Dirty

Title: Dirty

Author: Kylie Scott

Series: Dive Bar, Book 1

Number of Pages: 275

Date Read: 6/24/16 

Genre: Romance, Erotic

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a broken hearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that comes with her.

Lydia Green doesn't know whether to burn down the church or sit and cry in a corner. Discovering the love of your life is having an affair on your wedding day is bad enough. Finding out it's with his best man is another thing all together. She narrowly escapes tying the knot and meets Vaughan only hours later.

Vaughan is the exact opposite of the picture perfect, respected businessman she thought she'd marry. This former musician-turned-bartender is rough around the edges and unsettled. But she already tried Mr. Right and discovered he's all wrong-maybe it's time to give Mr. Right Now a chance.

After all, what's wrong with getting dirty?

My Review:

No Review as of yet

Rating:A+

A Drop of Night

Title: A Drop of Night

Author: Stefan Bachmann

Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 439

Date Read: 6/5/16 

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Fantasy, Paranormal

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

Seventeen-year-old Anouk has finally caught the break she’s been looking for—she's been selected out of hundreds of other candidates to fly to France and help with the excavation of a vast, underground palace buried a hundred feet below the suburbs of Paris. Built in the 1780's to hide an aristocratic family and a mad duke during the French Revolution, the palace has lain hidden and forgotten ever since. Anouk, along with several other gifted teenagers, will be the first to set foot in it in over two centuries.

Or so she thought.

But nothing is as it seems, and the teens soon find themselves embroiled in a game far more sinister, and dangerous, than they could possibly have imagined. An evil spanning centuries is waiting for them in the depths. . .

My Review: 

So this book was ok. 

I will say that the synopsis is misleading and I was disappointed in that. I thought this book was going to be a thriller with historical aspects in it. Instead I got a fantasy and it was reminiscent of the book Survive the Night by Danielle Vega. 

What I thought I was gonna read about were teens excavating a hidden underground palace that was just found and somehow, perhaps because of crumbling structure, they would become trapped and have to find a way out. Well the characters did get stuck the palace, not the way I thought they would and they do spend the whole book trying to get out. Ok I could deal with this. It could still be interesting because they have to find a way out of a palace that's been buried for 200 years. They obviously have to have some hardships because, again the palace is old and the structure can't be that sturdy. Well I was wrong. I did not expect the paranormal aspects, the monsters or the whole premise of immortality. While I did find the book enjoyable overall, I was disappointed at being mislead by whoever created the synopsis. 

Most of the book is told in the present in the pov of a girl named Anouk. There were some chapters or inserts between chapters, that took place in 1790's France, when the palace is being made. The pov of these inserts were from a girl named Aurelie, whose father commissioned the palace. Aurelie's chapters are about her time in the palace, the weird things going on and why the modern teens were brought to the palace. I have to say I liked Aurelie's chapters the best. 

As for the characters they were ok. The main character Anouk was a jerk. I really disliked her in the beginning but she kind of grew on me. She was rude, obnoxious and mean to everyone and she put on a tough facade. She was very smart however but she did do some pretty stupid things that I was screaming at her for. But she was quick thinking and tried to get everyone out of the palace. 

I really liked Aurelie. She was sassy and spunky. She was so not what you'd think a french 1790's aristocratic teen would be. She cares deeply for her sisters and the whole time she was in the palace all she thought about was getting to her sisters and escaping. She was willing to beat up/ fight a servant for their help. She was very smart, clever and had a quick tongue. I loved her! She was the best character of the book. I wish there was more of her in it. 

I will say that there is a lot of action and obstacles/attacks/bad guys in this book that the characters had to fight/overcome/escape. I will say that I enjoyed the descriptions of the different parts and rooms of the palace as well as the crazy traps that people set for the characters. The author really put the characters through the ringer. When they think they're in the clear, something else happens to them. 

So all in all an ok book but I was disappointed by the synopsis because the reader is not really getting what the synopsis claims.

Rating:B

Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters

Title: Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters

Author: Suzanne Weyn

Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 250

Date Read: 2/19/16 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal 

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

A new generation is creating a monster...

When Doctor Victor Frankenstein died, he left behind a legacy of horror... as well as two unacknowledged, beautiful twin daughters. Now these girls are seventeen, and they've come to Frankenstein's castle to claim it as their inheritance.

Giselle and Ingrid are twins, but they couldn't be more different. Giselle is a glamorous social climber who plans on turning Frankenstein's castle into a center of high society. Ingrid, meanwhile, is quiet and studious, drawn to the mysterious notebooks her father left behind... and the experiments that he went mad trying to perfect.

As Giselle prepares for lavish parties and Ingrid finds herself falling for the sullen, wounded naval officer next door, a sinister force begins to take hold in the castle. Nobody's safe as Frankenstein's legacy leads to a twisted, macabre journey of romance and horror.

My Review: 

I really enjoyed reading this book. 

This book is about Frankenstein's twin daughters. After Frankenstein died his twin daughters inherited castle Frankenstein and his money in Scotland. Up until their inheritance they didn't know who their father was. The twins decide to go live at the castle and the book is about they settling in to the castle and figuring out the mystery of their father. 

The book is told in alternating povs between the twins Giselle and Ingrid in the form of a journal. 

The twins could not be more different. Giselle is the high society twin, who redecorated the castle to its former glory. She loves pretty things, reading romance novels, loves dresses and love parties. She is curious about her father but doesn't really think about or is interested in what he did with his life. Giselle is very sweet and she loves her sister dearly. Also based on events in this book I can say that she is definitely a fighter and survivor. She is definitely more care free about life and she is the kind of girl who would love to fall in love, have a husband, children and a household to run. While I did like her she was not my favorite twin. 

Ingrid is my favorite twin. She loves knowledge and loves to learn. She is very studious and especially interested in the sciences. But since she is a woman in the early 1800's she is not allowed to study to become a doctor. That doesn't stop her from sneaking into lectures dressed as a boy and seeing cadavers and real organs. Ingrid immediately finds her father's journals in the castle and is very interested in his life and his work. Ingrid is basically a scientific genius. She doesn't really care about parties and dresses comfortably instead of elaborately. She isn't concerned with getting married and if she does she wants a husband who she can have real conversations with ror she'd be bored. Ingrid is very invested in her father's journals.

There is also a bit of a mystery going on. There have been many murders occurring since the girls returned to the castle. There is also a bit of romance in the book between one of the twins and a man who lives there. I totally ship the relationship. 

I also love how the science of the time was dealt with in the book. There was plenty of information so that the readers know what the breakthroughs and theories of the time were. I don't really read many books with actual science in it and I was glad that this one included it. 

So all in all a great fast and easy read. 

Rating:A

Faces of the Dead

Title: Faces of the Dead

Author: Suzanne Weyn

Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 201

Date Read: 2/18/16 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal 

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

 When Marie-Therese, daughter of Marie Antoinette, slips into the streets of Paris at the height of the French Revolution, she finds a world much darker than what she's ever known.

When Marie-Thérèse Charlotte of France learns of the powerful rebellion sweeping her country, the sheltered princess is determined to see the revolution for herself. Switching places with a chambermaid, the princess sneaks out of the safety of the royal palace and into the heart of a city in strife.

Soon the princess is brushing shoulders with revolutionaries and activists. One boy in particular, Henri, befriends her and has her questioning the only life she's known. When the princess returns to the palace one night to find an angry mob storming its walls, she's forced into hiding in Paris. Henri brings her to the workshop of one Mademoiselle Grosholtz, whose wax figures seem to bring the famous back from the dead, and who looks at Marie-Thérèse as if she can see all of her secrets. There, the princess quickly discovers there's much more to the outside world - and to the mysterious woman's wax figures - than meets the eye.

My Review: 

I really enjoyed reading this book. I Suzanne Weyn's books because they are entertaining quick and easy reads. 

This book takes place during the French Revolution and it centers on Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's daughter Marie- Therese. The basic plot of the story is about Marie Therese exploring Paris and taking on a new identity as a peasant during the Revolution. Marie Therese has a friend who became the king and queen's adopted daughter and she looks very similar to Marie Therese. Her friend is Ernestine. Ernestine grew up alongside Marie Therese and she was educated along with her. However Ernestine has something that Marie Therese doesn't have: Freedom. Ernestine can leave the palace and go to Paris on errands and she is able to go around the palace whenever and wherever she pleases. 

However Ernestine envies Marie Therese because she wants to be a princess too. So, through their childhood and into their teens they switch places. Of course the king and queen can tell them apart but no one else really can unless they stand next to each other. By switching, Marie Therese can have freedom and visit Paris and Ernestine can be a princess.

This book deals with the theory that is out there that during the Revolution Marie Therese and Ernestine switched places and the real Ernestine took the princess' place when the royal family fled Versailles and it was Ernestine incarcerated in prison. In this theory the real Marie Therese hid among the people as a peasant and escaped the revolution. I thought Suzanne Weyn did a great job of portraying this theory in her book. 

The book also includes a woman who makes life-like wax statues and that is where Marie Therese works while her family is in prison. In Paris she also meets her love interest Henri. The romance is cute but it's very pg-13. To add to it, there it a bit of paranormal elements thrown into the story which I thought was done nicely, even if it did come out of nowhere. 

I really liked Marie Therese. She wasn't a spoiled brat and she was very kind to people. I understood her struggles during the book. She loved her family dearly but she also believed in the revolutions themes of freedom, prosperity and equality. Of course she didn't want her family to die but she did understand the principals the people of France were fighting for because she experienced hunger and poverty while in the streets of Paris. I can't imagine how difficult it was for her to hear that her parents were being executed and she could't do anything to stop it. Marie Therese, in the book anyway, was a very strong character to have gone through all she did and not only survive but not go crazy as well. 

I do want to mention something about Ernestine's character. She was an extremely loyal friend and she loved Marie Therese very much. She is also extremely brave. She stood in for Marie Therese knowing she may possibly die. She refused to allow Marie Therese to go with her family when they were fleeing, insisting that she take her place and save her. I admire her bravery vey much. 

All in all this was a good quick read and I'll definitely will be checking out more of Suzanne Weyn's books. 

Rating:A

Falling Kingdoms

Title: Falling Kingdoms

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Series: Falling Kingdoms, Book 1

Number of Pages: 412 

Date Read: 1/31/16 

Genre: Fantasy, Magic 

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....

My Review: 

So I finally read this book. For me it was ok. It wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. 

Basically there are three countries in the land of Mytica: Limeros which is a cold, icy and snowy kingdom ruled by King Gaius or "The Blood King". The next country is Paelsia which has been in steady decline for a better part of a thousand years with bleak surroundings. Paelsia is ruled by a cheiftan. Finally there is Auranos which is a warm, sunny and happy kingdom ruled by King Corvin. Basically Auranos is the most prosperous Kingdom in Mytica which causes its neighbors Limeros and Paelsia to despise them. Basically this book all about an impending war with the main characters smack in the middle; some want to be there and some don't. 

There are four main characters and each chapter is told in revolving povs. 

Princess Cleo is princess to Auranos. I didn't really like her. I felt like she was so spoiled and wanted things her way. She wanted what she wanted at the very moment she wanted it. She constantly made stupid decisions that not only put herself in danger but her friends and her kingdom. I will say that she is very loyal to the people she cares about and she is brave when she's making her bad decisions. When she loves someone she really loves them and she is compassionate. I also do feel sorry for her throughout the events of the book but I dunno something just rubbed me the wrong way about her. I just didn't like her from the start. 

Jonas is a peasant boy from Paelsia and something that happens with his family sparks the unrest to rebellion in Paelsia towards Auranos. Jonas was ok. There really wasn't much from his pov in this book. I did feel bad for him. Jonas is full of hate for any royals especially the Auranian royals as well as vengeance. He puts himself in a important position for helping the rebellion and war along. 

Prince Magnus is the prince of Limeros. I loved him. He was very dark and brooding. His father the king was a ruthless leader and not very fatherly towards Magnus. I did feel bad for his because for most of the book nothing he did was good enough for his father and it seem like his father really didn't like him. I did like how protective he was of his sister Lucia even though there was a less than appropriate reason for it. She was the only one who loved him and paid any attention to him really. He would do anything for her. I just really liked him. 

Then there is princess Lucia of Limeros who is Magnus' "sister". I also really liked her and from other review I read I seem to be in the minority on this one. It seems no one really likes Lucia. Oh well. I loved her thirst for knowledge and how she read all the time. She is very trusting and naive when it comes to most things especially about the attention her father shows later on in the book. Even so Lucia is very strong and tries to keep her secret hidden from everyone: She's a sorceress. This is not a spoiler since its on the back of the book with her name under sorceress. She doesn't know what she, she only knows that some magic has begun to develop within her. She practices by herself trying to hone her skills. She is also such a sweet person and she truly cares for Magnus. She comforts him and always has his back. She's awesome.

There was some action in the book but not as much as I would have liked. There is also something about watchers and a sanctuary and apparently Lucia is of great importance to them. I know I'm leaving a lot out but I don't want to give any spoilers away. 

While I didn't love this book I am intrigued enough to continue on with the series. 

Rating: B

Fangirl

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 435 

Date Read: 1/11/16 

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Review: 

So I finally read Fangirl my first Rainbow Rowell book. I have been debating whether I should read this book over the last few months. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. But......I loved it! It was awesome, cute and sooo good! I'm so glad that I read it. 

Here's a basic summary of the plot. Twins Cath and Wren did everything together but now when they're going to college, Wren doesn't want to dorm with Cath. Which breaks Cath's heart. So Cath goes to college and has a roommate Reagan, who likes to party and is never really around which Cath likes because she gets to be alone. Reagan also has a best friend, Levi, who is always in Cath's room and who is literally happy all the time. This book is about Cath dealing with her first year of college, a new romance, doing things without her sister and writing fanfiction for the World of Simon Snow. 

I see what everyone was talking about in regards to how Simon Snow is just like Harry Potter. I agree but that "fact" didn't really bother me. I actually likes seeing the differences and similarities between Simon and Harry. The author even mentions Harry Potter in the book too which I though was hilarious. AT the end of every chapter in this book, there are excerpts from the world of Simon Snow- Parts of chapters from the seven books that were 'written" and fanfiction that Cath wrote (earlier fanfic and excerpts from her huge fanfic Carry on). I would't mind if the actual Simon Snow series were to be really written. I'd read them. 

On to the characters!

I loved Cath. She was sooo relatable. While reading this book it seems to me that Cath has a serious case of anxiety. She doesn't eat food for the first month she's in school because she doesn't know where the dining hall is and she is too shy to ask anyone where it is. She has extreme anxiety in the beginning about being at college, talking to Reagan and Levi and basically about leaving her dorm room. Classes are ok for her though. She doesn't like to party and she doesn't like to talk to people. Cath really begins to come out of her shell when Reagan starts dragging her around with her. Cath also has great morals. She won't even casually kiss anyone. Kissing to her is important and I like that about her. She is very reserved but can still get silly when she wants to. She is extremely loyal and is a family person. She cares and worries a lot for her dad and her sister. She is loyal to Wren even when Wren is being a total bitch to her for no reason. Cath loves cooking breakfast and she often goes home to take care of her dad, which I think is awesome. I really like Cath because she's a normal person with so much inner strength to deal with what she has to in this book. She sees herself as weak or unworthy but she really is the strongest character in the book. 

I have to be honest I really didn't like Wren at all. Even after a part in the book, I can't bring myself to care about her. She was really nasty to Cath about college. I mean Wren knows her sister has bad anxiety but she decides to drop her like a hot potato and do her own thing. That is very insensitive. She constantly makes fun of Cath because Cath doesn't drink or party and she even begins to make fun of the Simon Snow fanfic that Cath writes. It's like she forgot that she loves the series too and used to write fanfic with Cath. Wren was just a big old drunk, who wanted to go to college to party all the time. Nothing wrong with that but don't push away the only family you have. 

I loved loved loved Levi. From the moment you meet him you instantly like him. He is always happy, always smiling and soooo nice to people. He's good natured, kind, friendly, likes to have a good time and loves his friends. He situates himself in Cath's life and at first Cath doesn't really want to be friends with him but he wins her over. I mean how can you NOT be friends with Levi. I would love to have him as a friend. He'd be the life of the party. While he is fun loving, Levi can also be serious and have serious conversations. He's a farm boy and has very good manners. I just love his character and he brings out the best in Cath.

I also loved Reagan. She is such a sassy b*tch! I say that in a good way. Her friendship with Cath is hilarious. Reagan is very sarcastic and says whatever is on her mind. She makes fun of Cath but Cath knows she does it because she loves/likes her. Reagan is not the 'I love/care for you ' kind of person. She doesn't really show her emotions but she shows she cares in different ways. She can be a bit hard to handle but she's there for Cath when she needs her and she ends up being a great friend to Cath. 

I loved the romance that Cath has. At first she doesn't really know what to do in general and is very anxious about everything, especially kissing. But the guy is awesome and doesn't pressure her at all. They take they're time and the romance develops really well. Both Cath and the guy are there for each other and encourage each other as well as have "fun time" together. Wink Wink. The romance was sweet and so well done. The guy is perfect for her and he likes and supports her fanfiction. I hope they get married! I haven't read about a couple this perfect for each other in a long time.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fangirl and now I'm off to read Carry on! I'm sure I'll love that one too!

Rating: A+

Daughters Unto Devils

Title: Daughters Unto Devils

Author: Amy Lukavics

Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 231

Date Read: 1/2/16

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Horror 

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads.com):

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner’s family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries. 

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn’t right on the prairie. She’s heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can’t be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul. 

My Review: 

NO REVIEW AT THIS TIME

Rating:B