Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellbound (ARC)
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Paperback: 352 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release date: June 21, 2011
My copy: Net Galley
My rating: 4.5 wicked hearts

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

My quick wicked thoughts...I really fell into this book and loved the romance and action!  If you love a good love story, this is for you.

Why I was tempted to read this...It sounded pretty interesting and an interesting twist to the paranormal genre.

Cover thoughts...It's pretty cool..a little plain.

Romance meter...At first...not so much. I was more mad at Brendan for being so nice and then rude, and I wasn't sure what his deal was.  When he came clean with what was going on, the romance heated up in big way.

Characters and plot...I liked both the main characters in this book.  I thought Emma was engaging and funny and I liked that she stood up for herself against the popular bullies.  I did question her judgement a couple of times for doing things that she obviously shouldn't have done, but it made a great storyline.  Brendan was HOT...so of course you gotta love that.  He was rich but not at all stuck up or showy.  I liked that he was his own person and did not try to mold himself to fit in, regardless of how much his parents pushed him.

The ending..the ending was great, I would love to see a spinoff or a second book in this series!

Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Released: June 7, 2011
Hardcover: 416 pages
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: Net Galley
My Rating: 3 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their new-found happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss. 

My quick wicked thoughts...This book had an interesting premise but I had a hard time keeping my attention.

Why I was tempted to read this...The blurb sounds great.

Cover thoughts...The cover is amazing..love the ghostly look

Romance meter...There was a definite draw and attraction with Amelia and Joshua and some sparks involved...but was missing an element of excitement.

Characters and plot...Amelia being a ghost and unable to feel or speak to anyone was woken up when trying to save Joshua from drowning and their connection started there.  I almost can't put into words the element that is missing from this book that kept it from just wowing me, it was maybe...lackluster? All the ingredients were there from forbidden romance to action and adventure...but maybe it was the romance was too easy...there was no chase, only mutual obsession.  The story progressed slowly at points where I considered stop reading it but it would pick back up and then I would be interested again.  I think it could have been a little shorter with more drama and I would have had an easier time with it.  But that said, the book was an original premise and I definitely wanted to stick it out until the end to see how it was going to end up.

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Paperback: 304 pages
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: Net Galley
My rating: 4 out of 5 wicked stars

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. 

 My quick wicked thoughts...An interestingly unique look at mythology and an unlikely love story.

Why I was tempted to read this...I love mythology, although I don't really remember much about the exact stories...so I am not one to comment on how the story goes with the actual myth...but I think the author twisted this one in just the right way to make it interesting.

Cover thoughts...It is eye-catching

Romance meter...Not so much at first....but it ramps up later.  I couldn't tell if Henry was going to be the love interest or not, considering he is Hades and is perceived in the first part of the book as being much older than her.  I couldn't tell if it was going to give me the creepy-old-guy factor the rest of the book, but it actually wasn't too bad.

Characters and plot...I liked Kate, she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and she actually accepting things quite well for someone that thought she was quite average to begin with.  Like I already said about Henry...there was a beginning creep-factor with him, but as the story went along and you got to know him...it wasn't too bad.   This book was easy to get into and interesting enough to keep my attention and want to get to the end. 

The ending...It pretty much ques you up for the next book, which I will definitely be reading.  Goddess Interrupted is book two due out February 2012.

Review: Waterfall (River of Time Series #1) by Lisa T. Bergren

Title:  Waterfall (River of Time Series #1)
Author: Lisa T. Bergren
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Paperback: 384 pages
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: Amazon Vine
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.

Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…

and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

          Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

            And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

 

 

My Wicked Thoughts....

I have to say that this book was surprisingly fun to read.  It combines two of my faves...paranormal (in the way of time travel) and historical fiction!  Gabriella is a likable character with determined will to things as she sees fit..and you know that always gets people into trouble!  The book starts off in present day when Gabi and her sister wander into a forbidden archeological dig site and find hand prints in the wall...when both sisters press their hands there...the world changes..big-time - to the degree of 700 years.  When Gabi comes to her senses she is in the same site, alone...and in the middle of battle!  She is saved by Marcello, the 2nd son of the Lord of Castello Forelli.

Their attraction in undeniable but doesn't come at the best time, since he has been betrothed since birth to Lady Rossi, who of course is a jealous shrew.  So they deny it for as long as they can...all the while constantly in search of Gabi's sister...who didn't come thru the portal when she did.  Marcello is in the dark as far as the time travel situation, he just believes she has been separated from her sister and mother and is determined to help her find them.

I gave this book 4.5 stars because it was a little too convenient that Gabi knew how to do so many things out the norm...like how to use a sword, speaking Italian and some Latin and some of the plot was fairly predictable.  That aside, I enjoyed the book and finished it fairly quickly.  It is YA and honestly a little "cleaner" than average, but that doesn't take away from the story and the drama.  The characters are well developed and engaging, you really want to know how things work out in the end.  The ending is a bit open with lots of loose ends.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Cascade, due out in June 2011.

Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Title: The Restorer (Graveyard Queen #1)
Author: Amanda Stevens
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Paperback: 384 pages
Reading Level: Adult
My Copy: Net Galley
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Goodreads.com):

My name is Amelia Gray. I’m a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I’ve always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman’s brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I’ve been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims— lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I’ve vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

My quick wicked thoughts...In one word...spooky!  This book was a surprisingly haunted tale that kept me up late at night!

Why I was tempted to read this...I liked the blurb and thought I would give it a shot.

Cover thoughts...Spooky, just like the book!

Romance meter...There is some definite attraction between Amelia and Devlin but it was on the side of everything that was happening around them.  It was enough to keep you interested and wondering but didn't overpower the story and make the book about relationships and sex.

Characters and plot...Amelia learned from a young age that she could see ghosts and her father told her the rules associated with that to keep her safe...

Never acknowledge the dead
Never stray far from hallowed ground
Never associate with those who are haunted
Never, ever tempt fate

My father's rules. I've never broken them...until now
When she meets Devlin he is followed around by two ghosts and she know she should avoid him like the plague but feels so drawn to him that she has trouble following that rule.  When bodies start turning up in a graveyard that she is restoring, they are thrown together trying to piece together motives and suspects.  This book is spooky, the eerie ghosts popping up and then things they do keeps the hair on the back of your neck standing at attention.  I have found very few books that actually spook me but this was one of them.  The characters are well written and engaging and I found myself immersed in this book and I didn't want to quit reading.  If you are a fan of spooky stories, pick this book up!

The ending...is left wide open for the next book.  There are a lot of loose strings that I want to know what is going on with...but I guess I will have to wait until I get the next book! Here is the timeline:

The Graveyard Queen Series:
Prequel: The Abandoned (April 2011)
Book I: The Restorer (May 2011)
Book II: The Kingdom (November 2011)
Book III: The Prophet (May 2012)

Review: Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Title: Mercy
Author: Rebecca Lim
Release Date: April 2011
Paperback: 288 pages
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: NetGalley
My Rating: 4 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

Mercy 'wakes' on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business...or thinks they do. But Mercy has a secret life. She is an angel, doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new 'persona' each time she does, in an effort to resolve a cataclysmic rift between heavenly beings. The first of a new series sees Mercy meeting Ryan, an eighteen-year-old whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is presumed dead. When another girl is also kidnapped, Mercy knows she has to act quickly and use extraordinary powers to rescue her, even if it means exposing her true identity. 

My quick wicked thoughts...An interesting read that pretty much keeps you in the dark the whole book...slow to start but hard to put down at the end.

Why I was tempted to read this...I thought the blurb about it sounded good and was something a little different

Cover thoughts...It is pretty good...sorta bland.

Romance meter...Eh...not so much romance as build up for possibly the next book, but anything could happen in the next books, so who knows!

Characters and plot...Mercy has gone from body to body for longer than she can remember and only has brief memories of prior bodies.  The blurb says she is an angel but that information was never fully disclosed in the book, so I am hoping to learn more about that in the following book.  This book started out slow for me and I had a hard time staying with it...but I am glad I did because the ending was good and had lots of action.  You get involved in the storyline and are rooting for Mercy and Ryan to figure out who kidnapped his sister.  Mercy and Ryan grow closer but just as they get to a point where the romance would come in....bam..end of book LOL  Surprisingly, this didn't bother me (and I am a huge romance buff) because the plot was twisted enough to keep me interested.

The ending...Cliffhanger...but once you start the book and see the way things play out...that wouldn't exactly be a surprise for you.  Exile is the 2nd book in the series with a release date of June 9, 2011.  It is already on my TBR list!

Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Title: Die for Me
Author: Amy Plum
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Hardcover: 352 pages
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: NetGalley
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb from Amazon.com:

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel. 

My quick wicked thoughts...I DEVOURED this book, the romance and action kept me enthralled until the end.

Why I was tempted to read this...I read the blurb and thought it was a book I would enjoy and I was right on this one!

Cover thoughts...There have been two covers floating around, and the one posted on my review is my favorite...dark and romantic with amazing colors.

Romance meter...the romance was definitely there and picked up quickly only to break your heart near the middle of the book....but no worries my fellow romance lovers, everyone comes to their senses and things get to be as they should be.

Characters and plot...Kate is a totally likable character and her sister plays a major role in the book also...and while she is more shallow than Kate, you know she has a good heart.  Paris is everything I wanted it to be in this book, having never had the opportunity to visit...in my head it is quaint and romantic with a little bit of danger on the side.  Vincent, the love interest, is of course to die for in the looks department...but had a unique ability in being a revenant.  The idea of people out there trying to save humans because they are compelled to do so is a unique one and I really enjoyed delving into that world.  The author covers a lot of issues involved in that "profession" to make it seem logical.  I had a hard time putting this book down, it was just what I was looking for this week!

The ending...It wrapped up nicely with a few loose strings that will make you desire to read the next in the series...just no major cliffhanger that makes you want to beat your head against the wall...thank goodness ha ha.