REVIEW: Consumed

Title: Consumed
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Dark Protectors
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Kensington
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: Review Copy Cleanup
Links: Goodreads

Summary:
(from Goodreads)

Katie Smith is the best of her class, part of an elite hunting force trained to eliminate werewolves from the hills of Western Virginia. She's good at it because she has the kind of focus and drive that won't back down no matter how steep the odds. Call it southern sass. Whatever it is, there's no denying her willingness to risk everything for the only man she's ever cared about--a man on the verge of losing his very humanity. . .

Sometimes You Mate To Stay Alive

For the past ten years Jordan Pride has dedicated his life to protecting his people from a deadly shifter virus. But in a rare moment of distraction, Jordan's guard drops just long enough for his fate to take an irreversible twist. Unless the woman he loves surrenders everything to him, again and again, under a full moon rising. . .

Review:
Consumed is the fourth book in Rebecca Zanetti's Dark Protectors series, but the first one I've read.  You don't need to read the previous books to understand what's going on in this one, but I would still recommend it, to learn the background of some of the side characters in this one.  I also think it'll help give some context, such as the ongoing war and the virus the Kurjans have created.  But this book is still enjoyable without reading the previous ones.

This book is about Katie and Jordan, both mountain lion shifters.  Jordan had saved Katie when she was 4 years old and Katie has loved him ever since.  He's been her protector her whole life, but she left home after being infected with the virus and has been away for 10 years.  She's grown up now and Jordan is seeing the woman she is.  He's been fighting his attraction to her, and is trying even harder now that he's been infected too.  But Katie isn't having any of that.

I really like that Katie is a strong female character.  She's not just sitting on her butt pining after Jordan.  Instead, she's doing something by hunting werewolves.  Also, after learning Jordan has been infected, she fights harder to be with him and save him, as he tries to push her away.  I also like how Jordan is an Alpha, but not one of those no-means-yes type of Alpha.  He's sexy and strong, but still sweet.  Though there weren't many overly romantic scenes, I did feel a bond between them and their mating was hot!

The pacing of the story was a bit slow, especially at the beginning.  But it interested me enough to keep me reading, and it eventually did pick up.  There are several twists, one especially that I didn't see coming at all.  By the end, I was left with several questions still...but I guess that's the point!  It's ensured that I'll read the rest of the series, haha.  I definitely want to know what's going on between Kalin, Janie, and Zane.  I also hope there's a book for Maggie and Terrent!

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Read the Month: mi LUNASA (Irish Edition)

Read the Month Irish Edition 
mi LUNASA (August) 
Duration: August 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012

0/6

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Review Copy Cleanup: Starting Line

Oops, starting a little past the start date.  I've been so caught up with watching the Olympics, haha.  Can't believe August has started, which means it's almost the end of summer already!  This year is really flying by!  I have to confess, I've been a little lazy with the reading and reviewing.  I'm sitting on at least 2 reviews waiting to be written...Hopefully I'll get to writing them during this challenge!

Anyway, for this Review Copy Cleanup, I'm hoping to read at least 4 books:

Monster in My Closet by R.L. Naquin
Forbidden by Nicola Cornick
Hidden Paradise by Janet Mullany
Consumed by Rebecca Zanetti

And maybe a few more!  August should be a good month for reading and reviewing.  It's also my birthday month. :)  Stay tuned!

 

REVIEW: Royal Weddings, an anthology

Title: Royal Weddings
Author: Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley, Loretta Chase
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Format: e-book
# of pages: 77
Source: bought from Amazon
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)

You are cordially invited
To help celebrate the Royal Wedding of
Prince William to Catherine Middleton
As we present a 77 page original anthology
Written by three utterly wonderful authors!

Stephanie Laurens' The Wedding Planner: Lady Margaret is proud plan the ton's most important nuptuals—including that of a prince. But it's Lady Margaret who falls in love . . . with dashing Gaston Devilliers!

Gaelen Foley's Ever After: How scandalous! Eleanor Monford, Countess of Archer, is in love with her own husband. And as Princess Charlotte of England weds Prince Leopold, Eleanor's "secret" is about to come out.

Loretta Chase's The Jilting of Lord Rothwick: On the eve of Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert, the Marquess of Rothwick learns his fiancée, Barbara Findley, has broken their engagement! So he desperately rides out of London to seek her out . . . and to win her back.

Review:
Okay, this is an anthology, so the stories are going to lack a bit of depth.  But still.  The longest of the stories, which could have had so much more going on, was the one I liked least.  I'm going to have to rate these separately because I liked them on such different scales.

The Wedding Planner, which took up more than half of the 77 pages in this anthology, could not hold my attention.  This one is about Lady Margaret, aka Meg, and Gaston Devilliers, a man At the beginning of the short story, Meg seemed to strongly dislike Gaston, calling him a fiend and a pest.  She had also said that it was unfair her fiancé had perished at war, but Gaston had lived.  Then all of a sudden, she knows what he's thinking and is entertaining the idea of marriage to him.  Sure, there were many scenes with them in it, but really no interaction.  I didn't really sense any true romantic connection between and their romance was just not believable to me.  Also, just a side note, the name Gaston reminds me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast movie, lol.
Rating: ★★

Ever After was about Eleanor, who is in love with her husband, which is not done in the ton.  However, she keeps her feelings in and her husband doesn't know.  She thinks he's cheating, and tries to keep in her feelings about it because she knows that it a married man's prerogative to keep a mistress.  But she does snap and her husband, who had been wondering why she was upset with him, notices.  He puts her fears  to ease and reveals that he loves her too.  Even though this was really short, I really liked this one.  It had an "aww" factor for me, and I'm really happy there was a happily ever after, as the title suggests. :)
Rating: ★★★★

The Jilting of Lord Rothwick starts with Rothwick having already on the doorstep of his ex-fiancée.  It wasn't that hard to find her.  From the title and little summary, I thought she had fled somewhere, but no...she's at home.  He asks for an explanation and she just tells him she doesn't think they're suitable anymore.  Not knowing what more he can do, he leaves and their engagement is broken.  In reality, she loves him but doesn't want to be the only one in love.  In the end, she can't leave it be, because she can't live without him, so she goes after him.  This one was a bit too short as well, but I liked it and am glad they get their happy ever after too.
Rating: ★★★

I don't know, for some reason I was able to feel a connection between the couples in the last two stories, but not the couple in Laurens' story.  I haven't read anything by Gaelen Foley or Loretta Chase before, but I'm going to be looking into some of their novels now. :)

Overall: ★★★

Review Copy Cleanup

What is Review Copy Cleanup? Celine from Nyx Book Reviews and Vicky from Books, Biscuits, and Tea were getting swamped in review books. They decided to make it all a bit more fun and are challenging you all to read your review copies with them! Clean up that big pile of review books you’ve been neglecting this August and join the Review Copy Cleanup. During the month of August they will host a number of Twitter parties and mini-readathons in order to motivate ourselves and other participants! Is your review pile getting out of control? Then make sure to join us on a quest to clean up that review copy pile and to have some fun in the process.

I just heard about this, and I think it's something I need to do!  I'm pretty excited for it, as I kinda really need to start going through the review books pile that I have.  I'm not going to be doing a list at the moment, as I'll be trying to work through review copies even before this starts. So we'll see what's left for August. ^^;;


To sign up, please go here.

Read the Month: mi I-U-I-L (Irish Edition)

Ok!  I haven't been doing so well with these, but this is a short one, so I have high hopes of finishing this time! :)

Read the Month Irish Edition 
mi IUIL (July) 
Duration: July 1, 2012 - July 31, 2012

Completed: 1/4

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Laurens, Stephanie - Royal Weddings

REVIEW: Blazing Midsummer Nights

Title: Blazing Midsummer Nights
Author: Leslie Kelly
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)

Anything can happen on a magical midsummer's eve
Marketing director/workaholic Mimi Burdette has The Plan-work for her father and date his right-hand man. Problem is, there's no heat in the relationship. Not even a spark. And worse still, Mimi is having some seriously sexy, panties-ablaze dreams-and the star looks a lot like Xander McKinley, the hunky firefighter next door. Mimi's dreams might be due to the strange tea she drank. Or the predictions from the fortune cookie she ate. Or they could be due to Xander's smokin' hotness. But whether it's magic or just old-fashioned fireworks, Mimi is about to break all of the rules-including her own!

Review:
The title made me think of Shakespeare, haha.  But this isn't Shakespeare.  It's a hot romance by Leslie Kelly, who is one of my favorite authors.

The main characters, Mimi and Xander, are attracted to each other at first sight.  But Mimi is not looking for a hot man, as she's looking to earn a promotion from her father.  Instead, she's trying to date the Dad-approved guy.  And Xander decides to not get involved after learning that Mimi's an heiress.  But it seems like the universe has other plans and wants to keep throwing Mimi and Xander together.  First, with him mistakenly walking in on her half-naked in her bedroom, and then with him racing to her rescue and catching her when she falls from trees.  And then of course, there was the fortune cookie, strange tea, and vivid dreams.  I think this was Leslie's way of trying to add a unique aspect to this plot, but  Mimi didn't even remember the dreams when she woke up, except for her last dream, so I don't think it added much.


No doubt that these two have chemistry, allowing Xander to help Mimi release the real her and leading this book to be sweet, romantic, and funny at times.   However, the side characters didn't add much for me.  They were just there.  We hardly heard from them, since most of the book was just Mimi and her thoughts or Xander and his thoughts or them talking to each other.  We didn't get much interaction between Mimi and Dmitri, so I thought having him there was pretty pointless.  There was no real love triangle there, no conflict.  Mimi pretty much dismissed Dmitri as a romantic option at the beginning, and so I never got the sense that she was truly considering seriously dating him. I guess they were there as plot movers, creating scenarios for Mimi and Xander together and moving the plot along quickly.  But I felt like there could have been more interaction...I hope I'm making sense, lol.

And then, I'm a little iffy with the ending, but not because of Mimi and Xander's ending.  Dmitri ended up getting engaged to Helen, who he apparently had a relationship with before moving to Athens, GA.  When they saw each other at her parents' home, where Mimi also lives, after Helen had moved back, they were both shocked and tense.  I already knew they were going to get together when it was revealed that they knew each other.  But I want to know what happened between them!  How did they end up engaged?  I felt like that could've been a whole other book.  Or at least, a little more in the epilogue, other than Dmitri holding is soon-to-be wife and stepson.


But overall, the main characters were likable and this was a cute, easy read.  I recommend this if you're looking for a quick romance to read.

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REVIEW: As I Wake

Title:  As I Wake
Author: Elizabeth Scott 
Genre:  YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Publisher: Dutton Books (imprint of Penguin)
Format:  Hardcover
# of pages:  269
Source:  library
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)
Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust.

Review:
I randomly picked As I Wake up at the library the last time I was there.  Something drew me to it, but I'm not sure exactly what.  The cover is definitely intriguing, so it might have been that.  Anyway, it's written differently than most books are.  It can get repetitive, and the way the sentences and paragraphs are structured can make for stilted reading, but that didn't really bother me.  I know it bothered a lot of people to the point that they could no longer enjoy the book, but I felt like it was part of creating the character's voice.  After all, you are hearing from Ava's point of view, so you only know what Ava knows.  And at the beginning, Ava knows nothing.

This whole book is about Ava learning about who she is and what happened to her.  She's trying to piece together what happened because she feels that she doesn't belong in this world that she's in.  And she just so happens to be right.  As the book progresses, we begin to learn little by little that she's from a parallel universe, but it isn't until the very end that we learn who was responsible for her and Morgan being found out and thus for her being sent to this other universe.  I thought this was a very intriguing plot, what with traveling through parallel universes and time travel, and I did not guess the person who tattled about her and Morgan to Clementine.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but I was left with questions at the end and I don't think there's a sequel, so that kind of sucks.  Elizabeth Scott created these alternate universes and rules for traveling between them, but the end left me confused because it didn't follow one of the rules she had set out.  But I may be missing something, so who knows.

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My Meg Story + Mini-Review of The Boy Next Door (for Meg-A Readers Blog Hop)

Hello~!  I'm back with a post for the Meg-A Readers Blog Hop.  I want to start with a little bit about my "Meg story," which is basically how I found Meg Cabot.

I think most people found Meg Cabot through her Princess Diaries series, but not me! :)  I found her through her novel, The Boy Next Door.  One day about 6 years ago, I was at the library after school and was browsing books when I stumbled upon The Boy Next Door.  The next thing I know, I'm staying up trying to finish the book.  I couldn't put it down!  So I went in search of more and more by Meg Cabot and am working my through all she's written.  I am a Meg Cabot fan for life!


Now, a little bit about The Boy Next Door:

It is the first book in Meg Cabot's Boy series, and is written through e-mails between the characters.  This was the first time I'd ever read a book that was written that way, so it was new and different and interesting to me.  You got to meet all the characters through these emails, and boy, were they characters!  I really liked the main characters, Mel and John, which is key to liking a book overall.  The book in general was quirky and funny, even though there was supposed to be a little mystery.  The mystery is not really a mystery, as you can easily figure it out.  So it wasn't a serious book at all, and I enjoyed reading it.  I think it would be a great beach read, which is perfect since summer has just started!

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So now I want to know...What's your "Meg story"? :)

REVIEW: Bet On a Cowboy

Title: Bet On a Cowboy
Author: Julie Benson
Series: A Cowboy for Every Mood
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin American Romance
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: n/a

Summary:
(from Goodreads)
Commitment phobic Colorado cowboy Griffin McAlister has it all figured out. Do the reality dating show, get the money his family desperately needs and go on with his life. Actually falling in love was never part of the deal...least of all falling in love with the show's spunky director.

Maggie Sullivan knows she's found a star the minute she meets Griffin. But as she gets to know the man behind the dimples, she realizes she might have found something more. It doesn't matter, though; she has a job to do. Besides, how could he ever notice her while he's busy wooing ten gorgeous women?

Now Griffin has a choice to make: stick with the plan and lose Maggie forever, or risk everything for a chance to win her heart!

Review:
I'm back with a review!  Finally, lol.  I get a break from school for a week, so I'm getting in as much reading as I can, while I have time. :P  I was looking to start with a light, fun read and definitely found it in Bet On a Cowboy.

The plot was not very original, but it was still fun.  The main characters are what make this book though.  They have great chemistry, leading to great dialogue and witty banter.  They didn't fall in love at first sight, though I do think Maggie fell in lust at first sight, but who wouldn't?  Griffin is described as tall, charismatic, very good looking and oozing sex appeal.  Maggie didn't stand a chance against lust here.  Though she does have some self-esteem issues which makes her think Griffin would never look twice at her.  And Griffin thought the same too, remarking on how plain Maggie looked, except for gorgeous emerald green eyes.  But Maggie is different from the usual girls Griffin dates, and so he doesn't know what hit him until later on in the book.

As they work on the Bachelor-esque show together, they get to know each other better, learning about each other's pasts.  Also, Maggie sees past Griffin's facade and doesn't fall for his bs, like women usually do.  She doesn't let him charm her into giving him everything that he wants, which is great.  They slowly realize they've fallen in love, but their romance is not easy as they are both torn between proclaiming their love for each other and their duties, Maggie's to the show and Griffin's to his mom.  But in the end, they get their happy ending.

I felt the story was just the right pace, not too fast and not too slow.  I really connected with Maggie and rooted for her and Griffin all the way.  It was also great to meet Griffin's family, who are all great characters.  Griffin's is the second book in this series.  His older brother, Rory, was the main character in the first book.  You don't need to read the first one to understand what's happening in this one.  I haven't read the first one and didn't feel I missed out on something I needed to know.  But I will try to get my hands on it, as I really like Julie's writing style.  Also, I think Grffin's sister, Avery, will be getting her own story too.  I recommend this book for a light, fun read!

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