Review: The Collector

Title: The Collector (Dante Walker #1)
Author: Victoria Scott
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Released: 2nd April 2013
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The Collector could very easily have been a miss for me.  Dante was, by all accounts, rude, unfair and arrogant.  I was prepared for this to go into the cluttered vault at the back of my mind labelled 'Meh'.  What I was not prepared for was for it to creep past my walls and insist upon my liking it.

 

Dante is a collector.  Not like stamp collector, but soul collector.  His new assignment is Charlie Cooper.  He's not sure exactly why his boss wants her, but whatever.  This assignment is his chance to escape hell and he has ten days to complete it.  He probably won't even need ten days, since no-one can do the job like him.  But when he meets Charlie and unwillingly gets to know her, he finds himself putting off his task.  It's problematic to say the least, but her can't stop emotions he hasn't felt in ages from rising to the surface.  Looks like this won't be such a simple assignment, after all.

 

First of all, Dante is rude, unfair and arrogant.  I spent a good deal of time marvelling at his attitude, especially when it came to Charlie.  I have never come across another protagonist so sure of themselves and if the poor girl knew what was running through his head when he met her I'm not sure she'd have been so happy to have him around.  But she didn't and things progressed and Dante actually turned out to be a redeemable character.  His growth was very gradual yet pleasant to see, and I think I preferred the second half because of the added depth that came with connecting with him more.  With his emotions came an entirely different side to him, one not so cocky, and that was nice.  What might have been even better would be to see more of his work and get a greater feel for that.

 

Charlie was the complete opposite of Dante.  Bubbly, friendly, always seeing the good in other people, she made for a genuinely nice character.  Admittedly I found her a little too gullible - surely her past experiences would teach her to be more wary? - but perhaps that's just the cynic in me.  Either way she was a fresh character, and I have to commend Scott for bringing to life two characters different from the norm.  Actually, 'different' and 'unpredictable' appear to be themes that run through this book, as I was not entirely expecting the level of humour that there was, and there were a couple of twists that had me blink in surprise.  As soon as there was one revelation I made the mistake of getting comfortable with it, only to find myself having to readjust to what was actually the truth.  This one certainly keeps you on your toes.  The mythology isn't just recycled material, either.  A fresh spin was put on it to renew my interest, and the ending in particular had me sitting up straight.

 

There were areas of doubt with this one, but if I overlooked the problems - which wasn't too hard to do - I did find myself enjoying it.  If nothing else there was the humour, but there were some genuinely good attributes, all of which makes me sure I'll be coming back to this author.

Cover Reveal: Flawed Perfection

Hey, guys!  I'm so excited to be working with Cassandra Giovanni again, this time for the cover reveal of her new novel, Flawed Perfection!  I think this is her best cover yet - it's simple, yet everything comes together nicely.  I like that, although there's a model, it doesn't entirely fall into the NA cover trend of couples kissing/holding hands/gazing at each other.  It's thoughtful, plus there's greater meaning added with the flaw cutting across the corner and up the side.  I'm also a fan of the colour scheme and fonts used.

Okay, here it is.  What are your thoughts?  Let me know!

 

 

 

Flawed Perfection

Beautifully Flawed, #1

Author: Cassandra Giovanni

Publisher: Show N'ot Tell Publishing

Cover Designer: Gio Design Studios

Released: 7th March, 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

 

Bobby Beckerson was the American All-Star hockey player--he was the spitting image of perfection to his family.  Goofy, sweet and undeniably gorgeous, he had everything but the one girl he wanted: River Ahlers.

River Ahlers is successful in everything but love.  She's been in love with Adam Beckerson since they were kids.  Worst of all she's stuck right in the middle of the brothers' duelling over everything and anything, and she doesn't even know she's the ultimate prize.

Adam Beckerson was a boy with a guitar, a smile that sunk girls' hearts and a stone wall around his own.  He was anything but perfect, and no matter how hard he tried he was nothing compared to Bobby.  Sweet, damages, with boyish good looks, nobody thought Adam loved anyone but himself.

Bobby loved River, River loved Adam and Adam only loved himself--or so everyone thought.  Then one night everything changes, and as it threatens to destroy everyone involved a tragedy strikes that will break them all...

About The Author

Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and the Amazon bestselling thriller, Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children's novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1). Cassandra released her first New Adult novel, Love Exactly, which became an Amazon Bestseller overnight in June of 2013. She's currently working on her new New Adult Contemporary Romance, Beautifully Flawed. The first novel in the series, Flawed Perfection is scheduled to be published on March 7, 2014.

Besides being a writer, Cassandra is a professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios Photography and Gio Design Studios Publication Marketing . She is currently studying to receive a degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Cassandra can be found on:

Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ @cgiovanniauthor

Review: Pawn

Title: Pawn (The Blackheart Rebellion #1)
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Released: 26th November 2013
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pawn is the first of Aimée Carter's books that I've read and, while there were a number of issues, I know I'll be going back for more.  For a genre that has become so popular with authors - and one that is a favourite of mine - this book offers a refreshing take on the dystopian world, alongside some surprising moments and conspicuously absent tropes.

 

Society is ranked from I to VI, depending on how well they do when they are Tested at age 17.  VII is reserved for the ruling family.  Kitty is stuck as a III, guaranteeing her a less than mediocre job, with extremely little pay, in a place far from home.  Which is why, when offered by Prime Minister Daxton to be a VII, she's quick to agree.  But what Daxton doesn't explain to her is the catch.  Becoming a VII means her being Masked, a surgical procedure that leaves her looking exactly like Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's dead niece.  Which puts her in the unfortunate position of being at the head of a rebellion, one begun by Lila.  Unfortunate because Kitty now has to choose: risk death and see the rebellion through, or do as Daxton wants and call it off, ensuring herself a life of luxury and safety.

 

The concept of a numerically tiered society was one I liked, and it gave Carter's world a decidedly structured feel.  It was very clear how fixed a person's place was; you take the test and you receive a rank, but it is not something you can very well lie about or even manipulate.  This is a dystopia not overly concerned with technology, even with its presence and the significance of the Masking, but, I would say, more in society itself: people and how they function.  I appreciated, too, the fact that rebellion, or at least the widespread idea of it, was already born.  From what I've seen, dystopias usually start at the beginning, introducing the world and perhaps one challenging character or a small group who then branch out.  It's almost as if Carter has fast-forwarded this process; we have here a huge network of people who look up to Lila.  This isn't the only time the author has done so, but we'll come to that in a moment.  In doing this, the focus changes slightly from what we might usually expect, and it is nicely done.  Saying this, however, it did bother me somewhat.  There was something about the way the Hart family worked that had me feeling sceptical.  Having the voices of oppression and freedom, undisguised, under one roof, and with a particular hierarchy, made me question the feasibility of such a situation.  It may just be me, but I was never immersed enough in the story to lose those niggling doubts.

 

That leads me nicely to the characters themselves.  Again I had a mixed reaction.  Kitty was a decent enough character, of course with her frustrating moments, but ultimately stepping up to her new role as Lila Hart and then putting her own effort into Lila's work.  I was also see her pleased to stick to Benjy, who we are introduced to as her boyfriend right from the beginning.  There is no new relationship, only an established one: once more the fast-forwarding, and once more it works.  When Knox comes into the picture, despite a few seemingly close calls, it does not form a triangle.  There is also a refreshing lack of secrets between Kitty and Benjy.  At the same time I'm not sure how memorable they are, nor can I say I felt as much connection to Kitty as I do to other characters in other books.  And I really had my doubts with Celia.  For a woman of her position - and you'll know the full extent of that meaning if you've read it - she's not particularly good.  She's neither careful nor strategic.  Frankly she's quite disappointing.  The characters are not predictable (and I mean that in the best way) and they're easy enough to read about at the time, but I'd be hesitant to say they leave a significant impression afterwards.

 

Pawn turned out to be a mix of ups and downs for me that ended up sort of balancing out.  For all its flaws, it is a decent book, and worth picking up if only to see a different take on what is already a well-explored genre.  I do wish I could have enjoyed it even more, but the potential is certainly there for the rest of the series.

Review: The Darkest Part

Title: The Darkest Part (Living Heartwood #1)
Author: Trisha Wolfe
Publisher: Self-published
Released: 6th August 2013
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't think it's possible to be disappointed by Trisha Wolfe.  I opened this, safe in the knowledge that all I had read before I had liked, and expected good things.  I think it's safe to say I got good things.  In fact, with such a beautifully emotional story and with characters you just want to hug, I'd go so far as to say I got wonderful things.

Sam was left devastated after her fiancé, Tyler Marks, was killed in a hit-and-run and shocked when she started seeing his ghost.  At first disbelieving, now she holds on to seeing him and talking to him to help her get through each day.  Her parents, on the other hand, have her meeting with a psychiatrist.  She decides she needs to help Tyler cross over, and a plan starts to form: she'll collect his ashes and finally take that trip they were supposed to go on for their honeymoon, scattering his ashes at each stop.  Never mind the fact that she might not be ready for him to go.  When Holden, Tyler's brother, returns to the neighbourhood to see where Tyler's case is at, Sam enlists his help to get hold of his brother's ashes.  Holden is the last person she wants to ask given their past, but there's no other choice.  What she doesn't plan is for Holden coming with her.  Holden, who is increasingly worried at Sam's mental state with each day.  Holden, who has secrets of his own.  With the past clinging tightly to both of them, it's uncertain whether they'll be able to make it back out.

This is a bit of a difficult one because it's marketed as a contemporary, yet there also seems to the be the possibility of the supernatural.  The matter of Tyler's ghost and Sam's mental state is portrayed in such a way as to leave room for doubt.  A little more definition may have been desirable, but I believe it works equally well either way.  Whichever end of the spectrum this book falls at, the ghost works to bring a delicious level of darkness, on the one hand through its own presence and on the other through conveying Sam's highly troubled state of mind.  Add to that a roadtrip and two characters each undergoing their own emotional journey, and there was no way I was being parted from this book before finishing.  Once again Wolfe's writing style proves irresistible, flexible enough that she creates a world so different from her usual creations - real rather than fantasy - and yet still so complex.  In addition to which, two perspectives that are clearly different.

Sam and Holden are both broken characters, shown to be so in different ways.  The extent to which Sam is shattered over her fiancé's death truly had me feeling for her.  Ghost or no ghost, she isn't ready to let Tyler go, and that has caused her to let go of herself.  Holden is barely holding it together under the weight of guilt and secrets - and now also being close to Sam.  One of the things that really struck me about him was how thoughtful he was.  As far as he's concerned Sam is unstable, and in his interactions with her you can see him think through what the best approach would be at any given moment so that she isn't pushed too hard (arguments withstanding).  It probably sounds patronising here, but the novel depicts someone very intelligent and very concerned.

For such broken characters, then, I thought the roadtrip a perfect way to make and show their own personal journeys.  I think that's one of the reasons I love roadtrip stories.  At the same time as honouring Tyler's memory they were making their own, and the dynamics between them were constantly changing.  There was outright hostility and forgiveness and fear and love and everything in between, not to mention the pretty awesome Biker Melody helping things along.  The past was confronted, demons (or do I mean ghosts?) put to rest and the sweetest of endings.  Until finally there was just me, face stretched into a wide smile and the presence of two new characters in my heart.

The Darkest Part shows what it means to lose someone and to let go.  It's beautiful, emotional, well-written.  Frankly by this point I don't expect anything less of Trisha Wolfe.   If you haven't yet read anything by this author, I would strongly urge you to do so.  (Seriously, why haven't you?)  Whether it's myth, fantasy, adventure or, as is the case here, mystery, emotion or even simply a tale of two individuals, there is no doubt that she has you sorted.

Review: Addicted to You

Title: Addicted to You (Addicted #1)
Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Publisher: Self-Published
Released: 22nd August 2013
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Addicted to You was not a book I was expecting to enjoy.  It was not even one that I was going to
pick up, as I really didn't think it would be for me, until I happened across a few reviews that persuaded me to give it a try.  Even then my hopes weren't high.  I wasn't expecting to enjoy it...and yet I did.  Immensely.  The novel is, in some ways, quite a dark one, and I was left impressed with the way the authors dealt with their subject matter.

Lily Calloway and Loren Hale are both addicts.  The past three years have seen them pretending to be in a relationship, a solution they came up with to help them hide their addictions: this way Loren can help Lily hide the fact that she's addicted to sex, and Lily can help Lo hide his alcoholism.  For three years, this solution has worked.  But now it's becoming harder to pretend, and the lines aren't so clear anymore.  The possibility of them sharing a real relationship hangs in the air, but their addictions, combined with the arrival of new people in their lives and the demands of family, mean that too easily everything could fall apart.  Even so...being with each other for real may prove too hard to resist.

Addictions are something we generally realise to be extremely serious affairs.  Drugs, alcohol, these are the addictions we come across the most in media and fiction.  Krista and Becca Ritchie do a highly commendable job in showing us the extent to which an addiction can take over someone's life, allowing the reader to truly appreciate what the character is going through.  They take this one step further in exploring something rather less addressed: Lily's sex addiction.  It's quite easy to dismiss this as something unimportant, either because we think it doesn't really compare to the life-threatening nature of, say, the other two types, or because the idea of being addicted to sex seems somewhat absurd and self-indulgent.  In reading this book, however, I could see that Lila was also a victim; in its own way her addiction was destroying her life.  Having sex was not just an activity to pass the time, nor was it just a trivial concern.  It was something she needed to function.

With this in mind, then, Lily and Lo were characters, if not easy to like at times, easy to relate to.  I was invested in their story, and some part of me was glad when they finally decided to make this relationship work for real, even though I knew it would only prove even more destructive.  The authors never once shy away from the dark realities of their characters' lives.  The secondary characters, too, have been well thought-out.  While at first I didn't appreciate the intrusion of Connor and Ryke, neither of whom I could really connect to, my feelings toward them did change.  What I really liked was seeing the complex family dynamics of the Calloways, particularly when it came to Rose and Lily.  The range of characters here is wonderfully complex and adds to the emotional depth that the novel offers, all of which made me enjoy it even more.

This is not a light tale, and neither is there anything half-hearted about it.  It is dark, gritty, emotional.  There is much more to appreciate and consider than I had expected going into the book, and I am certainly looking forward to reading the next one.

Review: The Naturals

Title: The Naturals
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Quercus
Released: 7th November 2013
Rating: 3 stars

Cassie Hobbs doesn't think anything of her ability to read people.  It's just always been something she does, without even having to really think about it.  That's until she gets hired by the FBI to train as a profiler and help solve cold cases.  Nor is she the only one - this is a programme that consists of Naturals, people - teens - particularly adept at a certain skill.  At first this brings a sense of achievement and purpose, but that soon changes to simple danger.  Somewhere out there is a new serial killer who's getting uncomfortably close to home...and Cassie in particular.  The Naturals aren't simply solving cases anymore.  They have to survive this one.

The Naturals was generally an enjoyable read.  Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written a novel both easy to read and engaging, seeming to move effortlessly from humour to downright creepiness.  Such a compelling mix couldn't fail to keep me glued to the pages.  Though I knew this to be a thriller, there have been very few books that have truly disturbed me, even those claiming to be horror, making the darker parts of the book even easier to appreciate.  Those laugh-out-loud moments, too, were a delightful aspect, perhaps not something you'd expect with murder as a key theme.  Speaking of murder...Did anyone else see that ending coming?  I didn't.  All my theories, all my guesses...every one of them were wrong.  This author really does know how to write a thriller.  What does bother me, however, is that I still don't know whether this is meant to be a thriller pure and simple, or whether this has an element of the paranormal.  Are the Naturals' gifts otherworldly, or simply stronger versions of otherwise perfectly regular abilities?

My thoughts on the characters are mixed.  On the one hand, they're likeable - or at least, the one who you're supposed to like are - and somewhat interesting, especially in terms of their abilities.  On the other, I'm not sure how memorable they are.  Abilities aside, there's nothing in particular that makes them stand out.  Then, of course, there's the love triangle.  Immediately I felt exasperated.  Having said that, I do think there is potential for this one.  I like Cassie and I like Michael, and I think I may favour him as a love interest.   The relationship between Cassie and Dean I feel could be something more complex.  I'm hoping that Barnes will pull this out of a triangle and make something more interesting out of it, but we shall have to see.

Despite its flaws, I did like The Naturals, and I suspect it's a book easier to enjoy in the moment.  Looking back on it now and thinking of other books I've read it may perhaps not be amazing, but nevertheless it has very appealing qualities, and I look forward to entering this world again.

Book Blitz: Tell Me When

TELL ME WHEN

By Stina Lindenblatt and Carina Press

Coming 20th January, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Pre-Order Amazon | Pre-Order Barnes and Noble

 

Amber Scott should be enjoying life as a college freshman. She should be pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She should be working hard to make sense of her precalculus math class. She shouldn’t be waking up her college roommate with screaming nightmares. She shouldn’t be flashing back, reliving the three weeks of hell she barely survived last year. And she definitely shouldn’t be spending time with sexy player Marcus Reid.   But engineering student Marcus is the only one keeping Amber from failing her math course, so she grudgingly lets him into her life. She never expects the king of hookups will share his painful past. Or that she’ll tell him her secrets in return, opening up and trusting him in a way she thought she’d never be able to again. When their fragile future together is threatened by a stalker Amber thought was locked away for good, Marcus is determined to protect her. And Amber is determined to protect Marcus…even if that means pushing him away.

 

Excerpt

Amber (Chapter 1)

 

I'm inspecting a delicate fairy with wings like autumn leaves when the chimes above the store door ring.  Two guys, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two, enter.  Both are good-looking and have the tall muscular bodies of basketball players.  That's where the similarities between them end.

 

The dark-haired guy has that bad-boy vibe some girls find appealing, with his military boots, jeans and black leather jacket.  His blond-haired friend is the kind of guy most girls feel safe with.  He's wearing sneakers, jeans and a blood donor T-shirt.  The clothes and his friendly expression make him look trustworthy.  Like he won't break your heart or your body or your soul.

 

But I've long since learned appearances are never what they seem.  Either man could be sweet or he could be dangerous.  The trick is to never let them get close enough for you to find out the truth the hard way.

 

Blond guy walks to the counter and chats with the storeowner, a man not much older than us, with tattoos covering his arms.  Neither pays attention to me.  I go back to studying the wall.

 

From the corner of my eye, I notice the black-haired guy walking toward me.  Instead of checking out the designs on the wall, his gaze roams over my body, taking in the view.  Jerk.

 

A one-sided smile slides onto his face.  He's the kind of guy who uses his good looks to his advantage, the kind of guy whose sole mission in life is getting laid.

 

My hand tap-tap-taps against my right thigh, keeping pace with my heart, which has picked up speed as the jerk continues staring at me.  I narrow my eyes at him, silently telling him to find another girl.  He's wasting his time with me.

 

The men at the counter laugh.

 

"Dude, that's the first I've seen you got shot down by a female," blond guy says, still chuckling.

 

Dark-haired guy flips him the finger and points to the fairy.  "This would look hot on you right" - he strokes his finger against my lower back - "here."  His voice is low, the words slow and practiced.

 

I jerk away and stride to the back of the store.  The other two men laugh even louder.

 

"Give up, Marcus," blond guy says.  "She's a lot smarter than your usual girls.  I like her already."

 



About the Author
Born in England, Stina loves to travel, and has lived in England, the US, Canada, and Finland. She spent a semester in graduate school living in central Finland, and a summer during her undergrad degree working in Helsinki. She has a Master’s of Science degree in exercise physiology and has worked with elite athletes. In her free time, Stina is a photographer, mother of three adorable kids, and devoted wife. She currently lives in Calgary, Canada.

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