My Devastating Reads

Hey Everyone!

Ella Frank's Entice went on sale very recently, so I'm foregoing my usual Waiting on Wednesday post to post my review of the novel. My thanks to Ms. Frank for providing me with an ARC of her novel in exchange for an honest review.

Summary from Goodreads

Kindle Edition

A SIN B00B7RU1G8

Published January 29th 2013

http://ellafrank30.wordpress.com/entice/

What if everything you think you want isn't what you actually need...

Dr. Shelly Monroe is a woman who doesn't shy away from going after what she wants, but lately good sex has been hard to find. Shelly's become increasingly frustrated with the men she's been dating and the men she believes are the right choice.

Joshua Daniels is certainly not even close to the right choice. In fact he is exactly the wrong choice. For one thing, he's Mason Langley's best friend and best man. Second he's too much of a risky complication for Shelly to even consider.

Then why can't she stop thinking about how delicious he looked that first night she met him at Exquisite? Why is it so imperative to keep her lusty desire for a man that doesn’t meet her preconceived mold hidden from Lena and Mason, her trusted friends?

It seems unreasonable that being with a man completely wrong in theory could somehow feel so right. Then why is it the more she sees him the more enticing he becomes?

Review

I will start off by saying that I have super excited for this read. But super scared too because I wanted it to be as good as the first novel. Sometimes when I love the first book in a series so much, I'm afraid the second one will disappoint me. But I loved this novel. I was so NOT disappointed!! Entice was beautifully and intelligently written, laugh out loud funny, and a great love story.

What made it great? It was daring. We have two really stubborn characters in this novel, Shelly and Josh, and they generate enough heat to make you faint. Shelly's stubborn insistence that their relationship be purely sexual, no strings attached, made me think she was something of a snob. She claims she's not interested in guys "like Josh" because in the past, guys "like him" have used her in the past. I wasn't particularly sympathetic to her plight, because really, she contrived it as an excuse to keep men she really was attracted to at arm's length. So I was none too happy with Man Eater Munroe. I was far happier (and so was Josh) with Georgia.

Georgia brings me to Josh. Josh had concerns about getting involved with Shelly as well. Very similar concerns as Shelly actually, but he was far more willing to lay those to rest and allow himself to not only fall in love with her, but to profess that love and fight for it. The Shelly he knows is sensual, sassy, even mouthy at times, and he nick names her Man Eater Munroe, the type of woman he is sure will make a meal of him and then discard once she's had her fill. He loves how sexy this Shelly is, but it's the sweet side of her he gets to know later, when he starts to call her Georgia, that he really falls in love with. Josh recognizes the duality in Shelly, the devil and the angel, if you will, and loves her for it. And I have to say, this is why I adore Josh. That he could see right into the heart of Shelly, and understand and love her so completely that he was willing to wait for her to ready, and I mean be really ready both infuriated me and devastated me. It made me mad because I wanted the HEA and I didn't know if Shelly would run, and it devastated me because he had so much faith in their love. The ending in Savannah...le sigh. It was perfect. Josh is one stubborn, sweet, loyal and romantic hero and I want him all to myself.

You know what else was great about this novel? Lena and Mason! I loved those two in Exquisite, and I loved how their banter continues in Entice. And how Shelly has to endure their matchmaking. Their wedding vows were so beautiful I cried. I loved seeing them get married. We don't get that often enough in romances I don't think. And I thought Rachel's character was interestingly developed...I'm already dying to know more about her and Cole, Mr. Uptight Lawyer guy. The set up of that was great.

Entice was a sizzling, sweet and really romantic read. It reminds us that love isn't about finding the one that fits a criteria, but about finding the one.

Favourite Quotes

"I'm falling for you so hard that I can feel the scrapes on my knees as I'm brought to them."

"You were never just a fling," she whispered.

"Then what was I, Shelly Munroe?"

She licked her lips and locked eyes with him. "You were a game changer."

Dreams are funny things. They shift and morph the more you grow.

5 glittering stars

Hi Everyone,

Every now and then you read a book that just leaves with a feeling that is greater than wow. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is such a book.

Summary from Goodreads

Paperback, 231 pages

Published February 2nd 2009

by Pocket Books (first published February 1st 1999)

ISBN 1847394078 (ISBN13: 9781847394071)

Charlie is a freshman.
And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his year yet socially awkward,he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Review

I had heard so many good things about this book, that I put on my TBR list a while ago. But, like so many other books, it sat there for a while, lonely and unread. So, in keeping with my challenge, I selected this to read after I tired slightly of my romance binge. I think I ought mention, that I have always somewhat scoffed at coming of age stories. None of the great ones have really resonated with me. The only reason I even decided to give this one a try, was because it sounded different somehow.

And what a great book I picked up. The novel starts out choppy, clearly written by a young man who is intelligent and sensitive, but who also isn't the best writer. However, as the novel progresses and Charlie grows, so does the writing style. Always understated, always beautiful, Chbosky tells a story of a troubled young teen trying desperately to fit into the world and make sense of life.

When I say Charlie is troubled, I don't mean he has a bad home life. He comes from your average family, complete with squabbling siblings and loving parents. But it's clear that something deep within Charlie is upset, for lack of a better word. And as I read this novel of this caring, generous young man and the way he touched the lives of others, I was truly captivated by his depth and insight. So much so, that it brought me back to my glory days in the 90s (when the story takes place) and I recalled thinking and feeling along similar lines as Charlie does as he muses on then emerging but still taboo subjects such as homosexuality, domestic abuse, suicide, rape and drug use. Things we all knew about in the 90s, and we're beginning to talk about more openly, because after all, it was the 90s, but still walked on eggshells around. And the more I read, the more I wondered about Charlie. What was it that so set him apart from others, and yet made him so beloved?

The novel is written as a series of letters to an unknown person, someone Charlie has heard is kind and a good listener and addresses as "friend". The whole time I read, I felt like Charlie was talking to me, and I thought that this was a stroke of sheer writing genius on Chbosky's part. But because Charlie's voice is introspective, sometimes facts and scenes are not fully revealed. At times, Charlie returns to them, but sometimes he doesn't. And at the end of the novel, when Charlie is feeling very confused and his letter is disjointed and jarring, stating that he is all right and it's his last letter because he doesn't want to bother this friend anymore, my anxiety peaked until the epilogue.

And in those few pages, I moved beyond words. Charlie is so beloved, I realized, because he very special. His ability to realize at so young age that life is not about the bad things, or the what ifs and maybes, but about looking the starkness of life in the face and not letting it embitter you, blew me away. As in, amazed me with the clarity of this perception. Beautifully written and evocative, this novel has found its way onto my favourites shelves.

5 glittering stars

Hi Everyone,

A little while ago, I finished reading Nevermore, but as I was rather tired when I read a large portion of the ending, I decided to give the entire a re-read before I reviewed it. I'm soo glad I did! Enjoy!

Summary from Goodreads

Paperback, 543 pages

Published August 30th 2011

by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

(first published August 31st 2010)

ISBN 1442402016 (ISBN13: 9781442402010)

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear that he'd rather not have anything to do with her, either. But soon Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying shorties of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Can she save Varen from the madness taking hold of him? Or will they both be consumed by the shadows of his nightmares?

Review

I think I have been looking for this book all my life. This story is really smart, sassy, romantic, funny, and fantastically eerie. Can I say that I loved it? I LOVED it!! I've shelved it with my favourites and I know it's one book I will return to again and again.

After all, if reading it the first time was simply a gripping experience, reading the second time was mesmerizing. I've always been gripped by the idea of Poe's work, but I've never read much of it. Basically, my reading of Poe was confined to Annabel Lee, The Raven and two short stories, The Tell Tale Heart and The Masque of the Red Death. I've always wanted to read more of Poe, but the age old problem of "so many books, so little time" has prevented me from more familiarity with the author. But Creagh does this amazing job of bringing the spirit of Poe (I've read some of more him since I picked up Nevermore) to life in a way that is haunting and mesmerizing. Her writing is beautifully descriptive in just the right places, crisp and ironic in others, and I absolutely fell in love with her world. It's hauntingly surreal.

Other than the element of eerie fantasy, which made this book especially memorable in my opinion, and beautiful writing, what really brought this tale to light was the characters. They are vividly drawn and people we can relate to on many levels. First and foremost is Isobel. She seems nothing more than a snob in the opening pages of the novel, but it is very soon apparent than Isobel is very strong willed and intelligent. Even if she is a cheerleader. Her fascination with Varen is almost immediate, despite the fact that she thinks he is weird, she refuses to condone the mean spirited and hateful treatment he endures at the hands of her so-called friends. In fact, Isobel feels so strongly about the injustice of their actions, that she abandons her friends and breaks up with her boyfriend because of the way they treat Varen. She shows a tremendous amount of growth and makes friends like Gwen, that seem to be far truer friends than her "crew." I love how she stands up to everyone in this novel--she is a strong female character and I love her strength. It's solid and honest.

And what of Varen Nethers? He is mysterious, ironic, and in possession of a keen intelligence. He is also aloof and strangely enough, high minded--this is clear when he refuses to get sucked into Brad's power games or retaliate against Brad's violence--and kind. He reaches out to Isobel on several occasions when he might have simply walked away. As much as she is "not his type", he lets her in to small degree. And I suspect that's something he has never done before. He is very conflicted, but I think the most of his conflicted nature has yet to be revealed. The tenderness with which he treats Isobel at the Grim Facade, and on her driveway after her dad unceremoniously makes his disapproval of Varen known, really touched me. There is definitely a well of anger in him, but he's directed all of that into his writing--which sadly, has become the portal into a nightmare world. There is something about Varen that struck me as haunting and beautiful.

The supporting characters--from cheerful hippy Gwen to the jealous cheerleader Alyssa, are all painted with equal depth, even if they get little page time. I hate Alyssa--but I feel sorry for Nikki and Brad. Though more sorry for Nikki. I think Stevie and Gwen would be adorable together. Isobel's little brother Danny stole some scenes in the laugh out loud department. They were all awesome. As for Reynolds, I want to throttle that man for his damned crypticness.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading. It's intelligent, fun, full of twists and turns and will engage you no matter what--if you are paying attention! You really have to pay attention while reading everything from after the project presentation to the end, or the lack of careful attention might result in some confusion. But this is truly a must read.

Favourite Quotes

How and when had her life been upended by homework?

“You're really a blond," she said, her tone just short of accusatory.
"And if you tell anyone, I will come to you in the night and smote your everlasting soul.”

Hands quivering, she reached toward him.
"Don't." He turned his back to her, facing the door.
That word had stopped her once before. But not now. Not now that she had glimpsed through the funeral front of Varen's own eternal Grim Facade. Despite all the dark armor, the kohl eye liner, the black boots and chains, she saw him clearly now. She peered through the curtain of that cruel calmness, through the death stare and the vampire sentiments and angst and, behind it all, had found true beauty.

5 glittering stars

Hello all you lovely readers,

I apologize for missing WM yesterday. I'm experiencing tendinitis so I had to lay off the word processing. But I'm back today to share another romance with you. They just keep calling to me. I need to start some other books soon, but for now all I've wanted is romance and lots of it.

Summary from Goodreads

Mass Market Paperback, 371 pages

Published August 28th 2012

by Avon

ISBN 0062025791 (ISBN13: 9780062025791)

To the world, Madeline Valdan is a scandalous courtesan, with society's most eligible gentlemen at her feet. But no one knows her shocking secret: she has never experienced the most intimate touch of any man. So she astonishes the ton by telling them the truth . . . and by announcing the auction of her virginity to the highest bidder.

Handsome and disciplined, Gabriel Huntford knows his time is best spent hunting down criminals from the darkest corners of London. As a Bow Street Runner investigating his sister's death, he has no desire to join London's strutting peacocks in this competition when there are more important tasks at hand.

Now, his quest leads him to one of Madeline's "suitors," so he agrees to help this sinful woman. But what begins as a business arrangement quickly turns into something more . . . and love blooms with a passion neither one expected.

Review

I think I more or less bought this book on a whim. It sounded intriguing and so I decided as I might buy it as not. I'm so glad I did. Sins of a Virgin wasn't just a romance story, it was a crime story. And the crimes were wrapped around the main characters so tightly that never for one moment was the romance not centre stage.

Gabriel, a Bow Street Runner, is far more interested in finding his sister's killer than he is in protecting Madeleine when he first accepts the job to strut her around London. He doesn't think very highly of Madeleine, who is after all, auctioning off her virginity. But when he realizes that several of her bidders are men he suspects in the case of his sister's murder, he decides to accept the job in the hopes that it might lead him to the murderer.

Soon, both Gabriel and Madeleine realize there is more to one another than meets the eye. Gabriel doesn't buy that Madeleine is merely a whore or opportunist, and Madeleine is rather admiring of the fact that she can't fool Gabriel. She appreciates how observant and intelligent he is. But even though they are both drawn to one another, neither desires seriously pursuing their feelings. Madeleine has a fortune to make off her virginity, and Gabriel wants to find the killer. But when Madeleine is stabbed, things start to heat up.

I really liked Gabriel. I loved that he didn't buy the games Madeleine played, that he saw right through them. I loved that he was too honourable to be indifferent to the fact that Madeleine was selling her virginity, but would never have placed a bid even if he had the money. I loved that while he wanted to protect her, he also let her be involved in the investigation. I was blown away with how he makes Madeleine think of her own pleasure and desires instead of his own. He was determinedly single minded throughout the book, and I loved that with Gabriel, you always knew where you stood. And what I loved most was that even after he and Madeleine had been together, and she'd accepted his offer of marriage, he gets together a huge of money to bid at the last minute simply to show Madeleine that she is everything to him, far more than any sum of money.

Madeleine is kick ass! I loved how strong she was, how unflinchingly brave. I loved that she was able to come out of the jails of London and take the fate of becoming a spy for England and make it her strength. She thought her work as a spy, her seductions, had somehow made her into a whore, and I was very proud of her when she casts off all the insecurities she had carried with her because of that and her early family life, and allows herself to really be herself. I was especially cheering for her when she decided to jump off the cliff and let her heart lead her. And her heart led her right to Gabriel, who had fallen in love with the woman under the masks she presented to the world. A woman, who is a little fragile but his perfect match.

The story was great, the crimes were wrapped up neatly and logically, the romance sizzled, and I'm very curious about Clayton and Maddox. Can't wait to read more of Anna Randol.

4.5 glittering stars

Wonderful news! I've been nominated by Loretta from I'm Booked for the Liebster Blog Award.

Rules of the Liebster Blog Award:

Tell 11 things about yourself.
Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.
Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
Get in contact with those 11 bloggers in order to inform them that you nominated them.

11 Facts About Me

1. I own four birds.

2. I refuse to eat red meat.

3. I'm five feet and half an inch tall.

4. I've seen every episode of every Star Trek series except the animated series.

5. I still love Disney movies.

6. I really love red wine.

7. I really want to be a writer someday.

8. I suffer from insomnia.

9. I have really bad eye sight.

10. I'm addicted to chips.

11. My favourite colour is green.

My Questions

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I discovered Goodreads and when I started posting on that site, I found that I was really enjoying writing them and sharing my thoughts and insights into the novels I was reading. I was also at a crossroads in my life, and I found I needed something creative to help me discover where I needed to journey to in life.

Name one of your favourite bloggers?

I really like Krystal over at Enchanting Reads. Her blog is beautiful and she always has a ton of stuff going on and she's really sweet. She reviews a wide range of novels too, and I love how creatively the blog is put together. She inspired me to get more creative with the look of my blog.

What’s your favourite book?

Am I only allowed to name just one? I have about fifteen on my favourites shelf on my Goodreads page! If I had to narrow it down, I think I'd have to say Pride and Prejudice. For me, Austen's story of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy never gets old. It's always fresh and makes me laugh. Austen herself called it "light and bright and sparkling" and I totally agree!

What’s your favourite film (that was originally a book)?

Well, this question is much easier! Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone of course! I love all the Harry Potter movies of course, but once I saw that movie, I just had to see what all the craze was about. I discovered a great classic read of our day.

Do you have a pet?

Yes. I have four birds. Two diamond doves and two budgies. Both are an Australian species, though they can't be housed together.My budgies are my babies and my doves are my lovelies. My budgies are Wings and (Beautiful) Daisy, and the doves I call Lord and Lady.

What’s your star sign?

My Western star sign is a Leo! I'm kind bright and sparkling too ;) My Chinese star sign is Monkey, and together they keep me honest.

If you wrote a book what would it be about?

Ahem. It's a romance blog. What do you think my book would be about? Romance of course! I think I love the genre so much because I'm turning into a Romantic with a capital R, and despite popular belief, the genre still holds true to many of those ideals.

Who’s your favourite author?

Is it okay if I say I don't know? Because, really it's hard to chose. I love Lisa Kleypas, but I'm also a big J.R Ward fan. I also love everything Jane Austen ever wrote. I love Kate Quinn too. So I don't know how to chose.

Do you play an instrument?

Sadly, no. I was taking piano lessons for a couple of years but I stopped last year and I haven't picked it up again. I was only in grade two so I can't really play without instruction. I really want to learn though, so I hope I can continue lessons some time in future.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

Well, I'm planning a trip to the UK for the summer. But at this exact moment I would really love to be on a beach in Cuba or some place like that. I could do with some fun in the waves right about now.

Who’s your favourite book character?

Scarlett O'Hara. I know, I'm all over the place lol I read a lot of different genres and no matter how often I read Gone with the Wind, I always feel so sorry for Scarlett. She makes me horribly mad at times, but I always feel sad for her. I think she's probably the most admirable character I've ever read that was also so flawed.

Questions for my nominees

1. What genre do you most enjoy reading?

2. If you could be any character from a novel, which character would you be?

3. If you had a favourite teacher, why was he/she your favourite teacher?

4. Which do you like best--real books or ebooks, and why?

5. What's the longest book you ever read?

6. Which blog can you not stop stalking and why?

7. What's your favourite song?

8. Library--do you get your reads from there or do you buy your reads?

9. Are you a morning lark or a night owl?

10. Did you ever break a bone or sprain a part?

11. When writing, do you prefer a pen or laptop?