kaylabeck

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

Belle Epoque, the debut novel by Elizabeth Ross was not the book that I was expecting to read when I opened it. I allowed myself to be misled by the synopsis and thought that I was getting a Cinderella/Ugly Duckling story. I am so glad that I was mistaken.

Maude Pichon was a girl who ran away from an arranged marriage in the north of France (yes, I had to cheat to see where Brittany actually was, geographically speaking) to the glitz, glamour, and beauty of Paris. The book opens with Maude learning that the world is a much bigger place than she ever imagined. Despite grabbing what she believed to be a large amount of money from the till at her father's store, she quickly finds that life in the big city is expensive and cruel. In order to make ends meet in the most undemanding way possible, she finds herself working as a repoussoir - an ugly individual hired to make the employer more attractive by comparison. She is initially against the degrading work, but finds herself playing a poor country cousin debutante for the Parisian social "season".

Before I say anything else, I want to touch upon how beautifully Ross crafted the setting of the novel. I felt like I was deep in the narcissism of nineteenth century Paris, surrounded by class division, worship of beauty, obsession of art, and derision of the new (like the mid-constructed Eiffel Tower). I've never been to Paris in person, but I felt like I had almost been there while experiencing it with Maude in Belle Epoque.

I had a lot of respect for Maude doing what was necessary to survive on her own terms, far away from her comfort zone. Though she did thought being a repoussoir was distasteful, she did her job to the very best of her ability. Her treatment of her unknowing "charge", Isabelle, also made me think higher of Maude. She managed to stay true to herself in the face of Paris' intoxication, having few missteps.

I think Belle Epoque is a book that speaks volumes about society, despite being set more than a century ago. It analyzes what it means to be beautiful, and where the importance of it should fall in comparison to other things such as self-respect, honesty, friendship, and loyalty. I think Elizabeth Ross did the very best possible thing with the book by not turning it into a fairy tale. Maude was treated as a real girl, with real issues, with who twenty-first century teens can easily relate.

I recommend Belle Epoque to anyone who is looking for a heroine who strives to make her life her own or enjoys reading historical fiction that comes across very realistically. While being a young adult novel, I think it can also appeal to adult readers with it's beautiful setting. I look forward to reading more works by Elizabeth Ross in the future.

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through DAC ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

I was a bit "meh" in my review of Rachel Carter's debut novel, So Close to You, but curiosity got the better of me. I requested This Strange and Familiar Place to see if the series would improve. Did it improve? Not really (in my opinion), but this installment in the trilogy was more enjoyable for me, and I may have come to an understanding with the books.

I know what you're thinking - that I've lost my mind. No, I've always been a bit quirky in my book tastes. Let me explain why I liked this book more. (If you want to read So Close to You, now is the time to walk away.) Instead of finding myself irritated with Lydia giving up everything she has - safety, friends and family - in order to chase after the guy, Wes, that she met while messing around with the Montauk Project, I started to understand how much this book may resound with teenagers. Lydia messed up when she tried to change her past in So Close to You, and it cost her her grandfather. Instead of settling for living in the life that was not entirely her own, she chose to try to fix it. I think all teenagers will feel alienated from their own lives, family, friends, etc. and that everything has changed over night. I know I've felt this way personally in high school, walking into the cafeteria and being shunned by those who were my best friends the day before. It sucks big time and is a valid feeling. Though I doubt most of us won't go back in time and screw up our family's past, we can all relate to the feeling of separation. Lydia earned major brownie points with me by not accepting the situation that was handed to her.

Sadly, I didn't really care for Lydia in this book. I had trouble connecting with her because I felt like she was doing everything for the wrong reasons. Instead of wanting to save her grandfather, I think her motivations for EVERYTHING were Wes, her instalove from the first book. He is her End All Be All, no matter how off-putting he tries to be. It is awe-inspiring that she is able to put and keep on her blinders to Him and Only Him in this book. I didn't much care for him because he's of the "it's for your own good" mindset. Puke.

Am I being catty? I don't want to be catty. I did like the book.

I did like the side characters that came into This Strange and Familiar Place while Lydia and Wes were hanging out in the 1980s. Did I not mention that? They were in the eighties for the majority of the book. Through Tag, Nikki, and LJ and their lives on the street, we get to see more of who Wes was before he was recruited for Montauk. They also brought the story itself to another level because Lydia learns that Montauk may know more about her than she thinks. Believe me when I say that I would've lost interest in the story completely without what the street kids brought to the table.

To wrap things up, This Strange and Familiar Place was somewhat of an improvement on the first book and consistent with what I've come to expect from the series. Yes, I had some issues with aspects of the story, but I've ridden the series out through two books and plan to read the third one.

- 3/5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

I'm typing sentences, deleting them, and attempting to write more. I don't know what to really say except that Burning Girls left me speechless. I started reading the story without reading any reviews or the words italicized at the start. It was on Tor.Com - what else did I need to know?

What I found in Burning Girls was a striking mixture of witchcraft, Judaic mythology, fairy tale, history, and feminism. The more I read, the more I was sucked in by the writing of Veronica Schanoes. She weaved the above-mentioned elements into her world flawlessly and held me helplessly ensnared in it. By the time I reached the end, my skin crawled and was covered with chill bumps.

Veronica Schanoes' Burning Girls is a story you should put aside an hour for, and she is definitely a writer whose future works I will be impatiently waiting to read.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

First things first, I want to make sure that you are aware that this review is based on an ARC (advance reading copy) of the book, so there may be changes in the final edition. So, in four and a half months, there may be a completely different book released in the world. I doubt it, but still. On to the review!

After Eden by Helen Douglas is a YA science fiction novel that reads like a contemporary and is Douglas' debut novel. It is set in England, focusing on Eden's last year in school. (I can't remember what it's called over there. Shall we pretend it's high school?) Anywho, the prologue starts us off with Eden shutting down her best friend Connor at the British equivalent of prom. Then chapter one starts three months before the cataclysmic (yes, this is the appropriate word) dance.

I could overwhelm you with spoilers, but I'm going to try to refrain. So let's talk about the characters, starting with Eden. I have an Eden who lives at my house, so I hold heroines with this name to a very high standard. She did not disappoint. She had a few dark spots in her life and some baggage, but no discernable "issues", and is not a broken waif waiting to be fixed by Mr. Right. She's sweet, smart, and strong, but not to the extent that takes away from how real she seemed. It was perhaps due to her believability that I was able to connect with her, and I could see us as being friends in real life. And don't listen to that love triangle nonsense in the synopsis for a minute - Eden knows what she wants, and she clearly does not want Connor.

Ryan, the sexy future man, is what I like to see in a YA love interest. He is not degrading or condescending to anyone in the novel. He does try to hold himself away from Eden, but not in a mean or disrespectful way. Connor, Eden's best friend, is the reason Ryan is in 2012, but he wants nothing to do with his future fan. (No, he does not know that's Ryan is his fan.) He sees Ryan as a threat to his relationship with Eden and treats him poorly. I wondered at times why Eden put up with Connor's behavior and how they ended up as best friends. That being said, the only facet of Connor's life that I really got to see was him being jealous of Eden's attention going somewhere else.

I can't really say much about the world-building without giving away spoilers, and as I said before, there could always be changes. There is a pretty big twist near the end of the book, but I already figured it out and saw it coming a mile away. These things tend to surprise you less the more you read. I was also a bit skeptical about the way After Eden ended because I really felt like the book was building up to go another direction. However, there will be a sequel according to Goodreads called Chasing Stars that make take our characters where I felt they should go.

All in all, this was a pretty good book that was a super fast and easy read. I think After Eden is a great book for readers of contemporary novels who want to step outside of the box a little, or sci-fi fans who want a fluffier read. I look forward to reading more in this series and from Helen Douglas.

- 3.5/5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

Once upon a time there was a book that should have turned me off completely after fifty pages. Its name was PODs. PODs was an interesting little book with teenage naïveté, superviruses, questionable government policy, awful roommates, young love, action, zombies, and cringe-worthy science. Despite the strange formula, I still fell in love with the book.

The main character, Evangeline aka Eva, isn't the perfect character, but she's one that I connected with and cared about though I can't exactly pinpoint why. I shouldn't have liked her, per my inconsistent taste. She was the embodiment of that aforementioned teenage naïveté. Her parents sprung a family game night with no electronics on her when she saw them worrying over something they were watching on television, and she went along with it, despite never having one before. That was her general behavior in the book, but it read more as "go with the flow" than a mindless sheep routine. What I really had trouble with was her treatment of her BFF, Bridget, at the start of the book. It wasn't godawful, but it lingered.

The questionable government policy comes into play with its treatment of the supervirus outbreak. Not for a minute do I believe that a government - especially the United States government - would instigate a mass panic by saying they allowed a incurable virus to enter the country. You know, because that's what would happen if someone official went on TV, radio, whatever and said, "Hey, we have this going on, and there's nothing we can do about it. You're all going to die." This is no spoiler; it all happens within the first twenty or so pages. In reality, there would be denials, promises/hope for a cure or immunization, more denial, and quarantine of any person/region exposed to it, especially if it spreads. (What small experience I have with serious infectious disease is the CDC jumping in quickly and taking care of shit. Trust me.) The publicized lottery system was hard to set aside doubt for, even in a science fiction novel. These government slip-ups would have rioting, mayhem, and panic befitting a modern day French Revolution meets the Salem Witch Hunt. Yes, there was some commotion in the book, but not nearly enough to make it believable. But that's just my opinion.

The next main section of PODs, after the questionable outbreak and policy, is the time Eva spends in the POD system and her roommates who share her confinement. She's there with three and a half other girls (one is gestating) and five boys. There were a few things that had me raising my eyebrow about how this was supposed to work out. First, I want to know why Eva had to have birth control while Tiffany came in pregnant. The girls in the PODs were given periodical birth control shots, basically whether they wanted it or not. Second, there was never any mention, that I recall, of them being given antidepressants. These people had just separated from their families, leaving them for certain death, and locked in an underground apartment for a year. Going without direct sunlight alone is enough to make people depressed or suicidal, but everything going on should have made at least a few of these kids nutjobs. (Josh was the only one behaving realistically.) I thought that this was something that was missing from the book, or even mentioning cabin fever, because there's no way that nine roommates and the POD intranet would be enough to keep them from becoming stir-crazy. Also, there was a bit of romance, but I know teenagers (I used to be one), and it would have been A LOT steamier in that sub-POD thing. They don't care if someone hears or sees them. I found that out the hard way.

In fear of this starting to sound like I hated PODs (I promise I didn't - it's really quite good), I'm going to tell you a few things that I did like. *throws away list of other concerns* Eva was a strong-willed and likable heroine. She knew what she wanted, what she didn't, and was a very friendly girl. After she left the POD, she just wasn't jiving with how the new communities were working. When faced with choosing between safety and a loved one, she really did make the best decision for her own life. Another thing about PODs that I liked was the writing. There was just something about it (I didn't try to pinpoint it) that made it all work, despite the issues that would have ended with a lesser book trashed. Pickett was able to suck me into the story and make me yearn to find out more. I couldn't have stopped reading PODs and walk away at any point. The last awesome thing that stuck with me was the zombie treatment. I can't tell you exactly what it is because of spoilers, but I like the concept. I haven't read a lot of zombie novels, so it may have been used before, but it's new to me.

So to end this story of PODs, the little book that shouldn't have worked, I want you to know that it DID work, and I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel. I think zombie lovers and fans of the apocalypse both with enjoy this novel. I know I did.

3/5 Stars

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Internal Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

Me: Well, well, well, you FINALLY read Stormdancer.

Myself: You knew that I would! I just had to get around to it.

Me: Oh, please, you're the biggest procrastinator ever!

Myself: Whatever, I read the book, marveled at the epic world-building, basked in my crush on Yukiko, and cried like a bitch at the end.

Me: I hate that you use such a cliche word like "epic" to describe the novel. Why not use the less tired word "magnificent"? I mean, this man created this whole other world (yet similar to ours) that is undergoing the effects of horrible pollution and heinous government that we can all likely look forward to if we don't straighten up.

Myself: I'm going to stop you before you go too far on that. You know we get tired if we start thinking too hard about such things as environmentalism in fantasy and science fiction. And then you'll start making Dune references, and people will get bored...

Me: Okay, I'll leave Dune out of it, but the perfect balance of politics, environmentalism, and writing is pretty damn close to Frank Herbert. We'll see how the world history does in the next books.

Myself: *rolls eyes* No one reads Dune anymore. Can we please talk about the state of things in Shima and Yukiko?

Me: I tell you what, I wouldn't be booking any vacations there. It's a scary thought that the primary fuel source can also be used as a drug, and 99% of the population is addicted to it. Think of the situation that we'd be in if we could smoke gasoline.

Myself: Well, there are people who huff it, but thankfully folks tend to outgrow that after they turn twelve.

Me: Don't bring your pets with you to Shima, either.

Myself: Can we talk about Yukiko now, please?

Me: Buruu was cooler.

Myself: I liked Yukiko, and he wouldn't have been what he was without her. She had this feisty, rebellious personality, and she did not take shit off of anyone.

Me: She was harsh and close-minded. If you had even the smallest fault, she wrote you off and was cold.

Myself: Yes, but she was loyal to her loved ones and friends. She was also very trusting once she let a person in.

Me: She also let her panties be her guide in the middle of a revolution like the silly teenage girl that she was.

Myself: Please, that was barely referred to, and you should be the last person making disparaging remarks about where panties have been followed.

Me: Buruu felt the same as I did. Go to page 216:

Yukiko could barely hear his voice over the sound of her heart pounding in her chest.
RAIJIN, TAKE ME NOW.
She shot Buruu a withering glance as he rolled over on his back and pawed at the sky.
HAVE MERCY ON ME, FATHER. TAKE MY WINGS. CHAIN ME TO STINKING EARTH. BUT THIS TORTURE I CANNOT ENDURE.

Myself: That took up maybe 1/90th of the story.

Me: No, Buruu being awesome took up all of the story.

Myself: Pssh, you loved Yukiko, too.

Me: I loved what she did in one of the last fight scenes.

Myself: *sniggers* I figured that you would like that.

Me: She and I are of one brain when it comes to that. Do you remember what I did to —

Myself: Spoilers.

Me: Blah.

Myself: I have a little bit of a crush on Kin.

Me: You would. Sprinkle a little nerd powder on the man, and your heart is pounding like Yukiko's.

Myself: Whatever.

Me: I wonder if the title of book two is prophetic at all...

Myself: Can we just talk about the fight scenes in the book?

Me: Fights? Umm, battle, blood, gore, mercy, betrayal, death...

Myself: You're impossible.

Me: What?! Everything was vital to the story, and it wasn't overdone. It was just beautiful destruction that gave Yukiko the opportunity to grow. You're just saying I'm impossible because you sobbed in the break room at work as you finished the book.

Myself: You cried, too! We're the same person, genius.

Me: Yes, but you're the crazy one.

Myself: I'm not the one that started talking to Myself. *smirks*

Me: You responded.

- 4.5/5 Stars -

Whoa... Review to come.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

The Rules for Disappearing is probably one of my favorite contemporaries that I've read. While I am not usually drawn to the genre, I chose to read and review this novel because the author, Ashley Elston, is from my area. I read the book well before it's time on my reading schedule because I was a bit curious about the writing style, and I like glancing at the first page when I'm scheduling myself a certain amount of reading time. The next day, I had finished the book.

I guess I should tell you a little about the book itself. I want to call The Rules for Disappearing a light read because I breezed through it, though it's not necessarily light subject matter. Bad guys being out to get you and ending up in the Witness Protection Program isn't exactly a walk in the park. Poor Meg has to deal with constant upheaval, a loss of her former life, being deterred from making any new connections, a closed off day, a breaking down sister, and an alcoholic mom. However, it was easy for me to connect with her because she still goes through many things that teenagers deal with, Witness Protection or not. Meg feels like she's an outcast with ugly clothes, betrayed by her friends, and responsible for sticking her nose precisely where it doesn't belong. I think we've all been there. I felt like a lot of what Meg went through was metaphors for those (and other) teen struggles.

I really liked most of the characters, which helped move the story along. Meg was tired of her situation, and I love that she decided to do something about it. The mom in me was screaming at her because it was a terrible idea, but still. You have to love a YA heroine that doesn't just lie down and accept what's happened to her or wait on Prince Charming to rescue her. She also loves her family despite their flaws, real or imagined, and is very protective of her little sister, Teeny. Ethan, the love interest, stole my heart. He didn't give up on Meg no matter how many times she pushed him away, and he was always there for her, no questions asked. I even liked Meg's parents - Dad really did have their best interests at heart and Mom was trying, dammit.

I don't want to give too much of the story away because it really is a fun read. I was never exactly surprised by the events in the book, but I didn't grow bored with them. There was just enough suspense to keep me interested, but not so much tension that it made me skip ahead in the book. (Yes, I am guilty of that.) There is some romance involved in the book, but if that isn't your thing, rest assured that it does not overwhelm the story's plot.

All in all, I think The Rules for Disappearing will be enjoyed by most YA readers, especially teens. It's a great mystery with realistic characters and is a fun and easy read.

4.5/5 Stars

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for reviewing purposes as a part of Itching for Books Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. The advance digital copy was provided to the tour by the publisher, which has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

When Parallel arrived in the mail, I was a little disappointed because I was extremely busy in the middle of transferring jobs. I grudgingly opened the book to gauge how many days I needed to give myself at the end of that week to rush through the book. However, there was no reason for me to worry or begrudge the book in any way because I was immediately sucked into it and happily distracted by the story.

Abby, the main character, is unhappy with the road that her life has taken. While she is [not] enjoying a life that many could only dream of, she resents the opportunity that she's been given. She goes to bed the night before her eighteenth birthday confused, but not as confused when she wakes up the next morning on the opposite side of the country. With the help of Caitlin and her randomly placed memories from her parallel self, she figures out how the alternate reality came about.

Instead of giving you a long, drawn out review (because I'm already late), I'm going to tell you what I liked best about Parallel. First, I am a hardcore fan of old school science fiction, and Ray Bradbury has handled time travel and alternate realities best in A Sound of Thunder. Parallel handled its shenanigans pretty much the same way without being blatantly using the Butterfly Effect. (No, I'm not talking about the terrible movie with Ashton Kutcher.) The things that happened in Abby's parallel's past changed the future directly and immediately. She woke up several mornings in what could have easily have been the worst possible situation.

Secondly, Lauren Miller was pretty accurate in portraying the behavior and emotions of older teenagers and/or new adults. Her characters made stupid decisions, had very selfish tendencies, were insecure about themselves, and friends said some pretty ugly things to each other. The turmoil and feeling of "My life is ovarrrrrr!" is what I remember best about my teen years. The fact that the characters were not perfect or miniature adults really let me connect with them and believe in them more. Abby and Caitlin bullied Ilana, the Queen Bee, in the own way just as much as she hassled them. There was boyfriend stealing and cheating galore, too, while I'm thinking about it.

The third good about Parallel is that they characters were both forgiving and willing to learn from their mistakes. Yes, this is a supposedly a story about alternate realities, but it really hit me as contemporary love story, that was both about romance and friendship, that happened on two different timelines. True love (if there is such a thing) should only exist in the presence of forgiveness and willingness to change, and the folks in Parallel really embraced both.

The best thing about the book is Abby. She wasn't willing to lay down and just accept her parallel's life. Her parallel had vastly different experiences and that life had taken a totally different path than what Abby ever thought that she'd choose for herself. She fought to make changes to her parallel's life to make it something of her own, realizing certain aspects of her former situation were actually things she loved and enjoyed. She was strong, but she really grew as a character.

Parallel was not really what I expected initially, but a delightful read, nonetheless. I would recommend it mainly to contemporary fans, but anyone who likes a quick, sweet read would enjoy the book.

- 4/5 Stars -

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for reviewing purposes as a part of a Debut Author Challenge ARC Tour in exchange for an honest review. The advance copy was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review to come

Review to come

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

Prophecy Girl has all of the makings of a book that I'd love - initially. Cecily White has a delightful sense of humor that saturates the novel. It is a paranormal story set in New Orleans that nods to other supernatural works. Amelie Bennett, the protagonist, is snarky, stubborn, and just has something special about her that I cannot put my finger on, but I know that I would like to see it in more heroines. However, the issues that I had with White's debut clouded my enjoyment.

Firstly, let me say that I didn't not like any of the characters. They were just the problem. It was really difficult for me to remember them from scene to scene. I could recall the name of the school's Queen Bee and clique member, but I had a hard time remembering the more important characters and what their roles were. I kept going back in the book to refresh myself on who people were. It is very rare that I have to do this when I'm reading. Prophecy Girl had enough twists that this was a pretty major problem for me.

There was, of course, a romance in the novel. I had some mixed feelings about it, but I think Ami handled it as well as could be expected. She was very honest about her feelings, and she called Jack on his bulls--- when he dished it out. (Why can't more heroines do this?!) I will say that I do NOT like the whole teacher-student romance, even if they are close in age. I think anyone who is in a position of authority over their partner, especially a younger one, creates a lot of issues, and it's just wrong when a teacher is involved. But I won't rant because it wasn't terribly offensive. Jack was a substitute teacher for all of five minutes, so I just squinted my eyes at it a little and kept reading.

Though I had a hard time enjoying the book as thoroughly as I think I could have, it was still a pretty good read. Cecily White is an author that I'll most definitely be keeping my eye on in the future, and I can't wait to read books with her fantastic writing style. I will try to read Prophecy Girl again because the positive aspects of the book are definitely worth it.

- 2.5/5 Stars -

*To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an ecopy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

Last year I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing The Wild Princess by Mary Hart Perry. It was an enjoyable read that left me eager to read Perry's other novels about the Victorian princesses. When I was given the opportunity to review Seducing the Princess, I jumped at it.

As a history major, I've read a good bit about Queen Victoria and her family, but I always found her immediate family to be a bit dull. (Seriously, how can you compete with the craziness and drama of the Middle Ages?) Perry's first novel piqued my interest in the family, and Seducing the Princess did not disappoint. Princess Beatrice, known to her family as "Baby", seems to be stuck in her situation of being the eternal companion of her mother Queen Victoria. She soon finds herself with two suitors, Prince Henry of Battenberg and Gregory MacAlister, a minor Scottish nobleman sent by Wilhelm II of Germany. It was not until after I finished the novel that I realized the historical accuracy (with some fictionalization for effect, of course) of the novel, as I am not familiar with the details of Victoria and her children's personal lives.

As for the story in Seducing the Princess itself, I was very pleased. I connected to Beatrice almost immediately. As the oldest unmarried female in my family and still living at home, I definitely understood how she felt. She was nowhere near as clumsy, ignorant, or dull as she was perceived to be, and I felt just as frustrated as her when she was treated as such. Her suitors, Henry and Gregory, were just as compelling in their own ways. Henry truly cared about Beatrice, and that was made evident from the beginning. On the other hand, Gregory was a nasty villain that I enjoyed detesting. He did a lot of really awful things, the least of which being spying and attempting to seduce Princess Beatrice. There was a lot of drama, but it only served to make the book extremely difficult to put down. I may have used Wikipedia to cheat and see what happened with Beatrice near the beginning of the novel, but it did not lessen my enjoyment.

Overall, I found Seducing the Princess to be just as good as The Wild Princess, and Mary Hart Perry is now one of the historical romantic fiction authors that I will automatically read when I see her work. I recommend this novel to any reader of the genre, and I am looking forward to Perry's next book about Queen Victoria's daughters.

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an ecopy of the book from the publisher or author via Innovative Online Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

You may want to step over there while I gush about this book, but don't run away. I know what you may be thinking - it's the fourth book in a series. I haven't read the others either, but the instances where that was a minute issue were very rare. The Forever Knight did fine being read alone because Lukien, the main character, is having a new adventure that has almost nothing to do with the previous books in the series. Also, who doesn't love a good epic quest?

Let me tell you a little bit of something about Lukien. He is the classic hero that could be pulled out of any myth, story, or legend. He is practically immortal, damn near invincible, and up to his ears in good ol' hubris. Most of the time, I know these guys have it coming and just wait for it to happen. However, Lukien is something special. I have not become attached to such a hard character in fantasy since Roland Deschain. (Okay, he's not as hard as Roland.) What made him special is that he did not try to push everyone away. Even at the beginning of the novel, John Marco made it abundantly clear that Lukien was a man who was still very capable of love. I saw early on how much various other characters meant to him: Gilwyn, White Eye, and especially Cricket. His relationship with his Akari, Malator, was a little more complicated, but it usually showed Lukien in a positive light.

This book crawled into my head and under my skin because of the fantastic quest that Lukien undertakes in order to help Cricket go to Akyre - one of the Bitter Kingdoms that is in the middle of war - to find her lost memories. Malator warns him against doing this, but Lukien wants to both help Cricket and get out of Jabor to fight some battles and do some good. While on this journey, they find themselves caught up in the middle of an insane king who wants to be emperor, his Legion of the Lost, a damned wealthy spice merchant, and a monster who may or may not be tied up in all of it. I could not put the book down until I was able to see how it all played out. It was a little sad at times, but as an experienced epic fantasy reader, it wasn't anything that I didn't see coming.

The Forever Knight was a wonderful fantasy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed being sucked into. Lukien and his quest was a great adventure to read, and I will definitely be going back to read the first books in the series. I think anyone who enjoys fantasy, mythology, or just a good story will like The Forever Knight, too.

- 4.5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the book from the author via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please

Highlander Most Wanted is the second book in the Montgomerys & Armstrongs series by New York Times best-selling author Maya Banks. It picks up after the events of Never Seduce a Scot ( my review) at the McHugh stronghold/castle/keep. Each book can be a standalone, but I am glad that I read them in order.

While reading Highlander Most Wanted, I realized how important characters are in a novel. Nothing in the book that happened really surprised me, and there wasn't much in the way of world-building. I'm not saying this in a negative way - there's really not supposed to be in this historical romance and the writing was still good.. There was, however, these wonderful, charming, and complicated characters that I found myself really invested in. Want a big surprise? I usually avoid literary rape victims or situations at all cost. Want to know why? Too bad, that has nothing to do with the review. Anyway, Maya Banks handled Genevieve and her story in such a way that was not uncomfortable and believable (mostly). I think I read the book because I thought Genevieve deserved a man that would heal her and love her, and make her world right. I wanted her to be fixed. She was a broken woman would never gave up at any point, and I liked her.

The other characters in the novel did not draw me in quite as much, but I did enjoy reading them. Bowen Montgomery, the male protagonist, is a ladies' man who storms the McHugh keep with his brother and the kin of his sister-in-law. He is beguiled by the beautiful, scarred Genevieve and learns what it means to be in love. I loved watching him grow as a character because he acknowledged the way he made the women of his past feel and felt guilty. Let's be honest - he was a man-whore before, and it was sweet that he did not care that his lady was "used goods". (Why is there not more of this in the book world or anywhere?) So, he feels bad for his whoring and falls in love with a woman who needs to be loved. It really makes everything feel right with the world.

Taliesan McHugh played the part of "heroine's best friend", and she didn't really serve a lot of purpose in the book other than being really nice to Genevieve. I think the reason that we didn't get her back story or any kind of development is that this book is a part of a series, and Highland Ever After is coming out in September. (I'm not complaining.)

As I said before, the story was at the McHugh castle/keep/whatever with the characters hanging around while everyone figured out what would be done with the clan. The laird had hauled his biscuits, along with most of the supplies and warriors, and left the women, children, and the odd husband/father to their own devices. They were fairly awful people, and I think they were merely tools to show what a good person Genevieve was. (If you thought Eveline was treated badly in Never Seduce a Scot, just you wait.) There was fighting and bonding and banter and falling in love, and it was fun to read. The dialect still bothered me a bit, but I really think I'm mostly over the "tis" and "twas" thing.

To the point, and to wrap things up, Highlander Most Wanted is a really good book with appealing characters and a nice story. It is a historical romance novel, so there is sexytime (and much more than the first book). I think if you enjoy reading historical romance, this is not a book to pass up. I probably wouldn't have started reading this series on my own, but I will be continuing it.

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Gathering thoughts, review to come.