Review: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

Blurb from Goodread

Bully and victim.
Tormenter and tormented.
Villain and hero.

Ellie Mccallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable.

Particularly Freaky Flynn.

Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger’s. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.

But then Flynn and Ellie grew up.

And moved on.

Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.

When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other.

And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.

But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.

Kindle Edition, 295 pages

Published March 17th 2014

language edition: English

genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult

My Thoughts

This book, just like Find You in the Dark teaches me something new, about Asperger’s. I never heard about it till I read A Song for Julia, it doesn’t mention much there, but it gets my attention. So when I knew A. Meredith Walters has new book and that her other mental illness story was really good, I know that I have to read it.

And I’m happy I read it. I know now about Asperger’s more than before. It’s so sad to know that Flynn has to struggle really hard every minute yet so damn proud when he can do thing that he’s afraid to do. I think it’s because the way Ms. Walters writes it. She describes it so clear at some part I hate the way Ellie and her friends treat him. I was just so angry I want to scream at her and ask her how can she do that, doesn’t she have a heart? And when they finally realize their feeling I was wondering how they make their relationship work because I know it will be so hard.

Reading the story from Ellie POV brings a lot of emotions to me, sad, sympathy, proud, happy and mostly angry and hate are there along the story. However, I wish I get more Flynn POV, especially regarding his feeling about his present relationship with Ellie while I only get his story when they were teenagers.

However, the plot is quite predictable I can see it clearly. There isn’t anything that surprised me. It’s like I don’t need to wonder what will happen next, instead I only read and waiting for it to happen.

This is definitely one hard reading for me. Again, there are so many emotions in it and so much dislike toward Ellie. And at some point I also couldn’t quite believe how easy it seems for Flynn to forgive Ellie. But in the end, I think to forgive and forget is their way to make their relationship work because they believe that they do have relationship.

Result: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

Blurb from Goodread

A romantic and fantastical reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale, Gilded Ashes is a novella by Rosamund Hodge set in the same world as the author’s debut novel, Cruel Beauty.

Orphan Maia doesn’t see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia’s father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother’s approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they’ll all be struck dead by the curse.

Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn’t believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What’s the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she’ll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn’t believe in love. Anax can’t help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can’t help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother’s deadly bargain?

ebook, 111 pages

Published April 1st 2014 by Balzer + Bray

language edition: English

series: Cruel Beauty Universe

genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

My Thoughts

This book begins with “My mother loved me more than life itself. That’s how everything went wrong.” That single paragraph intrigued me, because what can be wrong with the love of a mother who loves you more than anything, though there is also a song, Indonesian song, that called “Love that Kill You”. And after reading this novella, I know that yes, apparently love can kill you.

To be honest, I don’t know much about Cinderella story. I only know one version of the story. It’s Disney version which is way different than this story. Just like Cruel Beauty, this retelling is far from sweet, easy, cheerful story like Disney created. It’s the opposite. It’s dark, eerie and cruel with ironic story. After all, it’s about the bargain with the demon, nothing sweet you will get when you do it, right? That’s the connection between Gilded Ashes and Cruel Beauty. Gentle Lord makes an appearance here, to grant wishes from characters in this story. With him alone and his connection, I think the author can create many stories.

Again, just like Cruel Beauty I feel like it’s a new story. Maia or the Cinderella in this story doesn’t need prince charming to save her from her stepmother. She’s strong and brave enough to save herself and help her stepsisters. She’s also witty, smart and honest, though in her honesty there is also deceit. She likes and good at deceiving, though her reason is to protect her love ones. She’s a complicated and a weird character. And that’s why I love her.

I think this is a perfect companion for Cruel Beauty, one thing that doesn’t quite perfect is it’s a novella. It’s too short while I want more of Maia and Lord Anax and even Kore and Thea, Maia stepsisters.

Result: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: The Malediction Trilogy #1, Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Blurb from Goodread

For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy…

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

ebook, 324 pages

Published April 1st 2014 by Strange Chemistry

language edition: English

series: The Malediction Trilogy

genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

My Thoughts

Although I can’t wait to read this book, there’s a part of me that doubt it will be good. As the blurb says, it’s about troll while the troll I know is the kind that turn to stone under the sun, the ugly creature who loves to boil human, the one like Tom, Bert and William from The Hobbit. So I was kind of wondering how will Danielle Jensen creates it into something good, nice, if not pretty creature without being too romanticized it. Tristan, the troll prince, says the troll I know is just human made-up, a myth that far from reality. Through his voice, along with Cécile, a human girl and the main character in this story, I believe that that is true.

It’s been a while since I read a fantasy book that feel like it takes place in and/or part of this world history. Most of fantasy books I read these days seem so far away from our time. Yeah I know that’s why it’s called fantasy but it also feels nice when I read fantasy that I feel like it’s a part of human history. A story I can relate too. Reading this book bring those feeling. The troll world with their knowledge of solar system, earthquake, and all make it close to the world I know. Hence I feel like Cecile and Tristan story is a part of our world, a history that can be read and relate to. It might sound weird, but I like that feeling.

As the main characters, Cécile and Tristan are easy to love and connect with. Tristan, the heir of Trollus has different perspective of his world from his father. It leads him into rebellion. Through Cecile’s eyes, I get that he’s perfect and swoon worthy. He is indeed perfect but it’s Cecile that makes me keep reading this book. She doesn’t have strength or magic like troll, easy to bleed and needs time to heal. She’s fragile compare to troll. She’s human. But to me she’s strong and brave. She refuses to be helpless and useless. Aside them, I also love supporting characters. Tristan friends, the twin Vincent and Victoria, I never get bored reading their antics. Marc, I love him I want him to have his own happy ending and Anais, she’s surprising me through and through. I even like reading Zoe and Elise and other half-blood.

I don’t think this book can begin and end better than what already has. The beginning makes me curious of the story. It draws me to read more, to know and understand the characters and their story while the ending makes sense, believable and left me wanting more. It also begins and ends with action. I think I can say that this book is full of action and tension, at least that’s what I feel. It’s fast-paced, though the pace is a little bit slower in the middle of the story. But it isn’t a problem for me because that’s where I learn more about Tristan world and their political intrigue. It doesn’t mean there isn’t anything happened in the middle of the story, though. I assure you, there are a lot of things happened, some predictable, some aren’t. One thing for sure there is always tension in it.

All in all, I love this book. Everything in it is perfect. And should I say that it’s well written with beautiful-magical worldbuilding and doesn’t have an insta-love or I-feel-like-I-know-you-forever-and-can’t-live-without-you kind of line? For me, it couldn’t be more perfect.

Result: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: The Winner’s Trilogy #1, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Blurb from Goodread

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

ebook, 355 pages

Published March 4th 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux

language edition: English

series: The Winner’s Trilogy

genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

My Thoughts

Oh, hype why can we not be together?

With the blurb that intriguing, glorious reviews and a very pretty cover, I have high hope with this book. Unfortunately it’s just another perfect packaging that didn’t match my hope.
First few chapters were a page-turner for me. It can capture my attention to the story and I was so curious of what will happen next to Kestrel and her world. But my curiosity was just a curiosity since there isn’t much happens on the story it became boring at first part of the book. Thank goodness the pace finally picked up and there are thing that made it more interesting, though I have to say that it wasn’t surprising either since I mostly can guess it.

I think this book has good idea and could be an awesome book but somewhere along the pages there are a lot of plot holes, stupid-unbelievable holes that I can’t help to not ignore it. It made me think that how came most of the characters act so reckless, if not stupid.

10 years isn’t a long time for a new nation or state of whatever I should call Kestrel place, especially when the conqueror lives side by side with the conquered who become a slave to the new ruler at their own house and land. There will still be prejudice, hate, suspicious and whatnot with each other. Hence, it’s on their nature and instinct if they protect each other highly. But I didn’t see it in this book, at least not in the way Kestrel, Arin and even her father, who is a general of the empire, act and treat each other. They trust each other easily. It’s just not right and I didn’t buy it, instead it made me mad of their recklessness or ignorant or even stupidity?

And then there is also romance between a mistress and her slave which I was waiting for it anxiously, to be honest since I love star-crossed romance, but more than half of the story I didn’t buy it either. I couldn’t see why they’re fall in love. Yeah I know love doesn’t need reason but it has to believable for me to buy it. I don’t think it’s an insta-love since there is time for each other to build their relationship. But they don’t see, meet or interact as much either. I felt like they romance comes out of nowhere just for the sake of star-crossed love story.

However, I’m kinda liked the way it ended. I liked Kestrel decision for Herrani and its impact for her life. I think it’s the only thing that made me decided to round it up to 3 stars, aside that I’m feeling generous right now. And I’ll read the sequel for sure, just for the sake of my curiosity.

Result: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Review: In Too Deep by Coert Voorhees

Blurb from Goodread

Annie Fleet, master scuba diver and history buff, knows she can’t fight her nerd status as a freshman at her Los Angeles private school. And she doesn’t care—except for the fact that her crush, Josh, thinks she’s more adorable than desirable. Annie is determined to set him straight on their school trip to Mexico. But her teacher has other plans: he needs Annie to help him find Cortez’s lost-long treasure.

Suddenly, Annie finds herself scuba diving in pitch-black waters, jetting to Hawaii with Josh, and hunting for the priceless Golden Jaguar. But Annie and Josh aren’t the only ones lured by the possibility of finding the greatest treasure ever lost at sea. Someone else wants the gold—and needs Annie dead. In deeper danger than she ever imagined, can Annie get the boy and find the Jaguar, or is she in over her head?

Critically-acclaimed author Coert Voorhees delivers breathtaking romance and non-stop action in his newest novel, the spirited and captivating In Too Deep.

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published July 9th 2013 by Disney Hyperion

language edition: English

genre: Contemporary, Adventure, Young Adult

My Thoughts

I think this is a really nice adventure young adult (YA) story, though in some part I felt like what happened with the treasure hunting was way simpler and easier than it could be. I spent most of my YA life reading adventure stories and remember that I always wanted to be part of it, this book brings those memories.

I know nothing about scuba diving or places that take place in this story. But the way the author wrote it, made it wasn’t difficult for me to be there in the story. It’s well written with enough description to guide reader, who doesn’t familiar with diving and treasure hunting like myself, to picture it and understand what Annie was talking about.

As YA, I’m aware that there is romance story in it. I’m glad that it didn’t take over the story. It wasn’t an insta-love, and when it happened, it felt more real and natural. It’s a subplot but it didn’t overwhelm the main focus, the treasure hunting. And that treasure hunting part was really good. In some part I really couldn’t wait of what will happen with the characters and their golden jaguar hunting.

However, my favorite part was Annie Fleet, the main character and narrator of this book. She’s what I think a scuba diving and treasure hunting geek is. She’s well train and a certified scuba diver and has a huge crush to Josh Rebstock a son of an academy award winning actress. I think she’s a lovable character. It was easy to love her from the moment she’s introduced. She’s smart, witty and I just love her geekiness, though she tries to hide it so many times. But it’s just cute and most importantly she could be funny without being force to do it.

ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Result: 3 out of 5 stars

Review: Everneath #3, Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Blurb from Goodread

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself… which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published January 21st 2014 by Balzer + Bray

language edition: English

series: Everneath

genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

My Thoughts

Yes, Nikki, not only queen Adonia, I can also see you. I see your journey from the Everneath to the Surface and back again to Everneath and then another trip to the Surface to end up again in Everneath. Yes, I follow you from book 1 to this book in less than a month. And yes, it means that I read your first journey long after the hype. Although it wasn’t great, I think it can be awesome so I still follow your journey till the end.

The thing is I don’t quite like you in first two books. To me you’re a whinny ungrateful heroine. But again I still read your story. I’m kinda wish that after back and forth between the Everneath and the Surface you will change into someone I can love. But you’re still you. Well…maybe it’s just you being who you are but after three books who you are are annoying the hell out of me. I thought you can be braver, wiser and more responsible after so many things happened to you. And why do you often repeat what is told to you again and again and still doesn’t understand it? when you repeat it once or twice just to make sure of it, I can understand it but when you talk the same time more than twice, you’re kinda insult me because it makes me think that you’re not sure that I can understand what you and other characters talk. You and also other characters have a habit that I don’t like. You guys love talking and rambling about everything very much. I think the main thing of this book is only in a few chapters toward the end.

I also have to say that I don’t like Jack either here. Well…I don’t quite like him before since I couldn’t connect to him in the first place. In this book, he’s just so overdramatic (?) He’s like another drama queen to me. Yes I’m aware that this book is also, if not mostly, about romance but reading his undying love profess to you and the way he act like a caveman while you don’t have any choice is very annoying.

The only think I liked from this book is Cole. I don’t even pay attention to the action scenes anymore since most things are annoying and frustrating from the beginning. Actually I don’t care about the love triangle either. I’m fine with whoever you choose but I can’t see that you and Jack are meant to be together while I think you and Cole are perfect. I liked him more than I like any other character, including you, Nikki. I can connect to him, understand him and he’s a believable character to me.

Result: 2 out of 5 stars

Review: Breathe Into Me by Sara Fawkes

Blurb from Goodread

How did my life get so broken?  It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day. Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker exboyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out.

And then she meets Everett, whose presence changes her entire existence.

Everett is an outsider to her small community, in town for the summer housesitting one of the grand mansions off the Mississippi coast. When he saves her in a bar one night, she’s grateful but wary of his intentions. Lacey doesn’t trust most men in her life, but for reasons Lacey can’t understand, Everett is completely captivated by her. He’s determined to show her that life can offer more than she’d ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself. As she works with him to free herself, Lacey desperately yearns to trust him, to move on and perhaps start fresh.

But what happens when she finds out that everything he’s told her about himself was a lie?

Kindle Edition, 288 pages

Published April 8th 2014 by St. Martin’s Press

language edition: English

genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult

My Thoughts

I think this book started pretty good, despite my feeling toward Lacey, the main character, who lets Ashley, her so-called friend, treats her like a trash. I just couldn’t understand why she lets Ashley uses her. So I’m happy when she realizes it and cut their friendship. Aside Ashley, most of everyone in her small town also treats her badly, especially her mom, her grandmother and her boyfriend. Again, I’m frustrated with the way she handles them. I really want her to have gut to stand up for herself, though I also quite understand her fear. The thing is she’s an adult. I see her as an adult so I want her to act like an adult, to stop reasoning her fear, stop running away and stop being a victim. On the other hand, her life creates drama and angst which are my guilty pleasure in romance books. Hence I really enjoyed reading it.

Unfortunately, the more I read it’s kind of loose focus to me. There are a lot of things, bad things happens to Lacey at the same time. In some part, it feels like it’s described only in the surface, not deep enough to make me connected to the characters and story well. And I feel like it becomes too much drama and angst. With those drama and angst, I think Lacey has to take her priority, decides what is the most important thing in her life. And when she doesn’t take it, I’m quite disappointed. I just can’t believe she’s barely does anything regarding her brother when I think he’s her priority in her life at the time. Yes, again I understand how deep her grandmother words influence her, but can she at least tries? It’s like she’s waiting every bad things to happen all at once before she seek help and handle it at the end of the story, all at the same time.

However, I really like the way Lacey and Everett relationship builds. It’s believable and makes sense to me. The same case happens to Lacey relationship with Clare. She takes both relationships slowly and it suits with her personality, a person who cannot trust people easily. I think this book has so much potential but at the same it also too much and lack something and there are inconsistency with the characters and the story.

ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Result: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Review: War of Wings by Tanner McElroy

Blurb from Goodread

The battle for Paradise is about to begin…

In the beginning Heaven was perfect. All of the angels lived in complete harmony and bliss. Gabriel skated through existence on the many simple pleasures Heaven had to offer, Michael led the worker angels proudly, and Lucifer was the highest of the cherubim as well as the minister of music right under God. With one question everything changed. When God’s highest angel placed reason over faith to corrupt Heaven, a secret movement separated loved ones into two sides. After Lucifer discovered the power of the seven deadly sins and used them to empower angels, the two sides violently collided in the first war of all time, The War of Wings.

Kindle Edition, 239 pages

Published March 19th 2014 by Brown Books Publishing Group

language edition: English

genre: Paranormal, Adult

My Thoughts

”Some see a hopeless end while others see and endless hope”

I don’t know much about angels and their hierarchy. While I read this book, I have to look for about it to know better. And I don’t think I have read any angels story like this before, either. Well, I’ve read books with and/or about angels, but they mostly about fallen angels, nephilim or one or two particular angels but never a book about themselves and with them as the whole characters. Hence, it feels new and is kind of refreshing story to me.

First half of the book is so slow. It can’t make me keep reading it. I got distracted and have to put it on hold and read another books a couple of times. However, I liked reading Lucifer deceptions and the way he convinced his followers. I can’t help to not believe him. I can see that he really is smart and powerful. His knowledge and curiosity lead him questioning God. In many ways I think it’s true.

The pace takes turn in second part, as the battle slowly begins. However I wish it could be longer. Before the battle, the tension is there for half of the book but the battle itself is quite short, makes me wanting more. And then there is still story that needs to be told after that. It feels like I’m waiting quite long to finish the book after the climax takes place. On the other hand I really liked the way the author describes the changes of the angels and the way they think about God. They are also have flaws and are quite similar with human, with their emotion and all, which I think it suits well with the story.

When I read this book, I try to see it as a fiction without any connection with Christianity, because 1) I don’t know much about it and 2) I want to enjoy it as a pure fiction without have to wonder whether it is true and stick with the bible or not. However it’s quite hard to do that. I feel like the author sees his readers as someone who has already known about it. Hence, there are things that unclear to me since I’m not familiar with it. But I also enjoy my time looking for for those unclear things. This book gives me something new which is what I’m looking for when I read a book.

As a fiction I want this book has more background story for the angels, especially Gabriel and Lucifer as the main characters, to know them better. For example, it is unclear the time setting and how old the angels are. I assumed that they are old, thousand years old but Gabriel is quite naive for an angel who is thousand years old. So many times I want to tell him to look and think clearly and believe Michael. I just don’t quite like his naivety. So it’s quite hard to believe that he is a thousand years old archangel. I do understand it’s for the sake of the story. If he doesn’t that naive, there won’t (might) be any big different between him and Lucifer but still reading his character in first part of the book is like reading a character from most YA books, who also has an instalove with another female character.

Yet, I really like the way the author creates the story to become connected with life now. I can see the connection when he tells me about the rose, the terra and even the seven deadly sins or seven antivirtues as he calls it. It makes me believe to the story and it just makes sense to me.

All in all, I like and enjoy reading it though in some part I feel it lack something. It’s well written and has good worldbuilding. It reminds me of The Madness of God by Da’ud Ibn Ibrahim Al-Shawni which I love. So 3.5 stars for this angels story but I round it up because I love the cover!

Result: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: Mortal Machine #1, Darkside Sun by Jocelyn Adams

Blurb from Goodread

The dead have been waiting for her…

Addison Beckett tries hard to pretend she’s normal, but she’s far from it. Since she was six years old, she’s seen the world around her unraveling, as if someone is pulling a thread from a sweater and it’s all slowly coming undone. When she ignores it, it goes away, so that’s what she does.

Enter her arrogant-but-hot professor Asher Green. He knows all about her special brand of crazy. In fact, he might be just as nuts as she is. Asher insists that the dead from a parallel dimension are trying to possess the living in this one. And since Addison seems to be the only one who can see these “wraiths,” she just might be the key to saving the world.

Addison wants nothing to do with Asher or his secret society, The Mortal Machine. But as their animosity grows, she finds it harder and harder to ignore the chemistry between them. And when she discovers that Machine laws forbid her from touching him, she realizes that’s all she wants to do.

Stop the wraiths. Break the rules. Save the world. All in a day’s work.Normal was overrated, anyway.

ebook, 291 pages

Published March 10th 2014 by Entangled Publishing (Embrace)

language edition: English

series: Mortal Machine

genre: Paranormal, Romance, New Adult

My Thoughts

To be honest it’s quite hard for me to rate this book. In some part I enjoyed it but another part not so much. There are things I liked while there are also things I disliked. Just like my feeling of like and dislike in this book, I find that things in the story, the characters and the plot are quite the opposite and sometimes inconsistent in each other.

The characters
Addison Beckett. An eighteen years old college student whose can see “things” since she was six years old. Since she doesn’t want anyone think that she’s crazy, she keeps he ability to herself and makes her invisible and undesirable. But just like most of YA/NA books nowadays, she doesn’t realize that she’s pretty, desirable and able to do most everything other characters can’t do. Although it is clear from the beginning she’s attracted to her professor, I liked that she doesn’t let her attraction give herself up to him easily. And once she knows what she keeps seeing and who she can be, it doesn’t lure her in the first place. In fact she keeps fighting it and refuses to become one of them. She feels like she isn’t herself if she’s one of them. I liked these things about her because to me she can see beyond that pretty face, immortal life and all those talk that they are good-guys-lets-be-hero-for-our-world. On the other hand, she sometimes annoyed me. Asher treats her badly most of the time, she doesn’t like it and angry at him but one smile from him makes her forget about it.

I laughed, a sharp, frantic sound that shredded my sanity a little more

She’s also moody, indifference and inconsistent, and is annoying especially when she starts wandering in her head, giggling and laughing because something stress or freak her out and overanalyzing things. Reading from her POV can be exhausting. It’s like her mind is a web that intertwine each other.

Asher Green. An ancient civilization professor who also is a guardian who responsible to keeps the creatures that Addison keeps seeing at bay. He has to avoid them enter our world. As a guardian who called Sentinel, he along with other characters is immortal. Most of the time, I really didn’t like the way he treats Addison. I can see that he does it because he wants to protect her, but still he’s an ass especially when he keeps hot and cold to Addison. I understand that hot and cold attitude can make the story interesting but if it happens more than third times, it doesn’t that interesting anymore to me.

I thought it would be easier on you if you knew less, so you wouldn’t worry about it until the time came.

I also can’t understand why he doesn’t tell and explain Addison directly of what she sees and who they are, instead he makes her read a book about it which leads something happens and a lot of conversation about it. Those conversations are kinda frustrating me because it’s frustrating Addison, makes her unclear about things she has to deal. I’m also questioning his physical appearance. He said that he is twenty years old and he must be look like in early twenty, just like Addison said but I can’t believe there is no one who realize it aside her. I mean, don’t his students and other professor wondering about it? In this case, I’m not buying it. Yet I liked the idea that he keeps his eyes on her and put his jobs first than his feeling to her.

The story
First few chapters are so confusing. I couldn’t point out whether the bad creatures in this story are aliens as in ET kind of things or ghosts. Asher says they are ghosts but somehow I picture them like aliens who want to conquer the earth. The “other dimension” or Shift as he called is also confusing and in some part kind of unclear to me. Addison says that she lost time because of it. I understand it all right but then every time they and other characters are in and out of the Shift I didn’t feel that they lost time anymore. There aren’t things that describe that it’s different between the time in the Shift and in our normal world.

However, I think the story is quite good and refreshing. Well…I’m sure I never read any story like this before. With so many books out there about aliens and ghosts, this combo between sci-fi and paranormal is kind of interesting to read.

The Plot.
Just like Addison wandering mind and Asher hot and cold attitude. I think the plot is kind of overlapping. In some part I understand what the characters have to do and where the story goes but another part is like the story doesn’t know its priority, it loose track of what the story main focus and how the characters supposed to act. One time Addison and Asher do or speak about something but then it changes into something different without warning that it happens in different time. But other time, I enjoyed the flow of the story. One time it’s quite boring and predictable yet another time there are surprises in the story.

This book has really an interesting idea, I just wish the flow of the story and other aspects are better. It’s more than an okay, I really like the ending. It makes me want to read the sequel. Hope it has more focus on sci-fi/paranormal than the romance between Asher and Addison.

ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Result: 3 out of 5 stars

Review: A Perfect Mess by Zoe Dawson

Blurb from Goodread

I know what you did last summer.

Aubree Walker, the perfect girl most likely to succeed, is sure there’s only one person who knows what she did.

Booker Outlaw, one of the three Outlaw brothers—all identical, all gorgeous, all from the wrong side of the tracks, and all pure bad boys. He was always the unpredictable one, the one who would be brash enough to make it big self-publishing horror novels on the internet. He promised never to tell, but everyone knows you can never trust an Outlaw.

Then a year later, in the middle of the night, she receives a phone call at Tulane. Her aunt, who took her in after her mother’s death, is in a coma under suspicious circumstances. Now she has to face that one person who knows all about what she did that summer—sexy Booker.

Returning to Hope Parish to be with her aunt, stirs up all those ugly memories. When Aubree starts getting threats, she can’t help but wonder if what she did last summer was tied to her aunt’s “accident.” Afraid, she turns to the only person who knows the truth and Booker doesn’t hesitate to offer his broad shoulder for her to lean on. But Booker has a secret of his own that could crush their fledgling relationship.

As the hot, sultry summer days move on, she finds that even a perfectly smart girl can lose her heart to a perfectly bad boy. What is she going to do when someone starts asking questions Aubree doesn’t want to answer? She’s knee deep into a terribly dangerous, wholly life changing, who-can-she-really-depend-on perfect mess.

Kindle Edition, 367 pages

Published August 5th 2013 by Blue Moon Creative

language edition: English

series: A Perfect Mess

genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult

My Thoughts

This story started with a good scene which I never expected will be that way. As much as it’s kinda weird, I think it’s hilarious and makes me laugh. And then the mystery regarding Aubree’s leaving for college and never come back to her little town in nine months engage me to the story. I really want to know more about it. Add it with Aubree and Booker relationship which I think is really good. I like the way they tease each other and their take slowly relationship. It’s really an engaging story for first part of the book.

But then, it’s a little bit loose track after that. The more I read it, the more I feel like everything is too easy for the characters and the story. I’m not buying it anymore, though I’m still glue to the story. It’s like everything are there to make the story ends perfectly in a happy ending kind of way. To be honest, after the first few chapters, I have my guess about what the mystery is and am curious of how the author handle it. Apparently, my guess is right, just like what I predicted but it doesn’t make me happy because I’m not satisfied with the result, the way the characters handle it. It sounds wrong and too easy for them. It makes it kind of unbelievable to me. There are also things that are quite weird and I just couldn’t believe it. Booker is a nineteen years old success author who only needs nine months to make him wealthy. Wealthy as in has 3 expensive cars, a house for himself, a house for her mom and help his brothers to have their own career, again I’m not buying it.

Aside story, I also have to admit that I don’t quite like character names in this book; Booker, Boone, River Pearl, Verity, Aubree (why can’t she just have a normal Aubrey name?). It might be just me since I never heard and read those names before. But it sounds that their name are only created for the story, too made-up to be in real life. Hence it’s kinda hard to connect with them.

All in all, I think this could be a very good story. I liked and enjoyed half of it. Unfortunately the other half doesn’t end well for me. However, I want to read the rest of the Outlaws, Booner and Braxton story.

ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Result: 2.5 out of 5 stars