YA Book Review: Croak ( Croak 1)

Book Title: Croak (Croak 1)
Author: Gina Damico |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: YA Paranormal Fiction
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: Trade paperback

Cost: $8.99

Pages: 311

How I got it: Book Expo America 2012

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Shelfabililty: Must Read
Season: Halloween
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Synopsis:

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business. She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

Let's start with the sexy book cover, and all it's beauty, go ahead I'll give you time.  Then of course is the snazzy font that the title is written in, the awesome storyline and I was hooked!!! As I was reading I kept thinking OMG she reminds me of Dead Like Me (one of my favorite shows by the way), so I was totally hooked at the concept of a modern Grim Reaper.

Let's start with our awesome, dry witty and perpetually angry grumpy sixteen year old Lex, she's a twin and she's the one with the bad attitude, give her dirty looks and she's guaranteed to kick your butt. After this final showdown Lex's parents split the twins and send her off to live with Uncle Mort, her Uncle who owns a farm in upstate New York, in a town called Croak. Let's start with the weird town line sign and her uncle showing up on a Harley (my kind of man), and let's move to the rest of the weirdness that is Croak.  I laughed at so many of her thoughts about the town because as a New Yorker I know we think anything beyond the four *yes I said four, Staten Island doesn't count y'all it doesn't count, Buffs my Boogie Down nails* boroughs as being the boonies and a whole other state, New York is only what can be reached by the train system LOLOLOLOL.

Not long after reaching Croak, Uncle Mort let's the cat out of the bag and takes Lex on her first trip as a Reaper, before long she's got the hang of it and then she gets hooked with Driggs as her teacher and they are off.  Before long her talents at this take off, and there are those who aren't too happy about it.  So much happens in this novel and I can't lie there are moments that still haunt me, especially when she figures out what her real gift is. People in town don't like that Lex is related to Mort and that she's gotten really good at what she does, other towns are starting to have issues and Mort doesn't take well to the problems going down in town.  It's a whole heap of craziness, in there throw in young love, friends being attacked, Reapers who died long ago coming back, power hungry idiots doing all manner of crazy things and of course several kinds of souls being reaped that will tear your heart out. One in particular makes me which I had her gift so I could exact revenge.

I can say I wasn't disappointed, this book, much like the show drew me in, wrapped me in it's wonderful storytelling and kept me locked in until the very end. Luckily I didn't have long to wait to read the second book Scorch. either because my sister had it, so I stole it borrowed it (she'll get it back...someday).
 ★★★★★

I got his book at Book Expo America 2012 and had the author sign it for me, I cracked up because she signed it

And so to you my loves I wish
Happy Reaping Reading

Book #Review: When Snow Falls (Whiskey Creek 2)

Book Title: When Snow Falls (Whiskey Creek 2)
Author: Brenda Novak |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series
Format: ebook, MM

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 446

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
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Synopsis:

Welcome To Winter In Whiskey Creek—Home Of The Gold Country! Her name is Cheyenne. But who is she? After growing up in cheap motels, moving from town to town with her sister and mother, Cheyenne Christensen is grateful to be on her own. She’s grateful, too, for the friends she found once her family settled in California. But she’s troubled by the mystery of her earliest memories, most of which feature a smiling blonde woman. A woman who isn’t her mother. Although Cheyenne has repeatedly asked for explanations, the people who could help aren’t talking. Cheyenne is set on finding answers, but without so much as a birth certificate, it won’t be easy. Things get even more complicated when her closest friend is attracted to the man Cheyenne has secretly loved for years. For Eve’s sake, she decides to step aside—which lands her right in the arms of Dylan Amos, oldest and baddest of the hell-raising Amos brothers. He’s the kind of guy she’s sworn to avoid. She can’t afford to make a mistake, not when she finally has a chance to learn who she really is and change her life for the better. But… maybe there’s more to Dylan than she thought. Maybe letting him go would be a bigger mistake.

I have been on a Brenda Novak bender recently, 'buying' her free books on kindle and getting as many as I can from the library. I'm in love with these books. They are really good 'blue collar' romances, and I call them that because they are about everyday people falling in love. Almost everything coming out now is about some billionaire and the heiress or supermodel or (fill in the blank) and you know that means the everyday guy never really gets the light of day.

This is the story of Cheyenne she was a bit of a minor character in another novel and I was curious to read her story.  This is perhaps on of the best books I have read from Brenda (so far), there was mystery, romance and so much going on that I just fell in love.

Poor Cheyenne had a rough childhood and she just wanted a little bit of normal; once they landed here in California, she picks a guy who she believes will give her a normal life, only she's discovered her best friend is in love with him.  Devastated with her decision to allow her friend to go after him unimpeded she makes one rebellious decision she decides to meet and hook up with the town's bad boy Dylan. Only she doesn't want anyone to know because then they would compare her to her mother and that is the worst things for Chey, but she just can't stay away from Dylan.

Dylan stopped caring what the town thought of him years ago, he was left to fend for himself and his siblings, I loved that even though he looked like a bad boy he was all heart, he gave her love and understanding, acceptance and when she needed it a safe place to hide.

At the end I loved the story, the characters and even the town, I felt sad for Chey about her past and what could have been, I do love the conclusion she got and that she finally accepted herself enough to be open to love, I did have a few moments in reading the book where I just went back and forth with liking her and wanting to shake her, but I was hooked at that point so I had to read the book (actually at that point i needed to read and finish and know what happened)

 ★★★★☆

Excuse me while I head back to Whiskey Creek to find more friends and their stories. Highly recommend!!
Happy Reading

Book Review: The Accidental Bride

Book Title: The Accidental Bride
Author: Denise Hunter |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Romance
Series/Standalone: Series
Format: Paperback

Cost: $13.79 (paperback), $9.99 (Kindle)

Pages: 305

How I got it: Library

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Shelfablilty: Borrow From The Library
Season: errmmm Bridal Season?!!
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Synopsis:

When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she's an accidental bride. Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can't seem to keep her head above water-and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected. Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders' Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart-the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit. Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart. Shay isn't sure if the recent events are God's will or just a preacher's blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

What can I say about this book, umm yeah I disliked Shay as a character, I'm sure the author wrote her thinking she was making a woman who we could relate to, someone who had issues, she didn't have it all worked out, and she needed God to help her find her way. The only thing I got from this book was how freaking annoying Shay was. She was so freaking childish, even her daughter was more mature.

She is supposed to be a character led by God, but she was so easily led by others and what she thought others thought about her. I get that we are all human and that we seek approval, but this character??? It consumed her, and not in a way that made her relatable. She was one dimensional and it just rang false to me. I'm sorry but she doesn't deserve a man like Travis, he did all the work to make their relationship work. This is one of those rare times where I wasn't rooting for the couple to get back together,

Shay was just content to drift along in her misery, she wasn't willing to do anything different or try to make anything work. She was hell bent on being a whiny idiot and refused to move past that. Yeah as you can tell I didn't much care for her.

Shay is supposed to have an explosive temper, *which isn't healthy, but in this instance she's going to need it; hear me out*, she then thinks that Travis is cheating on her, instead of killing him *wait sorry that's my response* her response is supposed to be flipping out on him, she instead throws him out without confronting him, she just tells him," look lets not waste anymore time, I need you to leave", Really?? That's not how she was written in the first half of the book. For some reason Shay has a huge chip on her shoulder and she's angry all the time, she decides to get married to her high school sweetheart, yet she ignores many of the signs that he is feeling overwhelmed ( I'm not excusing his sorry a**, however, he gave ALL the signs that he was a bit of an a** and she so ignored it).

Travis for his part was a bit of a coward when he notices that his future bride refuses to consider leaving her town. She's a bloom where she is planted kinda gal, and even though she feels like the town people pity her she refuses to move and have a different kind of life. Travis makes her see she needs more than survival to be happy. I loved that he made her open her eyes.  I, at the end like the way they came together, but Shay is still not my favorite kind of character. I did love however that they are in my favorite state Montana!!

This book reminds me of why I love the library, don't like the book?? Simply return it, n

o need to throw it against the wall. It's not yours to worry about any longer. It's a good read, not a burn rubber to get it, but a good read none the less.

 ★★★☆☆

Happy Reading my loves

Book Review::Chasing Sunset

Book Title: Chasing Sunset
Author: Sami Lee  |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Erotica Romance
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: ebook

Cost: $ 3.50

Pages: 95

How I got it: Free Kindle Read

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Shelfablilty: Must Read
Erotica Rating: Contains some BDSM themes.
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Synopsis:

When the sun goes down on their erotic encounter, who will be left standing? After an unsettled childhood, Sidney McCall has finally found a home in Graceville. This dream town comes with a dream boyfriend. Drew Buchanan is charming, romantic, completely devoted to her--and he cooks! Now if only the whole commitment thing didn't give her night sweats... Drew, a professional chef, wants nothing more than to give Sidney everything she's ever dreamed of, both in and out of bed. Even if it means serving up her most secret wish complete with a whipped-cream topping: a tryst with two men. His best friend Brody Nash is the missing ingredient, and the only man he trusts with the woman he loves. What starts out as a little harmless sexual play quickly boils over into something none of them expected. An emotional minefield that could forever change the course of their lives

Drew & Sidney met a year ago in his resturant she came up for desert and never left.  One year later it's their anniversay & Drew decides to give his anniversary present he's going to give Sidney her deepest fantasy: a menage with the one man he trusts; his best friend Brody.

The love scenes between Drew and Sidney are extremely steamy. And the love scenes between the three of them are amazing. Although I love happy menage endings this ending came as a surprise & I actually really liked this one. Due to the love story already established between them; for me the ending wasn't a disappointment.

I do like Brody as a character and would love to read his story.  I give this five stars all around, including erotica stars.  

Happy Reading!!
 ★★★★★

YA Book Review: The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian

Book Title: The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie |Website| Twitter| 

Publisher: Little Brown YA
Genre: YA Fiction
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, Paperback & Kindle

Cost: $13.55 H, $12.54 P, $8.89 K

Pages: 288

How I got it: Library

Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Shelfablilty: Must Read
Season: Banned Books Week in September
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Synopsis:

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.(

I absolutely loved it. Mostly because I could relate to his struggle of wanting to belong at the same time, needing to be more.  His struggle was well written and evocative , the pictures made me laugh and think and rekindled my love of native studies, but also shamed me especially with the funeral scene; it made me angry as well, that scene showed the utter disrespect that others have for cultures they don't truly understand, but pretend they do.

This books brought up so many good and valid points that seem to be universal to all those who are oppressed.  The fight to have hope, the question of what is success, who defines it and why.  Generational oppression and the wounds people still carry, so much so that there no longer needs to be majority holding us *the universal minorities* down, as we are doing a fabulous job ourselves. As evidenced by the people who made fun of him for wanting more, for even thinking he's worth more.

I consider this a definite must read!!! I would recommend this to everyone, young adults, and adults, should read.  Alexie makes this a wonderful,hurtful, educating , and entertaining read. It's a definite recommend to read.

★★★★☆

Happy Reading my loves

YA Book #Review: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Book Title: Keep Holding On
Author:  Susane Colasanti |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Viking/Penguin Publishing
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: Hardcover

Cost: $17.99

Pages: 202

How I got it: BEA 2013 (Book Expo America) 

Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Shelfablilty: Must Have
Season: All Year
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Synopsis:

A romantic and empowering book about bullying Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

When I got this I thought this was just going to be another teen book, then I got into it and I was just so thrown. Holy hell, Noelle is so messed up, she's in so much need of help.  Her life was so beyond messed up. I'm not being articulate right now, because as I'm writing this I'm tearing up remembering different sections of the book.  Susanne wrote an emotional book about the effects of bullying, just amazing.

As I was reading this is what I was thinking about:

• OMG Really?? Why is her self-esteem, so shyt?? 
• What the hell happened to her friend??
• Why don't the teachers care?? 
•  Why didn't she run??

I was totally freaking out when I was reading this book.  This is seriously bad sign that when this happened that she didn't run. I'm glad it clicked for her then that she was in serious trouble. I'm glad adults began to care and to look into her situation. because had it gone unchecked it would have been really bad.  I just couldn't understand how it got so bad for Noelle, before they started picking on her she was just another kid with them, why was her self-esteem so bad that she wasn't willing to fight back??  Where are the teachers and why aren't they more involved??? How is it that Carly was able to run rampant on campus and no one said anything especially when she did it in front of them???

This book hit close to home because in school (private school with my mom as one of the teachers for other students) I was bullied and it seemed like for many months that certain teachers encouraged the kids who didn't do well in my mother's class to take their frustrations out on me, I wasn't physically harmed but being secluded from all the games when there are only 12 girls in the class and 9 boys means you're all alone.

Eventually, one of the girls stood up to the bullies and became my friend and then others followed along after but reading this makes me wonder what would have happened if I didn't have just one friend.  That's all that Ali Walsh was asking for, one friend who was going through the same thing she was, someone she could talk to, and Noelle couldn't even do that.

It's an amazing book and I highly recommend it. Not just for young adults either.  This is a book I think all those in education should read, something they would be able to recommend to kids in the same situation and it might even help them recognize some of the signs of kids in trouble.

I liked that this book discussed the effects of loss of income on kids, going from middle class to poor doesn't just affect the adults.  Can I just also say her mother is a worthless woman??!!! Yes I get that her life didn't go as planned, but ummm you made these choices, we are here because of your choices, you don't get to be mad about them now.

 ★★★★★

I highly recommend this novel. I cried, my heart ached, I wanted to yell, and I just felt so many emotions.  Be prepared but you should read it.  

Happy Reading

Book Review: Casting Spells

Book Title: Casting Spells Sugar Maple Book 1
Author:  |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Yarn Mysteries,
Format: Paperback

Cost: $ 14.00

Pages: 320

Series/Standalone: Series
How I got it: Library

Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
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Synopsis:

Sugar Maple looks like any Vermont town, but it's inhabited with warlocks, sprites, vampires, witches and an ancient secret. And Chloe Hobbs, owner of Sticks & String, a popular knitting shop, has a big secret too. She's a sorcerer's daughter in search of Mr. Right and she's found him in Luke MacKenzie, a cop investigating Sugar Maple's very first murder. Bad news is he's 100% human, which could spell disaster for a normal future with a paranormal woman like her(

Pretty amazing, a fast engaging read told by Luke & Chloe, in both thrid and first person.  It's actually pretty awesome, The twon like Sugar maple which mirriors Salem, but did better with the tolerance.

I loved Chloe's and her shop, ahhh man did I love her shop, a basket of roving that never, NEVER ends?? Oh I could crochet and knit happy for the rest of my life.  I laughed a lot when Luke found out how much her yarns cost; I'm sure his face was priceless ( haha see what I did there?? Yeah nerdy giggle).  I also has to chuckle when he noted that a yarn addiction was worse than the other addictions, or as he put it, "you'll be living in your car". Ha if he only knew.

The mystery, the love story, the town's history and reactions to both the human and Chloe's reaction to Luke were amazing to read. That Fae b*tch really needed her butt kicked I mean really needed it!! I do wish Chloe was a little more confident, yes I get that your the odd ball there, but jeez some kind of backbone should be there, I'm sure we're going to learn more about Chloe and why she's the way she is, and will she and Luke actually be more than whatever they are right now. Will she become all that she has the potential of being??

I can't wait to read and find out. There are a few others in the series, I can't wait to read!!
 ★★★★★

Book #Review: Indulgence In Death # 32

Book Title: Indulgence in Death #31
Author:   JD Robb |Webste| Facebook| 

Publisher: DoubleDay Books| Putnam Books
Format: Hardcover Books

Cost: $25.95

Purchase: Amazon| Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository 
Pages: 373

How I got it: Library

My Rating:★★★★1/2
Erotica Rating: N/A

Synopsis:

First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort found stabbed through the heart with a bayonet. Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life-and death-are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer. As time runs out on another innocent victim's life, Eve's investigation will take her into the rarefied circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in-and into the perverted heart of madness... Discover more in the In Death series »

Ohh this very well might be one of the better books. LOL Eve, that's a great present to your hubby for your anniversary, every once in a while Eve does something totally awesome.  Good to know Ireland hangs onto it's charm after the Urban Wars.  Ahh I'm guessing this book is going to be character driven then?? Yep it's going to be character driven. 

Yeah it's going to be really awesome.(I'm on page 13 so let's hope it stays that way).  Okay onto the review: this has got to be the best of the series, they actually do some really good work in this one.  I still couldn't believe the nerve of the thrill killers like really??? Who the hell does that?/ Just because your...well I'll let you read and discover why. This is one of the few times I was with Eve the whole way, the story grabbed you from the very beginning and made you love Eve and Roarke even more than before.

I loved the character development that was taking place, especially between Roarke & Eve, they really kicked butt this book (I'm not sure I would be comfortable on a squeaky bed in my families home, just.NOT.happening ).  It's a really great fast read and kept you hooked, I believe I read it in one day it was that awesome.

 ★★★★☆

Happy Reading my loves, I hope you enjoy it!!

Snippet Book #Review: Strangers In Paradise

Book Title: Strangers In Paradise
Author: Heather Graham |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Severn House Publishing
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: hardcover, paperback, ebook

Cost: $0

Pages: 248

How I got it: Library

Purchase: It's too old borrow from library
Publication Date: 1988
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Synopsis:

A haunted house isn’t the only thing quickening Alexi’s pulse . . . - Alexi Jordan has come to the old Florida estate to heal the wounds left by a bad marriage – and runs straight into trouble. She doesn’t mind the fact that the mansion was supposedly haunted – after all, she can look after herself. It’s the feelings stirred by her neighbor Rex Morrow, who seems intent on being her protector, that’s giving her the jitters. Alexi chose the wrong man once before; can anything be scarier than the thought of her doing it again?

Confederate soilder who hides treasure for his wife in case he doesn't make it home.  He knew he was going to die and he planned to help the woman he loved more than life itself. His descendants now live in the house and someone knows the treasure is there & they want to find it before Alexi does.

This is more a romance than a suspense/paranormal book.  No hints of ghosts until the very end, since this was written in the 80s some of it's age shows thru, like payphones instead of cellphones; & Rex's attitude which sometimes borders on the not so awesome (but does make him sound a lot like another southerner, yeah he sounded like Rhett).

Overall it's a pretty good book, short, fast, engaging read. Their love was beautiful to read about.  It's not as suspenseful as her other books, and certainly doesn't have as much paranormal haunting as it should if it wanted to fit that genre.
 ★★★★☆

I would suggest getting it at the library, it's a quick read, great for a rainy day.
Happy Reading