Mini-Reviews (15): Maid-Sama! Vol 3 & 4, Underneath Everything, The Immortal Heights

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2016 has me failing spectacularly (as did 2015). And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny).

Title/Author: Maid-Sama! Vol 3 & 4 by Hiro Fujiwara
Publisher/Date published: VIZ Media LLC, November 3rd 2015
How I got this book: bought a pretty finished copy

So I've been slowly seeing what the world of manga has to offer and Maid-Sama! is just so much fun! I really enjoyed the 3rd and 4th volume, seeing more of Misaki and USUI and exploring their world and getting into all the funny moments with the whole class. And the tension between Misaki and Usui! YES! I totally ship it and if you're looking for a fun gateway into manga, you should definitely pick this up!

My rating: 4 stars

Title/Author: Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, October 27th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Man, I did not love this book. While reading it and now thinking back on it, I'm seriously wondering why I even finished this. And it's probably due to the fact that I was just waiting for things to get amazing and for the big reveal to make my head spin and that just failed to happen. Basically nothing really happened in this novel and I have this vague sense of what it was about and that's also what I felt while reading it, so it's not just the time that's passed that made it so in my head.
I could for the life of me not feel much sympathy for Mattie, I mean, at first I was feeling sorry for her for what happened with her friend and her love interest, but well, then she makes some seriously weird decisions and I'm like, yeah, nope.
I've seen people raving about this, and maybe it's just me and I'm just missing the point of it all, but I could not get into this.

My rating: 1 star

Title/Author: The Immortal Heights (The Elemental Trilogy #3) by Sherry Thomas
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, October 13th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I have all the love for this series and the last book in the trilogy definitely did not fail me! I do think that one day I need to go back and reread the whole thing in one go, because there are some subtle things that get a bit lost when there's a year between reading each book.
But The Immortal Height was amazing and mostly everything I wanted and I was constantly on the edge of my seat because there was all this impending DOOM and OMG I just needed to know how it would end and if everyone would still be alright at the end and if my ship would make it through! I get all feelsy again just thinking about it right now.
Sherry Thomas has some amazing storytelling skills and you should just go read this for yourself. Like right now.

My rating: 5 stars

Review of The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

Title/Author: The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology #1) by Wendy Higgins
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, March 8th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Goodreads summary: When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, fear stirs revolt. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona — kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. There’s no denying the unspoken lure between them... or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand — ridding the kingdom of the beast — but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.

So I haven't read anything by Wendy Higgins before, even though 3 of the 4 Sweet Trilogy books (which is weird cause there are 4 books) are on my shelf. I should get on that, because I really enjoyed The Great Hunt!

At the start I was a teensy bit concerned that this would be a case of insta-love and the romance being more important than the rest of the plot, but I'm glad to say that my worries were for nothing, because I fully supported this part of the story and the character themselves realise there's something more important than this romance.

Princess Aerity has always known that she's going to inherit the kingdom and there are certain responsibilities that come with this and with being the eldest sibling. And she doesn't fight this, she has a very mature sense of her duty and though obviously she isn't always happy about it, she really tries to do what's best for her kingdom. And I really admire this, a lot of times you see a character be whiny about the things that are expected of them and sometimes about things that have a lot less impact on your life than having to marry a the random person who slays the beast instead of someone you love like you've been told all your life. While it's obviously devastating, she takes it in stride and tries to make the best of it and I loved how she realised how far the risks and sacrifices of the hunters went and that she genuinely tried to get to know a bit about them.

There's a great deal of mystery about this beast that is terrorizing the land and one of the things about it was something that I figured out pretty early on, but one other twist that I'm not even going to hint at took me by surprise, but it made SO much sense looking back at some of the things that had happened earlier. I'm really curious to learn more about the magic system, but this fear and hatred of the Lashed is a bit horrifying. I mean, wow, I get that there's been a madman who was Lashed, but you can't just go around banning or killing anyone who happens to have the same powers! Imagine all the good they can do with it!

But let's talk about the ship for a bit. There's this instant attraction, but over time as they get to know each other, it grows into a little something more and I liked it. I also liked that there's staring at attractive and sometimes half naked men, because well, I'd also be staring if there were some physcially fit hunters running around flexing muscles and the like, so this seemed very healthy to me. But I really liked my ship together, and they knew that there was a big chance that he wouldn't be the one to slay the beast and she's have to marry someone else, but they just couldn't help it and I was like YES KISS!

With how Wendy Higgins left things, I really NEED the next book because holy wow, there are some things that definitely need to be fixed and there's a build up to even more trouble from a crazy woman and I just need closure. Very much.

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Title/Author: Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard
Publisher/Date published: Tor, January 14th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through Netgalley, thanks! I also bought a shiny finished copy :)

Goodreads summary: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble — as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her — but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Obviously there's a lot of hype surrounding Truthwitch. It's only been on pretty much everyone and their aunt's NEED THIS list for a LONG time and the extreme gorgeousness of the cover is definitely adding to this for me. So I was both very excited and a bit scared to pick this up, because what if I didn't like it??

But I'm glad to say that I did very much like it, though I'm not fangirling all over it like I've seen many people do over the past months. Which would have been awesome, but I'm ok with things as they are now.

I LOVED the frienship between Iseult and Safi, they are true sisters in the best sense of the word and I really feel like they would do anything for each other. And as Susan says in the acknowledgements: 'A friendship can be as epic as a romance'. This friendship is the kind that launches a thousand ships and it is a beautiful thing to see in a book. Especially with a lot of friendships in novels being more like frenemies, which always annoys me.

And as much as I liked the girls together, I also really like them for their own persons. They're both amazing in their own way and I have so many questions about their past! I hope we'll see more of this as the series continues. They are both badass and have a set of skills that awes me, but definitely something that was hard earned instead of just given to them.

I really liked the worldbuilding and the different types of witches are very interesting! I hope we'll get to explore this more, because I'm definitely curious about how everything ties together and what exactly makes a person be a witch and others not so much. And what makes you be a certain type of witch. The thing I'm still a bit confused about though, is why exactly a Truthwitch is so valuable. I mean, I get that it's handy to rulers to have one, you can't be lied to, but it seems that there'd be even more useful skills to have. I mean, basically every country hunting Safi because of this seemed a bit over much.

As much as I loved the friendship between Safi and Iseult, I wasn't really feeling the romance. I mean, it was okay, but I wasn't really shipping it. The part leading up to the kiss was pretty great, but other than that it fell a bit flat for me.

So yes, like most of the blogging world, I really liked Truthwitch and I'm very curious to see what will happen next!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

Title/Author: Sword and Verse (Sword and Verse #1) by Kathy MacMillan
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, January 19th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Goodreads summary: Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.

Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance — an underground army of slave rebels — to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries — one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.

So Sword and Verse has been getting a lot of negative reviews and I have to say that I actually did really like this! My expectations were somewhat lowered by the not so glowing thing I'd heard, so that might have helped, but I genuinely liked this.

I really liked Raisa, she's been through a lot as a kid and she's part of a group of people that is being repressed by the nation she lives in. They're slaves to the Qilarites and the way they are treated is apalling and the dangers they put the children in, that's just.. awful. And Raisa has found a way to live a better life than most as she became Tutor in training. She's a little safer and is treated better than most of the Arnathim. And because you see the way that she interacts with the current Tutor and with Mati, the prince, I could understand her hesitancy to join the Resistance and risk her life and everything in it. I felt that it was a realistic struggle between her loyalties and I enjoyed seeing her grow as a person and find what's important to her.

One of the other things I really liked was the language, while science is more my thing, I loved learning languages in school as a teen and I'd still love to learn Spanish, Italian and Chinese if I ever find the time for it. So I was very interested in how the Qilarite language system works and especially once Raisa starts on trying to figure out the Arnathim language. There's a lot of technical stuff and details about the whole language and Raisa learning it, but that didn't bother me, though it slowed down the plot a bit at times. The thing that I did feel kinda iffy about is that I have zero idea as to how Raisa actually figured out the key to the Arnathim language. I mean, she had basically nothing to go on and then she just starts figuring it out because she hears her father's voice in her head? Who hadn't really started teaching her language before he was killed? I mean, huh? Je suis confused.

Also, I can get behind the romance, I'm not full on shipping it, but I do like that Mati and Raisa actually have a history together and have known each other for years before things start to happen. At times I wished Mati was a bit of a better man, cause I can't for the life of me figure out how he thought it was a good idea to keep certain things from Raisa, but I did like how she handled it. I mean, she doesn't forgive him out of hand and she definitely shows that she's the better person for it. I mean, that was just a big no.

So the ending leaves me very interested to see how things will go on, because certainly the events that lead up to it are gonna lead to a LOT of changes and I am definitely reading the sequel to find out what happens next!

My rating: 4 stars

Mini-Reviews (11): One Tempting Proposal, Da Vinci's Tiger, Maid-sama! Vol 1 & 2

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2015 has me failing spectacularly. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny anymore).

Title/Author: One Tempting Proposal (Accidental Heirs #2) by Christy Carlyle
Publisher/Date published: Avon Impulse, November 17th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

It's been a while, but I remember liking One Tempting Proposal, but not loving it. There's a lot of pressure on Kitty to get married and her father is being an absolute pain in the ass about it and that was pretty annoying. I mean, I get that in that time period getting one's children married off was important, but why would he sacrifice the happiness (and marriage) of one of his daughters because he wanted to other one to get married? I mean, how is this logical?

Anyway, the romance between Kitty and Sebastian was nice, I didn't get all the feels, but it was ok. There's just so much going on around it and schemes and I just couldn't fully get into it. But I liked it.

My rating: 3 stars

Title/Author: Da Vinci's Tiger by L.M. Elliott
Publisher/Date published: Katherine Tegen Books, November 10th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction set in the time period of Leonardo Da Vinci! L.M. Elliott introduces the concept of Platonical love/muses and I'd never heard of it before, it's fascinating! I'm still not entirely sure I fully understand it, but it is obvious that the author has delved into this subject and knows a lot about it and how it was handled in society back then. It seemed to be very good for your standing in society, especially if you were the female half of the pairing.

Ginevra was a decent main character, she's smart, she's passionate about art and I really liked her. She's stuck in this marriage to an older man and I was a bit confused as to mostly not being around of her husband, but apparantly this happened more often back then. The ending was a bit dissatisfying for me, cause I would have liked for there to have been a bit more romance to the story, but the man who made Ginevra his Platonic muse wigged me out, so that wasn't really an option for shipping. I guess it shouldn't matter, but I was basically being Team Ginevra because she's awesome and then she doesn't actually win at anything in the end. It was a bittersweet ending for me to a book that I otherwise really enjoyed.

My rating: 4 stars

Title/Author: Maid-sama! Vol 1 &2 by Hiro Fujiwara
Publisher/Date published: VIZ Media LLC, August 4th 2015
How I got this book: bought it

I'd been meaning to try manga and my friend Debby LOVES this series, so I decided to give it a try.
And guys, this is SO CUTE! I mean, I have to be honest and say that my feelings get involved more easily when it's a book, but this is so incredibly well done and the illustrations are amazing and just YES OK? I totally ship it.
It's just fun and whimsical and obviously I'm continuing this series.

My rating: 5 stars

Mini-Reviews (10): Dukes Prefer Blondes, Rules for 50/50 Chances, The Seventh Bride

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2015 has me failing spectacularly. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny anymore).

Title/Author: Dukes Prefer Blondes (Dressmakers #4) by Loretta Chase
Publisher/Date published: Avon, December 29th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

So I was very much feeling both the heroine and the hero and their romance! There's lots of banter and there's heated looks and kissing and lots of real problems for them to overcome, not in the least that Clara's parents do not approve of a match with someone who's an untitled barrister. Even though he loves their daughter.
I loved that Oliver wasn't really all that enthusiastic about the prospect of becoming a duke and I very much enjoyed seeing his relationship with his parents and also obviously he's a very smart man and that's just plain sexy in my opinion.
It was a very enjoyable read, it didn't blow me away, but I did like it very much!

My rating: 4 stars

Title/Author: Rules For 50/50 Chances by Kate McGovern
Publisher/Date published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, November 24th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

This is a book that really made me think about making choices when faced with a sick family member and a disease that you could possibly inherit from them. And it's one of the few books that I've decided to read even though I usually shy away from anything to do with my line of work usually. I liked that it's not clear cut for Rose what she wants to do and that she does fully understand how life changing both a negative and a positive test result can be.
So while I did really like the realistic struggle that we see Rose deal with and I liked Rose, I didn't very much care for the romance or the boy the romance was being had with. I thought he was annoying and while I liked that he wanted to be there for his own family who had to deal with illness, I didn't always like the way he treated Rose.
So I liked this, but the romance kinda ruined parts of it for me. I know, I can't even believe that I'm saying this either.

My rating: 3,5 stars

Title/Author: The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher
Publisher/Date published: 47North, November 24th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Throughout this whole novel I was unsure how to place this, is it YA or is it MG? It felt like it should be YA because of the age of the heroine, but the story and how she acted had more of a MG feeling to it most of the time and this kinda bothered me, cause she obviously she's WAY too young to be marrying anybody, but she sounded even younger than her years and it didn't add up to the things she does towards the end of the book.
I did like the magical parts of the book with the master of the house and the house itself and how Rhea has to accomplish tasks in order for her to stop from being married and how she has a very helpful hedgehog, which was the cutest thing ever!
I almost gave up on this book a couple of times, but in the end I'm glad I stuck with it, cause the conclusion to the story was very interesting!

My rating: 3 stars

Mini-Reviews (9): After the End, Nimona, Scarlet

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2015 has me failing spectacularly. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny anymore).

Title/Author: After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, May 6th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I really enjoyed this book, I have to say that as it's been about a year and a half since I read it, that I had to dig deep to rediscover why exactly, so stick with me.
I totally have a soft spot for Juneau's dogs, they are beautiful and smart and awesome. And so pretty much the whole book I was terrified that something would happen to them as is my default setting when encountering animals in books.

I was intrigued by this world that Juneau lived in and even more so when it turns out it has all been a lie. The why and how of Juneau's powers isn't fully explained and I really hope to find more answers to this in the sequel. I also liked the love interest, though I didn't swoon over him.
The pacing is a bit slow, but it didn't really bother me as I like Amy Plum's writing and I didn't get bored with the story.

My rating: 3,5 stars

Title/Author: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Publisher/Date published: Harper Collins, May 12th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I haven't actually read a lot of graphic novels, but Nimona looked like so much fun that I knew I had to read this one! And it is a lot of fun, with Nimona being a shapeshifter and randomly changing into a shark because she feels like it (and also because "I'm not a kid, I'm a shark!", which is obviously much better).
I loved how the 'villain' and the 'hero' are over the top and a bit of a parody on the standard for them and it was just so entertaining! There's lots of mischief and things going wrong and just a lot of heart and I really liked it!

My rating: 4 stars

Title/Author: Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen
Publisher/Date published: Walker Children's, February 14th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley and bought a shiny finished copy

THE SHAME! I cannot believe it took me so long to read this book, especially cause I'd been coveting it for a long time before it came out. But then my book club (which is awesome by the way), made me get my behind in line and settle down to read it. AND IT WAS AWESOME! While excited about it, I was also a bit wary, because Robin Hood was (together with Peter Pan) my first love (I'm not even kidding, I had a serious fictional crush on the fox version of him) and this tale is very dear to my heart.

But A.C. Gaughen managed to give me exactly what I didn't know I could wish for in a fairytale retelling and it was SO GOOD! I loved the relationship between Scarlet and the rest of the gang and especially Robin and OMG THE TENSION! I TOTALLY SHIP IT!
Also, writing this, I cannot believe I haven't read the sequels yet. I should get on with that.

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires by Sophie Barnes

Title/Author: Lady Sarah Sinful Desires (Secrets At Thorncliff Manor #1) by Sophie Barnes
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, May 7th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Welcome to Thorncliff Manor, where London's elite mix, mingle, and may even find their heart's desire...

There are thousands of things Christopher, Viscount Spencer, would rather do than hunt for a bride, especially since experience has taught him that women are not to be trusted. Then he finds the intriguing Lady Sarah scrambling around in Thorncliff's conservatory and he is instantly charmed by her passionate nature. But why is she so intent on avoiding him?

Lady Sarah would make the perfect bride for a peer — if not for a tarnished past that she's hiding from the ton. A stay at Thorncliff Manor was meant to help her plan for her future, not fall in love. Yet Christopher's kisses are irresistible, his gallantry enticing. When her secret stands to be revealed, will the truth ruin their dreams of happiness?

So I was very much in need of a good historical romance when I started this book, and Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires did not disappoint!

I really like Sophie Barnes' writing style and I kinda liked that this wasn't set in London for a change. I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE reading books set in London with all of the ton present and balls and calling on each other and EVERYTHING. But this setting of Thorncliff and the houseparty was very charming as well.

I liked Sarah, she's smart and funny and she has a pet hamster. I mean, hello, she's living in historical England and she has a PET HAMSTER. That is just awesome in my book. Also: hamsters are great pets, I had one myself when I was younger. She's obviously not made all the right choices in her past and back then you were judged harshly for that. By your parents as well as the rest of the world. She has a major sense of duty and loyalty to a family, that in my opinion doesn't deserve said loyalty. I was so wishing for just the teensiest bit of warmth or love to show from her father and stepmother, but there was ZERO affection there. I don't really understand this, I mean, sure I can get being angry with her at first, but after two years? Can you not get over this and try to give her a GOOD future instead of one with a hateful and disgusting man in it? That was some bad parenting right there.

But I did really like Christoper and Sarah together. They have great chemistry and banter and I loved to see them become friends and then something more. There's mutual respect and affection that grows naturally and I really liked seeing their lovestory unfold. I also thought Christopher's reaction to Sarah's secret was realistic. It wasn't perfect, but it felt real for the time they lived in.
And OMG, how much did I love Christopher's family! His sisters and his mom are perfection. They're the ultimate family, teasing each other, telling each other how it is, but there's so much heart there! I would have loved to spend even more time with them!

Sophie Barnes spins an interesting tale about a lady with a less than perfect past and how she goes on from there. Obviously there's a happily ever after, because this is a historical romance novel after all, but the road to getting to said happily ever after was very much enjoyable and there was a connection between Sarah and Christopher that made me root for them and that's basically what I want from a romance novel!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

Title/Author: A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House #1) by Kathleen Baldwin
Publisher/Date published: Tor Teen, May 19th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don't fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies — plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.

After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible — until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads — or their hearts...

You probably all know that I have a thing for historical fiction/historical romance. And basically the title of this book sold me, I mean, what's not to like about a school for unusual girls??

I really liked Georgiana, she's a character that I could definitely relate to, not interested in conforming to society's expectations and a scientist at heart. I love that she can't help herself when she thinks 'what if', it's made her jump out of a window trying to fly and accidentally set her father's stables on fire cause she wasn't allowed to do her expiriment inside the house in a safer environment. She's smart and driven and doesn't take no for an answer, and she also has her vulnerabilities, which made me like her even more.

So Georgiana and I were doing pretty well and then we enter Stranje House and there's a whole extra set of characters for me to be intrigued by. I mean, the other girls there are REALLY interesting, all with their own set of skills, some with a hint of paranormal that I enjoyed. I loved how they're all so fierce and how even though they've been burned before, they're still more than ready to include Georgiana in their group. And also, Miss Stranje herself sounds like the most awesome of ladies and OMG there's a romance brewing there that's just YES.

And of course there's a romance for Georgiana as well. I could very much get behind the ship, because Sebastian sounds dreamy and they do the banter thing that I love and actually share an interest in science. The only thing that didn't work so well for me is the speed at which their relationship progresses to love. I mean, wow, they haven't even really known each other for a week or so? I get that they've been in some situations together that have the potential to speed up things, but they were just a bit shy of insta-love for me. They did have wonderful chemistry though and there was a moment that had me reading with tears in my eyes, so the feelings were there for me.

I wasn't really impressed with the characterization of Georgiana's parents though, they're a bit cardboard and it felt unrealistic that parents would leave their daughter at a house they think she's going to be tortured. I mean, WTF? But as they're not a big part of the novel, I could get over this.
Of course there's also a villain, Lady Daneska, who seems like a complex character, but I'm not really sure what to make of her yet. There's probably a reason why she's so vile, but for now she just seemed to be evil for the sake of being evil mostly.

I did very much like the backdrop of Napoleon's exile and am very interested in seeing where Kathleen Baldwin takes us with her somewhat alternate history. I'm a bit sorry the sequel won't be from Georgiana's POV, but as I really like the other girls as well, I think this won't be a problem, cause I'm really intrigued by Tess!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Lie by C.L. Taylor

Title/Author: The Lie by C.L. Taylor
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, April 23rd 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Best friends are there for each other through thick and thin. You trust them with your life. At least that’s what Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al think. But all that changes when they embark on a trip of a lifetime together. When they return home, only two of them are left alive and the group has been torn apart by lies and deception.

Many years later, when the dust has settled and life has moved on, one girl receives a threatening letter. Someone knows the truth about what happened on that holiday and will stop at nothing to expose it...

OMG, this book was SCARY! AND CRAZY! SO much crazy! I cannot even.

I'm fascinated by cults/sects/whatever you want to call them that basically is a group of people who do their own thing and some of them do batcrap crazy things. Not all obviously, but those are the ones you hear about on the news or that make the best stories. Obviously. I mean, there's all this taboo about them and well, I just always wonder where this view of the world that they had went wrong. I mean, they probably started out wanting to do good and live a better life, right? But hearing about how things go wrong in such a group always gives me the creeps and also makes me curious. This book was sorta like watching a trainwreck happen, you know you shouldn't be this fascinated by it, but you can't look away.

Anyway. Our main character Emma was ok, she's flawed and probably because of this, I could relate to her. I could see how she got into this mess and how when you're in the middle of something like this, you can't immediately see what you should do about it. Everything was spinning out of control for her fast and I don't know how I would have handled that. I mean, you think you're going on the holiday of a lifetime with your friends and then you end up in the middle of something that ends with the death of two of said friends? Wow. That is more than you should have to handle.

I could also relate to her friend situation: in their group of four, Emma is only really friends with Daisy and Al, and she and Leanne tolerate each other for the sake of the other two, but aren't really friends. In the end, I'm not sure any of them were really friends, except for Emma and Al. It pains me to say that Daisy isn't a very nice person. She's petty and jealous and has pulled stuff that a true friend wouldn't in my opinion. And Leanne is just a crazy bitch. I'm sorry, I can't make it any prettier than it is, I truly despised her, and it got worse the further I got into the novel.

But OMG, this situation they end up in and the people! It changes all of the four girls and they really aren't all that safe there. I was reading it and going:

But more like EVERYBODY BE CRAZY!

So The Lie switches back and forth between present time, which is 5 years after the events on holiday and the actual happenings on said holiday and I liked it, but at the same time I wished someone would just hurry up and tell me what happened because the suspense!! Which means it's actually pretty well done by the author because holy wow, it was a 400 page novel with teeny tiny script on my e-reader and I still REALLY wanted to keep reading it.

If you're looking for a read that is scary and crazy and which will keep you enticed for the whole of it, The Lie is definitely for you.

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Kiss the Earl by Gina Lamm

Title/Author: Kiss the Earl (Geek Girls #3) by Gina Lamm
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Casablanca, April 7th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: On the eve of her first comic book release, Ella Briley has a problem: no date to the launch party. Things go from bad to worse when she stumbles into the past... and straight into the arms of her very own Mr. Darcy.

Patrick St. John, Earl of Meadowfair, is too noble for his own good. To save his friend from what is sure to be a loveless marriage, he's agreed to whisk the girl off to wed the man she truly loves. But all goes awry when Patrick mistakes Ella for the would-be bride... and finds this modern girl far too tempting for even the noblest of men to resist.

So after reading The Casual Vacancy, I was really looking forward to reading something cute and fluffy and which would possible bring me lots of feelings. And while I sometimes needed to remind myself to just go with it and not be a non-believer, I totally picked the right book for my mood!

Kiss the Earl was so cute! It was fun and thas an abundance of feelings and I was just rooting for these two! Even if I was a bit confuzzled by the hero's reasoning at one point towards the end, but yeah, men-logic sometimes confuses me in real life as well, so...
I really liked Ella and her carreer as a graphic novel illustrator, that is SO cool! Seriously, I have a lot of respect for people who can bring stories to life and I can't draw to save my life, so Ella seemed pretty awesome to me! Also, I love that she has a non-mainstream job that she has a real passion for. Patrick was a fun character as well, he's loyal and a decent guy, who also manages to land himself in some pretty weird situations because of said loyalty.

And together these two were pretty amazing! They have chemistry that made me smile and swoony moments and misunderstandings that would have been easily fixed, but I didn't care because I was totally feeling it and it was just *sigh* romantic. Also, I loved that he nursed her back to health and was pretty much kicking the 'doctor''s ass for not taking better care of his hygiene. So, SO important! And can I just say that EEP Ella definitely has a realistic fear of getting an infection in this time period? OMG, I cannot imagine not having antibiotics and all the other benefits of today's medicine.

So Kiss the Earl didn't really make me cry, but I did have tears in my eyes and the urge to clutch my scarf because I was so focused on finding out if they would have a happily ever after after all. So basically Kiss the Earl was an adorable read that I was so ready for!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Title/Author: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Publisher/Date published: Little, Brown, and Company, September 27th 2012
How I got this book: bought it
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

So to be honest, I would not have picked up this book if it wasn't for the author's name on the cover. I mean, come on, it's J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter was a huge influence on my life as a teenager and the main reason I decided to start reading books in English instead of my native Dutch, so obviously I put this on the TBR and then put off reading it for the longest time because actually reading it scared the crap out of me.
And now that I have finished it, I sorta want to shout to everyone that I've conquered the beast!

Although, to be fair, it's really not a beast of a book. It's just huge. And very much literary fiction, which is not my usual go-to genre and I can still spot my comfort zone somewhere in the distance, but we're definitely out of it. And it is very much true what everyone has been saying: don't expect an adult Harry Potter, because this is not it. And that's ok. Because J.K. Rowling's writing is a thing of beauty and it shines in The Casual Vacancy as well.
Even though my heart would have been very happy if it had been an adult Harry Potter or any fantasy at all.

But this time, J.K. Rowling invites us into the world of Pagford, a very small town that carries on as small towns do, until there is an unexpected death and because of that, a spot to fill on the town council: a casual vacancy. She then shows us how all of these people live their lives and how the death of this one man affects them, even the ones who didn't much like him or who considered him their enemy. And in this novel, J.K. Rowling perfectly portrays the small town effect that I both love and not love so much, in which everyone knows everyone's business, but then also turns a blind eye to some of the less pretty things going on.

It did seem to take me forever to finish the first half of this book, I got easily distracted and honestly, these people are a bit depressing. They pick petty fights and there's bullying and basically NOBODY is happy and there doesn't really seem to be any hope for this changing anytime soon. But then I sat myself down, told the beastie we'd be doing this together from now on and it worked. And towards the end, I really wanted to keep reading, because it's like a trainwreck, you just can't look away and have to know how it will all turn out!

Like I said, J.K. Rowling's writing is a thing of beauty and she has once again managed to create an intricate world with very much 3D characters, though not really people to root for per se. I kinda still have to get over the fact that there's swearing and sex and all of those things in this novel... So while The Casual Vacancy scared me, I'm glad I read it because while it's brutal and harsh, it also deals with important subjects and I respect J.K. Rowling for writing this novel.

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

Title/Author: The Forgotten Sisters (Princess Academy #3) by Shannon Hale
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury USA Children's, March 3rd 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: After a year at the king’s palace, Miri has learned all about being a proper princess. But the tables turn when the student must become the teacher!

Instead of returning to her beloved Mount Eskel, Miri is ordered to journey to a distant swamp and start a princess academy for three sisters, cousins of the royal family. Unfortunately, Astrid, Felissa, and Sus are more interested in hunting and fishing than becoming princesses.

As Miri spends more time with the sisters, she realizes the king and queen’s interest in them hides a long-buried secret. She must rely on her own strength and intelligence to unravel the mystery, protect the girls, complete her assignment, and finally make her way home.

Fans of Shannon Hale won’t want to miss this gorgeously woven return to this best-selling, award-winning series.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

Guys, this series is wonderful. I love the world Shannon Hale has created and Miri is an awesome heroine, funny and witty and intelligent and just a girl I can rally behind.

I really enjoyed reconnecting with this world and all the characters in The Forgotten Sisters and meeting new friends! Cause that's how Shannon Hale's writing makes me feel, like I'm meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones. It took us some time to get used to each other again, but after that we had a lot of fun. I thought the politics in the first two books were not so easy to navigate, but The Forgotten Sisters adds another layer of intricate plotting and secrets and just a whole lot of WHAT?? when Miri and I discovered what it was exactly that was going on.

I like that we got to explore another part of the world Miri lives in, while holding true to the people and places we've been introduced to before. And like I mentioned before, Miri is pretty awesome. I really liked the bantery relationship she has with Peder. Those two truly care about each other and I think they make a great couple. It's filled with mutual respect and love and it's a great example.

I also really appreciate how much girlpower there is in this series, without being all rah-rah boys are inferior. I mean, Shannon Hale shows how boys and girls can work together and how everyone has their own set of talents, regardless of gender. It's a pretty awesome message to send in my opinion.

Shannon Hale has a real gift for storytelling and I definitely enjoyed myself while reading The Forgotten Sisters, it's sweet and chamring and funny and I would just really recommend this series as whole!

My rating: 4 stars

Mini-Reviews (4): Just Like the Movies, The Queen of the Tearling, Through to You

Title/Author: Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Publisher/Date published: Walker Books for Young Readers, July 22nd 2014
How I got this book: bought it

I really enjoyed Just Like the Movies! It was nice to see the developing friendship between Marijke and Lily, with some bumps in the road. I did very much like how they worked together and the shenanigans they get up to were fun and overall this was just a really cute read. Obviously some of their ideas were a bit misguided, but I can lovingly roll my eyes at that, and it's all in the name of love, right?
This was pretty much a perfect read for Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon, it was light and fluffy and just really cute!

My rating: 4 stars

Title/Author: The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1) by Erika Johansen
Publisher/Date published: Harper, July 8th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

The Queen of the Tearling is a book that has been getting mixed reviews, but I really liked it, though I can understand it not being for everybody. I really liked that Kelsea was raised far away from everything and actually has a reason to have all these skills that allow her to take care of herself, as opposed to the MC living a pampered life and still somehow being able to survive in the wild. I liked her and her determination to be a good queen.
I was a bit unsure of the exact setting at first, it feels medieval, but they also have J.K. Rowling's books on the shelves, so I'm guessing some distant future in which we've gone a bit back technology-wise? I don't know, but I liked it.

There's lots of intrigue and I still have a LOT of questions about how everything works with the magic system and who the Fetch is and how he's going to play his part in everything, cause he is one intriguing character! There's the possibility of a romance, but it's not there yet in the Queen of the Tearling and while I do enjoy a good romance, I actually liked that, because it could have easily been out of place.
I'm really excited to be reading the sequel soonish, cause I can't wait to find out what happens next with Kelsea and everyone!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: Through to You by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher/Date published: Simon Pulse, July 8th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I usually really like Lauren Barnholdt's novels, but this one just didn't work for me. I really did not like Penn, the boy I was supposed to swoon over, who is basically just arrogant and annoying and rude and also very insensitive. I was actually rooting for Harper to go and find some other boy to fall in love with, because the way Penn was treating her was just wrong and every girl deserves better than that. If he's so in to her, he should get his act together and actually show that he cares about her. And I get that he doesn't want to get his hopes up about seeing another doctor about his baseball injury, but SERIOUSLY dude, stop being an ungrateful ass, ok?
So Penn didn't work for me, but neither did Harper. I did think that she deserved better, but she wasn't a very interesting character either and to just forgive him every time he put on his jerkface just does not make me like her.

I'm sad to say that I really didn't like Through to You very much and would recommend Sometimes It Happens or Fake me a Match instead.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Mini-Reviews (3): Snow Like Ashes, A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin, I Adored a Lord

So ever since June of 2014 I've been failing at writing reviews for the books I read. I know. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf.

Title/Author: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, October 14th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Plot in one sentence: The Kingdom of Winter's magic has been stolen and Meira and a smal group of remaining Winterians are trying to get it and the kingdom back.

This is one of those times that I kick myself for not reviewing a book right after I finish reading it, because I loved Snow Like Ashes, but as it's been 4 months, I can't seem to find the right words to convey to you just how much. It could also be the effect of having just worked out for the second time this week after ages of vegging on the couch.

Anyway: I did really enjoy Snow Like Ashes, I felt it was a very strong start to this series and I'm hoping to see even more action in the sequel! I liked Meira, our main character. She struggles with the boundaries the leader of her group places on her, because she's just so ready to fight for her kingdom. She's fierce and determined and I liked it.
I also really liked the worldbuilding with the different traits for different kingdoms and OMG, the bad guys from Spring were scary! I mean, seriously, they totally gave me the creeps.

There's a love triangle, but it didn't really bother me, as one part of the love triangle didn't really feel like he was competing and yeah, I like Theron better. I could see the twist coming, but I didn't mind and I could see how Meira didn't see it.
There are a lot of complicated relationships and high stakes and I'm still trying to figure out the magic system, but Ice Like Fire, the second book in this series is definitely one of my most wanted books for this year!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: A Good Debutante's Guide To Ruin (The Debutante File #1) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon, July 29th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and bought my own copy
Plot in one sentence:: A duke gets his step-sister that he hasn't seen for 10 years dumped on him and things the best way to get rid of her is to marry her off, obviously sparks fly between them.

So Sophie Jordan is one of my favourite historical romance authors. I LOVE her books and always know that she'll bring the tension and the sexy. I enjoyed A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin a bit less than her other books, but that still amounts to a whole lot of liking it!

I liked Rosalie, obviously she is a bit naive, but I mean, in that time period I think they kept the girls naive on purpose. I liked that she's not just taking everything Declan tries to arrange and goes along with it, she's all about discovering for herself what she wants out of love. Going to Sodom, a private club where people go to live out sexual fantasies might not really be the best place to find it, but in the name of educating oneself it's not the worst choice she could have made. And of course the gentleman that gets picked by the hostess of said private club to share her first kiss is Declan.
And I have to say that I also really liked Declan, he's got a sense of responsibility and is just fully male and I can't help myself over that. The fact that they're stepbrother and -sister never bothered me, because they're not actually related by blood and haven't grown up together, so it's not like they're truly siblings.

I do very much dislike Rosalie's mother, she's hateful and selfish and just plain nasty. I really think people like that should be forbidden from ever having children. Seriously.
But overall, I did very much enjoy A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin, but it wasn't edge of my seat reading like I normally get from Sophie Jordan.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Title/Author: I Adored a Lord (The Prince Catchers #2) by Katharine Ashe
Publisher/Date published: Avon, July 29th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Plot in one sentence: Lots of scheming in order to get a prince's hand in marriage, only what if you fall for his half-brother instead?

A lot of times I don't really care for the plot that revolves around figuring out who murdered someone, I do like playing Clue, but I like my romance a little less tempered by large amounts of blood and corpses. But Katharine Ashe really managed to fit both in and make me enjoy it! I really enjoy her writing style and have only once not enjoyed one of her novels, which as it happens was the first book in this series, so I was really happy that I Adored a Lord worked for me!

Ravenna and Vitor (what even are those names) are both very likable main characters, they work together, they have great chemistry and I just lol-ed at the way they met in the barn for the first time. I loved that Ravenna has such a love of animals and her relationship with her employers was heart-warming.
Basically, this was just cute, fun and full of that tension I love, so I'd recommend picking it up if you like the genre!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen

Title/Author: Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen
Publisher/Date published: Henry Holt and Co, February 3rd 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She’s grown up lonely and longing for magic. She doesn’t know that it’s magic her parents are running from.

When Sarah’s mother walks out on their family, all the strange old magic they have tried to hide from comes rising into their mundane world. Her father begins to change into something wild and beastly, but before his transformation is complete, he takes Sarah to her grandparents — people she has never met, didn’t even know were still alive.

Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family bloodlines, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast... unless
she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.

I just love discovering a new-to-me author who manages to suck me into a story! This is one of my favourite things about reading! And Cat Hellisen managed to do just that.
One thing that diminished the experience of reading Beastkeeper for me has nothing to do with Cat Hellisen's writing, but with me working 36 hours in 3 days and not having any time or the ability to focus on a book. So I read some of it in bits and pieces and I didn't get as lost in it as I would have wanted, but that's all me, cause once I settled down with it for a longer period of time, I did connect with the story.

I picked this up because it sounded like a really cute MG, but with a little dark undertone. And guys, it's exactly that! It reminds me of the original Grimm fairytales, as in it's not all sparkly and bubbly and actually a little gritty and not the kind of happily ever after you'd expect. And I really liked that! Sarah has a LOT to deal with in Beastkeeper and she's just a girl! She just lost both of her parents and got dumped with her grandmother and OMG, I really don't think I would have handled everything as she did. That's one strong girl with a big heart!

I totally loved the concept of Beauty and the Beast but with a little added something AND with the girl as a beast! It's all so intricate and pretty harsh in the end and I just felt for Sarah as she was trying to figure it out and save everyone, including herself. And I really liked Alan, the boy in the forest who is more than he seems. I liked seeing him and Sarah form a friendship.
Towards the end I was like, surely my e-ARC is missing some pages cause how are they going to figure things out with so few time left?? There were shocking twists and turns and the ending was satisfying, but it did feel a bit rushed. I could have done with a bit more of an explanation and I just want to know what happens with Sarah after The End!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Swap by Megan Shull

Title/Author: The Swap by Megan Shull
Publisher/Date published: Katherine Tegen Books, August 26th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: “YOU BE ME... AND I'LL BE YOU.”

ELLIE spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. JACK spent it training in “The Cage” with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they’re both ready for a change. And just as Jack’s thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie’s wishing she could be anyone but herself.

Then, BAM! They swap lives — and bodies!

Now Jack’s fending off mean girls at sleepover parties while Ellie’s reigning as the Prince of Thatcher Middle School. As their crazy weekend races on — and their feelings for each other grow — Ellie and Jack begin to realize that maybe the best way to learn how to be yourself is to spend a little time being someone else.

Guys, I'm a big fan of the fun that ensues when you have two people switch bodies, I LOVED Freaky Friday, I think I've watched that movie a thousand times (which is in part due to the hotness that is Chad Michael Murray, but that's beside the point). So a guy and a girl switching bodies sounded kinda perfect to me.

And it was a whole lot of fun! I really liked both Ellie and Jack, they're good people and needed a little outside perspective on their problems. I totally LOVED Ellie's mom and Jack's brothers! Both of them have so much love in their families and I just want to hug Ellie's mom and Jack's brothers. They're awesome. That's what a family should be like.

I liked how protective Ellie and Jack got of each other when they were in the other's body and how they stand up for each other. It might have caused a bit of trouble, but things really could start to change after that. Ellie's mean girl situation is harsh, but unfortunately that is how girls are at that age sometimes, I've seen it go down in real life, and it's not pretty, but Megan Shull painted a realistic picture of how friendships can go south and how you can have some awesome people in your life without even realising it.

This was just a fluffy, adorable read and I really liked it. It's MG and just a cute read, if you like body-swapping type of stories like me, you'll really enjoy The Swap!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Title/Author: Get Even (Don't Get Mad #1) by Gretchen McNeil
Publisher/Date published: Balzer & Bray, September 16th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the author as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars in Gretchen McNeil’s witty and suspenseful novel about four disparate girls who join forces to take revenge on high school bullies and create dangerous enemies for themselves in the process.

Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot have nothing in common — at least that’s what they’d like the students and administrators of their elite private school to think. The girls have different goals, different friends, and different lives, but they share one very big secret: They’re all members of Don’t Get Mad, a secret society that anonymously takes revenge on the school’s bullies, mean girls, and tyrannical teachers.

When their latest target ends up dead with a blood-soaked “DGM” card in his hands, the girls realize that they’re not as anonymous as they thought — and that someone now wants revenge on them. Soon the clues are piling up, the police are closing in... and everyone has something to lose.

So I'm that girl that still watched Pretty Little Liars, even with all the drama spiralling out of control and everything cause that's my not so secret guilty pleasure. So obviously I was going to read this, cause it sounds a little like it, but in fact reminded me more of Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. And I really liked that as well, so all was well in the world.

I really liked reading about these four different personalities, though I think Olivia was a bit of a dudd, she was far less interesting than Bree, Kitty and Margot. I'm a bit partial to Bree actually, cause she's kickass and has the kind of romantic drama going on that makes me one happy reader. And obviously her best friend is AWESOME. I also liked how although they're working together, they don't necessarily get along all the time and the distinct personalities clash, with one of them typically being in the middle and trying to settle things.

I liked how Don't Get Mad was putting people who were bullying other back in their place, giving them a bit of their own medicine. It wasn't personal revenge, but more philantropic almost? But then people are turning up dead and Don't Get Mad is implicated and things just spiral out of control, with the killer trying to break up the group and everything, turning the girls against each other. It's the kind of intrigue that makes me go YES! and want to know what the heck is going on!

Get Even was a promising start to this series and I'm excited to see how it will all unfold in the next book!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of It's In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis

Title/Author: It's In His Kiss (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis
Publisher/Date published: Grand Central Publishing, August 26nd 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER
Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

So I was really craving something cute and fluffy after the abomination that was our book club read for this month. And I figured from what I'd heard about Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series that it would be just the thing.

And I have to say that this first encounter with Jill Shalvis' storytelling did not disappoint! It was fun and there was tension and a good storyline for the romance to fall back on and though there was a lot more drama than I had expected, it was ok. I was really curious about Becca's past and just what had happened to make her up and leave everything behind. I liked her quirks and her spunk and how she didn't just agree with Sam when he made this annoying rule about not being with her cause she's working for him and not automatically confirming to his alpha-male-ness.

Even though this alpha-male-ness is totally hot. Seriously. He's a surfer. And sexy. And he removes spiders for Becca, which means he's the best kind of guy. That's just an automatic win in my book. He has this really big heart and I like that in a man.

Together they had chemistry and I just wanted to shake Sam every time he fell back on the 'you're working for me so we can't be together' thing because UGH just own up to your feelings already and just GO FOR IT. But it was a really fun read and I'm thinking I'll be trying for of Jill Shalvis' books in the future!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Finding Miss McFarland by Vivienne Lorret

Title/Author: Finding Miss McFarland (Wallflower Weddings #3) by Vivienne Lorret
Publisher/Date published: Avon, August 5th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Delaney McFarland is on the hunt for a husband — preferably one who needs her embarrassingly large dowry more than a dutiful wife. After the unspeakable incident at her debut, Delaney knows marrying for love is off the table, but a marriage of convenience — one that leaves her free to live the life she chooses — is the next best thing, never mind what that arrogant, devilishly handsome Mr. Croft thinks. Delaney plans to marry for money... or not at all.

Ever since the fiery redhead burst into his life — in a most memorable way — Griffin Croft hasn't been able to get Miss McFarland out of his mind. Now, with the maddening woman determined to hand over her fortune to a rake, Griffin knows he must step in. He must help her. He must not kiss her. But when Griffin's noble intentions flee in a moment of unexpected passion, his true course becomes clear: tame Delaney's wild heart and save her from a fate worse than death... a life without love.

So I needed a bit of fluff after reading a book that had gruesome murders in them (The Diviners, it was AWESOME, but creepy) and decided that Finding Miss McFarland would be just the thing for it. And I was right. I like being right.

I really liked Delaney, she's smart and though she may overreact a bit when it comes to social humiliation (ok, so I would be mortified to if that had happened to me), I liked how she handled that and what lengths she went through to try and avoid Griffin. And succeeding for a year before they ran into each other again. There's some mastermind plotting going on and I liked it. I also really liked it when her methods started to fail, because we wouldn't have a story if they didn't. I liked how she is into fashion and is also the kind of woman who sticks up for the less fortunate.

And Griffin... Griffin is my kind of guy. He's intrigued by Delaney and is all honorable and such a good guy that it made me smile. A lot. I loved seeing him with his mother and sisters, he's the perfect older brother and I liked that about him. And also, I liked that he kinda messes things up a bit towards the end, because I love it when the hero has to chase the heroine and get her to be with him. There were totally tears in my eyes.

I mentioned Griffin's sisters already, they and Delaney's sister are AWESOME. Seriously, if I had a sister, I would want her to be like them, because they're supportive, funny and just lovely girls.
One thing that threw me off a bit was how fast they went from running into each other a couple of times to I love you, I felt like they barely knew each other, but while that detracted a bit from the story, I did really enjoy the book as a whole and I think Griffin and Delaney are good together.

My rating: 4 stars