Losing It

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Cora Carmack
Format: eBook
Pages: 204
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Thanks GR): Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

What I Think: I want a Garrick but how embarrassing was this story! I had the worst second hand embarrassment ever. It was so awkward yet so funny. This book was great for going back and forth between those two things. I was very entertained by this novel. I didn't put it down until it was finished. I'm glad I didn't. I mean, the guy was perfect and it was entertainingly awkward. I also learned what to never, ever do. I mean, couldn't she just keep it in her pants. Oh, and really, was it so impossible for him to keep it in his pants that it had to be so awkward...then again, I did say I was glad it was how it was, didn't I?

I noticed though that Bliss changed a lot during this novel. It wasn't even just the virginity thing...of course, that would be a boring book. I noticed that their was a change in the way she held herself and spoke from the beginning to the end of the novel. It wasn't annoying but it was something that someone could see happening. 

Kelsey isn't a name that's used very often. It was a pleasant surprise to have a character  named after me in this novel. It was nice until I found out that she was kind of a hoe...What a let down. Can't a just have a nice character that doesn't sleep around named after me? Is that so much to ask?

I Digress: This novel was quick, easy, horribly entertaining, and the guy in it was perfect! I also love the book and play references that were used in this book especially the ones that weren't used just because she was in acting class. I think that you should go buy this book because I loved it!

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Reviewer: Kristen
My Rating: 7 out of 10

Basically, I agree with everything Kelsey has said. It was quick, funny, realistic for the most part. Garrick was basically everything someone would want in a guy, plus he has an accent. I definitely recommend this one! 

Shadow Falls Series

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: C. C. Hunter
Format: Paperback
Series Rating: 7 out of 10

I'm far too scared to review each of these novels. I don't want to spoil anything and I'm sure that if I review them individually, I will.

Summary for Born at Midnight (from Goodreads.com): Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

My Review for Born at Midnight

Thoughts for the series: I was a little wary of starting a new series but, luckily, all of these novels have been released so it went pretty fast. This is a series that you could read in a week. None of these books took me very long. There were no huge lost gaps of time that you had to account for because the novels only cover the span of a few months. The transitions were seamless between each novel. The only trouble I had with starting the new novels was that they recap literally everything that is happening. This is a good thing when it's been months since you read the last novel but reading them in the same week means rereading or reviewing most of the story every other day. I survived though.

I loved the characters. This is really a character driven novel, not a plot novel. We get to see how each character grows and changes. Five novels is a lot of time to spend with the same characters so you really grow to love and care for them. I found that I always had an opinion about what should happen in their lives. I found it both comforting and annoying at some points that everyone had someone. On that topic, why do all girls in novels have multiple guys fighting over her? oh well. I love that the characters may not get along but as soon as they need to, they are able to work together to get stuff done.

As I said above, this series is character driven. The series is about the characters and their relationships to one another. It's about their personal growth and struggles. Well...these were mostly about the relationships but still. The point I'm trying to make is that the supernatural plot wasn't the center of the story. It affected their interactions and choices but really didn't hold the story up on its own. This led what I thought to be the climax to move quickly. I felt that there were so many times that the author could have slowed down and given the reader a bit more of the character's emotions. There were points where I could have been terrified for Kylie but the time wasn't taken. The action went by so quickly. It was the most annoying part of these novels. That might be because I like the action with love on the side not the opposite like this novel was. In addition to this, there were parts of the novel, not the climax, that the author could have had me crying. The potential was there but was missed or ignored. I'm not sure which. I wish that the author would have slowed down those scenes and pulled the reader in a little bit more. Tell me exactly what she feels, go slow, don't smooth everything over when there is obviously something huge happening here.

The books weren't too complicated. I was figuring some stuff out before they were explained to the reader. It didn't bother me but I should mention it anyway.

The wrap up was sufficient but not much more than that. I thought that some stuff needed more explanation. I won't say that the author took the easy was out with some things but I wish there would have been a little bit more in the end. Maybe a longer chapter instead of just a little section. I want to be able to tell myself that I know exactly how her future and the futures of the other characters will play out. This was the kind of series that I thought would give me all that but it didn't. It wasn't a horrible ending though so I should be happy. I did, however, love the scene that it ended with. I thought it was perfect as was the thoughts about change that the series ended with. 

So: I would recommend this series to someone who wants an easy, cute, smooth flowing story that doesn't require a lot of thought. It would be good for a person that like their love stories with a bit of action on the side as well as self exploration. Careful though, Kylie is a bit dramatic and self-pitying at some points and you may want to strangle her.

Wait For You

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: J Lynn
Pages: 332
Format: eBook 
My Rating: 8 out of 10 

Summary (thanks GR): Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

My Thoughts: Okay, I basically love Jennifer Armentrout. It's official. I've been reading all her books, and if it's not by her, I don't even want to read it. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but still. Love her. (Side note... I need Origin. Now. Right now. Yesterday basically.) Anyways, I read this a while ago. And I've not been too on top of reviewing. But anyways, I liked this book. A lot. It felt realistic, and I loved Cam. A whole lot. I loved how patient he was, and how it took Avery some time to come out of her shell and really ya know, just be her herself. Anyways, I read this a long time ago, and I can't really remember much without spoiling things. So A+ read, home run, trust me. I loved it! 

Final Thoughts: Get it get it get it get it! 

The Essential Book of Useless Information

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Don Voorhees
Format: Paperback
Pages: 257
Rating: 10 out of 10

Summary (Did you know that Kristen and I use Goodreads?): More facts! Less substance! The newest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Useless Information series.

The useless information never ends in the newest, most crucially meaningless entry in the Useless Information series. This latest cornucopia of amazingly pointless facts and figures will have trivia buffs marveling at all the things they never needed to know.

My Thoughts: This book is great. I found it so entertaining and so informative. The facts aren't stated in some boring list format like something you would have to learn for school. The facts are sorted out in an organized way, sure, but most importantly they are hilarious. The author sometimes adds his two cents in the form of jokes. How they are worded is funny too. Actually, even most of the facts themselves are funny. Are you getting that this is a funny book because I feel like I might not be clear enough.

The one problem I had with this book was that I felt the need to share all the information with other people. Of course, this could be bad if those people don't want to hear about it. I often caught myself repeating the facts to those around me. I recommend reading it with another person. 

In Conclusion, I now know way more about some things than I want to, like some animal mating habits for example. I loved this book and will probably read it again so that I can make sure I absorbed all the information it contains. It's great to read in little pieces or all at once because the sections are split up but flow well. I recommend that you read it if you enjoy knowing useless information about random things like I do.  

Perfect Ruin

Reviewer: Kelsey

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Format: ARC Paperback (Publisher requested review)

Pages: 358

Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads is my life): On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 15-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

My Thoughts: I was pretty pumped to be able to read this novel. I’ve read novels by this author before and I enjoyed them so much that I felt the need to buy the rest of the series while I was on vacation. I think that this author has an incredible imagination and is a great storyteller. She can get you into a story. Also, I love that she uses “English Major Words” or for our American friends maybe we can call them SAT words? I love learning new words and I could with this novel; not that I was forced to look any up, context is so helpful.

Hopefully, this won’t become a love triangle. At one point during the novel it felt like that was where we were headed but a part of the novel changed that for me, I’m just holding out hope for the second one. I don’t want a love triangle because I hate them but also, in this case, I love Basil. I think he’s great. It’s a little odd that they actually cared about each other. In other novels where they are forced to be with people, the main character ends up hating that person. Matched may be an exception. If your experience with this type of plot line is different than mine, I need to point out how weird and stupid that is. I wouldn’t love someone that I was told to love. I would question every interaction with them and wonder why I do what I do. Do I actually love them or have I been convinced that I have to love them and therefore act differently. Yes, these are the things that I think about in my spare time.

There are essay excerpts at the beginning of each chapter and, while they make little sense at the beginning of the novel, as the story goes on they explain a lot about the world in which Morgan lives as well as some of the character’s motivations.

I really feel bad for Lex. I hope that the next novel explains why people get hurt when they jump. I think I might have missed that explanation. It all seemed a little confused for me. It was almost like a full explanation was avoided. I can understand why, it would give the author a lot more work but I would like some answers just the same. Plus, I need a real not mythological or guess reason for why they are in the sky. Yes, I want the author to come out and flat out say where we are and why. I hate guessing AND unanswered questions. I guess I’ll just have to read the whole series.

The concept for this novel was very interesting though I think it needs to be a bit more developed. It was a good length and a fairly quick read but it wasn’t speedy. Now, I’m being confusing. How do I explain this? It didn’t feel like a quick read until I looked back and saw how fast I finished it. Close to the end still feels like the middle. It may have been that I confused the climax a bit. There are two highish points in this novel. Upon completing it, I realized that the very end is actually the climax and leads up to another novel but while at the first high point, I thought it would be the most important part. I’m going to explain this away as just being the first in the series and needing to set everything up. I hope that’s just it.

The characters in this were great. I want a Basil, Lex was a typical older brother (at least in my world anyway), and Pen was a great best friend. Each had faults, like they would if they were real people. I like characters that could be real people. Beware though, this author has never been afraid to kill off character. It’s one of the things I love about her!

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this novel and love this author. In the future, I will continue to read her works. I am also looking forward to reading the rest of this series to get the answers I’m looking for. I’m just really sad that I’m going to have to wait for the next book! If you enjoyed Matched, Delirium, or The Chemical Garden Series than as soon as this book is released, you should go buy it.

Born at Midnight

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: C.C. Hunter
Format: eBook
Pages: 417
Rating: 7 out of 10

Sum it up Goodreads: Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams,  Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Thoughts: I quite enjoyed this book and I wasn't sure that I was going to at all. My younger cousin was reading it and telling me all about it making me curious. Granted, she did a very bad job of explaining the story line to me but she got me interested nonetheless. Trying to explain this story is very hard. She just confused me but the book was clear enough when you are reading it. I'm not 100% sure the age of reader this novel was written for though. On one hand my 12 year old cousin was reading it but, on the other hand, there is a lot of attraction talk and not so innocent thoughts going on inside Kylie's head. 

It was a pretty simple story to read and I read it fairly quickly. It also had a few funny moments that keep you interested.

I love that Kylie didn't just accept what was happening to her right away. No person would go from being normal human being to accepting and moving on with life now aware that they are so very different. It was very realistic. I loved that about it. Realism for the win. Then again, does every single girl in books have two or more guys fighting over her? How annoying for me, the girl with no guy fighting for her. I mean seriously, can there be one book where only one guy wants the girl? All I want is one not two... I also am tired of the love triangle. They are so much work. That said, TEAM DEREK! 

The climax for this novel seemed very sudden and quick to end. The novel was definitely more about the learning about oneself and the relationships that Kylie was building than the high point of this novel. It made it seem sort of slow yet it really wasn't that slow. It kept me interested.

Conclusion: This book was easy to read and the whole series is out already so that's a major plus right? I quite enjoyed it and bought the rest of the series. I'm still a little awkward about the fact that my 12 year old cousin was reading this novel. Gah!

Hopeless

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: eBook
Pages: 327
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (love Goodreads): Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My Thoughts: Talk about plot twists! This book is full of surprises! I can't believe that characters were able to keep these secrets. I was a little bit sad though that I was able to be a bit ahead of the story. By the middle, I was figuring out things in advance. It was kind of a let down but I still enjoyed it a lot. I liked having my ideas confirmed. It was a very dramatic and emotional. This novel was a bit of a wild ride. Plus, Holder was kind of awesome though not so much at the beginning as he was at the end.

This book was not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a happy, easy, love story where everything ends perfectly. It was not. It was pretty great and I couldn't put it down but it was not a simple story. The writing style was perfect for this story. The author did great work.

Conclusion: This novel was full of emotion and crazy plot twists. I'm so glad I read this book and couldn't put it down.

Plus, the guy is super hot! I'd like one of him even with all the wall punching.

Sorry it's sooooo short, I'm so afraid of spoilers on this one. Just trust Kristen and I, this novel is great!

Hearts in Darkness

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: Laura Kaye 
Pages: 112
Format: eBook 
My Rating: 4 out of 10


Summary (via Goodreads): Two strangers…

Makenna James thinks her day can't get any worse, until she finds herself stranded in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call, the pin-striped accountant catches only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights go out.

Four hours…

Caden Grayson is amused when a harried redhead dashes into his elevator fumbling her bags and cell phone. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he's terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he's trapped in his own worst nightmare.

One pitch-black elevator…

To fight fear, they must reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

My Thoughts: Small book means small review, am I right or am I right?! Okay, in all seriousness, this book was kinda... meh. I don't really know, I didn't hate it per se, but I didn't love it. I didn't like it, but I didn't not like it. And all that gives you is a whole lot of contradictions. It's kind of cool concept, not seeing someone in an elevator and then having the power to go out. I think that it could be a really cool idea. Most overused word? Cool. Sorry, back to this. I think that this book had a lot of potential. People finding each other, going beyond the superficial and knowing someone on an actual personal level. Instead this book focus' solely on sex and how much they want each other. They don't know each other very well, but they "know" more than most their friends do. It's that kind of a story. I know that the danger with contemporary romance is the sex fiends and the almost lack of anything actually romantic. It was a quick read, so that's why I'm not more ranty then I usually am. But I was disappointed. 

Final Thoughts: Meh. Big time meh. Boldface, italicized meh.