The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Title/Author: The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1) by Sara Shepard
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, December 7th 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: it sounded interesting.

Goodreads summary: "I had a life anyone would kill for.
Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does — an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.
Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me — to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?
Let the lying game begin."

Emma is the twin who seemingly got the short end of the stick. Dropping her of at a friend's house one day, Emma's mother never returned to pick her up and Emma hasn't seen her since. She's lived in foster homes and at the moment has an evil 'brother' who gets her thrown out yet again. A part of his scheme is a video he shows her fostermom of Emma being strangled as a sort of joke. Only one problem: it's not her. It's a girl who looks exactly like her, named Sutton. Emma didn't know she had a sister, let alone an identical twin. She tracks her down through Facebook and sends her a message to set up a meeting. She gets a message back, telling her where they can together. One minor detail: Sutton is dead, so who's sending the message?

When Emma arrives at the place, she's hauled inside by friends of her sister, no one seems to notice she's not Sutton and in the beginning she decides to play along, figuring Sutton will show up any minute. Except she doesn't. And now Emma's stuck playing the part, cause the one who killed Sutton wants her to keep pretending, or she'll be next.

It didn't sit well with me at first that literally no one noticed something off about 'Sutton', I like to think I would notice if one of my best friends was replaced. Even if it was by her identical twin. But later on we're shown that Sutton's 'friends' aren't what they seem to be and it leaves me wondering how much they really know about all of this.

Emma is shocked when she finds out some stuff about Sutton, The Lying Game for example. Sutton and her friends pull really extreme pranks on other people and even each other, which is ultimately the reason no one believes Emma when she claims to be Suttons long lost twin. Sutton's pulled stuff like that before. And apparently, no one informed Suttons adoptive parents of the fact she had a twin.

The fact you're not sure about any of the characters in the book makes it a great read! I didn't know what to expect, one minute the murderer seems to be one of her friends, then her sister.. It's all very paranoia inducing, which must be what it would be like to actually live it, the author did a really good job of expressing this through her writing.

Sutton herself has a voice in the story, she is forced to follow Emma around in her ghost-like state. She can only see what Emma sees, not remembering what happened herself, this and not being able to communicate with anyone frustrates her to no end. I really liked her, though I didn't like the girl she was alive if that makes sense. She seems to care more than she showed living and is shocked herself at the things she and her friends have done.

I'm looking forward to the next part of the series cause I NEED to find out what really happened!

My rating: 3.5 stars

Wicked Nights With A Lover by Sophie Jordan

Title/Author: Wicked Nights With A Lover (The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls #3) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, December 1st 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: did I mention yet that winter makes me want to read romance novels?

Marguerite Laurent has been making a living as a nurse to terminally ill patients. While caring for one of her patients, she runs into a fortuneteller who says she will die before the year is out. At first Marguerite shrugs it off, but after another prediction coming true, she decides she'll make the most of the time she has left. Step one is to take a lover. The night before she and her intended paramour are supposed to leave for Spain, she's summoned to the house of her father, who she's never met before. Leaving, she's abducted by the handsome Ash Courtland, a man who's helped her father build his empire and wants revenge on his business partner for betraying him. Ash is determined to marry one of the daughters, so as to get his hands on a larger part of the company. He wasn't expecting Marguerite to resist so much, even when it's clear she's attracted to him.
What Ash doesn't know is that the prediction foretold her death following her marriage. With mortal fear hanging over her will they find a way to be together after all?

As romance novels go, this was a really good one. I haven't read the other books in the series but I really enjoyed this one. It has the right mix of a likeable heroine, a swoonworthy, handsome man and enough storyline to give their lovestory a nice background.

Sophie Jordan has a way with words, the story flows nicely and I didn't want to put it down. Am I ever glad of owning and e-reader! I love the book, but I couldn't have taken it with me to work if I'd had the real thing, that cover would have been a bit embarassing, especially if patients got a look at it! I'm really not ashamed of reading romance novels, but the covers sometimes make me cringe a bit.

Anyway, let's forget about the cover: the book was great! Even though a voice in the back of my head said that this kind of story always ends well, I was still feeling anxious for Marguerite to be okay, cause everything pointed to her not surviving in the end.

The chemistry between Marguerite and Ash was great and I at least got tears in my eyes at some parts, which is always worth bonus points in my opinion. As villains go, Marguerite's father was a bully, but I was hoping to get a bit more information about him, his reasons and such.

There was one scene I didn't like: towards the end Marguerite uses sex to proove a point to Ash, which felt weird and as an unnecessary addition. Other than that I really enjoyed reading this book.

I was already looking forward to reading Firelight by the same author, but now I know her writing style is so engaging, I have even higher hopes for that one!
My rating: 4 stars

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books for 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the other blog I participate in: The Broke and the Bookish, check it out and join in on the fun, we'd love to see your list!

This Week's Top Ten:
Your Top Ten Most Anticipated Books for 2011

Like Jamie, I'm only gonna list the books that are published in 2011.

1. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: this one NEEDS to be released this year! I've read the Name of the Wind last Christmas and it was AMAZING! And I so want to read this one, I'm crossing my fingers hoping that it will really come out in March 2011 (it does say so on his website, but still).. I'm first in line when it does!

2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano: the cover is beautiful, the story sounds really good, let me have it!

3. The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal: this sounds like a fairytale and I LOVE fairytales.

4. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton: I've been excited about this one since I first read the summary on Goodreads, it sounds amazing!

5. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky: I love dystopian novels and this one is set in a world where nobody leaves his house and does everything through the computer.

6. The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird: I don't know why, but I'm always intrigued by witch trials and this one centers around that time in Scotland and it sounds really interesting!

7. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwabb: this one also sounds like a fairy tale.

8. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: I LOVED her Gemma Doyle series and I'd be excited by anything she's written coming out. And it sounds like a fun read.

9. Delirium by Lauren Oliver: another dystopian, a society where everyone is 'cured' of love. Need I say more?

10. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: this sounds like my kind of book, it's the first book in a series and I love series.

That was hard! I have so many books I'm eagerly anticipating for 2011, only being able to list ten is.. kind of evil.
Four of the books on the list I already have waiting for me as galleys (where would I be without NetGalley), for the others I'll have to wait like everybody else. It's kind of killing me, patience has never been my forte.

Anyway, what are you all anticipating for 2011?

How To Wed a Baron by Kasey Michaels

Title/Author: How To Wed A Baron by Kasey Michaels
Publisher/Date published: HQN Books, an imprint of Harlequin, November 30th 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: I always feel like reading romance books in when it's cold outside, I don't know why.

Goodreads summary: "He is but a pawn in someone else's game. With no choice but to do the prince regent's bidding, Justin Wilde must marry a woman not of his own choosing. And for the man notoriously referred to as the Bad Baron, marriage is the last thing he wishes to consider. Especially when the bride has the beauty of an angel but the devil's own temper….
Stunned to find herself betrothed to a stranger, Alina vows to uncover the reason behind their forced union. Yet the more time she spends with her roguish husband-to-be, the less the past seems to matter. But when the truth behind their wedding at last emerges, will it strengthen their fragile bond—or shatter their lives forever?"

Justin has a troubled past, he's been exiled by his king for killing a man in a duel, defending the honour of his deceased wife. After 8 years spent across Europe, he gets a message telling him he will be pardoned in exchange for one thing. This one thing turns out to be marriage to Alina. Justin doesn't know why the Prince Regent is forcing this union upon them, but he can't turn down the opportunity to finally be able to come home again. Even though he never wanted to marry again after his first disastrous marriage.

Alina basically had two options: marry Justin or be married off by her aunt to a man of her aunt's choosing. And her aunt doesn't much care for Alina, so there isn't much hope for her there. Besides, she really wants to meet her mother's family in England. Meeting Justin, she's pleasantly surprised he's not some sort of ogre. But of course there's trouble ahead, will it serve to drive them apart of keep them together forever?

I enjoyed reading this book, it started pretty slow and I didn't really like Justin in the beginning. He had a pompous ass air hanging over him, very noticeable in the first part of the book because he was mostly interacting with the Prince Regent and one of his male servants, who he both looked down upon. Later on he turns out to be pretty charming, even though he's still a bit of an ass to his servant. To be fair, the man is portrayed as pretty silly, so maybe he can't help it.

Anyway, I thought Alina was a pretty good heroine, she's free spirited and knows her own mind, she's also pretty optimistic, which was nice. Sometimes I didn't understand her reactions to the things happening, but hey, in real life I also get baffled by choices other women make and it didn't really bother me reading the book.

Normally in romance novels I see the clue coming from miles away and this time I didn't, so props to the author for that!

I have one 'but' to add, one thing I felt was missing: I didn't cry. And I'm a HUGE sap, I almost always cry reading romance novels. Even when it's not sad. The emotion portrayed in the book wasn't enough to trigger my tear ducts, and that's a shame, cause I love it when books make me cry.

My rating: 3 stars

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

Title/Author: Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
Publisher/Date published: Clarion Books (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), November 15th 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: it sounded interesting.

Goodreads summary: "Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming."

I thought the summary sounded really interesting and after reading raving reviews about it on more than one blog, I had high hopes for this one. Sadly, this book wasn't for me.

I couldn't warm up to any of the characters, the only one I could relate to somewhat was Finn, the only reason I kept reading was that I expected it to get better, that the story would suck me in somehow. And that never happened.

The story revolves around Teagan and her family: little brother, mom and dad; Finn, who's the incarnation of a legend: the Mac Cumhaill; Abby, who's Teagan's best friend and has family connections to the maffia. Abby dreamt that globins were after Teagan and is convinced her life is in danger. Which is pretty weird, because later on she doesn't seem to believe goblins are real. Abby was a bit weird overall, she's constantly mentioning her connection to the maffia and threathening Finn, thinking he's some kind of criminal for reasons unknown. I'm all for being protective of your friends, but I didn't really understand this.

Teagan is a very serious girl, she plans to get into a good college and doesn't have time for boys, why she's so convinced the two can't be combined, I'm not entirely sure, but she is. Which is why her instant attraction to Finn is a problem for her and she doesn't know how to handle this.

Combine that with goblins attacking and weird family relations and you've got yourself one stressed out girl. And still I found it hard to relate to her angst. I was so disconnected from the storyline and the characters that I didn't even really feel antyhing when one of Teagan's family members died, which is rare for me. To me it also didn't come across as if Teagan was that devastated by it and that made me even less sympathetic.

The story dragged, there wasn't a lot of action and the way the characters reacted to the things that happened were unrealistic in my opinion. I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. The only character that felt a bit more real to me was Finn, his emotions were more relatable and I was hoping he'd kiss Teagan already (sadly, the romance didn't go further than them feeling sparks and him asking to kiss her once).

My rating: 1 star

Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey

Title/Author: Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey
Publisher/Date published: November 1st 2010 by Carina Press
How I got this book: it was sent to me by the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: it was one of those times I felt like reading a romance novel

Goodreads summary: "One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after?
Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he's more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn't gone so badly...
Beth's tending bar at a wedding when she comes face-to-face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she'd see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can't say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.
Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he's not the player she thinks he is. But she's not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it's going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child..."

I thought this was a sweet read. I really warmed up to Kevin, not so much to Beth. I did like the storyline, but I thought it dragged a bit in the middle.

Kevin and Beth got off on the wrong foot, which is a problem when you're having a baby together and therefore being around each other a lot. Kevin is a family guy through and through, his whole family is charming with their loud and friendly nature. I could see how the lot of them could be overwhelming to Beth, who is an only child.

Beth wanted to be independant from a very young age and never stays in the same place for too long. Always ready to pack up her stuff and get on the next bus when the mood strikes her. So having to settle down and do the sensible thing for her baby means a big change. She takes Kevin's urge to take care of her as overbearing and tries to push him away, because she's afraid to lean too much on him and then not being able to do it on her own again if he decides to leave.

Kevin has a hard time convincing her he's ready to be in a real relationship, with her. The constant stream of women leaving him their napkins with lipstick kisses on them, inviting him to spend the night, doesn't really help him win her over. But he's determined to keep trying.

I thought Kevin was really sweet, even though I found it a bit hard to believe he had baskets full of before mentioned napkins. He genuinely cared for Beth and thought she was beautiful even after she'd spent 3 sleepless nights looking after the baby.
Beth was harder for me to relate to. I get that she hates the women in the bar throwing themselves at Kevin, but she should have given him the benefit of the doubt in my opinion on discovering he hadn't acted upon it since they slept together the first time. I found her immediate refusal of anything that could possibly help her, provided by someone else, hard to believe. And I really felt sorry for Kevin at her constant refusal of him.

All in all, I did like the story, it was sweet and I loved the sensitive guy Kevin really was.
My rating: 3 stars

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Title/Author: You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
Publisher/Date published: August 5th 2010 by Razorbill (the Penguin Group)
How I got this book: got it from my brother as a birthday present (I have an awesome brother who buys me books :D )
Why I read this book: I wanted to. Best. Reason. Ever!!

I LOVED this book! Reading has been slow the last couple of weeks, I couldn't concentrate on the book I read before and it took me four bloody weeks to finish it! Not that the book wasn't great, cause it was, I just had so much going on it was hard to focus on anything else.
This one read like a dream. The story flowed naturally, I loved the main character and the story line.. I love getting books for my birthday, especially if they turn out to be really good.

Kayla is a snarky 16 year old, who doesn't like to conform to what the popular girls in school think is normal. She dances to her own tune and bleats at people when she thinks they're exuding herd-behaviour. And I loved her for it.
She had some real issues with her parents, her dad left them and moved to Italy and her mom started her own company, is really succesful, but spends less time at home than Kayla would like. Thrown in together with having just one friend, who got a boyfriend and because of that has less time for Kayla and Kayla herself crushing pretty hard on said boyfriend, you've got yourself a very real teenage life. Except for the bright pink life-size My Little Pony with an icecream cone on its butt, of course.

Kayla's not having fun at her Sweet Sixteen party and blowing out the candles wishes for her wishes to come true, because they never freakin' do! And they start to come true after that. Besides a My Little Pony eating up her mother's shrubs, she has to worry about her Raggedy Ann doll coming to life and the guy resembling Barbie's Ken following her around everywhere. All her past wishes come back to bite her in the behind and Kayla tries desperately to stop it, because last year she wished Ben would kiss her and he's her best friend's boyfriend. That would be a serious violation of girl code if there ever was one.

Kayla struggles with trying to keep all of the wishes appearing a secret, not letting Ben and Nicole know she has a crush on Ben and the feeling she's losing her best friend all at the same time, while not getting the support she needs at home with a brother who has his own issues and a mother who cares, but is very busy providing for the family.

I loved how Kayla learns to get to know her old self again and comes to realise a few things about herself and the changes she went through. She learns you should be careful at judging people based on assumptions and to be a bit more openminded.
And I loved the pink My Little Pony with the icecream cone on its butt. I think if my birthday wishes ever came true, I would have one as well. And I would get a letter from Hogwarts. And be a fairytale princess.

Anyway, all in all, this book was amazing and I'm looking forward to reading more by Mandy Hubbard!
Rating: 5 stars.

Looking back, what is the most funny/embarassing/awesome thing you ever wished for on your birthday?