Review: Ashes of Honor

September 12, 20121 Comment

Seanan McGuire, Ashes of Honor

Still reeling after the tragic events of One Salt Sea, Toby Daye has thrown herself into her work, rushing into unnecessarily dangerous situations and pushing all her friends away. But she can’t avoid the people around her forever — a fact made abundantly clear when Etienne, one of Duke Sylvester’s knights, comes to her for help. His daughter Chelsea, a changeling whose existence he only recently discovered, has inherited extremely strong powers from her fae blood, but she has no idea how to control them. Now she’s ripping doors through Faerie that were never meant to be opened, and Toby has to stop her before she inadvertently destroys the world of Faerie.

I’m really enjoying the Toby Daye books, and this latest installment is no exception. The book moves at a quick pace, with the need to find Chelsea being the driving force, but there’s still the occasional quiet moment to balance out the action sequences. I also noticed several little hints throughout the novel about what might come next in the series: for example, the clues about Quentin’s background should pay off in future installments. Tybalt also plays a prominent role in this book, which is always a plus for me! And as always, I love Toby’s sarcastic voice and gallows humor, which are the perfect antidote to the violence and cruelty that she confronts on a daily basis. Overall, this is another strong installment in an excellent series. Can’t wait for the next Toby Daye novel!

Review: All I Ever Wanted

September 6, 2012Leave a comment

Kristan Higgins, All I Ever Wanted

Callie Grey has spent years pining for her gorgeous boss Mark, and after an intense hook-up on a business trip, she’s convinced that Mark has finally realized she’s the one. So when he reveals that he’s in a serious relationship with one of her co-workers, Callie is devastated. She knows she should try to get over him, but part of her keeps whispering that the two of them are meant to be. Still, she makes a few attempts to move on, including scoping out the new veterinarian in town, Ian McFarland. Ian is handsome enough, but he’s also cold and stand-offish — and he doesn’t seem to like Callie one bit. Nevertheless, Callie’s cheerful, stubborn disposition won’t allow her to give up on Ian, and she soon finds herself developing feelings for him. But when Mark begins showing signs of interest in Callie again, will she choose the man she’s always wanted or the man who truly wants her?

I’ll admit it: I set aside my very long book about the Hundred Years’ War so that I could jump right into some romance. 🙂 As with the other Kristan Higgins books I’ve read, I enjoyed this one. Callie is a lovable heroine, who may have occasional “emotional diarrhea” (in the words of our hero) but is also sweet-natured and patient with everyone around her. As for Ian, well, what’s not to like about a guy who is described as looking like a Russian assassin but who is petrified of a group of 5-year-old girls? I think Too Good to Be True is a bit more polished than this book — maybe this is an earlier effort; I’m not sure. But it’s still a fun read and a great way to spend an evening!

Review: The Karma Club

August 26, 2012Leave a comment

Jessica Brody, The Karma Club

Maddy is a high school senior who’s thrilled to be dating Mason, an all-around great catch (good student, good athlete, class president) who’s just been profiled in a teen magazine. So when she catches him making out with another girl, she’s crushed. She doesn’t know how to make sense of what’s happened to her — that is, until she goes on a spiritual retreat and learns about the concept of karma. Maddy loves the idea that the universe will balance itself out and that Mason will be punished for what he did to her. But when karma doesn’t seem to be moving quickly enough, Maddy — with the help of her two best friends — decides to take matters into her own hands.

I won this book via some kind of read-a-thon challenge several years ago, and the other day I picked it up while searching for a light YA read. Unfortunately, I wasn’t particularly impressed, mostly because Maddy irritated the heck out of me. She is ridiculously immature for much of the novel, using (or, more accurately, severely misusing) the concept of karma to get revenge on the people who have wronged her. Some of her schemes of vengeance are extremely dangerous and could have terrible consequences — as when she frames a loutish classmate for shoplifting. I mean, he could have gotten arrested, which could have negatively impacted his entire life! I think I was supposed to find these escapades funny, but I just got angry at how thoughtless Maddy was being. Granted, she “learns her lesson” in the end, but by then it was too little, too late. Not recommended, even for YA fans.

Review: Bachelor Boys

August 21, 2012Leave a comment

Kate Saunders, Bachelor Boys

Cassie Shaw grew up next door to the Darling family, who gave her the warmth and affection that her own family lacked. She would do anything for the Darlings, especially for Phoebe, whom Cassie has loved as a mother all her life. Now Phoebe is dying of leukemia, and she’s worried about her two sons, Fritz and Ben. She asks Cassie to find suitable wives for her boys so that they’ll have someone to take care of them when Phoebe is gone. Cassie has no choice but to agree with Phoebe’s plan, but secretly she has reservations. Fritz and Ben are both incredibly handsome and charming, but they’re also unemployed and living in their mother’s basement. How can she turn these unkempt bachelors into marriage material — especially when all her efforts at matchmaking seem to go catastrophically wrong?

I don’t have too much to say about this book. It’s fairly typical chick lit, and I found it a quick and entertaining read. Cassie is a likable narrator and comes across as very self-aware — though that doesn’t prevent her from making some absolutely terrible decisions. I’m not sure how I feel about Fritz and Ben, honestly. The book attempts to redeem them, but they are consistently portrayed as immature and careless in their everyday lives. The bright spot of the book is Phoebe, and the other characters are at their best in their relationships with her. Of course, her sweetness and charm make her inevitable death all the more heartbreaking, and I actually teared up in a few places. So I can’t exactly characterize this book as a “light” read, but I did enjoy it. I didn’t completely buy into the romance, but the book is entertaining enough for an afternoon or two.

Review: Garden Spells

August 16, 20127 Comments

Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells

Everyone in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, knows that there’s something strange about the Waverleys. Flowers bloom in their garden all year round, and the apple tree in their yard has certain unusual properties. Claire Waverley has lived in Bascom since childhood and is happy to embrace her special role as a Waverley. By contrast, her sister Sydney left town after high school and has been constantly on the move ever since. The two sisters have never gotten along; but when Sydney unexpectedly returns to Bascom with her daughter Bay in tow, they must find a way to heal their relationship and face the consequences of their respective pasts.

I love Sarah Addison Allen’s books, and Garden Spells is certainly no exception. Allen’s writing is lush, magical, and romantic; while I’m normally not a big fan of flowery descriptions, in this case they contribute to the vivid atmosphere. Both Claire and Sydney are well-drawn characters in whom I became very invested, and the secondary characters are also quirky and interesting. I especially liked Evanelle, an elderly Waverley woman who is occasionally compelled to give people random objects that they later turn out to need. My only quibble is that Bay seems a bit precocious for a 5-year-old, but it didn’t bother me that much. I’d definitely recommend this book, and Sarah Addison Allen in general, to people looking for light fiction with a unique twist. Unfortunately I only have one of her books left to discover, The Girl Who Chased the Moon. Hopefully she’ll write another one soon!

Review: Too Good to Be True

August 13, 2012Leave a comment

Kristan Higgins, Too Good to Be True

Grace Emerson doesn’t consider herself a particularly pitiable person. She loves her job teaching American history. She has her own house and an adorable dog named Angus. But when her fiancé dumps her and begins dating her younger sister instead, Grace discovers that everyone in her family feels sorry for her. To escape their pity, Grace tells them that she’s started dating someone else — a wonderful, handsome, sensitive pediatric surgeon. Too bad he’s fictional — unlike Grace’s sexy new neighbor, Callahan O’Shea, whose sarcastic barbs annoy Grace even as she finds herself increasingly attracted to him.

This is my second encounter with Kristan Higgins (after Just One of the Guys), and I think I can safely say I’ve found a new author to enjoy. Every once in a while I just want to read a light, fluffy contemporary romance, and Higgins definitely fits the bill. Her books are a little unconventional for the romance genre, for two reasons: (1) there are almost no sex scenes — she mostly uses the fade-to-black approach — and (2) the story is only told from the heroine’s point of view. That’s one aspect of the book I didn’t like so much; I would have loved to see some of the events from Callahan’s perspective. But other than that, I enjoyed this book a lot. I especially liked the fact that there was no Big Misunderstanding keeping Grace and Cal apart. The obstacles to the romance are realistic and don’t seem contrived. I’ll definitely seek out more by Higgins in the future.

Review: Flat-Out Love

August 6, 20124 Comments

Jessica Park, Flat-Out Love

When Julie Seagle moves to Boston for college and her housing plans fall through, she desperately needs a new place to stay. An old friend of her mother’s, Erin Watkins, offers her free room and board until she can make other arrangements. Julie is immediately drawn to the Watkins family but is concerned about their daughter Celeste, who clearly has serious psychological issues. The closer Julie grows to the Watkinses, particularly their two sons Finn and Matt, the more attached she becomes. But the key to Celeste’s behavior is a devastating secret that may destroy both the Watkins family and Julie’s newfound romance.

I normally don’t read self-published books, but this one received such a positive review from Janicu that I had to track down my own copy. I have to say, I was very impressed with the quality of my edition (pictured): I’m pretty sure I only spotted one typo! As for the book itself, I really enjoyed it. The love story turned out just like I wanted it to. As for the “shocking” secret, I guessed it long before Julie did, but I was happy to wait for her to discover it for herself. Also, I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed Celeste’s character. Normally precocious children, whether fictional or real, irritate me to no end. In this case, though, I genuinely found her amusing. Overall, I really liked this book and will be interested to see what Jessica Park may write in the future.

You Book Me All Night Long

Tag: contemporary