The Lost Wife (Alyson Richman)

Summary:

In pre-war Prague, the dreams of two young lovers are shattered when they are separated by the Nazi invasion. Then, decades later, thousands of miles away in New York, there's an inescapable glance of recognition between two strangers. Providence is giving Lenka and Josef one more chance. From the glamorous ease of life in Prague before the Occupation, to the horrors of Nazi Europe, The Lost Wife explores the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit- and the strength of memory.

My thoughts:
This was a beautiful book. Everything from the cover to the romance was fantastic. The cover was what drew me in originally and made me have to read it. The romance is what kept me going. The blossom of love in such a hateful time was alluring.

I have always had an interest in the Nazi's. The way they treated people has always boggled my mind. This was a very unique venture into the war. It wasn't a documentation of the hatred, it was a representation of love and life beyond.

My only problem with this book was how slow it felt to me. It was not a quick paced book by any means. I would still recommend anyone with an interest in romances read it!

Scores:
I give this book a B and adult rating.

Snowed In

Snowed In
Rachel Hawthorne
HarperCollins
$5.99
2007
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 98% A

Sexual content: mild
Violence: none
Drugs: none
Underage drinking: none
Swearing: mild
Total rating: 13+

Summary:

Well, apparently I live here now—my mom just bought the place. And named it after me, Ashleigh, which was nice. But did she know how cold it is here??

Um, it's a tiny island with not much to do, unless you really like sleigh rides. But I gotta say there are quite a few hot guys on this cold island . . .

My Thoughts:
This was such an adorable book! I enjoyed every moment, curled up with this wintry read. I usually dont keep the holiday books I read, but this has earned a place on my bookshelf. It was cute, funny and full of delicious romance.

The characters were all so developed. Ashleigh was the kind of girl you want as your friend. I recommend everyone buys this book. You cant go wrong for 6 bucks. :)

Tweet Heart

Tweet Heart
Elizabeth Rudnick
Hyperion
$7.99
June 2010
FTC: I received this from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20
Plot 15/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 85% B


Total rating: 13+

Summary:

Claire is a #hopelessromantic. Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect. Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him. Bennett is a man with a plan.

Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone.

But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected….

My Thoughts:
I was a bad, bad book reviewer and took way to much personal time lately. I am working very hard to get back into the swing of things. So I read this book over a month ago and have just now wrote this review. Whoops.

I thought this was a fairly good book. As you would assume just from the synopsis it is predictable. We all know what will have through the whole ride of the book. That took away a bit but did not make it a bad book. I also felt we did not get to know our characters enough with the way it was written. We knew who they were with certain people but not as an individual.

It was cute, fun and quirky. No meaningful substance can be found but you will enjoy yourself. I recommend this to younger romance fans. *Cough-cough* cousin Kaylee... :)

Unwritten Rule

Unwritten Rule
Elizabeth Scott
Simon and Schuster
$12.23 (Barnes and Noble)
April 2010
FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 15/20
Total grade: 85% B

Sexual content: mild
Violence: n/a
Drugs: n/a
Underage drinking: n/a
Swearing: moderate
Total rating: 13+

Summary:
The unwritten rule is plain: "You don't like your best friend's boyfriend." But Sarah does. She likes Ryan a lot, and she has for a very long time. They share a moment at a party, but the next thing she knows, he belongs to Brianna. Then one night, something happens that Sarah can't take back and doesn't want to. She feels guilty, she doesn't want to hurt her friend, but she can't stop thinking about Ryan, either.

My Thoughts:
This was a pretty good book over all but it had its issues. I loved all of the characters except Brianna. She was a total brat and I cant stand her. I guess she had to be that way for the story to work but I still hated her. The plot was super and very connectible. I think that at some point everyone wants something they really cant have. The setting wasn't overly common, nor was it blah. That is why I enjoyed it.

The cover was cute but the feet grossed me out. Can't the people wear some damn socks? ;) That's my weird ticks kicking in there! The ending wasn't expected but it pissed me off big time. I would recommend this to Elizabeth Scott fans.

Alpha Bet

Alpha Bet

Stephanie Hale

Flux

$9.95

April 1^st, 2010

FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20

Plot 20/20

Setting 20/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 15/20

Total grade: 95% A

Sexual content: moderate

Violence: n/a

Drugs: mild

Underage drinking: moderate

Swearing: moderate

Total rating: 14+

Summary:

Some teenagers use drugs or sex to escape overbearing parents. I used books.

All my life my mother has been hovering over me, afraid to let me experience ANYTHING. So I got really good grades, graduated from high school when I was sixteen, and escaped to a new life—my own life—at college.

To jump-start my social life, I decided to rush the Alphas, the most exclusive sorority on campus. Things started to get complicated when I told one little white lie. (Okay, maybe not so little.) Then one of the sisters invoked the Alpha Bet, a super-secret set of alphabetical tasks we pledges have to complete to prove our loyalty. Now, the Alpha Bet has taken over my life.

Can you spell B-E-T-R-A-Y-A-L?

My Thoughts:

This was one I wasn’t sure I would buy so I checked it out from the library. I will tell you right now, I will be purchasing this for my personal collection. The story was super fun and pretty fresh. I have always has an interest in the Greek system so reading a fictional tale about it was fun.

Grace was a unique heroine. You could tell from the start that all her crap was going to blow up in her face but you just had to love her. She is 16 and braving the world of college. That in itself is an accomplishment. Being brave enough to make some of the choices she does after the fact that she had the childhood she had was amazing. I really had an appreciation for who she was.

The ending became pretty predictable but I wouldn’t have chosen a different one. I recommend this book to fans of chick-lit. You will receive an awesome book with a heroine that is irresistible.

Playlist:

1. Spinning Around (Jump 5)

2. Jump Then Fall (Taylor Swift)

3. Seventeen Forever (Metro Station)

4. The Little Things (Colbie Calliet)

5. In My Head (Jason DeRulo)

Tangled

Tangled

Carolyn Mackler

Harper Collins

$16.99

December 2009

FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20

Plot 20/20

Setting 15/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 20/20

Total grade: 95% A

Sexual content: Heavy (lots of referencing)

Violence: N/A

Drugs: mild

Underage drinking: moderate

Swearing: heavy

Total rating: 16+

Summary:

Paradise wasn't supposed to suck.

Not the state of being, but a resort in the Caribbean.

Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all there for different reasons, but at Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Paradise will change them all.

It will change Jena, whose first brush with romance takes her that much closer to having a life, and not just reading about those infinitely cooler and more exciting.

It will change Dakota, who needs the devastating truth about his past to make him realize that he doesn't have to be a jerk just because people think he's one.

It will change Skye, a heartbreakingly beautiful actress, who must come to terms with the fact that for once she has to stop playing a role or face the consequences.

And it will change Owen, who has never risked anything before and who will take the leap from his online life to a real one all because of a girl he met at Paradise. . . .

From confused to confident and back again, one thing's certain: Four months after it all begins, none of them will ever be the same.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this book. I will be buying a copy for sure. I thought it was cool seeing how these four lives intertwine. The characters were so very lovable and each had their own story to tell me. I loved each and every one. I felt a bit deceived, Paradise was not a big part of the book, but it didn’t really bother me because it was still superb. I know the cover is bit plain but it just really seems perfect to the story.

Because of how the story was split it had a great ending. As you moved on to each person’s story you saw the ends of the other person being tied up within theirs. The very end was awesome. It left everything at a perfect close.

For some reason I am coming up short on words. Maybe it is the fact that this book was so good it has refreshed my desire to read. Go buy a copy… NOW!

Playlist:

1. T-Shirt (Shontelle)
2. Cinderella (Play)
3. Ridin’ Solo (Jason Derulo)
4. Fearless (Colbie Caillat)
5. Miss Independent (Kelly Clarkson)

Sing Me to Sleep

Sing me to Sleep

Angela Morrison

Razorbill

$16.99

March 2010

FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 20/20

Plot 15/20

Setting 15/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 20/20

Total grade: 90% A

Total rating: 13+

Summary: (Amazon)

This novel is mildly satisfying as a "girl blossoms and meets new boy while leaving behind the faithful childhood friend who has always loved her" story. It has a number of plot threads, most of which are woven deftly together. What makes it different is that the protagonist sings in a girls' youth choir, and a major part of the action takes place at an international competition with an elite boys' choir. Unattractive Beth sings like an angel. When rich Meadow loses her solo to Beth, she magnanimously arranges for Beth to have a makeover that transforms her into a beauty, just before they leave for Switzerland. While there, Beth meets and falls in love with Derek, a member of the Canadian choir (How convenient that she lives so close to the border in Michigan), but it is obvious that there is something he is not telling her.

My Thoughts:

This book was not quite the story I expected when I received it. The characters of this book were fantastic. They were all shown like real people. I felt some strong connections to them!

The plot of this book had the same issue for me as Taken by Storm. It took too long to really speed up. If it would have been a bit faster pace and filled a couple small holes, it would have been superb.

I didn’t feel that the setting was as good in this book as it could have been. It was okay but not fantastic. I do absolutely adore this cover though! I wouldn’t change a thing about it. As for the ending, Angela really knows how to finish things up.

I recommend this book to fans of fairytales and romance.

Taken By Storm

Taken by Storm

Angela Morrison

Razorbill

$16.99

March 2009

FTC: I received this from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20

Plot 15/20

Setting 20/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 20/20

Total grade: 90% A

Total rating: 15+

Summary: (Amazon)

Leesie is a beautiful, straight-laced Mormon desperate to escape high school and the boys who torment her there. Michael is a scuba diver whose parents were killed on a dive trip. He desperately longs to dive again, but terrifying flashbacks of the hurricane that killed his friends and family plague him. Leesie is drawn to Michael's brokenness—she feels she can save him. He is attracted to her purity and beauty. Soon, all the rules Leesie has found easy to obey in the past (no hot-and-heavy kissing, no dating an unbeliever, no sex) are no longer cut-and-dry, and her plan to attend BYU no longer seems so important. Both Michael and Leesie must figure out what matters most to them.

My Thoughts:

This book was not at all what I expected but it was still good. If you are a sucker for adventure and romance this is your perfect book. Lessie is a great character but Michael was not as developed. I felt like part of him that was important to the story was hiding.

The mix of the plot was great! There were many aspects and the story was uncovered in unique ways. The problem was it took a bit too long to get going. Once it did though it flew. The setting of this book was vividly shown! That was fantastic.

I love the cover of this book that I have. The hardback version. It really makes me see the characters even more. As for the ending, I couldn’t think of a better way to pull this book to a close.

I recommend this book to my not too girly romance fans.

Stupid Cupid

Stupid Cupid

Rhonda Stapleton

Simon Pulse

$9.99

December 2009

FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 20/20

Plot 18/20

Setting 20/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 20/20

Total grade: 98% A

Sexual content: moderate

Violence: low

Drugs: none

Underage drinking: none

Swearing: moderate

Total rating: 13+

Summary: (Amazon)

Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely adored this book! It was super cute and fun to read. The characters were all well developed. I enjoyed each one of their stories. The only thing that bothered me about the plot was the time. It felt like more time had passed but then you were suddenly told it had only been two days. Other then that I would say it was flawless.

I love this cover. Is it just me, or does anyone else think the girl on the cover could be related to the author? (: That made me love the cover even more!

The end of this book was awesome! It made me want to read the second one even more. Lucky for me the second one is already out!!!

I recommend this to romance novel fans.

The Ex Games

The Ex Games

Jennifer Echols

Simon and Schuster

$6.99 USD

September 2009

FTC: I received this from the author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20

Plot 15/20

Setting 20/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 20/20

Total grade: 90% A

Total rating: 12+

Summary: (Amazon)

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation.

When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated -- and they might end up igniting some old flames.

My Thoughts:

I had read Jennifer Echols before and LOVED her writing. This book was good but not what I’d expect after Going too Far. This book was fun but it didn’t make me want to read it in one sit. I felt that it could have had some details removed that were unnecessary. This book is for those kick-butt snow boarders of the female gender!

Perfect You

Perfect You
Elizabeth Scott
Simon Pulse
$9.99
March 2008
FTC: This is my book. I did not receive it from the publisher or author.

Characters 20/20
Plot 15/20
Setting 18/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 91% A

Total rating: 13+

Summary: (Goodreads)
Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast.

Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.
And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.
Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....

My Thoughts:
This was not what I expected out of Elizabeth Scott. I thought the plot was too common. Usually she can tackle a “common” plot in a unique way but not this time. This time she just made it seem ordinary.

There was definite chemistry between the characters which is always good but there was no huge “spark”.

I recommend this book to Scott diehards.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote I found by opening to a random page:

“Yeah, it’s crazy. You want to sit down?”

In Your Room

In Your Room
Jordanna Fraiberg
Razorbill
$8.99 USD
October 2008
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated for reviewing this book.

Characters 15/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 86% B

Total rating: 12+

Summary: (Amazon)
Molly and Charlie have fallen head over heels in love—even though they’ve never met Molly is a fashion-conscious city girl in L.A. Charlie is an earthy, mountain-biking dude from Boulder, Colorado. Each of them has big plans with their respective friends for the summer—until they discover that their parents decided to swap houses!
Luckily there’s no amount of homesickness that a bit of snooping can’t cure. Charlie and Molly begin crawling under beds and poking around in closets to find out a little more about each other—and they like what they find.
Can Charlie and Molly’s long-distance romance survive jealousy, misunderstandings—and the thousand miles between them?

My Thoughts:
This book was nothing that I expected. I felt the characters were well developed but that there was no variety. I don’t think everyone could easily make a connection with this book. When I saw that it was compared to the MTV Show, Room Raiders, I was super excited. Whoever came up with that connection though must have never seen the show. It was nothing like it at all.

The plot was a nice change to the typical boy-meets-girl stuff we see. I thought it was fairly well developed for the difficulty of the plot.

I recommend this book to younger teen romance fans.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote I found by turning to a random page:

Tell me more about the stars.

Must Monday

This is what I'm waiting to be released as of this week.

For Keeps
by Natasha Friend

Summary: Barnes and Noble

Josie's never met her dad, and that's fine with her. To Josie, Paul Tucci is just a guy who got her mom pregnant and then moved away. It all happened sixteen years ago, when Josie's mom was still a teenager herself. But now Paul Tucci is back in town, and Josie has to deal with not one but two men in her life—her father and her first boyfriend, who Josie fears will hurt her just like Paul hurt her mother.

Why?

The plot of this book sounds really intriguing and like something I would LOVE!

That Summer

That Summer
Sarah Dessen
Speak
$7.99 USD PB
April 6 2006
FTC: This is my own book that I purchased. I didn’t receive it from the publisher or author.

Characters 15/20
Plot 10/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 15/20
Total grade: 80% B

Sexual content: 2/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 2/20
Total rating: 10 for cleanness. 13 for connections.

Summary: (Amazon)
That Summer could refer to the current one through which 15-year-old Haven is suffering, or it could be the one a few years ago when everything seemed perfect. Nevertheless, both summers affect her and she is a different person at their conclusions. Dessen has cast her story with a group of forgettable characters who plod their way through a cliche-ridden coming-of-age novel with a lot of subplots. There is the long-suffering mother and her scatterbrained best friend. Then there is toupee-wearing Dad, who honks from the driveway on visitation nights. Add the boy-crazy best friend and the moody older sister who is planning her wedding and making everyone miserable. The most memorable character is Summer Lee, a remnant of that long ago season when everything was just right, who shows up at the precise moments he is needed and offers support to Haven. The setting is a suburb where all the houses look exactly the same (kind of like the characters). There is nothing seriously wrong with Haven's life, except that she doesn't fit in, physically or emotionally; she is six-feet tall and still growing. She is unwilling or unable to accept change in her life, and pines for the days when her parents seemed happy and she didn't fight with her sister and the sun always shone...Sigh. Still, Haven has a good sense of humor, and her insightful barbs about everything from shopping malls to TV-news readers add some depth to the story.

My Thoughts:
To be honest this was not what I expect from Sarah Dessen. With her books that I have loved I was hooked instantly. This book took forever to get into and was not very connectable for older teens. I felt as if the girl was my little sister, not my equal. I would recommend this book to younger teens, like 12-14.

Again sorry for the short review. My wrist was not quite better at the time I wrote this

Death by Denim

Title: Death by Denim
Author: Linda Gerber
Publisher: Sleuth Speak
Price: $7.99 USD
Release: May 14th 2009
FTC: I received this book from the author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 18/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 91% A

Sexual content: 0/20
Violence: 12/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 2/20
Total rating: 12+ in age appropriate. 13+ in connections

Summary: (Amazon)
Aphra Connolly is being chased by some very dangerous people. She knows her survival depends upon staying far away from love interest Seth, and listening to her mom’s lectures on the finer points of anonymity and survival. But how is a girl supposed to live under the radar and not think about her boyfriend when she’s in Paris—the most romantic city in the world? When her mom’s contact in Paris is found floating in the Seine with a deadly message stuffed in his mouth, Aphra realizes that she will never be able to stop running unless she confronts the situation head-on. Sneaking away from her mom, Aphra tracks down the criminal mastermind in Italy, only to unwittingly reveal Seth’s location. And her mistake has just put them both in mortal danger. . .

My Thoughts:
I thought this book was a fairly good way to end this series. I loved how the story ended but then there was the epilogue which leaves room for a spin-off!

I found “Seth” just a loveable in this installment. I wish he was my boyfriend! Wait I lie… My boyfriend is already amazing! I wouldn’t mind having Seth though if I didn’t have my love! Aphra and him are perfection together!

I would recommend this book to fans of teen mystery books!