Between the Pages

I was really excited to start this book, it sounds like my kind of creepy supernatural occurence with the whole alternate universe and such. And I'm sad to say that it didn't work for me.

There was such amazing potential, I mean, landing in an alternate universe where everything Callum knew is upside down? And why did he go over the waterfall in the first place? But I never felt excitement or that edge where you're dying to know what'll happen in the end, turning the pages to find out. Instead I was kinda... bored.

Callum is supposed to be this likeable boy in his own universe, but I never really could relate to him. I mean, all the memories are of him being a bit of a nerd and unpopular and hanging out with two pretty nice kids, of which he was secretly in love with the girl. And it sounded nice. But I never warmed up to him in his alternate universe. I mean, I don't know if it's his changed environment or anything, but he's having anger management issues and being a jerk to his mom and to other people in general. It seems like the Callum from the alternate universe was a psycho who for some reason was really popular, but the story-Callum isn't such a nice guy himself.

I was really annoyed by the fact that he claims to be so in love with one girl and then goes off and fools around with another just because she's hot. I mean, seriously? If you're the nice guy you claim, you wouldn't be doing that. I felt like we never really go very deep into other characters either, they're the superficial people acting like scenery to the events.

Which brings me to my next issue: not much of anything really happens. Callum isn't trying all that hard to figure out what happened and I was seriously worried this would be one of those unexpected series books because I couldn't figure out how Paul Blackwell would wrap this up in 10 pages. Turns out you can do that, it just wasn't very satisfying for me. And it definitely didn't solve all that many problems aside from the obvious one. Nothing real got fixed. The Callum from the alternate universe is still as much of a jerk as he used to be and his life a big mess and that's about it.

I did like the parts where Callum is bonding with his dog Jess and I really appreciate that she didn't die somewhere along the way, cause at one point I was REALLY worried about this. I also liked that Callum didn't magically become good at sports like his alternate universe self was, just because he went over the waterfall.

But all together this book wasn't for me. The summary sounded really exciting and like something I would love, but the execution fell flat for me.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Made me crave: cheese

So do you remember how I admitted to being majorly scared of this book?? AND OMG WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS SOONER??? AAAH IT WAS SO GOOD!!

Anyone want to do an I-told-you-so dance? Cause you totally can, I deserve it. Each and every one of you was totally justified in screaming at me.

My Broke and Bookish buddy Jana offered to read it with me and AAAH! I am SO glad I finally picked this up!! I did virtually nothing other than read it since I opened the book this afternoon!!

So I admit that at first I was a bit sceptic, because seriously, I didn't really see what all the fuss about Four was about. He seemed like a bit of a jerk for the first couple of chapters after we meet him, but after that HOLY WOWZA, consider me convinced! The boy is just *SWOON* So now we're totally cool :)

I love Tris. She's a beautifully flawed character and I loved that she struggled with the different qualities of her personalities, trying to fit in, but not really being able to conform. LOVED. At one point I was sort of wondering when the whole Divergent thing would kick into action and show some merit, but I'll just say that in the end Veronica Roth totally comes through on this aspect!

The whole world that Veronica Roth has developed is fascinating! People are sort of brainwashed to believe they belong in only one faction and then just adjust their whole life around the one quality of said faction and with each faction picking up different responsibilities, it's a well-oiled machine. Until something screws it up (because really, without conflict there would be no book, or at least not an interesting one). I was so intrigued by all the goings-on of Dauntless alone, and that's without seeing the inner workings of the other factions!

Divergent shows how cruel people can be when pushed to survive. Because that's basically what initiation in Dauntless is, a struggle to survive IN the faction. It's not safe and it's scary and I would definitely not have made it. It was amazing to see how Tris grows and develops strength and learns who her true friends are.

And again: THE BOY! FOUR! I am definitely a fan now! He was swoony and amazing and full of boyness and GAH! YES! And they had some totally hot and sweet moments and just fit together really well! They actually make sense together and I actually almost cried when something BIG happened and screamed at Jana over Whatsapp!

The pace was always up, but towards the end it really got running and my heart was racing and I was holding the book a little too tightly and just felt like I was there in the moment with Tris trying to make everything alright and knowing that it could never ALL be alright again! It was devastating and GLORIOUS!

I cannot stop gushing over this book and I already know it will be another book I start pushing onto other people (I'm gonna start with the boyfriend I think), because it is THAT GOOD. Seriously, if like me you have been too scared to read it, don't wait any longer: it lives up to the hype. It is that good. Go read it.

My rating: 5+ stars

Made me crave: NOTHING, too much tension to eat!

So you guys may know how much I LOVE Katharine Ashe's books. Because I totally do! Her historical romance ranks among my favourites and I ALWAYS pick up her newest release because they always leave me smiling.

I hadn't seen that this was actually a novella before I started it, which explained why things progressed rather quickly and parts that we'd otherwise would have seen got skipped a bit. But this didn't detract from the storyline! Though I still love full length novels more.

So I can sorta remember this scene in one of the earlier books in the series where Duncan sees Teresa and just turns and walks out. I thought this was weird at the time and am glad it was explained in this novella!
Teresa is a free spirit, her parents have picked a man for her to marry and she's not at all inclined to waste herself on this boring, pompous man. So she devises a plan that is kinda ridiculous, but so much fun to read about! I mean, seriously, if she'd been one of my friends I'd have sat her down and talked her out of it, but I'd also have gone after Duncan for her. I liked that Teresa throws everything in accomplishing what she's set out to do: get Duncan's sisters engaged and then marry Duncan herself. And getting a little kissing and sexytimes action in the process!

I could respect Duncan's reluctance to get married again, he's been through a lot and to give your heart away and risk it after that... I can understand why he wouldn't be so eager. The scenes from his POV are actually the ones that made my stomach clench the most! I mean, he's so honorable and loves his sisters and he's fighting his attraction to Teresa and GAH it was just SO GOOD! He's full-on alpha male and you know guys, sometimes I love me some testosterone.

I started this right before going to bed and read all the way through because I could not put it down. I totally love Katharine Ashe's writing style and had to do some soft sniffling because the boyfriend was already sleeping and I was still reading and CRYING over their romance! Seriously, ALL THE FEELINGS! I don't think I've ever loved a novella this much!

My rating: 5 stars

Made me crave: peanut M&M's

So do any of you by chance remember how much I LOVED Gilt?? Because I totally did and combine this with my Tudor obsession and GAH YOU JUST HAVE THE PERFECT NOVEL IN TARNISH!!!

Excuse me while I continue to gush.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I love books of the English court and in particular of Anne Boleyn (and Elizabeth I) because she is SUCH an interesting historical figure! I mean, can you imagine if she'd had a son and lived? How different the world would probably be? I really need to read The Boleyn King in which this turn of events is explored.

I LOVE that Katherine Longshore doesn't villify Anne, as is done in so many of the novels set around these events. Anne is an actual person here and not just a backstabbing, manipulating girl who makes a dramatic rise AND fall. I felt how Anne just wanted to be accepted and mostly just wanted to be seen as a person instead of a sister/daughter to be sold to the highest bidder. And of course every author takes some poetic liberties with the truth, but I really feel that women didn't have much other choice than to try to rule through men and I FELT this.

This is probably why I love Katherine Longshore's books so much, because I actually FEEL what's happening in history and all of the people in it seem to come to life and become real people with goals and emotion and not just flat things on a page. And I LOVE THIS! It's so nice to see Anne's vulnerable side! To see George in a different light than I did in The Other Boleyn Girl and to just see the beginning of Anne's rise to power.

I think this is also the first novel ever to make me care about Thomas Wyatt. I never thought much of him, but in Tarnish this man has hidden depths and is actually swoonworthy! And I KNOW things don't work out, but I was so rooting for him! Even though he's married and it's kinda despicable and yadayada, I KNOW OK and I still loved him.

I also loved that Jane is Anne's friend and not just the horrible person she is depicted as most of the time. She mostly comes on scene in these novels as the jealous, nagging wife and here she actually stands up for Anne. Even though there are some awful moments in which you see how she could evolve to become this person in history.

This one quote nearly killed me:
"I have but a little neck," I tell the king. "It will not hurt if the blow comes clean."

KILLED ME! TEARS! ALL THE TEARS!

All the events are so bittersweet because I know what actually goes down in history and every time I read about it, I still start wishing things will turn out differently this time, but I know they can't. I liked that Katherine Longshore leaves us with a somewhat happy Anne, at the beginning of her relationship with the king with the whole world open to her and not with the sad events that I know will happen to her later on. All of the hard things she will go through.

Bottom line: I LOVED THIS BOOK! SO MUCH! I cannot even begin to explain the genius that is Katherine Longshore's writing, but I just get all these feelings while reading it and I love to see history come to life and just GAH GO READ IT! ALL OF YOU! You won't regret it, it is AMAZING!

My rating: 5+ stars

Made me crave: strawberries

So this is the companion novel to Two Way Street, which I have not read, but let me reassure you: you don't really have to in order to read this book, it works perfectly as a standalone.

I really like Lauren Barnholdt's books and when a new one comes out, it's automatically added to my TBR list, so I was pretty excited to start Right of Way. Also because I was really in the mood for a cute contemporary. And while I think I like some of her other books better, I really enjoyed Right of Way!

The constant switching between the present and past and in the POV from Jace to Peyton and back again, Lauren Barnholdt really kept me on my toes, reading this required my full attention. But it never felt like a chore, because somehow she made it work. Jace and Peyton both have a distinct voice, though they are somewhat similar in their trains of thought. I didn't fully connect to either of them though, maybe because of the constant switching between their POV.

One thing that didn't work so well for me was their backstory. I mean, they had the whole sweet romance going on when they first met and they're SO in love and then all of a sudden they stop speaking to each other? Over that?? I mean, seriously?? UGH! I didn't completely believe it, though I know sometimes there are really stupid reasons for relationships not working out. If they didn't have so strong a connection, I would have more readily believed this explanation I think.

I did like the story Lauren Barnholdt weaves with the road trip that isn't much of a road trip actually but still fun to read about. Jace and Peyton and Jace's dog (who is AWESOME) have a little adventure and because road trips force you to be in each other's vicitiny for long hours, they couldn't get out of communicating and really, guys, communication is important. I also kinda loved Jace's mom! She's a fierce mama bear and I like that.

There are some serious issues in the background of this lovestory and I kinda hoped we'd see them resolved within the novel, but we didn't really. But Right of Way is a very entertaining read, perfect for the summer day it was while I was reading it!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Made me crave: marshmallows

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

So I REALLY enjoyed Shadowfell, this is my kind of fantasy and I cannot believe that this is still the only series/book by Juliet Marillier I've read so far! I mean, seriously, I'm loving this, I should really start reading more of her books!

So in Shadowfell we left Neryn at Shadowfell with the rebels and Flint going and risking his life by going back to the evil king and returning to his spying. Just as this achingly sweet romance was developing between them and I had started loving Flint myself and GAH, he's just such a good character!!
So I was kinda sad that we don't really get to see all that much of him in Raven Flight.

But we do see a LOT more of Neryn! She is really growing as a person and a Caller and it is amazing to watch! She's toughening up, manning up, gearing herself up for this enormous task that's been placed on her shoulders. She's standing up to Tali, forging connections with the folk who live below Shadowfell, building bridges and generally being awesome. I mean, sure, the pining for Flint got a little bit annoying at times, but hey, I'd probably have been doing the same thing. It was just a bit boring to read about sometimes.

I love all the different beings we come across, both the new ones and the ones we were already introduced to in Shadowfell. I really liked that while they may not be really be all that excited to join the humans in their war, they are slowly coming around and willing to make changes from how things have been done for centuries. Though they're not easily swayed, they're not unreasonable.

One thing I really appreciate: Neryn is really thinking about what it will do to all these beings if she Calls them for the battle. Or for anything else really. She's not willing to just throw their lives away or mess with them because it might come in handy for her. She actually realises that with this power she has a responsibility as well and I like that. She's not just using her gift left and right to make her own life easier and I respect that.
Also, I loved that while Neryn is a pretty fast learner, it's not insta-power, you know? She has to work hard for it and her teachers do not let her take the easy road.

And guys, can I just say how much I love Tali? Seriously, that girl got on my nerves at first, but over the course of this book, I've really grown to love her. She's not the warm and fuzzy type, but she's fiercely loyal and OMG, this one scene towards the end made me REALLY respect her. I don't want to give anything away, but she totally fooled me.

There were heartbreaking moments (one that made me go AAAH!!! THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN) and beautiful moments and romantic moments and I really loved it! Sometimes I wish there would actually be a magic battle, we did have some minor ones, but I guess I'm just straining for the epic battle that is sure to come in the next book!
There's one major revelation at the end that left me gasping and seriously, just GIVE ME CALLER AND NOBODY GETS HURT! I really need to know how it all ends!!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Made me crave: goat cheese salad

Guys, I was really ready to read some wonderful historical romance by an author I've come to trust to deliver just that. And Caroline Linden didn't let me down this time either!

I LOVED Joan! She's spunky and trying to catch a little freedom wherever she can, while placating her mother all at the same time. I love that she's not the swooning type and is skirting the edges of respectability with some of her actions. But maybe one of the things I loved best about her is how she was terrorizing her brother! And he totally deserved it! I loved this scene, she was just being the most obnoxious female she could possibly be and it worked! As I have a brother myself, I know that they sometimes need a little push ;) Besides, it's totally fun! (Just kidding, I'm actually a very nice sister) (most of the time anyway)

Also: I totally loved the aunt that steps in when Joan's parents have to leave town because of her mother's health. She was such an amazing lady! And I loved how she truly wanted to help Joan and helped her choose more becoming gowns instead of just following the latest fashion. Because, really, not everyone can wear everything.

But you really came here to hear me talk about The Romance right? And let me tell you: it was AWESOME! Tristan and Joan had such amazing chemistry and I truly believed that they would work as a couple! And that Joan could change his mind about marriage. I loved that they bickered and had passion and that Tristan stuffed the scandalous bit of reading material down the back of Joan's dress at a ball so it wouldn't be discovered.

So the only problem I had that the trouble at the end was resolved a bit too easily. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved the romance between them, but something that happens towards the end had such delicious potential for heartbreak and TEARS and all of the good stuff that leads to a happy ending. And if that had been played out a bit better, this book would have gotten the full five stars probably. I was truly invested in Joan and Tristan's story though.

I love when a romance novel brings both the funny and the romance, the only thing that would have made Love and Other Scandals better would have been if it had actually made me cry!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Made me crave: chocolate

I don't think I've ever mentioned how much I love Pretty Little Liars. The TV show, I haven't read the books yet (though the boyfriend's sister tells me they're fun). And reading Truly, Madly, Deadly felt a bit like watching an episode of Pretty Little Liars!

Sawyer was a likeable, is very much troubled, heroine. She's had to deal with her boyfriend's death and the aftermath in which she felt she couldn't admit he'd been abusing her. I'd actually thought this would be much more on the foreground though. It's mentioned and at times we see her cringe away from people because of it, but we don't really get to see exactly what he did to her. I never really felt like I knew much about Kevin and why he did what he did.

I really liked the witty banter between Sawyer and her best friend Chloe. They'd been friend for ages and it showed in how well these two knew each other. She's the stable factor in Sawyer's tumultuous home life, with a father remarrying and procreating with his new wife and her mother being far away.

I couldn't quite figure out how much time had passed between the events in Truly, Madly, Deadly and Kevin's death. It seemed fairly recent. And this also meant that although I absolutely got that he'd been hurting her, it did seem strange that she seemed so ok with everything. I don't know, the guilt she felt over kissing Cooper felt very real, but other than that I didn't really get much of an emotion from her over the whole thing.

Truly, Madly, Deadly really shows how easy it is to make someone look bad. It's very easy to get framed for something. It's very easy for someone who knows you well to come into your life and with the best intentions scare the crap out of you and do others serious harm without people finding out who it is. And OMG, IT IS SO CREEPY!! I was suspecting EVERYONE and totally didn't figure out who had done it in the end!

I zipped right through this book in about 3-3,5 hours! I was just on the edge of my cushion (lazing around on the balcony, holla) and even postponed my DINNER so I could read the end! It's a fast, easy read and I really like Hannah Jayne's writing style!

And in the end when we got told the who in the WHODUNNIT??? I was SO not expecting that! I mean, seriously, it was SUCH a surprise, but looking back I cannot believe I didn't figure it out! Hannah Jayne had definitely left clues around the novel and one big one that I am really kicking myself for not seeing! I totally loved that I couldn't see it coming form miles away, because it made it believable that Sawyer and the people around her didn't see it!

Also, reading this book and watching PLL, I'm SO happy that nothing every happened around my high school.

My rating: 4 stars

Made me crave: PIZZA!

I'll admit that I'm more of a historical romance kinda girl, there's just something about the big dresses and forbidden affairs and all that, that makes my heart beat a little faster. BUT True Love by Jude Deveraux proved to me that I can just as easily love a good contemporary romance!!

I must say that, not being from the US, I'd never heard much about Nantucket before. And OMG, it sounds completely AMAZING!! I can totally understand the Nantucketers dislike of tourists, cluttering up their beautiful island, especially because they have this tight community going on. So yes, I very much fell in love with the idea of this island and all the gorgeous houses Jude Deveraux describes.

And I loved seeing it all through Alix's eyes! She's a spunky, intelligent girl and generally a good person. I liked that she was fresh out of architectural school and 26, because I can totally relate to being done with your education and holla for a heroine that's close to my age! She's a little starstruck by Jared at first, but once she gets over that I loved that she doesn't hesitate to give her own opinion, even if he is one of the greatest architects of America.
And Jared was swoonworthy! Admittedly, he was a little grouchy at first, but once he gets over that and shows his true character, I fell for him right along with Alix. They had such great chemistry and their banter was really fun to read! They had a lot in common and I actually believed their lovestory.

So I was pretty intrigued by the whole mystery about one of Jared's ancestor's and had thought that the book would be centered around finding the answers. But it actually kinda wasn't. And that's one thing I didn't like. I mean, Alix's whole reason for being on this island is that she is supposed to look for answers regarding Valentina's disappearance and she doesn't even really look for them until pretty much the last couple of chapters. She didn't seem remotely interested in this. And ok, I get that there's a sexy man around and you're designing beautiful houses and such together, but really, it was all just SO MYSTERIOUS!! I wouldn't have been able to control my curiosity.

Another thing that I liked somewhat less was that the ending felt rushed and Alix and Jared's relationship was rushed right along with it. I know there's this thing when people say when you know, you just know. But really, they've only KNOWN each other for what, two months? I wouldn't put on a wedding dress after two months.

But for the most part while reading this book I was just smiling and happily moving along in whatever direction Jude Deveraux took us with this story! And it is a beautiful story, I'm very much looking forward to the other books in the trilogy!!

Jude Deveraux combined all those things I love in a romance novel: a heroine I could root for, a manly swoonworthy hero, secondary characters to steal my heart and hold a promise for future books, witty, engaging writing and just a romance that makes me smile!

My rating: 4 stars

Made me crave: pancakes!!

Guys, you know me: OBSESSED with mythology and aside from the bits and pieces I know of Norse mythology from watching movies like Thor and recently the TV series Vikings, I hadn't really read a book on Norse mythology before. And I can't believe I waited this long to try it! Because I'm kinda in love with the richness of this culture!

Susan Krinard introduces us to a Valkyrie, Mist, and her life here on Earth, or Midgard. It turns out Ragnarok (a term that I totally recognized from Vikings) didn't actually happen and the gods and goddesses are still alive and GAH, Loki has been posing as Mist's boyfriend for the past six months! After this things just start to spiral out of control for Mist and she discovers that nothing is as it seemed to be for the past couple of centuries.

I liked Mist, she's a strong woman (well obviously, she's a Valkyrie), she cares about the people among who she's been living for centuries now and wants to protect life on earth. I also liked that she doesn't just shrug off her hurt over Loki's betrayal easily. They'd been in a relationship for 6 months, it wouldn't be realistic for her to just get over that.

The character who truly intrigues me is Dainn. He's an elf and has all these secrets and knows so much more than he's telling Mist and he's just so interesting! He's confusing and there's such a sadness in him that I just want to give him a hug and try to make him smile!

You could definitely tell that this is the first book in a series. There's a lot of setting up of the plotline and introductions to the various characters and gods and sometimes things were a bit slowed down because of this. I really hope we'll get to know more about the exact happenings of the Last Battle (that wasn't the Last Battle after all) in the next book!

One thing I didn't like was that Mist was such a natural with her newly discovered powers and just somehow knew how to work it without having much of a training in it. Also: Loki, Dainn AND Mist are all REALLY powerful and they had ample opportunity to really injure/kill each other. So WHYYY doesn't this happen?? I mean, it was a bit weird how they'd hold back in the face of victory all of a sudden.

I did really enjoy reading Mist, Susan Krinard really makes the Norse mythology come to life for me and I'm curious to see where the series will take all the characters!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Made me crave: tortilla chips

So confession: I've never read one of Kerrelyn Sparks' books before. I hear her adult urban fantasy/paranormal romance books are really good, but it's not really my genre so I hadn't picked it up before. But this foray into historical romance IS right up my alley!

I love the plotline of Caroline pretending to be the bride Matthais' mother sent for and then being rudely awoken in the night by said fake fiancé because she's sleeping in HIS bed. Because his mother put her there. Seriously, his mother may seem like a sweet little lady, but she's constantly plotting to get these two in a compromising situation and it was AWESOME. I laughed so hard! Though how Matthais continually failed to see her plotting ways is beyond me, he just continued to blunder into Caroline's bedroom, no matter if she'd changed bedrooms.

I liked Caroline's spirit. She's determined to take care of her family and doesn't care if she hurts herself in the process. I could understand her not really wanting to get involved with a soldier, she had a solid reason, but it's slightly unrealistic in the time she was living in to find a man who has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the war. I mean, seriously? I think pretty much EVERY man was drafted into fighting.

I did want to slap Matthais a couple of times because he keeps LYING to Caroline and the moment that she finds out how much he's been lying was pretty devastating. I actually thought she forgave him a little too easily, because for all that she's decided she won't get involved with a military man, she's awfully quick to go 'oh, well, you're not only a military man but also a spy, FINE' and that's aside from forgiving him for lying to her. I think that was my biggest problem, he's been completely dishonest with her and then POOF! all is out and forgiven. Maybe I'm just not a very nice person, but I would have made him grovel some more.

I did really like Kerrelyn Sparks' writing style and it was a pretty quick read for me. The romance was sweet and I laughed at the antics of Matthais' mother, she was fantastic! And I really loved Caroline's family!

My rating: 3 stars

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1**

YOU GUYS! THIS BOOK!!! SERIOUSLY!! I know I said I was really excited and that I would drop EVERYTHING once it got here (and I did), but THIS BOOK! It was even better than I'd expected!!!

So just to give you fair warning: this review will be full of gushing ;)

Remember how I LOVED Shadow and Bone?? Well, Siege and Storm might have just topped that. A lot of trilogies suffer from second-book-syndrome, but Siege and Storm never once made me think this! It was even more funny, charming, enticing, just utterly mindbogglingly good than Shadow and Bone was! I loved that opening this book and starting to read it felt like stepping into a room of old friends you haven't seen in a while and having that instant connection happening. I do admit that I was a little fuzzy on some of the details from Shadow and Bone (which made me annoyed with myself for reading it on vacation and not bringing Shadow and Bone with me as well), but Siege and Storm and I worked things out pretty well.

I LOVED meeting the new characters!! I mean, OMG, STURMHOND!!! *SWOON* I was DYING to meet him because EVERYONE kept raving about him and you guys: TOTALLY DESERVED! Sturmhond is awesome. He's witty and mysterious and charming and just GAH CAN I JUST HAVE HIM BE REAL? PLEASE?


Ahem.

He's just so quotable! I wanted to write down everything he said so I could reread the awesome later, but let me just leave you with this one:
"I like having powerful enemies. Makes me feel important."
SEE???

I loved reconnecting with Alina and Mal, though Mal kinda took a fall from the amazing boy he'd been in Shadow and Bone. I mean, sure, I still love him, but he kinda broke my heart a bit as well... I'm a bit confused right now.
Alina is my kinda girl, she's strong, she's not afraid to do the hard things and she may not always make the best decisions, but seriously, I don't think I'd have done better in her place. She is the kind of funny that I only am in my best moments and I love her fiery temper. And I love seeing her come into her own and making a place for herself and not being afraid to take charge. Girl, you rule!

Ok, so all of you guys loving the Darkling, please don't hate on me! I HATE HIM! I do love to hate him, but HATE being the important word in this. Ugh, he is just so EVIL. And his new powers CREEPED ME OUT! Can someone please, PLEASE just kill him?? **SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ: Seriously, if you can maim your own MOTHER you deserve a horrible, HORRIBLE, PAINFUL death. Just saying. END OF SPOILER**

Guys, once I opened this book, I basically did nothing but read it all day, because I was just unable to put it down. It was THAT good. It's a good thing I was staying with my parents, because if my mom hadn't brought me food once in a while, I probably would have starved reading it. Let me repeat: it was THAT good. I seriously don't know how I will survive the wait for book 3, because that ending was BRUTAL. Leigh Bardugo really knows how to write a sweeping epic story and I loved every minute of reading it!

My rating: 5+ stars

Made me crave: tomato soup

Many thanks to Kelly @ Belle of the Literati, Judith @ Paper Riot and Daphne @ Winged Reviews for supporting my during my freak out over some of the happenings :)

Seriously, I think this book was one of my most anticipated reads of Spring 2013 and I'm sad to say that it didn't really live up to my expectations.

The concept is GREAT. It is. It's creepy and fascinating and cruel and just what I come to expect from dystopian society that is well thought out. You can tell that Imogen Howson did a lot of world developing before she started writing this book and it's really interesting. I can't imagine anyone doing that to human beings (I really don't want to spoil anything, but it's awful). But maybe this is why they declared them non-human. It's a great solution when you think about it.

I liked Elissa. She's not immediately on board with the idea of having a twin and though she does the right thing, there are some bumps in the road and her behaviour isn't always the nicest. But I can understand this. I mean, it's pretty normal to not magically be ok when such a bomb is dropped on you and you're expected to just deal with it. That's just not how it works. I like that she's practical and is really trying her best.
Lin was in ways both harder for me to like and easier to like. She has her less than human emotionally moments and her awesome power moments and I think that in the end I liked her better than Elissa.

There are some things that didn't work so well for me, one big thing that put me off was Elissa's parents. They are awful! I mean, seriously?? They're ready to get their daughter into brain surgery even though they KNOW it's not her brain malfunctioning?? I mean, REALLY? That's some bad parenting right there. Along with Elissa's mom calling the cops on her. Her mom is probably the worst of the two, her dad redeems himself a bit, but just a bit. Hateful woman.

Also, the romance arc did nothing for me. Elissa and Cadan were constantly fighting and saying pretty harsh stuff and thinking the worst of each other and not in the Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy way! I couldn't imagine them caring for each other and then BOOM out of nowhere they're saying 'I love you' to each other and I'm like WTF?? I know they have history and all that, but I still call insta-love.

Reading Linked was much more slow going than I had expected. I'd expected a lot of action and excitement and not being able to put the book down and all of that good stuff. And while a lot is happening in a short time, it didn't really feel urgent or desperate or any of those things. I do think that the world Imogen Howson has created was fascinating and I'm interested to see how Elissa and Lin will handle the aftermath of the happenings in Linked, but it's definitely not what I had expected when I picked it up.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Guys, you may know how much I love the Pennyroyal Green series, so I was pretty excited to pick up It Happened One Midnight. But sadly, this wasn't as amazing a read for me as the other books so far have been.

It's not that either Tommy or Jonathan were unlikeable, in fact, I liked them very much. Tommy has had a hard childhood and is still struggling to make it and be respectable. But nonetheless, she's managed to turn into a strong, kind woman with a big heart. I loved that she's in her own way an activist against child labour and seriously, the conditions in which these kids were living and the dangerous jobs they had to do broke my heart.

And can I just say that first and foremost, Jonathan endeared himself to me because he is such an awesome brother?? Because he totally is! His sister Violet is very pregnant and he'd do anything for her. Which is also how he ends up at the gypsy's place, getting his fortune read. I have an awesome brother of my own, so I know a bit about them.
When Jonathan cares about someone, he does it with all his heart, even if he may not realise it himself and I always appreciate this in a person.

So why did this book disappoint me a bit? Well, while I think Tommy and Jonathan suited each other, their romance was just a bit boring. There was really no question that they loved each other from pretty early on and I felt no heartbreak or edge-of-my-seat tension or really much of a feeling whatsoever. Or at least not in the way I've come to expect from Julie Anne Long's writing.

I was also REALLY annoyed by Jonathan's father. I mean, SERIOUSLY? Are you trying to alienate ALL your children? SERIOUSLY? I really very much dislike him and I don't get what he could be thinking. He doesn't seem to care much for his children at all and is just looking for a way to have the family name be made even better and GAH it was SO ANNOYING.

But ultimately, a book that didn't live up to my expectations from Julie Anne Long is still a very enjoyable read. It wasn't as amazing as some of the other books in this series, but I still found myself smiling reading it. I very much enjoyed the witty banter between Tommy and Jonathan and they did suit each other very well.

My rating: 3 stars

So I'll make this short and sweet, like Spartan Frost was.

I'm not much of a novella reader, but every now and then I make an exception and I'm usually happy I did. Spartan Frost definitely falls into this category.

I very much like Logan and it was nice to see what had happened in Crimson Frost through his eyes. It's not something that should be taken lightly and Logan definitely doesn't. I also liked seeing another side of his father, cause he REALLY annoyed me in Crimson Frost. I get that he was trying to protect his son, but maybe he could have done it in a less obnoxious way.

It didn't even take me an hour to read this, I zipped right through it and besides providing me a little insight into Logan's mind, it also made me excited to continue the series with Midnight Frost soon!

My rating: 3,5 stars

The idea behind this novel fascinates me! I mean, it really is quite ingenious: make yourself look better by having a less well-looking person stand beside you and shine in comparison. It's like a theory I once read somewhere or saw on TV, how being in a group of beautiful people can transform someone from average to beautiful as well. It's really interesting to see how your perception can change because of your surrounding.

So we meet Maude, one of the so-called 'ugly' girls. She's come to Paris to escape what would have been an unhappy marriage and needs a job. She gets hired by the Durandeau Agency and soon the Countess picks her to be the companion for her daughter. But unlike usual, said daughter isn't supposed to know Maude is making her look better. So Maude tries to become friends with the somewhat difficult Isabelle and slowly they get to know each other and actually do become friends. Until Maude has to choose between keeping her secret and keeping her friend.

I liked Maude, I liked that you could feel that she wasn't worldly, being from a small town and just wanting to make her own way into the world instead of the one her father would have picked out for her. At times I was just cringing and wanting to yell at her to not be such a brat to her friends, and to stop being so UGH NAIVE! But it definitely felt like this was all in character for her, I just had this sense of foreboding you sometimes get. You know, the 'this has to go wrong SOMEWHERE' feeling.

And I really liked Isabelle, who I can truly respect for wanting to just be MORE. Learn MORE. Be a scientist. Though I thought she could have been a little less contrary at times, she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go for it. She did have a healthy dose of arrogance and entitlement that sometimes rubbed me the wrong way a bit, but I liked that once she's your friend, she's a TRUE friend, that's always a good quality in my book.

It did sometimes feel a bit as if the countess was being evil just for the sake of it and didn't really seem to have her daughter's best interests at heart at one point in the story and that just felt a bit off to me. I get that she wanted to see her daughter get married, because hello, it's what having a debut and a season was all about, but you'd think she'd actually want her to get married to a decent person.

I really enjoyed Belle Epoque, I love that in the end there was a definite feeling of female empowerment and as I said at the beginning: the concept is just fascinating! Elizabeth Ross has written a strong debut and I hope we'll see more of her soon!

My rating: 3,5 stars