Book Review: Bad Rep (A. Meredith Walters)

"Who gives a damn about their reputation? Oh, that would be me! Especially since mine had gone straight to hell in the span of thirty minutes".

Maysie Ardin is soaking up the summer before her junior year of college, shopping, hanging by the pool and shopping some more. But when her black belt in spending lands her in trouble with her parents, she is forced to take a second job at a local bar to dig herself out of a deep financial pit.

She thought she’d be miserable. But then Maysie didn’t count on Jordan Levitt, the hot, pierced and tattooed, drum playing bartender who also happens to be very interested in her. And the feelings are totally mutual.

It had the makings of the perfect romantic set up. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy has girlfriend? Okay, maybe not.

But attraction is a hard thing to ignore and soon Jordan and Maysie find themselves in the middle of a gossip induced firestorm. Maysie has to learn whether she can set aside her fear of public disapproval in order to be with the one she wants. Or will she let the opinions of others dictate her life and her heart?

As an avid reader of Romance and Young Adult, I wasn't quite sure which genre Bad Rep was supposed to belong to. On the one hand, the setting and characters are all college-based, so it would fit well with YA; on the other, it was too adult in some parts to be acceptably YA. Turns out that in the last couple of years when I was exclusively reading romances, a new genre has cropped up: New Adult. And New Adult is apparently what this novel is really about.

I am not impressed. Maybe I'm just too conventional, but I can't seem to reconcile both genres as well as others have. Funny enough I'm probably too old to relate to YA and since I'm a voracious romance reader who have just graduated from university, I should have been the quintessential New Adult lover, but no. I found it awkward and aloof - but maybe it's just this book, but what the heck, I'm also not impressed with the book itself.

First off, characters. Maysie is shallow, spineless, and insecure and totally contradictory. It frustrated me especially during the scenes where the whole campus practically bullies her - I don't begrudge her self-pity, but just when I thought she was going to grow a backbone and actually stand up for herself, she takes one step forward and two steps back. Urgh I wanted to rip my hair off! Why? WHYY? She switches from I'm-going-to-show-these-poeple-I'm-better-than-them to Oh-my-God-my-life-is-in-tatters-kill-me-now mentality. It's like yelling at someone who kicks you when you're down and then halfway through, backing away and apologising. What the hell? She misses every and all chance to clear her reputation until the very end of the book and by then I couldn't have cared less. I cannot understand her, cannot relate to her and cannot read her. The characterisation felt somewhat lacking, so despite the book being told exclusively in her point of view, she just doesn't leap off the page to me. Moreover, her dependance on Jordan is overemphasised and this has really cemented her weakness in my eyes. It could be that because we're all complex beings, our personalities are difficult to map out and the author is perhaps trying to pen that reflect that in Maysie's  inner thoughts - but I'm not really sure I can admire anyone so convoluted as our heroine. 

Now Jordan. I know, I know, everyone says he's hot; I get that he is physically attractive and okay, okay those darn piercings keep every.single.girl.around.him (totally realistic) in lust, he just wasn't drool-worthy enough for me (the standard, btw, is Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Series). However, I must admit that Jordan is an all-around good guy (apart from the cheating part, which was terrible of him). He is kind, a true gentleman not only to Maysie but to the rest of the ladies around him. Despite their beginnings he is completely devoted to our heroine - sweet, romantic… an all-around good guy. Obviously readers view him through Maysie, which is tinted with infatuation, but his faults are portrayed clearly, establishing a balance in his characterisation. I probably liked the supporting characters best, Riley especially. I thought she came across more consistently and more rounded than our hero and heroine combined. Any chance of a Riley book, perhaps?

Infidelity is a central theme in this book and here we get to see the view point of the 'other woman'. Credits to the author for handling it really well in that the readers get to judge the act but not the person. Both our characters acted true to self and there was no brushing over of the repercussions of infidelity to all parties here. We see the regret, the remorse, the anger; the aftermath and the closure. It would have been easy to portray Olivia (Jordan's ex girlfriend) as someone who deserves to be cheated on, but A. Meredith Walters respected her characters enough that while was necessary to show why Jordan fell out of love for Olivia, she was not cast as a complete and utter villain. 

Can't say I wish I didn't read the book, but I probably won't revisit it again.

Two Stars

Book Review: Allies & Assassins (Justin Somper)

They killed his brother. Now they're coming for him. . .

As the second prince of Archenfield, Jared never expected to rule. But behind the walls of the castle is a dark and dangerous court where murder and intrigue are never far below the surface. 

Now his older brother is dead. The kingdom is his. And the target is on his back. Can he find the assassin before the assassin finds him?

This book has it all. I love love LOVE it! Justin Somper has come up with another beautifully written book packed with mystery and thrill to drive anyone crazy. Even the cover drew me in - it captivated me and continued to do so with the plot as I read through the book. Allies & Assassins had a gripping and intriguing plot that really kept me guessing all the way.

It follows the life of Jared, Prince of All Archenfield, as he tries to cope with the assassination of his brother and as he hunts down the person responsible. I liked Jared. He seemed like an innocent teenager suddenly brought into the all-adult world of politics and feud unprepared. Nonetheless, Jared has kept a strong personality as he tries to find his own self and his brother's assassin, although admittedly at times I found him to be easily manipulated. 

Asta is one of  the characters I adored. She was an incredibly strong woman and knew what she wanted; And exactly how to get it. She was an intuitive and a humble character who I looked forward to reading more about - she's always off either investigating or doing something reckless!

The dark secrets of ex-Prince Anders involving his love life played a major role in this book, something which I never actually thought would come up. I was ready for a thriller, the romance was a nice surprise! 

In Allies and Assassins, Justin Somper has created a world full of mystery, adventure, thrill, politics, family feud and romance! It has an intricate and unbelievably well-crafted plot that kept me at the edge of my seat. The mystery was especially too much for me to handle and had me pulling at my hair as my suspect list kept growing and changing all the time.

Allies & Assasins had all the components of a good book and had me in the first few pages with its twist and turns. I really don't have much to say except that this is a wonderful book. It's definitely a must read for all those mystery and adventure lovers out there!

Five Stars!

*A massive thank you to Atom Books for letting me have my hands on this fantastic book!

Teardrop Tuesday! (3)

Okay it's just four weeks left until the release of Teardrop of Lauren Kate and this week is the release of the US Teardrop trailer!

Are you guys ready?

Pretty exciting for a book trailer eh?

Book Review: The Naturals (Jennifer Lynn Barnes)

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realise is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

I've read a few books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes before and most were pretty good, so for me, it didn't come as a surprise that I quite liked this one too. When I got hold of this book, my excitement could not - no matter how hard I tried - be contained; I simply wanted to be drawn in the world of the FBI and the Naturals. And I did.

Cassandra Hobbes - Cassie - is a Natural Profiler, able to distinguish what type of person you are with just one glance, kind of like a super power. I liked Cassie. She has kept a strong personality through most of the book and proved herself worthy to the rest of the team. At times, she played heroine and it suited her brave personality well. Her only weakness was the two guys at the base, Dean and Michael and it mostly irritated me - no matter how cute they were (and believe me, they were adorable) . So no matter how strong or brave Cassie can be, her shield falls apart whenever those two are around.

What I found creepy yet interesting was the serial killer's monologue, appearing every now and then before each chapter. Disturbing as it may sound, I quite like it. It was thrilling and a body is usually discovered a few page turns later. Jennifer Lynn Barnes provided the readers a detailed description of serial killers and their psychological state. I found it truly fascinating.

However, as much as I tried, there was something that I just something in the book I couldn't connect with. Whether it was the psychological thriller mixing with YA romance that didn't seem to fit or the way that only the second part of the book that was getting all the mystery in. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever it is, it did not let me connect to the book as fully as I hoped it would.

This book had me asking questions all the way. I remained clueless as to who the serial killer was until the very end. The twist was just as awesome. So for those crime-teen novel fans out there: this book might be for you; there is enough dose of romance and mystery in The Naturals to get lost in.

Three Stars.

*Thank you to Quercus for sending us this cool review copy!

Teardrop Tuesday! (2)

It's the second Teardrop Tuesday and there's only 5 weeks to go until the publication! So what's the latest in the installment? Well, this week, we are celebrating the brand new Lauren Kate UK website!

Check it out: http://www.laurenkatebooks.co.uk/

So.... What do you guys think

Have you noticed the b-e-a-u-tiful Teardrop banner splashed across the page? It's making me all the more excited! I'm totally gonna read it soon!

Book Review: Poison Heart (S.B. Hayes)

the moment Katy sees Genevieve's beautiful face staring at her from a window, her life will never be the same. Wherever Katy turns, Genevieve is there - at school, with Katy's friends, and worst of all, in Katy's hot new boyfriend's life.

But Genevieve has a menacing side, a dangerous side, a threatening side that she only reveals to Katy: I'm your worst nightmare.

When Genevieve's behaviour becomes increasingly twisted, Katy delves into the girl's past, with the help of her best friend Luke. Nothing prepares her for the dark truths that she discovers, or the new romance she finds along the way. Is Genevieve a troubled girl with a difficult childhood? Or is the truth unearthly and much more frightening?

Who is the real Genevieve?

What are her secrets?

Why is she determined to destroy Katy's life?

I had high expectations of this book. Not only was the cover truly captivating, but it also seemed that the story line was one that I would definitely like. Poison Heart was full of mysteries with a dose of thrill. I must say that although I have enjoyed majority of the book, it did not deliver what I though was its full potential.

Poison Heart immediately drew me in from the very beginning. The curiosity inside me definitely won as I ended up wanting to know more and more about the mysterious plot. S.B Hayes did well in providing this book plenty of deceit, lies and a heavy dose of mysteries and of course, evil.

I didn't feel, however, connected to the character at all. Katy turned out to be a very sneaky character and most of the lies and deceit came from her; she wasn't at all a character I admired. The book follows her life after the sudden appearance of Genevieve. Katy ended up being a total stalker and was very intent on finding out about Genevieve - this, I found incredibly creepy and dare I say, put me off a bit. Katy made promises she couldn't really keep, so she wasn't exactly a trustworthy character- far from it actually. The term "curiosity killed the cat" would be the closest to describe Katy as her overwhelming curious - not to mention judgmental - personality.

The character to look out for? Luke. So unexpectedly adorable and funny, you will most probably love him. I found him totally cute (I'm starting to sound like a fan girl!). He's character is different from Merlin who I found was too deep with his emotions. But the love triangle itself was truly amusing and quite cute.

Poison Heart definitely made me want to read it, right from the very start. I had high expectations, it had a good plot after all, but unfortunately it wasn't that amazing. I didn't exactly like Katy, she had a clouded judgement and I didn't admire her personality. It still had a solid plot and a generous dose of romance.

Three Stars

Waiting on Wednesday (21)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

STORM & STONE (Joss Stirling)

Behind the ivy-clad walls of an exclusive boarding school, lurks a sinister web of corruption, scandal, and conspiracy.

 American student Raven Stone has noticed something is horribly wrong. First there were the unexplained disappearances. Then there were the teachers' lies. And now the death threats.

Also entangled in the disturbing turn of events is the enigmatic Kieran Storm - a fellow student with a killer intellect and a body to die for. He's heading for trouble and taking her with him. Raven can feel herself falling in love, but can she trust a boy she knows almost nothing about?

To be published 14th February 2014 by Oxford University Press

Such a lovely cover! I'm an absolute fan of Joss Stirling and her Soulfinder series! Anyone else excited?

Teardrop Tuesday!

It's Teardrop Tuesday! Who's excited for Lauren Kate's brand new series? From now on until October 24 2013, we will be posting new exciting content - yep, you guessed it - every Tuesday!

First up is a sneak peek at the prologue & chapter one for all those people not lucky enough to have got their hands on a limited edition proof of Teardrop: http://www.scribd.com/doc/164830988/Teardrop-by-Lauren-Kate-Sneak-Preview

What do you think? Are you as excited as we are? We have a brand-spanking new ARC we cannot wait to get our greedy hands on - *drool*

Book Review: Shooting Stars (Allison Rushby)

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Shooting stars gave me an insight as to what the photography industry is like. It was a cute and interesting read with an unexpected twist - not one that I expected at all. At first, I saw not so keen in reading it, but curiosity got the better of me and thank god it did!

Jo, the main character is a paparazza with an advantage and the book goes on about the mission she is sent to do. I found 'Zo Jo' - as she is known in the business - a talkative character that goes on and on about a particular subject. And while it was perfectly fine in the beginning, soon, it became almost unbearable, but mind you, it did turn down a bit and it was her constant need to blabber on and on that made it possible for me to relate to her (I myself am quite chatty in person). Jo seems to be an independent character certainly capable of taking care of herself - with all the years of being a paparazza, that is. However, she seems so unsure about herself and what she wants to do that it made her seem weak as well as how she seemed so motivated by money and how she 'needs' it to pay for her photography class. One of the characters I really looked forward to come across in the book was Seth. Rude and nosy, I particularly liked him without knowing why, but I do have a feeling that it may be his funny character.

The plot twist is one I definitely loved! Sure, hints we dropped throughout the book and I may have thought it possible but it was still quite good. But there were some parts in the book where I found it was quite weak.

Shooting Stars might not have drawn me in at the beginning, but it certainly made up for it in the end. It wasn't at all 'fluffy' but instead was funny with a hint of cuteness. It is definitely an eye opener for the world of paparazzi and the stars. (If that is how it is?)

Three Stars

Book Review: Siren (Tricia Raybun)

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge.  That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day. 

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident.  After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.  

Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid.  All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.  

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

When I first read the blurb of the Siren, I didn't expect to like it at all. Don't get me wrong, I find the subject of Sirens in Greek Mythology incredibly fascinating. So I though I should give it a go. Nothing wrong in trying right? It ended up not too bad at all. And although I can't exactly say I love it - because there are some moments that I would rather rip the book in half - it wasn't at all a bad read.

The beginning of the book actually drew me in and her fear of multiple things really helped me notice the change in Vanessa, the protagonist, throughout the book, which I found necessary in order to find her sister and Tricia Rayburn did exceptionally well in finding a moment that determined that change by placing Simon in the mix. I love love love the contrast of personality between the two sisters which was incredibly vital to help establish why what happened to Justine happened. The close bonding Vanessa and Justine really played a massive part in why Vanessa decided to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her sister and not jut leave it all behind and move on - a very heroic action, I think.

I actually ended up liking the twists - or lack thereof - in the story and even though hints were dropped throughout the book, it's still a slam to your face to actually confirm your suspicions so while reading I muttered a few "oh that's why...". There are a few mysterious characters that raise the questions about who they are and what role they will play - but that is always soon resolved. So it's an obvious - but good plot. I mean, it's still pretty weak, anyone is capable of knowing who the "villain" is, if they paid close attention.

What I felt most annoyed about was actually at the beginning of the book. The family argument. It's not exactly the worst thing that could ever happen to Justine, so I still cannot get over the fact that she went cliff diving. And even after then, when I thought that nothing stupid should come afterwards, does Vanessa find out about Justine's little secrets and spend most of her time whining and complaining about why Justine never told her. While the regrets and misery played on one half of Vanessa's mind, the other was focused on her and Simon which truly exhausted my patience waiting for something to happen. I expected a lot of butterflies in the stomach with Siren, but it didn't deliver. I hated the fact that they knew they were attracted to each other but did not exactly talk a lot about their feelings, of course with the solving the mysteries and all, there wasn't really much time for that.

To be honest, I found the cover extremely unappealing  I know that most became interested in the book because the cover caught their eye, but it caught my eye for a completely different reason. And Not the good kind. What I expected from the book was totally different from what I got, instead of romance (lots of it) and mystery - there was a fair bit amount of it, the book presented a load of worries, regret and family drama. ugh. Fortunately, it still gave a good amount of suspicion.

Two Stars

Book Review: Everneath (Brodi Ashton)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smouldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

What can I say? The cover? Captivating. The blurb? Awesome. Everneath had me in the first few pages and I could never let go. It was that good. The plot was unique and exciting from the beginning so I found myself always wanting to know more even until the end and with Ashton bringing the story of Hades and Persephone together with Orpheus and Eurydice to produce Everneath, it just became too much for me to contain my excitement throughout the whole book.

Everneath follows the character Nikki in her hopes of finding redemption among her family and friends after being taken to the Feed to - of course - feed the everlivings. Unlike most YA books, Everneath not only explores the relationship between Jack and Nikki but with her best friend, brother and father as well, which is why I like it so much.

How Ashton sometimes inserted a memory from the past within a chapter made me realize how empty Nikki was when she left the Feed, that even some of her memories were lost so I always end up looking forward to the walk down memory lane, this brings more of the Jack and Nikki love story and we see glimpses of their past together. Not only that, 'Nik' or 'Beks' - as she is sometimes called- is able to taste the emotions of others and this emphasizes the emptiness within her. So Nikki became one of my favourite characters, not just because I felt sorry for all her troubles, but because of her selflessness and it's because of her selflessness that made such a strong character in the book.

With Cole's offer of ruling the Everneath or end up in the tunnels, I personally would rather feed of people's emotions than suffer in the tunnels as a battery. But as Nikki is the protagonist, she has to be selfless and her time during the Feed led her to believe that there is no hero for her. Which is where Jack - lovely lovely Jack- comes in. My super most favourite character on top of all. Why? Jack never gave up on her at all, ever. Jack was a super sweet character most will definitely fall in love with.Well, I did anyway. So I found it hard to believe that she felt that heroes did not exist and ended up shouting 'Jack's your hero, you fool!' most of the time.

The character I wasn't particularly fond of was Jules. For Nikki's best friend to lose hope in finding her and is then disappointed when she return because of her unrequited love for Jack is just... ugh. I liked her for trying to make things normal again when Nikki returned but at the beginning, Jules wasn't the best friend character I liked at all, but made it up towards the end. Jules' love for her best friend's boyfriend is just one I find too cliche.

I love the love triangle! Add this to the story's twist and you will find yourself wanting and craving more. Cole or Jack? Hmmmm I find it to decide, so we'll leave that to Nikki. While reading Everneath, I found my self captivated by its unique, fast-paced plot and twists with hints dropped from the very beginning. It's a must read and I cannot wait for the next book!

Four Stars!

Surprise!

It's been a long long time - nearly two years actually - since our last blog post. We have been kept terribly busy these past few months by school, work etc. so we haven't been able to post at all since last year. 

Sorry :/

Time was not our friend I'm afraid, but it was when we were looking at the mess created by our ever-growing unread pile that we realised just how much we've missed book blogging! So now that we finally have more time in our hands, we can finally get back to what we love best: reviewing!

Soooo....

We've decided to give Girls Without a Bookshelf another try, seeing how successful it was when it first started off and we hope it'll remain the same. Don't worry, we'll be posting as much as we can this time - not to mention competitions and giveaways!

We're also going to be reviewing a lot more than YA books so romance lovers watch out! There will be a lot of romance reviews are coming your way!

So watch out for our first review out very soon and the promised giveaways too!