Stacking the Shelves is an awesome meme hosted by Tynga's Review.
Bloggers share the books they've received, bought, borrowed - and I end up adding a half dozen books to my 'must acquire' list. Seriously, I started a new list on Jan 1st and I'm up to 18 books, half of which have come from other StS posts!
I only bought one book this week (or two week period as I tend to StS bi-weekly) - it was on sale when I was there checking out the submission calls for Ellora's Cave:
I also received a stack of books for review - I indulged a little putting out requests for review copies this week, and I've gotten back:
The Shadow Princess by Mary Hart Perry - This one had me at London, 1888 . A Jack the Ripper investigation drawing together a cop and a princess sounded like a good romp.
Tangled Hearts by Heather McCollum - A witch, a highlander, pirates and two people forced to work together and attracted to each other despite themselves. Sounds fun to me!
Lockstep by Karl Schroeder - The cover of this reminds me of the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman (same artist, I'm going to guess). I generally like what Tor's putting out, and it's been a while since I've read something future-based.
Just One Night by Lauren Layne - I read and reviewed two books by Lauren Layne last year and enjoyed them both. This one is a sequel and I expect good things!
What did you pick up this week? Have you read any of the books I grabbed? What'd you think of them? Is there something I should have picked up but didn't?
The Basics:
Ruined by Tracy Wolff
Random House: Loveswept
First in the Ethan Frost series
New Adult, Romance
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Bared to You, and Release Me will be hooked on Ruined, an electrifying journey of emotional and sexual discovery that pushes two damaged souls to their breaking point—and beyond.
He’s the last man Chloe Girard should love . . . but the first she ever could.
Ethan Frost is a visionary, a genius, every woman’s deepest, darkest fantasy—even mine. And, somehow, I am his.
He stole into my life like a dream. Turned my reality upside down and made my every desire come true—especially those I never knew I had. He demanded everything I had to give and gave me everything of himself in return.
But dreams don’t last forever, and ours is no exception. Because my nightmares are darker, and my wounds deeper, than I could ever reveal. And as much as Ethan wants to protect me, the secrets we we share will only tear us apart.
Why I picked up this book:
For some reason I keep giving domineering, alpha men another shot.
My thoughts:
Because of the blurb, comparing this book to Fifty Shades, I was expecting this to be erotica. It definitely had some pretty hot sex scenes, but overall, it was more romance.
So, I expected Ethan Frost to be a real alpha guy. I thought he'd order Chloe around in and out of the bedroom. That he'd get pissy when he didn't get his way, that he'd set ultimatums for her that would put her in an untenable (for me) position.
Happily, I was wrong. Ethan is definitely a character who knows his own mind. As Chloe points out repeatedly, he wouldn't be a billionaire CEO if he wasn't quite capable of setting his own terms and getting his way and so forth. However, I found that the way he treated Chloe was not overbearing, and that he didn't behave like a pompous or arrogant jerk all the time. I quite liked him, overall.
Chloe, for her part, is presented as a smart young woman, and she seems relatively capable of holding her own. I liked that we had workplace evidence of her intelligence. She's definitely got issues, and does frequently emphasize her need to be her own person and not put her life in anyone else's control. It could easily have just been blowing smoke to try to give this character more dimension, but I think it was put into action in the story as well, which gave Chloe real depth.
There's some inconsistency in the workplace in terms of the day to day detail we get about the other interns. The treatment of Chloe on her second day of work seems like it should be setting the bar for the two weeks that follow but there's no references to it beyond being persona non grata. I expect this to be picked up again in future books, but I was a little letdown that this thread wasn't teased out more across the last third or so of the book.
This is clearly the first of a series and there's a lot of issues that aren't resolved by the end of the book. In fact, I felt like nothing was really taken off the table - Ethan's got secrets, Chloe's shared only a few of hers and they're not really fully dealt with by the last page. The author hints at some things but Chloe, who is our narrator, hasn't hit on them yet. I'd like to read more - which is saying a lot because I quite regularly am disappointed by follow-ups in series of this nature. I must say that because I did like Ethan, I found the story much more engaging than similar works (I'm looking at you in particular This Man series).
Bottom line:
I liked this one significantly more than I have anything else in the same niche - I'm hoping lots of other people feel the same way because this is a shift in the market that I happily support. It doesn't have the same degree of kink that erotica would, but it's still quite sexy. Fingers crossed that the rest of the series lives up to the high standard set by first entry.
4 stars
For fans of erotic romance (romantica? is this really a term people are using?), alpha men who aren't jerks, contemporary romance
The Basics:
Accidents & Incidents by Riley Graham
Indie Inked
YA Romance
Published Nov 24, 2013
Amazon.ca Kobo.com
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Sometimes finding love means taking the scenic route …
Living with her faultfinding mother has taught Leslie not to ask for much. Just watch your step, stay on the sidelines, and take what you can get. But she wants a mom who thanks her for cleaning the kitchen instead of yelling at her for missing a spot, and a boyfriend who does more than score her a seat at the popular table—someone who actually notices her sitting there.
So when Cain, the school heartbreaker, turns his Carolina blue eyes her way, Leslie can’t help but be tempted, even if he’s her boyfriend’s best friend. Things get even more complicated when Leslie strikes up unlikely friendships with Meredith, Cain’s girlfriend, and Dennis, a boy addicted to cigarettes and solitude. Despite his tough exterior, Dennis seems to understand Leslie in a way that no one ever has, and to need her as much as she needs him.
For the first time in her life, Leslie feels like she could belong. She’s just not sure where. Will she ring in the New Year with the right guy, or end up right back where she started—alone?
Why I picked up this book:
I had sympathy for Leslie after just the first paragraph of the blurb. I needed to read this with my fingers crossed that everything would turn out okay for her.
My thoughts:
I don't have a lot to say about this read, but I did think Accidents & Incidents is a really solid depiction of high school. The characters all have their own problems and agendas that seemed plausible to me.
One thing I really liked was that there was very little apology for anyone's behaviour or personality, but instead the book creates space for understanding. For example, as I learned about Leslie's mom, it was easier to understand why she talked to Leslie the way she did, even though I didn't really want to forgive her for it. There's some discussion in the book about whether understanding why people behave the way they do can help excuse that behaviour. It's an interesting question within the context of this story and I think ultimately it comes down to the individual.
I think Leslie's perspective is also fairly honest - she quite often makes assumptions about people and events based on what she sees without a lot of consideration for what circumstances may be beyond what she knows. She's human and she makes mistakes, but I think she's muddling through the best that she can, and I quite liked her. I thought that she did some things that were particularly teen-like - her crush on Cain, for example, and how that plays out.
I'm not sure this was a real standout YA book for me, but it was definitely a good read. I was hooked early on, eager to know how things would turn out for Leslie, and hoping for the best.
Bottom line:
This is a YA book that acknowledges without apology that life is messy and emotional. Sometimes there are happy endings and sometimes there are just endings. I liked that it creates space for understanding without attempting to redeem or forgive. It felt authentic to me, and I enjoyed reading it. I'd definitely recommend it to contemporary YA fans.
4 stars
For fans of contemporary YA, stories of loss, YA romance.
The Basics:
Salt by Danielle Ellison
Entangled: Teen
YA, Romance, Paranormal
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.
When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.
Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.
Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.
Why I picked up this book:
Witches and demons sounded like something I would enjoy.
My thoughts:
I was not wrong, I did enjoy this.
So Penelope's life is a complicated mess of lies - she's a witch who can't actually be a witch without a family member nearby until she meets Carter - a guy whose sitting on a bunch of his own secrets. Secret agendas abound as these two navigate the witchy world that Nons - that'd be me and you (I presume, unless you're part of the paranormal community) - know nothing about but rely on to stay safe from demons.
Yes, this book has a few cliches, but I felt like the sum of the book overcame them. I'm getting a wee bit tired of the mysterious guy who periodically pops up to save the day, and who may or may not be harbouring some serious lust/love for our dear heroine. At least the author is bold enough to evade the unnecessary love triangle - Penelope's best friend is a guy, but Ric is gay. Penelope's waffling over whether to tell Ric about who/what she really is was an interesting dilemma alongside his openness. I liked that Ric's sexuality was a non-issue, but then Penelope's witch status was a deep, dark secret.
Carter was an appropriately dreamy young man - he's got some snark, he's fully supportive, he's hot, he's powerful. He's got secrets. We know this type by now, inside and out. Carter doesn't disappoint any expectations, though he doesn't really break outside of the box at all either.
There's a lot of action in this book and Penelope more than holds her own. She's one tough lady, which is as it should be given that she's been working towards being an Enforcer since she realized it would help her towards the goal of finding 'her' demon. There's no flailing about for her - she's got moves and she uses them to repeatedly beat down the bad guys.
Overall, I liked the flow of Salt. The pace was quick but not so hectic that I didn't have a chance to reflect on everything I was learning about the world and Penelope's unique position within it. There's a lot of good worldbuilding here.
Bottom line:
I liked Ellison's spin on the paranormal YA romance - witches and demons duking it out while humans remain clueless. There's some material left open that screams sequel: I will be watching for it. This wasn't the most original entry in the genre, but it was a fair amount of fun, and that counts for a *lot* with me.
I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the genre (and I'll suggest it to my family members who read this type of thing).
4 stars
For fans of YA, paranormal, witches and/or demons, young love
The Basics:
Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher
Entangled: Teen
YA, Romance
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods—vodka, black hair dye, and pretending thepast didn't happen—are more traditional, but who is she to judge? Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley¹s trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate¹s recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn'tsure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.
Why I picked up this book:
Who doesn't want to fall in love with a hot guy living in their garage?
My thoughts:
I pick books up for the most superficial reasons, and then they turn out to be full of heartwrenching material. Up front, I read to escape. I want to enrich my life by living as many lives as possible via reading. I can fall in love for the first time over and over, rule kingdoms, learn how to cast magic, save the day, solve the murder, catch the bad guy - the sky's the limit when I read. So, as you can imagine, I have to make a very conscious decision to pick up books with heavier material in them.
This book managed to be both a fun teen read, but also about very real and heartbreaking issues. I won't spoil any of it, because part of the book's journey is working through the revelations as the characters are ready and/or forced to confront them. Certainly, there's a lot of grief and guilt and love in this book, and they're not fluffed off in favour of a romance.
Hanley's a typical teen in that she feels isolated by her own view of the world, her own experiences, her emotions. She's trying to avoid feeling anything too deep by launching herself into a world of partying and superficial friendships. When she finds Nate living in her garage, she's forced to confront some hard truths. I can only imagine what it would feel like to discover someone so like herself - a teenager from a reasonably well-off family - forced, for whatever reason, into homelessness in the middle of the winter. It strips away petty concerns, bringing Hanley's own pain that much closer to the surface.
Nate's another one of those mysterious good-looking guys with a secret. I like what this book does with his character - he's a source of emotional strength and turmoil for Hanley and I like that he's not in a position to save the day for her.
Bottom line:
I definitely recommend this one. I think that what Hanley and Nate are both going through is something worth pausing for and really considering. I'd love to sit and chat about this one with a group of friends (or fellow readers... future friends?)
4.5 stars
For fans of YA with depth, teen romance, stories of grief and loss.
The Basics:
Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard by Vanessa Kelly
Zebra
Book One of Renegade Royals
Historical Romance
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is my entry for the 2014 Key Words Reading Challenge hosted by Bookmark to Blog.
Blurb:
In this witty, sensual new series, Vanessa Kelly introduces the Renegade Royals, illegitimate sons of the Royal Princes who are finding their rightful places in society…
Accomplished spy Aden St. George prefers to stay away from the frivolous ton, especially after the way his mother was used by the Prince Regent. But his latest mission compels him to guard unconventional, vibrant Lady Vivien Shaw. Rescuing her from kidnappers was easy. Resisting her beauty is not. Duty demands he keep an eye on her—and naturally, his lips soon follow. For someone who views entanglements as a weakness, this is pure, delicious folly…
Though grateful for Aden’s help, Vivien has secrets she must keep hidden. Yet with her abductors still at large, she needs Aden’s protection almost as much as she craves his touch…
Why I picked up this book:
Historical romance, beautiful big dress, a spy who can't resist a beautiful woman with secrets? I'm in.
My thoughts:
This book was as much fun to read as I hoped it would be. Now, it wasn't without flaw, but they were relatively inconsequential to my reading experience. As it was, I had a really hard time putting the book down to take care of those pesky obligations like feeding myself and my children, sleeping and what not.
Aden's a spy coming off a tragic end to his last mission. Determined to be as emotionless as possible to protect himself from making errors, he finds himself unable to resist the charms of the beautiful and lovely-on-the-inside Vivien. For her part, Vivien has reason not to put much faith in men, but Aden saves her life and seems so solid and worthy....
Of course things don't go smoothly for anyone, and that's half the fun of the ride.
The only thing that tweaked me about this book was that other than a few spots of action, I never really got a good feel for Aden working as a competent spy. Instead, he believed Vivien's misdirection over and over, and I wanted to kick him in the shins for it. The reason provided was his love for her (and I imagine his own feelings about the match), and that was believable, but.... I guess I just wanted him a little cleverer.
For her part, Vivien is a very competent young woman. She's ballsy, taking on responsibilities that should never have been hers. She's also got a kind heart, and seems a little naive - the dangers that face her seem much more threatening over the long term than I think she grasped.
There's a few interesting supporting cast members - Dominic who obviously should have the last romance in the series as the spymaster himself falls for a wonderful woman. I haven't read the novella prequel that contains his childhood story (or I assume it is), but I might pick it up to get myself up to speed. Griffin Steele, another royal by-blow, is also of interest and his story is the next in the series. He's got enough (criminal?) quirks that his story should be especially fun to read!
I hadn't read Vanessa Kelly before this, but I'm quite glad to have 'met' her. Her writing is in line with Julia Quinn or Victoria Alexander in terms of the quality of it, and I hope to discover that she's a reliable read as well. I can always use new reliable romance authors (as I churn too quickly through the backlists of my current favourites!)
Bottom line:
A fun Regency romp, I'd recommend this one for an afternoon spent lazing with a cup of tea. I hated putting it down, and will look for the sequel, Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom, coming in April.
4 stars
For fans of Regency romance, spy romance
The Basics:
Reforming the Playboy by Inara Scott
Entangled Publishing : Indulgence
A Passion Creek Romance
Romance
Published December 17, 2013
Amazon.ca Kobo.com
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Five years ago, she left without a word…
Internationally-renowned artist Max Estin is as well known for his million dollar commissions as he is his partying and clubbing. But Max is hiding a secret—for almost a year he’s been completely blocked. Unable to paint. And to unlock his art, and save his career, he’s going to need the one woman he never wanted to see again.
Now, he’s determined to make her pay…
Kira Estin never told Max exactly why she left, or what secrets forced her to return home to Passion Creek so abruptly. So when a chance reunion turns to seduction, Kira is more than a little suspicious. She knows better than to trust Max, but can’t fight the fire that he lights in her body—or her heart. But when everyone is hiding a secret, can even the hottest passion survive?
Why I picked up this book:
I like the idea of two people who were once in love coming back together again.
My thoughts:
Up front, I have to confess that I couldn't read this one linearly: So, Kira's aunt, who was her guardian, has passed away before the book starts, and she puts Kira into this awful position wherein some very revealing drawings of her, done by her former lover Max, are going to be made public if Max and Kira don't reconnect in person to exchange the images. This premise made me SO UNCOMFORTABLE. That Kira's aunt would first, create even the possibility of the images going public, and second, have the other option be handing the images over to Kira's ex.... The whole scenario made me cringe. I have no problem with the sharing of nude and/or erotic images, but to share them with other people when the subject of them is so strongly against it. Nope.
I ended up skipping to near the end of the book, reading the climax and conclusion, skipping earlier again, and then starting over to read through until what I'd already read and them skim through the end.
Some people read books like this all the time, which is why I decided not to pass on writing a review. My discomfort was obviously an issue, and it coloured my reading of the book.
Okay, so moving beyond the start, which I really didn't like.... The rest of the book is okay? The threat of the pictures is always looming, particularly as Max holds onto his desire for revenge, and then his creative issues. I had a really hard time getting on board.
I liked Kira's efforts to help Max and the way their past together was sort of superimposed on to the events of the present. This emphasized their emotional states and made the romance more plausible.
Overall, the story itself was adequate. There's a mystery around why Kira left Max in the first place, which worked for me only when factoring in these particular characters, with their personalities and backgrounds.
Bottom line:
If the premise doesn't put you off, then this is a solid romance. I suspect many people wouldn't fixate on this detail as strongly as I did (and my focus on it reminds me of the many reviews I've read where the reviewer emphasized things that I hardly noticed when I read the book myself). So this is one review where I'll underline a few extra times the "To Each Their Own" part of this blog's title.
3 stars
For fans of contemporary romance, Inara Scott.
