Tag Archives: Banter

Minute Review: Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Adult, Minute Review, Period Romance, Reviews, , , , , , , , , ,

Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey, #1)Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (Lady Julia Grey, Book 1)
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.

This story had me hooked from the first line (see above), and while it wasn’t a book that I raced through, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I loved the Victorian setting, the colorful cast of characters, and Julie Grey’s particular blend of English Gentlewoman and closeted eccentric.

Recommendation: Read this if you enjoy bumbled murder mysteries and slow burn romances set in the Victorian era, especially if you’re looking to dive into a new series. Also give this a shot if you’re a fan of Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series – they share some great qualities.

Minute Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Minute Review, Paranormal Romance, , , , , , , , , , ,

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
My Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

“It’s a reflex. Hear a bell, get food. See an undead, throw a knife. Same thing, really.”

There’s a lot to like about this book: a snarky, kickass heroine, a complex paranormal setting, and a bit of a murder mystery. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into it. I’m not sure what the root cause was, but regardless, I’m tempted to try book 2 and give the series another shot.

Recommendation: Read this if you love a hearty paranormal series with a long-term, slow-burn romance.

Have you read any books from Ilona Andrews or the Kate Daniels series? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Fantasy, LGBT, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Carry On

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am going to die kissing Simon Snow. Aleister Crowley, I’m living a charmed life. – Baz

Of all the things I was most excited about after finishing Fangirl a few weeks ago, the release of Carry On was at the top of the list. Now I have the supreme joy of reviewing it (then maybe starting it again from chapter one).

At first I wasn’t sure what to expect since Carry On takes place over the course of Simon Snow’s 8th year in magic school, with at least 7 years of back story that need to be incorporated without boring or confusing the reader. It only took me a couple of chapters to realize that this wasn’t going to be a problem – Rowell did an amazing job of quickly building the world, magic system, and relationships.

I don’t want to go too far into the plot, because discovering that is part of the story’s charm, but I do want to say a few words about the romance. I loved the dynamic between Simon and Baz. It was everything I hoped for, especially concerning Baz. I know some readers wished that there had been more romance time, but considering they begin the book as mortal enemies, it seemed completely reasonable that their relationship would need time to evolve. Besides, the romantic bits that were included were fabulous.

I’ll finish this off with one final note: you don’t need to have read or enjoyed Fangirl to read and enjoy this book. It is completely self contained – just know that it’s a bit of a parody of both Harry Potter and fanfiction.

Recommendation: If you love Harry Potter, wizard schools in general, pop culture references, British slang, Rainbow Rowell, and/or adorably quirky romances, YOU NEED TO READ THIS!

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is a standalone young adult novel that follows Cath through her freshman year of college. For the first time in her life, she’s away from home and not living with her identical twin sister, forcing her to break from her usual pattern and find a place of her own – as a college student, an artist, a friend, and a sister.

Before I jump into the review, I feel like I should say that this wasn’t a perfect book, but the story really resonated with me. It’s a young adult novel in pretty much every sense, and the story is about the journey. There is a lot of dialogue, personal struggle, and growth. Because of that, if you don’t connect with the journey you won’t connect with the book. I don’t think this story is for everyone, but it is for me, and it might be for you, too.

“Look at you. All sweatered up. What are those, leg sweaters?”
“They’re leg warmers.”
“You’re wearing at least four different kinds of sweater.”
“This is a scarf.”
“You look tarred and sweatered.”

The first thing I really enjoyed about this book was the writing. The narrative kept me going from start to finish, and it is full of witty, adorable dialogue. This kind of writing is one of my favorite things about a lot of YA novels.

The element of Cath’s story that spoke to me the most was her struggle with creating her own literary worlds. She’s an artist, but she doesn’t think she can be one outside of the scope of Simon Snow, her fandom of choice. She feels that real writers create new worlds starting from nothing, and she doesn’t know how to do that. I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager. I could have learned along with Cath that being an artist isn’t about creating something entirely original from nothing. Our experiences influence everything we do.

Lastly, I loved the presence of fanfiction in the story – not the excerpts, but the fact that it was such a big part of Cath’s life. I remember my own days of furiously reading Harry Potter fanfiction and midnight release events, and Cath’s story is full of nostalgia for me. I loved that Rowell included fanfiction as a complex and wonderful phenomenon, rather than a silly or childish hobby.

Speaking of the Simon Snow fanfiction, Rowell has written her own version of Simon and Baz’s story! It is called Carry On, and it’s not quite canon and not quite fanfiction, but it is 384 pages of Simon and Baz fighting evil and falling in love. The release date is October 6th, 2015!

See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars.

Review: Hard to Come By by Laura Kaye

Adult, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hard to Come By (Hard Ink, #3)

Hard to Come By by Laura Kaye
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

NOTE:  This review is for a book with mature content and sexy times!

Hard to Come By by Laura Kaye is the third full-length novel in the suspenseful Hard Ink series. It continues the saga from Marz’s perspective, as well as from Emilie’s, an innocent bystander and the sister of a man on the wrong side of the Hard Ink fight. This installment is essential to the overarching plot, so don’t skip it! If you haven’t read any of the previous stories, Kaye does do a good job of summarizing all the essential background info, but you’ll get a whole lot more out of the experience if you start with book one, Hard as It Gets.

I really liked this one, though to be fair, so far I’ve loved the whole series 🙂 Marz is the goofy, joking computer expert who always knows how to bring smiles to the group. He is also the surviving special forces team member who had to overcome the most severe injury – the loss of a leg. After everything he’s been through, it was a pleasure to read about him finding some deeper happiness of his own. Emilie is an excellent addition to the Hard Ink family, being intelligent, loyal, compassionate, and brave enough to do what needs to be done. I love how she didn’t treat Marz and his prosthetic with kid gloves. They really make an excellent pair.

In terms of addressing complex issues, Kaye did that again here. Not only did she shine some light on life after amputation, she also brought mental health, PTSD, and the complexities of family back into the spotlight. I love that these are suspenseful and romantic books that have both fluff and some serious substance.

Now, about tattoos, Marz has a bunch of them (24 to be exact). The one I loved the most is actually a concept he has for his next piece, which he’s hoping Jeremy can help him out with. It’s a large one on the back of his calf that would depict the inside of his leg as being bionic. There is one other VERY noteworthy tattoo in an… intimate place. I’m going to leave that one for future readers to discover on their own 😉

I’m excited to continue the series with the next novella, Hard to Be Good, and the next full-length installment, Hard to Let Go. I can’t wait for Beckett to get some feisty lady love and to learn how the series plot comes to a close!

PS – Here’s my favorite of Jeremy’s dirty t-shirts from this installment:

His dark red T-shirt had a drawing of a smiling fire extinguisher that said, “I put out.”

 

See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars, including a steam rating!

Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, , , , , , , , , , ,

Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins is the third and final book of the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy. It follows Isla and Josh back in France for their senior year at the School of America in Paris. It is a roller coaster of a young love story, with really high highs and really low lows. If you’re a fan of the first two books, Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, I highly recommend it!

This is one of those stories that is simultaneously emotionally challenging to read and impossible to get through fast enough. Don’t start it at the end of the day unless you don’t plan on sleeping!

“Oh.” My shoulders sag. “You want to draw.”
“Yes. You.”

That perks me up. I try to hand him a sketchbook, but he refuses it.

“No,” he says. “I want to draw on you.”

I have to admit, I did get some whiplash from the emotional roller coaster. I could see it coming a mile away just based on my experience reading romances, but it still hit me full force. The manic mix emotions and hormones that go into young love were undeniable and the writing brought back so many of my own experiences that I couldn’t help but get swept away. As Isla and Josh spent more and more time together, the quotable moments and happy feels just kept coming. But then, of course, real life and consequences assert themselves with equal force.

And holy COW the romance was intense! Just like the first two books in the series, I found myself reading with a silly grin on my face again and again, but this one was more extreme. Maybe it was because there was nothing to stop them initially; Isla and Josh slammed into each other full force. Maybe it was just because of their personalities, both of them being passionate and deeply-loving introverts. Whatever the reason, this story was personal and consuming. My favorite section, by far, was their trip to Barcelona.

I’m not going to say anything more about the details of the story. In this case, encountering everything firsthand with Isla is such a big part of the experience. And on that note, I am going to end this review with my favorite quote from the book. I know everyone forgets things like this from time to time, and I’m so grateful that I have Isla’s story to remind me.

We can’t stop smiling at each other. I can’t believe that adults get to do this every day. And I don’t even mean sex, though it’s wonderful, but things like this. Brushing our teeth at the same sink. Do adults realize how lucky they are? Or do they forget that these small moments are actually small miracles? I don’t want to ever forget.

I hope I get to read a lot more from Stephanie Perkins in the future, but even if she never writes another thing, I will always be grateful for this series.

PS – For those curious about Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket’s presence in the book, it’s there, but not nearly as much as in the last book. It’s an appropriate amount, though, given the themes and emotional atmosphere of the story.

See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars, including a swoon rating!

Review: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Period Romance, , , , , , , , , ,

The Grand Sophy

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer is a Regency romance and is perhaps one of Heyer’s most popular books. It tells the story of a feisty young woman named Sophy, who is the product of an unconventional upbringing and a wonderfully unique personality. Like all of Heyer’s Regency romances, the story is funny, over the top, and full of witty dialogue.

If you are a fan of old school Regency romances, romantic comedies with a hefty dose of absurdity, or want a fun way to brush up on your SAT words, I definitely recommend this book.

A Regency Character Summary:

The Grand Sophy: Sophia Stanton-Lacy is our plucky heroine, and she is quite a character! She wishes the best for everyone and seems to believe that it is her duty to turn everyone’s troubles to right. Fortunately, she is clever enough to figure out how, in most cases, and in this book she has set her sights on fixing the woes of her Aunt’s family. She also has no qualms about setting down those who are quite accustomed to getting their way.

“Now, that,” said Sophy, “I am very glad to know, because if ever I should desire to please you I shall know just how to set about it. I daresay I shan’t, but one likes to be prepared for any event, however unlikely.”

Mr. Charles Rivenhall: While not the patriarch of the Ombersley family, Charles does control the purse strings and has become the dictator over his parents and siblings. He begins the story engaged to an equally oppressive woman, Ms. Wraxton, who brings out all of his worst qualities. Charles’ obnoxious manner of ruling the house and his poorly matched engagement are among the trials that our dear Sophy takes it upon herself to fix.

Lord Charlbury: Charlbury is in love with one of the Ombersley daughters, Cecilia, who has unfortunately fallen in love with a young poet. Despite his many virtues, he fell victim to being her family’s chosen match for her, as well as a poorly timed case of the mumps that kept him away for several weeks.

Lord Charlbury might be constitutionally incapable of addressing her as Nymph, or of comparing bluebells unfavorably with her eyes, but Lord Charlbury would infallibly provide a cloak for her if the weather were inclement, lift her over obstacles she could well climb without assistance, and in every way convince her that in his eyes she was a precious being whom it was impossible to guard too carefully.

Mr. Augustus Fawnhope: The young poet in question, Augustus is CONSTANTLY working on his verse and is generally oblivious to pretty much everything else going on around him.

‘”Lo, as a careful housewife runs to catch One of her feather’d creatures broke away!”‘

Miss Eugenia Wraxton: Ms. Wraxton is an infuriatingly abhorrent character, passive aggressively knocking down everyone she dislikes under the guise of behaving as a “proper” young lady should. I pretty much wanted to strangle her the entire story. Sophy, on the other hand, handles her admirably and even manages not to harbor her any ill will (miracle of miracles).

***

I do feel compelled to say that, yes, this story does involve a romance between first cousins. While this happened all the time during this book’s historical time period, it’s understandable that some are super skeeved out by this given today’s standards. I just imagined that they weren’t actually blood relatives and was able to put it out of mind.

My one major issue with this book (and the reason I docked an entire star) was the random Jewish moneylender that cropped up in the middle of the book. I know a lot of other reviewers have mentioned this, but I couldn’t write my own without addressing it. The character depicts every horrifying Jewish stereotype, and it was disgusting to read. I don’t know if this is a product of the Regency Era, the 1950s when this was written, or Heyer’s own prejudices. Either way, it was unnecessary, out of place, and severely detracting from the story.

All in all, I really liked the writing and main characters, the story and relationship nuances was hilarious, and the plot was entertaining. While Venetia is still my favorite Heyer, I’m going to keep working my way through the rest of them!

3 of the 9 words I looked up while reading this book:

urbanity – suavity, courteousness and refinement of manner
Nabob – a person of conspicuous wealth or high status
rodomontade – boastful or inflated talk or behavior

Click here to see my review on Goodreads.

Review: The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Adult, Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal Romance, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny, #1)
The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost is the first book in Frost’s New Adult series, Broken Destiny. This is an angels and demons series that follows Ivy and Adrian, two humans with supernatural gifts that were passed down from their Biblically significant ancestors. To throw a wrench in, they are mystically drawn to each other despite descending from two different lines destined to forsake each other.

I’ve been excited to read this for a while, being a huge fan of Frost’s Night Huntress series. I know a bunch of her fans were put off by the fact that this one’s about angels and demons but I happen to like that sub-genre, and I happen to love the wit and style of Frost’s writing. I figured, worst case it’ll be a quick, fun read. As it turns out, it WAS a quick fun read. Fortunately for me, I also loved the world, characters, and storyline!

Speaking of the world and storyline, there are a lot of angels and demons tropes and cliches out there, as well as quite a bit of variation of where characters fall on the scale of Good vs. Evil. This world falls somewhere in the middle. The demons are definitely evil baddies, there’s no question about that, but what about the angels? They’re pretty cryptic and seemingly neutral with a hint of good. For Supernatural fans, the angels of this series reminded me a lot of the angels from that one. Ivy and Adrian are working with the angels to stop the demons, but mostly they’re working with each other to accomplish their goals and survive being cannon fodder in an ageless war.

Now for a bit about Ivy and Adrian…

He was danger wrapped in secrets tied with a bow of bad intentions, and it was totally unfair that no one had made me feel this way before.

Ivy does remind me a bit of an alternate universe’s version of Cat from the Night Huntress series. She is spunky, determined, powerful, and would sacrifice herself in an instant for those she loves. Adrian is pretty much exactly as described in the quote above, as well as powerful, brooding, tortured by his perceived destiny, and with a serious addiction to Ivy. Their chemistry was palpable and it cultivates some serious book boyfriend material for those on the market 😉

This is probably a good time for me to say, WARNING FOR SEMI-CLIFFHANGER! See below for my Cliffhanger Classification Breakdown…

One final note about maturity level: I do agree with others who say this book is somewhere between Young Adult and New Adult, though for me it falls more under the New Adult umbrella. For those wondering about the explicitness of any sexy scenes, the vocabulary and descriptions definitely fit with New Adult (not quite at the level of typical adult romances). See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars with more info.

I’m really glad I gave this new series a try, and I’m bummed that I have to wait until February for book two! So far my streak of loving Jeaniene Frost’s work is holding strong.

***

Cliffhanger Classification Breakdown:

MUST READ NEXT BOOK NOW BECAUSE PLOT: 4 out of 5
SOMETHING HORRIFYING JUST HAPPENED AND I NEED CLOSURE, DAMMIT: 1 out of 5

Final score of cliffhanger pain: 2.5 out of 5

See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars, including a Steam Rating!

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, , , , , , , , , ,

Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)

 

 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is the story of Anna Oliphant and her senior year at a new boarding school, the School of America in Paris. She was sent there by her father against her wishes, but she soon finds way more than she expected in her new friends, the culture of Paris, and Etienne St. Clair – the American boy with a London accent and a French home.

This is home. The two of us.

I held off on reading this for a while because of all the hype (at least within the YA world). I have a tendency to do that with books I have a feeling I will love. It probably has something to do with being a little wary of investing all of the book feels and wanting to savor the anticipation of discovering a new literary love. There’s always the fear that the hyped book won’t live up to the scrutiny; I am so glad that Anna and the French Kiss did.

This is primarily a relationship story, focusing on friendship, romance, family, and self-care. The whole story is told from Anna’s point of view, with her fears, wit, enthusiasm, and growth taking center stage. Anna is a marvelous narrator. She is driven and smart, and doing everything she can to do the right thing for herself and her friends. There were moments where she faced impossible decisions, and I felt for her every step of the way.

“Listen carefully and repeat after me. Granola.” I narrow my eyes as he widens his in mock innocence. “Means ‘granola,’ you see. And this one? Yaourt?”

“Gee, I dunno. Yogurt?”

“A natural! You say you’ve never lived in France before?”

“Har. Bloody. Har.”

He smiles. “Oh, I see. Known me less than a day and teasing me about my accent. What’s next? Care to discuss the state of my hear? My height? My trousers?”

Trousers. Honestly.

Etienne is a wonderfully intriguing character. His chemistry with Anna was absolutely undeniable and I’m convinced I spent at least 50% of this novel with a giant grin on my face. I loved that he was as equally invested in friendships and as flawed as Anna. I have to say, if they ever make this into a movie, I feel for the actor whose hair and charm has to live up to Etienne’s.

I only have a few weeks left in Paris, and I still haven’t been inside of Notre-Dame. What am I doing in the dormitory on a Saturday afternoon? I yank on my shoes, run out of the building, and race down the boulevards at the speed of sound. I can’t get there fast enough. I have to be there. Now. I can’t explain it.

This desperate feeling and the immediate urge to act is one that I remember well from my teenage years, and I still feel it now from time to time. It’s just part of human nature, especially during emotionally heavy times. I loved that Perkins was able to write this story in such a way that I was with Anna at every step, and felt my own story while reading hers. That ability is one that has always amazed me in talented YA authors.

As it turns out, Anna and the French Kiss is actually the first book in a trilogy, though each book features a different couple. I’m excited to continue on with Lola and the Boy Next Door. Even if the only good element is more time with Anna and Etienne as side characters, the read will be well worth it.

See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars

Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Fantasy, Young Adult, , , , , , , , , ,

Entwined

 

 

Entwined by Heather Dixon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Entwined by Heather Dixon is a wonderful young adult fairy tale that is loosely based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Brothers Grimm. It does indeed tell the story of twelve sisters (all princesses) who love to dance. The book is set in a rickety old castle, owned by a beloved but poor king. The castle is full of latent magic that has lingered for over two hundred years from the reign of the evil High King D’Eathe.

If you are a fan of fairy tales, you will LOVE this book! My middle school-aged self would have devoured this story over and over again. Throughout the read I kept thinking of how well this would look next to Ella Enchanted on my Middle Grade/Young Adult shelf.

“I sometimes wonder if the King is, you know, clever. Not like us, of course. But clever in a quieter sort of way.”

Like many others have said, this story is all about the sisters. They are each unique and lively in their own ways, making the story come alive. Despite their differences, it is obvious that they love each other dearly, and they are always looking out for one another. Their interactions and the magic of the story blend together excellently to tell a fantastical story that also explores the importance of family.

Another aspect I really appreciated was that very few, if any, of the characters were strictly black and white in terms of “good and evil” or “right and wrong.” This is a bit of a change from Disney-style fairy tales and I loved it. Even Azalea, our main protagonist, has significant character flaws and makes mistakes despite always trying her best. The princesses also had plenty of sass to go around, and refused to be bullied or manhandled. Thank goodness for that!

What I loved the most: To be honest, my favorite character was Lord Teddy, one of the side characters and a potential suitor of the princesses. He was so lovingly over-the-top and good-natured. It is simply impossible for me not to love someone who thinks the love of his life is: “a run-a-loop in a croquet game, raspberry jam on toast, cadmium red in a paint set…”

All in all, this is one of those books that I hope I get to share with my kids someday. I’m excited to read more from Heather Dixon, including Illusionarium, which is also in my library queue.

See my review on Goodreads for Some Particulars