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The Intoxicating Passions Box set is the complete serial series. It has all five serial/novella parts to the Intoxicating Passions series. This is the only way I like to read serials. I like it when they are all boxed up together in an ebook so that I can read them all together one right after another. It is nice because they are so short that when I read them all back to back they are like reading a full length novel. I thought the story parts were divided nicely. Each one had a good kind of cresendo ending, and they each made me want to continue on to the next part.
This is the story of Korah and Dane. Korah has been hurt in the past very badly by an ex boyfriend and because of that she is very distrustful of guys. Dane is the typical love em and leave guy. One night at a time. I liked how we got to know each of the characters a little before they even met each other. That was nice because when they did meet, I already cared about Korah. As for Dane, getting a little background on the kind of guy he was helped so me all of the character growth that he eventually had. His growth and development was not instantaneous by any means. He still messed up along the way, and some of his actions were a bit frustrating to me, but you can’t help but have him grow on you a little. Korah didn’t make it super easy for him either. She held him accountable for his choices, just as she should have.
The story is told in Dual narrative between Dane and Korah. It was perfect for plot development of the story. I like it when we see the same story growing from the guy and the girl. It is always fun for me to get into a guys head and poke around a bit. Overall, intoxicating passions is a fun love story told in short little serial bits. They are like watching 30 min tv show episodes of the two of them. It is a good instant gratification type book. One that I enjoyed and was a quick read.
The Intoxicating Passions Box set is the complete serial series. It has all five serial/novella parts to the Intoxicating Passions series. This is the only way I like to read serials. I like it when they are all boxed up together in an ebook so that I can read them all together one right after another. It is nice because they are so short that when I read them all back to back they are like reading a full length novel. I thought the story parts were divided nicely. Each one had a good kind of cresendo ending, and they each made me want to continue on to the next part.
This is the story of Korah and Dane. Korah has been hurt in the past very badly by an ex boyfriend and because of that she is very distrustful of guys. Dane is the typical love em and leave guy. One night at a time. I liked how we got to know each of the characters a little before they even met each other. That was nice because when they did meet, I already cared about Korah. As for Dane, getting a little background on the kind of guy he was helped so me all of the character growth that he eventually had. His growth and development was not instantaneous by any means. He still messed up along the way, and some of his actions were a bit frustrating to me, but you can’t help but have him grow on you a little. Korah didn’t make it super easy for him either. She held him accountable for his choices, just as she should have.
The story is told in Dual narrative between Dane and Korah. It was perfect for plot development of the story. I like it when we see the same story growing from the guy and the girl. It is always fun for me to get into a guys head and poke around a bit. Overall, intoxicating passions is a fun love story told in short little serial bits. They are like watching 30 min tv show episodes of the two of them. It is a good instant gratification type book. One that I enjoyed and was a quick read.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
Essence takes place in two time periods. The chapters alternate between the present, 2009 and 1848. I really enjoyed trying to piece the mystery of what was happening together. I liked reading the dual stories because I just couldn't pinpoint what exactly was happening. Some of the characters were the same, but many of the characters in the two time periods were different not only in name, but also in personality. So I just couldn't figure out if they were all going to have "future/past" selves or if only one person was time traveling, or if it was something paranormal. But then again, that is kind of the point of the whole book. Trying to figure out just what was going on. And I thought the answer was really very interesting. I will warn you though, you have to wait pretty much the whole book, until the answer is revealed. It was kind of frustrating, but effective because now I really want to read the next book because I want to see how everything is going to work out.
Jocelyn is the main girl in the story, in both time periods. I really liked Jocelyn. In the past she was inquisitive and she loved to learn. She was unhappy with the role of women at the time because she wanted to go to university like all of her brothers. I liked her intelligence and spunk. She still was very true to the customs, but she wasn't blindly accepting of them. She wished things could be different. Jackson was her fiance in this time period and they are both very much in love. They have known each other their whole lives and their relationship is very sweet.
Flash forward to 2009 and Jackson moves in across the street from Jocelyn, who is a more confident version of her 1848 self. She excels in school and in sports and she seems really happy with her life. I liked 2009 Jocelyn a lot, maybe even more than past Jocelyn because she was getting to do what she always wanted. But every time Jocelyn sees Jackson she started feeling sick and when they touch she blacks out. This would freak me out so much. I would be as far away from him as possible. I thought it was strange that no one else put two and two together that these episodes were only happening in Jackson's presence. But for me they only added to the mystery. I had to see how they fit into it all. 2009 Jackson came on a little strong for my tastes, but he grew on me. I liked how determined and set he was on hanging out with Jocelyn.
My only critique of Essence was that the book was a little slow. It seemed like the whole book was setting the stage for book 2, where I feel like the real story will begin. That may not be a fair assessment, because there was a ton of character development and ground setting, but not a whole lot in plot advancement happened. It was still a really interesting story, and the reveal at the end took me by surprise, but I feel like the real action will be in book 2. At least I hope it is because I am interested in this series, but I hope the pace picks up a little. I am interested in seeing how Jackson and Jocelyn handle everything now. I anticipate enjoying book 2 more than this first book. Overall, Essence is an interesting concept, and is a lovely description of how different life can be for a girl in 1848 and 2009, with a large dash of mystery thrown in.
Essence takes place in two time periods. The chapters alternate between the present, 2009 and 1848. I really enjoyed trying to piece the mystery of what was happening together. I liked reading the dual stories because I just couldn't pinpoint what exactly was happening. Some of the characters were the same, but many of the characters in the two time periods were different not only in name, but also in personality. So I just couldn't figure out if they were all going to have "future/past" selves or if only one person was time traveling, or if it was something paranormal. But then again, that is kind of the point of the whole book. Trying to figure out just what was going on. And I thought the answer was really very interesting. I will warn you though, you have to wait pretty much the whole book, until the answer is revealed. It was kind of frustrating, but effective because now I really want to read the next book because I want to see how everything is going to work out.
Jocelyn is the main girl in the story, in both time periods. I really liked Jocelyn. In the past she was inquisitive and she loved to learn. She was unhappy with the role of women at the time because she wanted to go to university like all of her brothers. I liked her intelligence and spunk. She still was very true to the customs, but she wasn't blindly accepting of them. She wished things could be different. Jackson was her fiance in this time period and they are both very much in love. They have known each other their whole lives and their relationship is very sweet.
Flash forward to 2009 and Jackson moves in across the street from Jocelyn, who is a more confident version of her 1848 self. She excels in school and in sports and she seems really happy with her life. I liked 2009 Jocelyn a lot, maybe even more than past Jocelyn because she was getting to do what she always wanted. But every time Jocelyn sees Jackson she started feeling sick and when they touch she blacks out. This would freak me out so much. I would be as far away from him as possible. I thought it was strange that no one else put two and two together that these episodes were only happening in Jackson's presence. But for me they only added to the mystery. I had to see how they fit into it all. 2009 Jackson came on a little strong for my tastes, but he grew on me. I liked how determined and set he was on hanging out with Jocelyn.
My only critique of Essence was that the book was a little slow. It seemed like the whole book was setting the stage for book 2, where I feel like the real story will begin. That may not be a fair assessment, because there was a ton of character development and ground setting, but not a whole lot in plot advancement happened. It was still a really interesting story, and the reveal at the end took me by surprise, but I feel like the real action will be in book 2. At least I hope it is because I am interested in this series, but I hope the pace picks up a little. I am interested in seeing how Jackson and Jocelyn handle everything now. I anticipate enjoying book 2 more than this first book. Overall, Essence is an interesting concept, and is a lovely description of how different life can be for a girl in 1848 and 2009, with a large dash of mystery thrown in.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
Breakaway will have a story or two in it for everyone. Whether you like light and fluffy, dark and gritty, cute, sexy, or smokin' hot, there are stories that will satisfy any romantic craving. I absolutely loved Breakaway. It was perfect for getting my quick romantic fixes. The stories were varying lengths and had completely different feels to them. I gravitated towards the longer stories and the cute and fun ones. But some of the darker ones were really interesting. I thought it was a really eclectic mix of Spring Break tales, but all of them had a very new adult vibe to them. Some of them were downright hot hot hot.
I liked a few of the stories so much that I had to drop everything, look the author up and write to them about their other books and buy them. I was also pleasantly surprised at how many stories there were in the book. It seemed like a pretty good length book, and there were 13 different stories for you to drink up and enjoy.
My favorite story in the book was Bunsen Burner Bingo by Penny Reid. And a few of my other top picks were Spider on a Plane by Ilsa Madden-Mills, Color Me Bad by Linda Barlow, Bling Ring in Mexico by Carly Carson, and Contacts by Farrah Farside.
Bunsen Burner Bingo was just beyond adorable. I want to see a full length book with the story of Katy and Martin. I loved that Martin was both this super smart science geek and a hot frat guy. Katy was someone who was burned in the past and hides behind her clothes and her science. This short story was laugh out loud funny and I want more!
Spider on a Plane was really cute too. It left me wanting more because of how everything ended. It is just begging for another scene once they get back to the house. Color Me Bad was awesome because of how long it was. It felt like the most completed story in the whole bunch. I felt like I got to know the characters the best, and the story was so full of twists and turns. Linda Barlow is someone I need to watch out for. If she could do that much in a novella, I must see what she can do with a full length.
Bling Ring in Mexico was a really sweet romance between two classmates that never got to know each other in school. Plus there is swimming with dolphins, how can you resist that? Contacts was a really great story about some girl who was getting used big time by a guy and gets swept off her feet by a much much nicer guy. Just the kind of thing to make me swoon. This is another one that I really want to see a full length book made out of.
I really enjoyed Breakaway. It put me right in the mood for summer. Fans of spring break, of new adult or of romance should check this book out. Read them one at a time when you are looking for a quick romance fix or read it all in one setting because you can't get enough of the fun, either way, Breakaway is sure to please.
Breakaway will have a story or two in it for everyone. Whether you like light and fluffy, dark and gritty, cute, sexy, or smokin' hot, there are stories that will satisfy any romantic craving. I absolutely loved Breakaway. It was perfect for getting my quick romantic fixes. The stories were varying lengths and had completely different feels to them. I gravitated towards the longer stories and the cute and fun ones. But some of the darker ones were really interesting. I thought it was a really eclectic mix of Spring Break tales, but all of them had a very new adult vibe to them. Some of them were downright hot hot hot.
I liked a few of the stories so much that I had to drop everything, look the author up and write to them about their other books and buy them. I was also pleasantly surprised at how many stories there were in the book. It seemed like a pretty good length book, and there were 13 different stories for you to drink up and enjoy.
My favorite story in the book was Bunsen Burner Bingo by Penny Reid. And a few of my other top picks were Spider on a Plane by Ilsa Madden-Mills, Color Me Bad by Linda Barlow, Bling Ring in Mexico by Carly Carson, and Contacts by Farrah Farside.
Bunsen Burner Bingo was just beyond adorable. I want to see a full length book with the story of Katy and Martin. I loved that Martin was both this super smart science geek and a hot frat guy. Katy was someone who was burned in the past and hides behind her clothes and her science. This short story was laugh out loud funny and I want more!
Spider on a Plane was really cute too. It left me wanting more because of how everything ended. It is just begging for another scene once they get back to the house. Color Me Bad was awesome because of how long it was. It felt like the most completed story in the whole bunch. I felt like I got to know the characters the best, and the story was so full of twists and turns. Linda Barlow is someone I need to watch out for. If she could do that much in a novella, I must see what she can do with a full length.
Bling Ring in Mexico was a really sweet romance between two classmates that never got to know each other in school. Plus there is swimming with dolphins, how can you resist that? Contacts was a really great story about some girl who was getting used big time by a guy and gets swept off her feet by a much much nicer guy. Just the kind of thing to make me swoon. This is another one that I really want to see a full length book made out of.
I really enjoyed Breakaway. It put me right in the mood for summer. Fans of spring break, of new adult or of romance should check this book out. Read them one at a time when you are looking for a quick romance fix or read it all in one setting because you can't get enough of the fun, either way, Breakaway is sure to please.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
Open Road Summer is a really heartwarming tale of two best friends. Dee is a country music rising star. She is a teen music idol, and she is going on a summer tour. But what is awesome about the story is that she is the famous secondary character. The main character of the story is her best friend, Reagan. We still got to see Reagan and Dee be goofballs together, but this was Reagan's coming of age story. Hers and Matt. Matt was part of a family tween music group and now he is a solo performer. Teen heartthrob- all that. He is just a big ole sweetheart.
Reagan is a tough nut to crack. She seriously does not give anyone a pass. You can easily tell how much she loves Dee and how she would do anything for her, but other than Dee everyone kind of got the tough girl act. She would not give Matt an inch when she first met him. I thought it was cute that Matt liked her feisty side, and it was so much fun watching them banter back and forth. I loved how great of friends Dee and Matt were and I thought it was sweet when Reagan finally decided that Matt had good intentions and started to open up to him.
Matt, Dee and Reagan were each dealing with their own demons, and throughout the course of Open Road Summer we got learn about all of them and watch how they handled them. It was really a great story about each of the three friends. It was easy to forget how young they were(17 and 19) because they were handling with such grown up things. But they each snapped once or twice. None of them were perfect. Sometimes they were immature, sometimes they would lash out at another one without meaning too. But they always seemed very real.
Open Road Summer is a book that will make you smile, it will make you frown. It will make you feel connected to each and every one of the characters. Emery Lord did a wonderful job with her debut novel. It is so easy to fall in love with the characters- even Reagan will steal a piece of your heart. Even with her tough chick act, and her steel walls; she will make you believe in her and make you root for her. There are no love triangles, no unsupportive friends, no huge jerks(well there is one, but he was in the past the whole time. So I should say no current jerks.). It is just a really great story about friendship and love.
Open Road Summer is a really heartwarming tale of two best friends. Dee is a country music rising star. She is a teen music idol, and she is going on a summer tour. But what is awesome about the story is that she is the famous secondary character. The main character of the story is her best friend, Reagan. We still got to see Reagan and Dee be goofballs together, but this was Reagan's coming of age story. Hers and Matt. Matt was part of a family tween music group and now he is a solo performer. Teen heartthrob- all that. He is just a big ole sweetheart.
Reagan is a tough nut to crack. She seriously does not give anyone a pass. You can easily tell how much she loves Dee and how she would do anything for her, but other than Dee everyone kind of got the tough girl act. She would not give Matt an inch when she first met him. I thought it was cute that Matt liked her feisty side, and it was so much fun watching them banter back and forth. I loved how great of friends Dee and Matt were and I thought it was sweet when Reagan finally decided that Matt had good intentions and started to open up to him.
Matt, Dee and Reagan were each dealing with their own demons, and throughout the course of Open Road Summer we got learn about all of them and watch how they handled them. It was really a great story about each of the three friends. It was easy to forget how young they were(17 and 19) because they were handling with such grown up things. But they each snapped once or twice. None of them were perfect. Sometimes they were immature, sometimes they would lash out at another one without meaning too. But they always seemed very real.
Open Road Summer is a book that will make you smile, it will make you frown. It will make you feel connected to each and every one of the characters. Emery Lord did a wonderful job with her debut novel. It is so easy to fall in love with the characters- even Reagan will steal a piece of your heart. Even with her tough chick act, and her steel walls; she will make you believe in her and make you root for her. There are no love triangles, no unsupportive friends, no huge jerks(well there is one, but he was in the past the whole time. So I should say no current jerks.). It is just a really great story about friendship and love.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
The Looking Glass is a really interesting take on a re-telling. The girls name is Alice, and she ends up on the other side of a mirror, but that is about where the similarities stop. Jessica Arnold has created a completely new, creepy, intriguing and utterly fascinating world in her spooky hotel. I loved watching Alice explore it, both through the diary she finds and through running from room to room. I felt Alice's pressure the whole book, just hanging there in the air. I felt like I had to keep reading because if I didn't then Alice would run out of time to figure out whatever she needed to figure out to get out of that house and back to the real hotel. I loved that she was transported to basically an alternate mirror world of the hotel where she was vacationing with her family.
I will admit that I was kind of confused when I started reading the book, but this is the kind of book where you just go with it. Alice is just as confused as the reader, if not more, and you are trapped in her world. You only get to know what she knows, and there is something cool and exciting about that kind of writing. I thought Jessica Arnold did a wonderful job with the detail in this book. The hotel sprung to life before my eyes while I was reading. The little girl that no one in the real hotel could see never failed to give me goosebumps and shivers. I felt like the book was a little slow at the start but it was probably just for setting the scene purposes. As the book got going it did start to pick up momentum.
I loved watching Alice try to figure out what was happening to her and just how she could fix it. And at the same time we got to learn the story of the hotel and of Elizabeth. It was a cool dual sotryline going on. Reading The Looking Glass was a real experience for me. I could easily see this book translating into a movie. It would be creepy and intense and pretty awesome. The Looking Glass was really unique. I haven't read a re-telling quite like this one.
The Looking Glass is a really interesting take on a re-telling. The girls name is Alice, and she ends up on the other side of a mirror, but that is about where the similarities stop. Jessica Arnold has created a completely new, creepy, intriguing and utterly fascinating world in her spooky hotel. I loved watching Alice explore it, both through the diary she finds and through running from room to room. I felt Alice's pressure the whole book, just hanging there in the air. I felt like I had to keep reading because if I didn't then Alice would run out of time to figure out whatever she needed to figure out to get out of that house and back to the real hotel. I loved that she was transported to basically an alternate mirror world of the hotel where she was vacationing with her family.
I will admit that I was kind of confused when I started reading the book, but this is the kind of book where you just go with it. Alice is just as confused as the reader, if not more, and you are trapped in her world. You only get to know what she knows, and there is something cool and exciting about that kind of writing. I thought Jessica Arnold did a wonderful job with the detail in this book. The hotel sprung to life before my eyes while I was reading. The little girl that no one in the real hotel could see never failed to give me goosebumps and shivers. I felt like the book was a little slow at the start but it was probably just for setting the scene purposes. As the book got going it did start to pick up momentum.
I loved watching Alice try to figure out what was happening to her and just how she could fix it. And at the same time we got to learn the story of the hotel and of Elizabeth. It was a cool dual sotryline going on. Reading The Looking Glass was a real experience for me. I could easily see this book translating into a movie. It would be creepy and intense and pretty awesome. The Looking Glass was really unique. I haven't read a re-telling quite like this one.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
I have been really excited for 16 Things I thought Were True for a really long time now. It was in my waiting on Wednesday two months ago and I have been counting down the days until I got my hands this book. And even with my crazy high expectations, 16 Things I Thought were True still managed to pretty much blow my mind. I was so impressed and MOVED by this book. At first I thought it was going to be a funny and cute road trip story. And it was both of those things, but it also ended up being so much more.
Morgan is an interesting character. I saw interesting because she is really complex. I liked her a lot, but she did have her "teen" moments. There were times where she was selfish and kind of petulant, but you just can't help but feel for what she is going through. Not only is there the whole issue going on with a viral video of her on the internet, but she is also dealing with her mom's sudden heart problem. Add in her discovery of who her father is and she is pretty much on teen drama overload. Insert a fun roadtrip with a super sweet guy and a bubbly and infectious girl from work and this book was turning out to be so much fun. I loved how the chapter titles were each one of the things that Morgan thought were true.
I loved Adam and Amy. Adam just seems so genuine and nice. It was crazy that he was seen as a mean guy, "jerk" at work, because I saw him as anything but that. And Amy- holy cow! Amy is like a whirlwind, constantly in your face, constantly talking. She made me smile. She bugged Morgan at the start, but I couldn't get enough of her. She never failed to make me smile. I think she would be so much fun to have along for a road trip. I loved how the three of them bonded throughout the story. Neither Morgan nor Amy have many friends, Morgan because of her internet video, and Amy because she has been home-schooled and is a little intense for people, but they found a real bond in each other. It was pretty beautiful. Plus the romance with Adam was so cute. It was slow and believable and will make you smile.
16 Things I thought were True also has a whole other side to it. It is cute and laugh out loud funny, but it is also emotional and poignant, and soul searching. This book had be full out bawling, which took me by complete surprise. It just touched me. Morgan, Amy and Adam touched me. I became a part of them, and their story just became so real to me. Janet Gurtler has made an instant fan of me. 16 Things I Thought were true is incredible. This is a book that needs to be on everyone's must read list.
I have been really excited for 16 Things I thought Were True for a really long time now. It was in my waiting on Wednesday two months ago and I have been counting down the days until I got my hands this book. And even with my crazy high expectations, 16 Things I Thought were True still managed to pretty much blow my mind. I was so impressed and MOVED by this book. At first I thought it was going to be a funny and cute road trip story. And it was both of those things, but it also ended up being so much more.
Morgan is an interesting character. I saw interesting because she is really complex. I liked her a lot, but she did have her "teen" moments. There were times where she was selfish and kind of petulant, but you just can't help but feel for what she is going through. Not only is there the whole issue going on with a viral video of her on the internet, but she is also dealing with her mom's sudden heart problem. Add in her discovery of who her father is and she is pretty much on teen drama overload. Insert a fun roadtrip with a super sweet guy and a bubbly and infectious girl from work and this book was turning out to be so much fun. I loved how the chapter titles were each one of the things that Morgan thought were true.
I loved Adam and Amy. Adam just seems so genuine and nice. It was crazy that he was seen as a mean guy, "jerk" at work, because I saw him as anything but that. And Amy- holy cow! Amy is like a whirlwind, constantly in your face, constantly talking. She made me smile. She bugged Morgan at the start, but I couldn't get enough of her. She never failed to make me smile. I think she would be so much fun to have along for a road trip. I loved how the three of them bonded throughout the story. Neither Morgan nor Amy have many friends, Morgan because of her internet video, and Amy because she has been home-schooled and is a little intense for people, but they found a real bond in each other. It was pretty beautiful. Plus the romance with Adam was so cute. It was slow and believable and will make you smile.
16 Things I thought were True also has a whole other side to it. It is cute and laugh out loud funny, but it is also emotional and poignant, and soul searching. This book had be full out bawling, which took me by complete surprise. It just touched me. Morgan, Amy and Adam touched me. I became a part of them, and their story just became so real to me. Janet Gurtler has made an instant fan of me. 16 Things I Thought were true is incredible. This is a book that needs to be on everyone's must read list.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
Give Me Reason is the first book (or Novella, because it was pretty short) in the reason series. The reason series is now out in a four book set, so you can read them one right after the other. I love that, because it is so convenient to be able to just keep going after you finish the first book. Give Me Reason deals with abuse and some darker themes. It wasn't a happy book by any means.
We got to know Vivienne and a little of what she is going through and what she has gone through, but most of everything else is still a mystery. I saw Give Me Reason as the foundation layer to the reason series. We met Vivienne and Mikah, and we started to get to know them, but we hardly learned anything about Mikah at all. I do know that he is an incredible guy, but I still have no idea why he is doing what he is doing for Vivienne. And I don't blame her for being skeptical of his help. From her perspective, he was just a diner in her restaurant one night and then all of a sudden he was throwing money at her and taking care of her for no apparent reason. The only reason we got was from the very start of the story, where he had this feeling and this pull towards her. I'm not sure that even he knows what it means yet, but I can't wait to find out more about him in the next couple of books. I really like him and this start to the series was just enough to get my intrigue piqued.
Give Me Reason had a few slow moments in the middle, but the book really picked up momentum towards the end. The ending was intense and scary and crazy, and it made me super happy that I had the next book just a page flip away. I think once we get some more answers about Mikah in the next book this story will really be on a roll. Interesting start to a series with real potential.
Give Me Reason is the first book (or Novella, because it was pretty short) in the reason series. The reason series is now out in a four book set, so you can read them one right after the other. I love that, because it is so convenient to be able to just keep going after you finish the first book. Give Me Reason deals with abuse and some darker themes. It wasn't a happy book by any means.
We got to know Vivienne and a little of what she is going through and what she has gone through, but most of everything else is still a mystery. I saw Give Me Reason as the foundation layer to the reason series. We met Vivienne and Mikah, and we started to get to know them, but we hardly learned anything about Mikah at all. I do know that he is an incredible guy, but I still have no idea why he is doing what he is doing for Vivienne. And I don't blame her for being skeptical of his help. From her perspective, he was just a diner in her restaurant one night and then all of a sudden he was throwing money at her and taking care of her for no apparent reason. The only reason we got was from the very start of the story, where he had this feeling and this pull towards her. I'm not sure that even he knows what it means yet, but I can't wait to find out more about him in the next couple of books. I really like him and this start to the series was just enough to get my intrigue piqued.
Give Me Reason had a few slow moments in the middle, but the book really picked up momentum towards the end. The ending was intense and scary and crazy, and it made me super happy that I had the next book just a page flip away. I think once we get some more answers about Mikah in the next book this story will really be on a roll. Interesting start to a series with real potential.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
I am a big fan of the Fractured Light series. The second book, Fractured Soul left off with such a sad ending that I was a little nervous to pick up this book. A good amount of time passed from from when I read book 2 to book 3 and as soon as I started reading I remembered the sad events that took place, and I was heartbroken again along side Llona. Fractured Truth has a darker feel than the first two books. Most of the characters are dealing with some kind of darkness of their own and it shaped the story. I really liked the continuing themes of light v. darkness. And what I liked most about Fractured truth was that it wasn't so much good v. evil. The lines became blurred as each of the characters really tried to find out what was going on personally and where they would fit into this huge battle.
There were all kinds of new creatures added to the Fractured Light world. We got to meet the witches that had something to do with "the shadow" from the second book. We also got to meet some Lycans and of course there was lots of page time for the dreaded Vykens.
I love Llona. She really makes the book for me. I think she is so fiesty and she really stands up for what she believes in. But at the same time, she really embodies the goodness that Auras are known for. She just does it in a different way. I also loved seeing her interact with Liam more. I was the biggest Christian supporter in the first two books so I was wary of Liam, but we saw a completely different side to Christian in Fractured truth. Is he light or dark? That is something you will have to read to find out, but I am telling you this. You will be on the edge of your seat the whole time you are reading Fractured Truth.
It is nonstop action from the first page to the last. The book starts out by capturing an enemy by way of jumping out of a plane. How is that for starting with a bang?! The world that Rachel McClellan has created never ceased to fascinate me. I love watching the Auras powers, and I loved seeing Llona finally get to teach some of them how to defend themselves. This is not your average vampire or werewolf YA. Rachel McClellan has created a rich, detailed and UNIQUE world full of action, mystery and plenty of bad guy butt kicking. Her writing brings the world to life and she has created an impressive amount of depth in her characters and story themes. All of the books in the Fractured Light series are great. Fractured Truth is an epic conclusion, but I would love to see more from Llona in the future. I just love her.
I am a big fan of the Fractured Light series. The second book, Fractured Soul left off with such a sad ending that I was a little nervous to pick up this book. A good amount of time passed from from when I read book 2 to book 3 and as soon as I started reading I remembered the sad events that took place, and I was heartbroken again along side Llona. Fractured Truth has a darker feel than the first two books. Most of the characters are dealing with some kind of darkness of their own and it shaped the story. I really liked the continuing themes of light v. darkness. And what I liked most about Fractured truth was that it wasn't so much good v. evil. The lines became blurred as each of the characters really tried to find out what was going on personally and where they would fit into this huge battle.
There were all kinds of new creatures added to the Fractured Light world. We got to meet the witches that had something to do with "the shadow" from the second book. We also got to meet some Lycans and of course there was lots of page time for the dreaded Vykens.
I love Llona. She really makes the book for me. I think she is so fiesty and she really stands up for what she believes in. But at the same time, she really embodies the goodness that Auras are known for. She just does it in a different way. I also loved seeing her interact with Liam more. I was the biggest Christian supporter in the first two books so I was wary of Liam, but we saw a completely different side to Christian in Fractured truth. Is he light or dark? That is something you will have to read to find out, but I am telling you this. You will be on the edge of your seat the whole time you are reading Fractured Truth.
It is nonstop action from the first page to the last. The book starts out by capturing an enemy by way of jumping out of a plane. How is that for starting with a bang?! The world that Rachel McClellan has created never ceased to fascinate me. I love watching the Auras powers, and I loved seeing Llona finally get to teach some of them how to defend themselves. This is not your average vampire or werewolf YA. Rachel McClellan has created a rich, detailed and UNIQUE world full of action, mystery and plenty of bad guy butt kicking. Her writing brings the world to life and she has created an impressive amount of depth in her characters and story themes. All of the books in the Fractured Light series are great. Fractured Truth is an epic conclusion, but I would love to see more from Llona in the future. I just love her.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
Understudy is a young adult high school play story. It ended up being super cute. I can't get enough of stories that center around plays, but Understudy had all of the aspects that I love about this sub-genre theme, and yet it still felt kind of different. Wren's aunt is the theater theater at the school and she wrote the script to the play. Wren tried out for the lead role, and her aunt had the audacity to tell her not fat AT ALL NIECE that she didn't get the part because she was too fat for it. It should come as no surprise that I didn't like Wren's Aunt. And then after a couple of lackluster practices, the aunt over dramatically packs up and leaves her job! I mean talk about immature. She was worse than her students! The play is left without a director, so Wren is kind of forced into that role. This book because just as much the opportunity for Wren to step up to the challenge of putting on a play as a high school senior as it is a cute love story.
Wren is a likable girl. She doesn't label people. Right off the bat she has a crush on the "bad-toy". Her friend says he is bad news and never really gives him a chance but when Wren works on props for the play with him he seems about as nice as they come. I really liked how Derek was with Wren. He is super sweet. And you just know that there is some secret out there that will redeem him. I kept thinking that his reputation just had to be wrong because Derek is always SO NICE. But Cheyanne Young keeps his secret hidden right up until the end.
Wren's Aunt never grows up throughout the story, but luckily she is the only character without growth. Wren really steps up and you don't only get to know her. You get to know a lot of the other students in the play and you get to see glimpses into their personalities as well. I really liked that. Just don't expect Auntie to wake up and grow up. It won't happen. I couldn't stand her, but luckily the main focus in this story is Wren, and I did really like her. I respected her. Even though Wren seemed pretty mature and grown up for her age, the story overall had a little bit of a younger YA feel. It suited the book perfectly. Now with the New Adult Genre, I appreciate when Young Adult books stay clearly in their genre and don't try to bleed into the New Adult age group. I like being able to pick up a book and tell right away that it is Young Adult or New Adult. And Understudy is Young Adult for sure. Understudy is a fun and cute story about a high school play and about finding love.
Understudy is a young adult high school play story. It ended up being super cute. I can't get enough of stories that center around plays, but Understudy had all of the aspects that I love about this sub-genre theme, and yet it still felt kind of different. Wren's aunt is the theater theater at the school and she wrote the script to the play. Wren tried out for the lead role, and her aunt had the audacity to tell her not fat AT ALL NIECE that she didn't get the part because she was too fat for it. It should come as no surprise that I didn't like Wren's Aunt. And then after a couple of lackluster practices, the aunt over dramatically packs up and leaves her job! I mean talk about immature. She was worse than her students! The play is left without a director, so Wren is kind of forced into that role. This book because just as much the opportunity for Wren to step up to the challenge of putting on a play as a high school senior as it is a cute love story.
Wren is a likable girl. She doesn't label people. Right off the bat she has a crush on the "bad-toy". Her friend says he is bad news and never really gives him a chance but when Wren works on props for the play with him he seems about as nice as they come. I really liked how Derek was with Wren. He is super sweet. And you just know that there is some secret out there that will redeem him. I kept thinking that his reputation just had to be wrong because Derek is always SO NICE. But Cheyanne Young keeps his secret hidden right up until the end.
Wren's Aunt never grows up throughout the story, but luckily she is the only character without growth. Wren really steps up and you don't only get to know her. You get to know a lot of the other students in the play and you get to see glimpses into their personalities as well. I really liked that. Just don't expect Auntie to wake up and grow up. It won't happen. I couldn't stand her, but luckily the main focus in this story is Wren, and I did really like her. I respected her. Even though Wren seemed pretty mature and grown up for her age, the story overall had a little bit of a younger YA feel. It suited the book perfectly. Now with the New Adult Genre, I appreciate when Young Adult books stay clearly in their genre and don't try to bleed into the New Adult age group. I like being able to pick up a book and tell right away that it is Young Adult or New Adult. And Understudy is Young Adult for sure. Understudy is a fun and cute story about a high school play and about finding love.
**See this full review and more at http://bookbriefs.net**
The Making of Nebraska Brown is so unlike anything I have read in years! It is jarring and emotional, thought provoking, and intriguing in all the best ways possible. This is my second book that I have had the pleasure of reading by the talented Louise Caiola and my biggest takeaway is that both of her books have made me feel so many things.
Ana or Ann wakes up on the ground in the middle of Italy with no memory of how she got there. Last thing she remembers is being on a farm in Nebraska, which she finds out was 2 years ago. But then the story shifts once she makes her way back to what apparently is her house in Italy. The problem reverse and suddenly she can only remember things from her recent life as she experiencing them and she can’t remember anything from her past. She doesn’t know who to trust and she certainly doesn’t know what happened to her. A ton of different theories flew around in my head, but I wasn’t right about a single one of them.
I became so attached to Ana. Her thought process felt like my own. I trusted her instincts so much that if she didn’t trust something or someone, I didn’t trust them. I felt like I was living the story through her eyes. Louise Caiola has a wonderful talent of being able to transport you inside of her stories. I couldn’t put The Making of Nebraska Brown down. (ha) I had to find out what the heck had happened to her.
I never fully trusted Tommy. I don’t know why, but something just seemed off about him. I will say, that even though I was never completely on board with him. I kind of hoped for a little more from him at the end of the story. I wanted a little more resolution with that part.
The Making of Nebraska Brown is a fascinating mystery. It had to have been so scary and jarring for Ana to experience all of this. Not knowing what the heck was going on. Not knowing what was real and what wasn’t. Having to question everything- even herself. I really felt for her. But not once did I think she was crazy. This book is like a super satisfying, albeit sometimes sad, puzzle. Not everything is happy go lucky but it was still really satisfying to watch her finally start to put some pieces together and see her get closer to some answers. I can’t say enough good things about how refreshing and well done this book is. Do yourself a favor and add this one to your TBR. You will be thanking me.
The Making of Nebraska Brown is so unlike anything I have read in years! It is jarring and emotional, thought provoking, and intriguing in all the best ways possible. This is my second book that I have had the pleasure of reading by the talented Louise Caiola and my biggest takeaway is that both of her books have made me feel so many things.
Ana or Ann wakes up on the ground in the middle of Italy with no memory of how she got there. Last thing she remembers is being on a farm in Nebraska, which she finds out was 2 years ago. But then the story shifts once she makes her way back to what apparently is her house in Italy. The problem reverse and suddenly she can only remember things from her recent life as she experiencing them and she can’t remember anything from her past. She doesn’t know who to trust and she certainly doesn’t know what happened to her. A ton of different theories flew around in my head, but I wasn’t right about a single one of them.
I became so attached to Ana. Her thought process felt like my own. I trusted her instincts so much that if she didn’t trust something or someone, I didn’t trust them. I felt like I was living the story through her eyes. Louise Caiola has a wonderful talent of being able to transport you inside of her stories. I couldn’t put The Making of Nebraska Brown down. (ha) I had to find out what the heck had happened to her.
I never fully trusted Tommy. I don’t know why, but something just seemed off about him. I will say, that even though I was never completely on board with him. I kind of hoped for a little more from him at the end of the story. I wanted a little more resolution with that part.
The Making of Nebraska Brown is a fascinating mystery. It had to have been so scary and jarring for Ana to experience all of this. Not knowing what the heck was going on. Not knowing what was real and what wasn’t. Having to question everything- even herself. I really felt for her. But not once did I think she was crazy. This book is like a super satisfying, albeit sometimes sad, puzzle. Not everything is happy go lucky but it was still really satisfying to watch her finally start to put some pieces together and see her get closer to some answers. I can’t say enough good things about how refreshing and well done this book is. Do yourself a favor and add this one to your TBR. You will be thanking me.