Books and Swoons: 3-Stars

Showing posts with label 3-Stars. Show all posts

Mini Review: Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead

Succubus on Top (Georgina Kincaid #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: January 1, 2008
Publisher: Kensington
Format: ebook
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

Georgina Kincaid's job sucks. Literally.

Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses her new boyfriend, she’ll drain his life force. Georgina is a succubus—a demon who draws her power from other men’s pleasure. Admittedly, the shapeshifting and immortality perks are terrific, and yes, Georgina did choose to join the ranks of hell centuries ago. But it seems completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can’t get hot and heavy with the one mortal who knows and accepts her for who she is.

It’s not just her personal life that’s in chaos. Doug, Georgina’s co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects that something far more demonic than double espressos is at work. She could use help finding out, but Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, is preoccupied in the suburbs with corrupting an ultra-conservative talk radio star—and giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on this one—and fast because soon, Doug’s life won’t be the only one on the line…

3 stars out of 5 stars

I liked Succubus on Top but not as much as Succubus Blues. It felt a little long and drawn out. I wouldn't have minded if certain parts were cut.
I found the way Georgina and Seth tried to create intimacy so sweet and perfect for them. Seth is just the sweetest with the way he tries to make up for the lack of sex easier on Georgina. Which is why when she does something that betrays him, I was upset at her and how she just kind got away with it. Seth is much too good for her, sometimes.
All the moments with her friends and the Mortensens are my favorite. I love Georgina's relationship and interactions with everyone.
I wasn't really in love with this book so I'm not rushing to pick up the next book. However, I do love the way Richelle's writes so I will continue with the series, eventually.

Mini Review: Unstoppable by Laura Griffin

Unstoppable (Tracers #2.5)
Author: Laura Griffin
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Pocket Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

Forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn goes to a remote Texas border region to dig up ancient bones, but ends up unearthing a deadly secret. When Kelsey’s discovery jeopardizes not just her dig, but her life, she turns to US Navy SEAL Gage Brewer, who may be the only person brave enough—and lethal enough—to help.

3 stars out of 5 stars

Unstoppable was a quick novella where I met forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn. We’ve heard of her in the previous Tracers series book and so it was nice getting to know her in her own book. Unstoppable is a short novella, only 80 pages, but it filled with suspense, danger, and a hot Navy Seal. We meet Navy Seal Gage Brewer and boy oh boy is he an interesting one.

Gage and Kelsey are thrown together in a situation that puts them both in danger and it was so interesting seeing how they both leaned on each other. I'm curious to see if they continue the story line that was started in this book and if Laura Griffin will bring it into the Tracers' plot. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing these two again and really get to know them. A good and quick novella!

Mini Review: Still the One by Jill Shalvis

Still the One (Animal Magnetism #6)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Berkley
Review by: Jenn

Darcy Stone is game for anything—except sexy Navy vet and physical therapist AJ Colten, the guy who’d rejected her when she’d needed him most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately Darcy can’t refuse. She needs the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them with emotionally wounded soldiers.

AJ admits it—Darcy is irresistible. But he’s already been battle-scarred by a strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he’s not making the same mistake twice—until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship. Growing closer than they’d ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: how much between them is pretend? What’s the real thing? And where does it go from here?

3 star out of 5 stars

*I received a finish copy of this book from the publisher. However, my review is not influence in any way by it.*

Now this is the Jill Shalvis book that I know and love. After my horrendous experience with Get a Clue, I’m glad to read a Jill Shalvis book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Still the One was easy to get into and fall for the characters. Darcy and A.J. were fun to get to know and I love their sexual tension and their snarky banter. I really like what Darcy was trying to do with giving special dogs to those in needs. It made her character all the more special and unique.

Being back in Sunshine, Idaho is always an interesting ride. I really need to go back and start the series from the beginning. All the characters just seem like a fun group of people I want to hang out with.

But seriously, this is the kind of Jill Shalvis’ book you need to read. Pick this one up!

Review: The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology #2)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss / HarperTeen
Review by: Jenn

Kill the beast. Win the girl.

A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale, “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.

3 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this title from the publisher but it did not influence this review in any way.*

1- Good story. I like the plot of how a king who married for love and was going to do the same for his kids and had to go back on his word in order to save the kingdom because of beast going around killing people. I was curious to see where Wendy was going to take the story.

2- I liked the characters, to an extent. Aerity is naïve and Paxton is an ass. Paxton is mean and crude to Aerity just because he feels that everyone is kissing up to her. Aerity in turn, dislike how he speaks to her but find him attractive even after the fact. It really doesn’t compute for me, which it explains why I had such a hard time liking either of them. I also really didn’t see the attraction they both shared towards each other so I had a hard time picturing them together.

3- I am looking forward to the next book and learning how the story wraps up. Hopefully Paxton learns to be a bit nicer and Aerity grows more of a backbone and tells Paxton to shove it when he is crude to her.

Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer
Author: Emery Lord
Release Date: April 14, 2014
Publisher: Walker Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

3 stars out of 5 stars

Here's the thing, I really want to like Emery Lord's book because I feel like everybody loves her and her books. But when I read When We Collided, it wasn't love at first chapter. I decided to forget about it because it happen sometimes. So I went in with high hopes to fall in love with Open Road Summer. And I did. For certain parts.

For the first few chapters, I was hooked on the story line and on Reagan and Dee's friendship. But then I started to dislike Reagan. She's mean and bitchy and judgmental. I excused it when I first saw a glimpse of her personality and once I learned about her mother abandoning by her dealing with high school bullies. She hates other girls for dressing with low cut tops and flirting over top with boys, all the while she did the same thing. I figured it would be addressed later on and/or she would come around and realized how she was acting. But I didn't see any growth from her. Even towards the end, I didn't feel like there was any character growth. As much as I didn't like When We Collided, Emery did write Vivi in a way that she realized that she screwed and that she needed to fix things. In Open Road Summer, I didn't get that from Reagan.

Aside from my dislike of Reagan, I really enjoyed the friendship she shares with Dee. I love that Emery wrote such strong female friendship and that Dee isn't on the back burner, only to come out to give her friend perspective or be in a filler chapter. I honestly haven't seen such friendship like his since the sisterhood of the traveling pants books. Also, I really loved the music portion of the book. I thought it was really creative and unique.

With this being my second Emery Lord book, and still not falling in love with her work, I have to admit I'm a little hesitant to pick up another of her books. I think I'll give her one more try and if it doesn't work, then that'll have to be it.

Review: Come on Closer by Kendra Leigh Castle

Come On Closer
(Harvest Cove #4)
Author: Kendra Leigh Castle
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Signet
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Signet
Review by: Jenn

Nothing’s sweeter than a chance at true love…

Larkin O’Neill refuses to let anything stand in her way. Despite a troubled upbringing, she’s created the life she always wanted, surrounding herself with close friends and opening the bakery of her dreams. But the free-spirited baker is blindsided when she falls hard for the local bad boy. She knows that she should stay away, but the sizzling attraction between them is just too tempting…

Shane’s love ’em and leave ’em ways have left him a persona non grata in Harvest Cove. But when Larkin bursts into his life, the handsome lawyer can’t think of anywhere he’d rather be than by her side. She’s the first person in a long time who believes there could be more to him than meets the eye. Now he’s determined to prove to Larkin that he’s worth taking a chance on—and prove to himself that he’s the kind of man she deserves….

3 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an early finished copy of this book from the publisher, however, that did not influence my review in any way.*

I was super happy when I managed to get my hands on this book because I truly enjoyed Every Little Kiss and I wanted more from the little town of Harvest Cove. We met Larkin and Shane in the previous books and so I wanted to see what their story would be like. Larkin and Shane both have family baggage and while they seem to be complete opposite, Larkin being a free spirit who always sees the good in other, and Shane the woman womanizer of Harvest Cove, they both can't deny the attraction they feel for the other.

Their story is really touch and go. While Larkin tries to see and believe the best in people, she has a hard time in seeing any good in Shane because she's afraid of him, so they tend to make very slow progress in learning from each other. Since they took a little longer in getting together because of misunderstanding that really shouldn't have happened and because of family baggage that "separated" them, I was kind of over it and sped read towards the end. Which sucks because the beginning had such potential for a great book.

We did see some of the previous characters and it was so fun seeing them and where they are now. I haven't read book 1 and 3 but I really want to because seeing them now just pique my interest. I can't wait until the next book comes out because Fitz and Kira definitely seem like fun characters and I'm curious to see what shenanigans Kira will get herself in.

Blog Tour Stop: Review: Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by Erin Jade Lange

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah
Author: Erin Jade Lange
Release Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: NetGalley/ARC provided for blog tour
Review by: Jenn

"The Breakfast Club" gets a modern, high-stakes reboot in this story of four very different teens and a night that changes them forever.

The Rebel: Once popular, Andi is now a dreadlocked, tattooed wild child.
The Bully: York torments everyone who crosses his path, especially his younger brother.
The Geek: Tired of being bullied, Boston is obsessed with getting into an Ivy League college.
The Pariah: Choosing to be invisible has always worked for Sam . . . until tonight.

When Andi, York, Boston, and Sam find themselves hiding in the woods after a party gets busted by the cops, they hop into the nearest car they see and take off—the first decision of many in a night that will change their lives forever. By the light of day, these four would never be caught dead together, but when their getaway takes a dangerously unpredictable turn, sticking together could be the only way to survive.

With cinematic storytelling and compelling emotional depth, critically acclaimed author Erin Jade Lange takes readers on literary thrill ride.

3 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. But it did not influence this review in any way.*

I was super excited about starting Rebel Bully Geek Pariah, especially because of the comparison to John Hughes' The Breakfast Club. The book starts off nicely, with Sam, our narrator and pariah, getting fired from her job. It follows her as she meets our rebel, Andi. From there on, we are thrust into the story and meet the rest of the characters.

Once I started reading, I realized that this book nothing like the John Hughes' movie. I had to put the comparison away and read the book on it own.The only real comparison between the book and the movie is the characterization of the characters. They are group of different people with different backgrounds and upbringings and they come together in a night no one will forget.

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah had some twists that I was not expecting and made it an entertaining read. I so was not expecting the ending and I like how Ms. Lange managed to do that twist. However, I had some trouble connecting with the Sam and the rest of the characters. Maybe it was because there was a lot going on and I just wanted to see how they were going to get themselves out of mess they had gotten into. Also, I didn't believe or see the flirtation and romance that bloomed between two of the characters. It didn't make sense to me, at all.

All in all, I enjoyed Rebel Bully Geek Pariah. It not The Breakfast Club but it a quick and easy read.

About the author:

author, journalist, obsessive-compulsive list maker.
AWKWARD 3RD-PERSON OFFICIAL BIO:
Erin writes facts by day and fiction by night. As a journalist, she is inspired by current events and real-world issues and uses her writing to explore how those issues impact teenagers.
She is an only child, so she spent a lot of time entertaining herself as a kid. This required her to rely heavily on her own imagination, which is probably why she became a writer.
Erin grew up in the cornfields of northern Illinois, along the Mississippi River in one of the few places it flows east to west. She now lives in the sunshine of Arizona and will forever be torn between her love of rivers and her love of the desert.