposed to believe that you’re in love, but you never actually talk, it makes it hard to believe that you’re really in love.

Even with the conflict, which I tend to hate, I couldn’t put this book down. The ending had me gasping with shock on more than one occasion. I can’t wait to see where Despain goes with the third book.

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The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1) by Bree Despain

December 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Release Date: December 22, 2009
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared–the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood–but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude’s high school. Despite promising Jude she’ll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel’s shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy’s dark secret…and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it–her soul.

Review

This is the story of Grace Divine. Yes, that is her name. Her father is a preacher who named his eldest son Jude. Jude, who happens to be the perfect child. But we’ll get more into that later. Grace Divine lives a fairly normal life. She has a loving family, goes to school, volunteers. She is a completely normal teenager. Until the day her brother comes home after a night out with his friend Daniel, who Grace happens to be in love with. Jude and Daniel’s friendship was forever changed that night and no one talks about it again. That was over three years ago and that night is still not discussed in the Divine household.

Until Daniel comes back. Grace didn’t know how much she missed or how much she was drawn to Daniel until he comes back. They are drawn to each other like two magnets. Daniel is artistic and makes Grace want to be a better artist and makes her look at things in a way she never truly did before. Of course this is problematic because Grace promised Jude that she would stay away from Daniel and she doesn’t lie to anyone, family or not. She takes that very seriously. She also turns many shades of red which make it next to impossible to lie, but that’s not the point. When she promises something to her family it’s important to her to stay truthful and honest.

Of course she doesn’t stay away from Daniel. She can’t. The magnets! The more she stays near Daniel and talks to him, the more she comes to find out what happened that night with Jude three years ago. This is where the mysterious element comes into play which I will not ruin for you. I will state that Despain handles it in an interesting way and with this being a series, I will be interested to see how it continues.

I wanted to like this book, and I did. Don’t get me wrong, I totally liked this book, I just expected more from it in the end. Thankfully it is a series and more is coming. Despain has a very interesting writing style and while I enjoy it, I often found it a tad too preachy for me. The fact that Grace’s father is a preacher, Jude is perfect, Grace often makes sure her point gets across in a childish way while continuing to be the good girl. I have no problem with the good girl character. However this version of the good girl was so sickeningly sweet it often hurt to read in parts. That is honestly another reason it didn’t get another star from me. I hate when books get preachy with me. You can get your point across without repeating it over and over again.

Alas, I will be reading the rest of the series because well, I am hooked.

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Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison

November 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison
Release Date: April 13, 2000
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Audio
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
There are six things very wrong with my life:1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.

2. It is on my nose.

3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.

4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.

5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.

6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.
In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. In the spirit of Bridget Jones’s Diary, this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it’s “Fabbity fab fab!”

Review

All I have listened to for the past month-ish at work has been The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. I read this religiously when it first came out and then I just stopped reading when I discovered dirty romance novels. Recently however I’ve been less into dirty romance books and more into books from my childhood. I continue to blame graduate school. I will blame graduate school until May 10, 2013 when I graduate and can no longer blame graduate school.

Sorry tangent, it happens.

This series follows Georgia Nicolson and the trials and tribulations of being a teenager in England. Her parents embarrass her, her three year old sister is crazy, and her cat is worse than the previous part of the list. Of course, being her journal, one takes her stories with a grain of salt because of her flare for the dramatic, but they are still hilarious and well told. Georgia also includes a glossary in her books for those who don’t speak proper English, proper being the Queen’s English of course.

Georgia is extremely self-centered like most teenagers were when this series first came out and still are and while that often gets annoying it makes the reader think of being a teenager and how self-centered they were and how self-centered people can be. Georgia also takes you on the ride of her love life, and oh does she have a love life.

First there is the Sex God, then there is Dave the Laugh, and then Masimo the Italian looooove God. Throughout the entire series Georgia is in love with a guy and it fluctuates. From the middle in the series it is fairly clear (in my opinion) who she will end up with, but it is quite nice to see her fight her own feelings and figure out her life, or as much of her life as she can by the end of the series at the old, old age of 16.

Another amazing part of this series is the end works. It is very Rennison and ultimately very Georgia which is important. Georgia is true to herself to the very end of this series.

And while, like most series, this one has its highs and lows throughout, it continues to be a solid series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am thrilled that I finished it. Plus, the author, Rennison, narrates the series, and this is a book that really works in an audiobook way. It also was a pretty good movie! Baby Aaron Johnson is in it, and the woman who directed the always amazing Bend it Like Beckham directed it. Highly recommend the movie, too.

Look at that, two reviews for the price of one!

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The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1) by Maryrose Wood

November 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1) by Maryrose Wood
Release Date: March 1, 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Library Copy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance’s holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

Review

This is the story of Penelope Lumley, a fifteen year old recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. Penelope is invited to Ashton Place to help the Incorrigibles. Alexander, Cassiopeia, and Beowulf, or the Incorrigibles, were found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place. This fact however does not deter Penelope, she embraces it. She wants to dive right in and teach them how to speak Latin and use a globe; however, the first thing she must teach them to do is to overcome their canine tendencies.

This of course is easier said than done after years of the children living in the woods by themselves, but Penelope doesn’t mind. She truly is up to the challenge. Things that would faze other nannies, the way they drink, the way they bark is just another bump in the road for her. She takes her time with them and they appreciate it because they slowly become ‘normal’ in the sense that they are proper and can be seen in public by their adoptive parents when they host their upcoming ball.

The Incorrigibles take to Penelope, and she takes to them. They are quickly their own little family. This comes in handy when the mystery of the novel takes place. What is also important is many of the mysteries that take place in this novel don’t actually get answered in this novel, which makes me glad that this is a series.

Also, I am a big believer and fan of audio books. There are two reasons I hit my goodreads goal this year. One: middle grade books and two: audio books. That being said, The Mysterious Howling is a book that needs to be read, not listened to. The illustrations and drawings of this book are almost as important to the book as the story is. Plus, they are adorable.

I adored this book and I hope you do, too.

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In Search of the Rose Notes: A Novel by Emily Arsenault

August 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
In Search of the Rose Notes: A Novel by Emily Arsenault
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Source: Digital Copy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
At age eleven, Nora and Charlotte are the best of friends—until their teenager babysitter, Rose, disappears under mysterious circumstances. They decide to “investigate,” using paranormal theories and techniques they glean from a hand-me-down collection of Time-Life books. But their search goes nowhere, and leaves both girls distraught and angry with each other. In her late twenties, Nora is drawn back her old neighborhood, and to Charlotte, when Rose’s bones are found. She was probably murdered, and Charlotte is adamant that they solve the crime. Nora—who was the last known person to see Rose alive—is forced to reconsider her memory of the events surrounding the disappearance, and her own troubled adolescence following those fateful days. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to face the secrets that begin to surface. Told in alternating narratives from the past and present, this is a mystery about broken friendship and the unease of revisiting adolescent memory.

Book 16 for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

    I read this book because it was 99 cents on bn.com and recommended by the awesome Meg Cabot. This book got me to and from New Jersey on vacation (hi, Colleen!) in what would have otherwise would have been a boring flight.

In Search of the Rose Notes, is the story of Nora who, when she was a child, was the last one to see her babysitter alive before she died/disappeared. Fifteen years later Nora comes back home and begins to solve the mystery of her babysitter. She reconnects with her old best friend, Charlotte, who she lost touch with after the disappearance of Rose.

The story is told between present day and around the time Rose disappeared. Nora didn’t handle the fact that she was the last one to see Rose alive well, and lets be honest here. Who would handle it well? It haunted her until the present day and ruined many relationships that she had (and then spent time trying to repair said friendships.)

Throughout the novel, Nora fixes friendships, herself and solves the murder of Rose. I found the novel interesting because the I honestly did not see the big twist coming, and the end? Not nice and neat which I’m used to. The pains of reading so many romance novels is the fact I’m used to happy endings and this ending, while nice, didn’t end in the perfect way but any other ending for this story would have ruined the story.

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

August 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday
Source: Library Copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Book 15 for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

I wanted to love this book. This is my type of book! Romance? Check! Mystery? Check! Circus? Check! Sadly, I did not love it. I got to it after the hype. Almost everyone I know (and trust the book opinion of) loved this book and I think that hype got to me. At about 80% of the book I finally started to love it. I shouldn’t have had to read 80% of the book to love it, let’s be honest here.

The first problem I had is it reminded me of Water for Elephants, a book that is in my top five list. (Yes, I read it before the movie came out. No, I haven’t seen the movie.) The romance, the prison, I just felt like I was being taken back to Water for Elephants, which again made it  hard for me to get into the book.

When I finally did get into the book though, I did love it. I loved the story between Marco and Celia. I hated their two masters and how much of an asshole both of them were because they had this need to be right. The Night Circus is the story of Marco and Celia, two little kids who grow up to be young adults whose life goal is to compete against each other. It is not their life goal, but the life goal of their parent/master who always have to compete against each other. The only way to get out of this dual, you ask? Death. The dual is with the use of magic that both of them train for, for years and years.

As soon as Celia and Marco meet each other they feel the attraction of love. Because of that attraction they try to change their destiny to stay together forever, even with the dual in between them.

Morgenstern’s writing is amazing, visual, and made me feel like I was there. I will for sure be reading Morgenstern’s next novel, I will just not be re-reading The Night Circus.

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Church of Lies by Flora Jessop

July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Church of Lies by Flora Jessop
Release Date: January 27, 2009
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Source: Library Copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
Jessop describes her life in the polygamous FLDS sect and tells the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been fighting to rescue women and children from the abuse and degradation.

Book 13 for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

This book is probably the last thing Tina and Lauren ever saw being featured on our little blog, yet here I am!

Here’s an un-known tidbit about me: I enjoy books about the Mormon church and the FLDS. Yes, I understand the FLDS has nothing to do with the Mormon church (anymore), but I enjoy reading about both of them. In my undergrad schooling, I even took a class about Mormonism! The joys of having to fill up credit hours my last semester. Back to the topic at hand: The Church of Lies, is told by a woman who was in the FLDS church. Her last name is known throughout the church, and to be honest mainstream society. Also important to point out, I live in Arizona where this church and last name are really known.

This book though is the story of a woman who was born into a family and a faith that she knew she never really belonged to. Thankfully she was lucky, she was able to get out. When the leader forced her to marry her first cousin (yes, you read that right, her first cousin), her cousin let her go. Yes, he always hoped she would come back but when she asked for a divorce after many, many, many years of being separated, he let her have it. She knows she was lucky.

She’s also using her background to help young girls get out if they want to, which many do. Although many go back to the church for various reasons (brainwashing) many want to be free and are lucky cause they have her helping them.

If you have no interest in polygamy or the FLDS this book will be of no interest to you; however, to someone with slight interest it was a very fascinating read.

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Always the Baker Never the Bride (Emma Rae Creation #1) by Sandra D. Bricker

June 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Always the Baker Never the Bride (Emma Rae Creation #1) by Sandra D. Bricker
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
Emma Rae Travis, a baker of confections who is diabetic and can’t enjoy her creations, meets Jackson Drake, an escapee from corporate America who is starting a wedding destination hotel. Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture?

Book twelve for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

First of all, this is a Christian romance. The only reason I am bringing this up right away is because I honestly had no idea. Through reading the whole book until I was about 75% done. That lead to a very funny tweet from me. Mostly of confusion. Yes, there were mentions of God and praying but nothing out of the ordinary until I looked it up on a goodreads. People on goodreads were complaining about how they thought God was mentioned almost too often, but I really never even got that vibe. And I come from a lapsed-Catholic-midwest household, I know my mention of God.

But yes, this is the story of Emma Rae, a diabetic who works in a bakery with her goth friend, Fee. Emma Rae and Fee work for a horrible man, so when Emma Rae gets the chance to work at a new inn that is being made she jumps at the chance and takes Fee with her. Once there Emma Rae falls in love with Jackson, the owner of the hotel and his very-southern sisters who are helping him. Of course she falls more in love with Jackson than the sisters.

Jackson has some baggage of his own. Like he is opening the inn because it was a dream of his dead wifes. He also is dealing with the baggage of his dead wife. Whenever him and Emma Rae hang out the first thing that goes to his mind is his dead wife and what would she think. Would she be okay with him moving on?!

This is where the pastor comes into play, not only is he part of the family but he reminds Jackson that his wife would want him to move on. She would want him to be happy. And happy is how he ends up. Of course they end up together. This is a romance book people! You think I would happily review a book where they don’t end up together?!

Bonus: there are delicious sounding recipes at the beginning of most chapters.

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Away With The Fairies (Phryne Fisher, #11) by Kerry Greenwood

June 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Away With The Fairies (Phryne Fisher, #11) by Kerry Greenwood
Release Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
It’s 1928, and the globetrotting, glamorous Phryne (rhymes with briny) is at home near Melbourne, missing her lover, Lin Chung, who is on a silk-buying trip in China. When Phryne’s detective friend, Jack, asks for her help investigating the murder of Miss Lavender, a well-known author of fairy stories, Phryne is glad of the distraction. The investigation leads to a temporary job as a fashion reporter for Women’s Choice magazine, Miss Lavender’s former employer. Phryne’s encounters with the various magazine staffers add considerable zest to the adventure, as does Lin Chung’s possible abduction by pirates.

Book thirteen for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

I love Phryne (Fry-knee) Fisher. If I lived in the late 1920’s/early 1930’s, I would want to be her. She is fun, fancy and loves life. She also is in love with Lin Chung, or better yet finally admits to her love of him for various reasons. Don’t get me wrong, this is a murder-mystery through and through, but Greenwood puts just the right about of romance into the story. Plus, Lin Chung never once tries to change Phryne, his old-world grandmother does, but Lin Chung accepts her the way she is: a rarity in 1928.

Back to Away With The Fairies, this is the 11th book in the Phryne Fisher series (previously reviewed here and here) and like the 10 before it there are are two story lines. The first storyline in this mystery is the fact that a well-known mystery author has died and Phryne takes a job at the local paper where the author worked to get to the bottom of it. The second storyline involves Lin Chung and the fact that he has gone missing. Do you see why Phryne figures out how much she loves him?

Both story lines are thrilling and could have easily been two separate books; however, with the way that Greenwood rights the two meshed together perfectly. The Lin Chung storyline carries over into the murder-mystery because Phryne is legitimately worried. Thankfully Phryne has help with the assistance of Mr. Butler, Dot–her maid, and her two drivers. She trusts everyone in her life and because of this they all help her to solve the mystery and Lin Chung’s disappearance (those darn pirates!)

So yes, once again my love of Phryne continues.

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Laced with Magic (Sugar Maple, #2) by Barbara Bretton

May 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Laced with Magic (Sugar Maple, #2) by Barbara Bretton
Release Date: August 4, 2009
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
Knit shop owner and sorcerer’s daughter Chloe Hobbs felt the Fates finally got it right when she met Luke MacKenzie. And no one could have convinced her otherwise-including the trolls, selkies, or spirits who also call Sugar Maple, Vermont, home. But then out of nowhere Luke’s ex-wife suddenly shows up, claiming to see the spirit of their daughter, Steffie-a daughter Chloe knows nothing about.Steffie’s spirit is being held hostage by a certain Fae leader. And if Chloe weaves a spell to free her spirit, her nemesis will also be free-free to destroy her yarn shop and all of Sugar Maple. But if she doesn’t, Steffie won’t be the only one spending eternity in hell. Chloe’ll be joining her, cursed with a broken heart

Book eleven for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

We meet Chloe once again. Chloe still lives in Sugar Maple, Vermont, with her boyfriend Luke, whose contract is up soon which leads Chloe to wonder if he is going to stay or if he is going to move back to the big city. Another problem, magic is running amok in town. If that isn’t bad enough, Luke’s ex-wife comes into town with some secrets of her own. And these secrets are a doozey.

This book is an excellent second book in the series. It does not hit the sophomore slump that many books fall to. I could not put this book down, nor did I want to. Luke’s ex-wife starts off annoying enough and then you kind of start to fall in love with her (in her own way.) The town acts as crazy as ever, but it’s the perfection continuation of book one, mentioned here. There is another mystery which Chloe helps to solve once again, in part to the fact it involves Luke and his ex-wife. Chloe doesn’t want to help in part because it kills her (Luke kept a secret) but she does, and thank heavens she does because it involves a bad guy from the first book.

The thing is, as much as I mention the first book, you could easily read this book without reading the first book. It recaps it in a way you don’t even feel like you’re getting a recap, which is always lovely. Plus this book ends on a wicked cliffhanger, rivals those of the YA variety.

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