Book Review: Wild Cards (Simone Elkeles)

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

So, for someone who loves Simone Elkeles' books, I must say that I was not so much as impressed as I am deeply disappointed. I expected Wild Cards to be truly original - and at some level, it was - but I found it a replica of Elkeles' previous book: Perfect Chemistry.

The similarity of the two books nearly drove me insane as I ended up getting my guesses nearly all right and though I hate to say that Wild Card was, quite simply, predictable. It followed the same love-hate layout that Simone Elkeles is known for executing very well. However, predictable as it was, this book did not fail in making me giggle with its cuteness.

Derek and Ashtyn had a weird relationship, and part of me was freaked out by it. See, Derek's father married Ashtyn's sister and somehow, even though it complicated things a bit, it appeared as though a link was present between the two characters, even if they did not know each other. One thing I have to say, I found it hard not remain angry at Ashtyn's father. Ashtyn, a kicker in their football team, is not supported by her dad, and usually it is them who push their sons to the limit when it comes to sports. Is it just because Ashtyn is a girl therefore her own father can be unsupportive of her love for football and lead the my-life-is-a-mess-so-leave-me-alone life?

Well what else can I say? Their first meeting immediately captured me. I loved it! It is definitely something to look out for and I am warning you now - it is funny and very very cute. Derek seems tough and bad-ass in some ways, ended up being expelled from his school because of the practical jokes he played. But I can't forget to mention how HOT Derek is. Even as I read the book, I couldn't stop thinking how easily I could fall for a book characters, so long as they were similar to Derek.

Ashtyn contrasts most female protagonists in the YA genre. Somehow I find that many girls appear as fragile, so the fact that Ashtyn was played football and seemed like a heroin, I was satisfied.

Wild Cards, was entertaining, very much so with its cuteness and its characters who were just plain adorable. It was an enjoyable and I have treasured reading it. The similarity between Wild Cards and Perfect Chemistry is quite obvious and is a total let-down, yet this book itself deserves credit for being well-written and unique.

Three Stars!

David Blog Tour: Mary Hoffman's Five Favourite Things to Eat in Florence!

A late blog tour post - my apologies, we do not have access to the internet at home, having just moved in - but here it is!

Today I'm very glad to have Mary Hoffman, the author of David, on the blog to share with you her favourite food - a must read if you're heading off to Florence for a holiday!

• Pizza and a cold beer at Nuti’s in Borgo San Lorenzo

The oldest pizza establishment in Florence, handily situated between the San Lorenzo

market and the cathedral square. I was last there on the 1st of April 2011 and had the artichoke pizza, as I usually do. Once when I was sitting outside, which is the best place, a hanging flower pot came crashing down between my table and the next, fortunately on to an empty chair!

• Coffee at Gilli’s in the Piazza della Repubblica

Oh, the pastries have to be seen to be believed! We went here in April too, for a celebratory “tea” (no tea actually consumed) I had a fruit tart and a spremuta of grapefruit and my companions had a millefoglie chocolate pastry with pistachio milk-shake and a very superior individual apple pie with a fruit smoothie.

•

Pumpkin flower risotto at Il Santo Bevitore

This restaurant is a find of my youngest daughter’s and she says I should stop telling people about it. Oops! We had our best dinner of the week there in April, with black Sicilian wine – yum!

• Ice-cream at Festival or Vivoli Gelateria – coffee, nocciola or giandiuja (or all 3)

Italian ice-cream is so delicious it would be a crime not to eat it or at at the very least rude. You can tell how honest I’m being about my favourite things to eat because I went here on our last day in Florence in April and had coffee and nocciola flavours.

• Pasta all’olio e aglio practically anywhere.

With lashings of fresh parsley and some chilli.

YUM. I know, I'm hungry too :) Thank you to Mary for sharing (and making us drool over) these lovely delicacies - one thing's for sure, when I get to Florence I'm definitely not missing these!

You can follow Mary for more updates about the blog tour and David at:

www.maryhoffman.co.uk
www.twitter.com/@MARYMHOFFMAN
www.facebook.com/maryhoffman.fanpage
www.bookmavenmary.blogspot.com

And don't forget to check out the final stop of the blog tour tomorrow!

Blog Tour: The Opposite of Amber (Gillian Philip) + Giveaway!

Ladies and gentlemen, today I'm proud to host Gillian Philip, author of The Opposite of Amber, for a wonderful post about great literary sisters!

What a lovely topic to write about on the blog - but before I get carried away, here's what Gillian has in store for you!

Lit's Greatest Sisters

I’ll come clean: I have no great knowledge/memory of the classics. I haven’t read nearly all the books I
should. I always remember my fabulous English teacher, Mrs Dutch, listing for our class the Must-Reads
of an ideal reading career; but I’ve barely scratched her bullet points.

So all I can do is tell you my favourite sisters from my favourite stories. There were books I should have
read at school, but didn’t, and that I later read as a jobless, television-less expat in the days before
Facebook. But there are many more I never did read, and I apologise upfront for leaving out anyone
else’s most beloved fictional sisters. It’s no more than a once-over skim from a huge great barrel of
deliciousness...

Athene and Aphrodite

All right, strictly they’re sisters-in-law. And do goddesses count? I hope so (though if they turn out not to
be fictional, I abase myself in advance). But I love the gods’ habit of competing for mortal adoration, and
I especially adore the serene indifference of Athene to Aphrodite’s obsessions. She despises romantic
love, and values wisdom, cunning, and courage. Shallow Aphrodite has the hots for stupid and brutal
Mars; Athene favours heroes of intelligence, however mortal. It’s like Dynasty with extra war, bitchery,
and nectar.

Cinderella’s Ugly Sisters

Their fate is so much less horrible in the Charles Perrault version than it is with the Brothers Grimm.
The Grimm tale makes the sisters irredeemably horrible, and they suffer accordingly – their mother
urges one to cut off her toes to fit the (golden) slipper, the other her heel; and when even that trick fails
them, they go along to the wedding party only to have their eyes pecked out by doves. Perrault, though,
makes them a little more pleasant, especially the younger one (she manages to have her stepsister’s
nickname changed from Cinder-slut to Cinderella). Cinderella isn’t quite so perfect in this version; she
earns her fairy godmother’s disapproval for her carelessness in losing one of the slippers (glass this time
– though “glass is not as a rule an accommodating material for slippers”, as Perrault dryly points out).
The two sisters do suffer a coach crash, a bruised shoulder and a sprained ankle, but in a far kinder fate
they beg Cinderella’s forgiveness, which she grants, and are subsequently married to two Lords of the
Court. Since the whole calamitous affair seems to have been their mother’s fault originally, I think this
is fair enough.

Bluebeard’s Wife and her Sister

Fatima and Anne aren’t exactly sympathetic characters at the beginning of Perrault’s fairytale. Both,
though repelled by the ugliness of the beard in question, are more than happy to take full advantage

their host’s lavish hospitality – Fatima to such an extent that she decides the beard isn’t so terribly blue
after all, and encouraged by her mother, agrees to marry the wealthy aristocrat (bringing to mind Mrs
Merton’s famous question to Debbie McGee about what most attracted her to millionaire Paul Daniels).
But when Bluebeard unaccountably provides Fatima with the key to the forbidden room and disappears
on a long journey, we might want to slap her for her insatiable curiosity, but we completely understand
it. When Bluebeard returns and promises to cut her throat for the great female sin of inquisitiveness,
it’s her quick wit and her sister’s devotion that save Fatima – as well as Bluebeard’s apparent inability
to edit a speech. He declaims at such length about the sins of woman, Anne is able to hurry her
stepbrothers’ approach, and they kill the serial murderer in the nick of time. It seems a little unjust that
Fatima’s greed sees her inherit such a fabulous estate, but at least she shares her good fortune with her
loyal sister.

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood

Who does sisters better than Jane Austen? Elinor and Marianne was even the original title for Sense &
Sensibility. The author was supposed to have based the two Dashwood sisters on herself and her sister
Cassandra, with Cassandra forming the template for sensible, cautious Elinor and herself as passionate,
impulsive, romantic Marianne. Claire Tomalin in her biography of Austen says she grew ever more
conflicted during the writing of the novel as to whether sense or sensibility should triumph – and what
a lovely thought; after all, what author hasn’t experienced such mixed feelings about their characters’
fates? And in the end both triumph, because despite the irony of the ending – sensible Elinor finding
romantic love and passionate Marianne discovering the joys of steadfast affection – everyone’s happy.
At least, we assume they are.

Elizabeth and Jane Bennet (and the rest)

Elizabeth is one of English lit’s best-loved characters for good reason: her “lively, playful disposition,
which delighted in any thing ridiculous.” But without the contrast of her quiet, reflective sister Jane, she
could so easily tip over into shrewishness and self-obsession. It’s Elizabeth’s devotion to Jane that is one
of her most attractive traits – with only the other three sisters, Kitty, Lydia and Mary, she might well
have ended up the most irritable and snappy woman on the planet (wouldn’t we all).

Susan and Lucy Pevensie

Poor Susan. A fondness for lipstick and stockings sees her exiled from Narnia forever (and losing all
three siblings to a train crash). I always liked Susan, not least because she’s given a hunting horn and a
bow rather than a bottle of medicine, which to me said something excellent about her character. Lucy
can be endearing, but she can also be a self-righteous little pain in the ass, especially in her attempted
ownership of (the sometimes equally annoying) Aslan. It’s true that Susan dismisses Narnia, in the end,
as a childhood game; but it’s too easy to imagine what could drive her to it, and I don’t think she really
believed that. I like to think that she returned to the ‘true’ Narnia in the end, a slightly cantankerous and
acerbic old lady who would occasionally put Queen Lucy in her place.

*

Thank you, Gillian! 

Interestingly, I did not expect Cinderella's sisters. But how wonderful for my favourites - the Bennet sisters - to be included!

For the rest of the tour stops ( and more of Gillian's fabulously awesome guest posts) check out the photo below!

Giveaway

Thanks to the wonderful people at Bloomsbury, I have a copy of The Opposite of Amber up for grabs! Read the rules first though -

There will be one winner.

Open to entrants with UK addresses only. International entrants may enter, provided they have a UK address to send the books to.

Please fill out the form completely - especially the required details.

You do not have to be a follower to enter.

Deadline for entries will be on 20th April, 12MN BST.

Winner(s) will be drawn by random.org

Winner(s) will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 48 hours to response. Otherwise, a new winner will be drawn.

Any details will be deleted after use and will not be passed on to any third party.

Book Review: Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance (Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin)

Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

This book looks so cute I had to bypass several others just so I can read it. It lives out to this cuteness until about halfway through, and then I thought - hmm, I could have survived not reading it as quickly as I did.

Told in the alternate points of views of Charlie Tracker (Jenna) and Fielding Withers (Jonah), J&J's Fauxmance introduces the readers into the world of teenage showbiz. Both their narrations feels like an insider take on one of the major influences in modern teenage culture - and what they paint is not a pretty picture. More than romance, I think this book shows how Jenna reverts back to Charlie and Jonah to Fielding. Because their lives are so intertwined with their on-screen characters, they had to find themselves first before they can find each other.

I'm surprised to have been reminded a lot about how gullible the public is when it comes to the rubbish the media decides to throw in their face. Really, it's the farthest reaction I expected! Nevertheless, the book maintains its cuteness, although I'm also surprised that at some points the narrative seems to settle a little for the older adults. I adore both Charlie and Fielding's voices - they are superbly accurate. Fielding's thoughts, emotions and reactions are of a typical male's, while I can vouch that Charlie's are characteristically female. It was wonderful to see how these two blend together in shedding Jenna and Jonah and resurface as Charlie and Fielding. All those talks about Jenna and Jonah had me wanting to read more of their tv series - I would have easily been a fan of that also!

Three Stars.

* Thank you Bloomsbury for my review copy.

Author Interview: Ivy Devlin!

Today I am very pleased to welcome Ivy Devlin, to talk about her fabulous, romantic, heart-stopping novel Low Red Moon - welcome Ivy!

1. Low Red Moon is your paranormal debut. What made you venture into paranormal YA?

Dumb luck, really--I was thinking about the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood one day (I adore fairy tales) and thought--what if? And that's how Low Red Moon got its start!

2. Can you tell us a little bit more about 'Low Red Moon' as a title?

I had originally called the book Red, but my editor wanted me to change the title. I had no ideas (NONE!) but then, when I got my revision letter, my editor had sent along a CD of songs she'd listened to when she was editing the book. And one of them was Belly's Low Red Moon--which is--well, you can see why the title ended up becoming Low Red Moon :-)

3. While writing Low Red Moon, were there any particular habits or quirks you have developed?

Not really--although I did draw a map of the town so I knew where everything was not just in my head but on paper too.

4. As I wrote in my review, Avery narrates the book with a voice with genuine grief. What was your main inspiration in channeling these emotions into your writing?

First, thank you for your amazingly kind review--it totally made my day when I read it! As for writing about Avery's grief, it was part of her story, so I felt I had to write about it. It was so true for her, so how could I not have it there, you know?

5. If you can describe Avery and Ben's relationship in one word - what would it be and why?

Explosive! These are two people who connect right away and it's scary for both of them--but they can't deny how they feel.

6. Would you rather read a book about forbidden romance, the-more-you-hate-the-more-you-love romance or a best-friend-turned-boyfriend romance?

ooooh! Forbidden, I think.

7. In retrospect, was there any part of the book you wished you have written differently?

I can't read my own writing--you know how some authors can't read reviews? I can read those, but I can't read my own book! Go figure :-)

8. Can you give us a little hint on what to expect next following Low Red Moon?

There is going to be a sequel--I've turned it in, but I haven't heard when it will be published yet. I'll let people know as soon as I find out, though!

*

Thank you Ivy! To Emma also, for making this interview possible.

If you haven't read Low Red Moon yet, folks, then you should. It's one of the best paranormal YA novels out there! Not to mention its mystery and romance being just as superb :) Check out my review HERE if you need further convincing!

I can hardly wait for the sequel - pretty certain it would be worth the wait!

Hot off the Press: Haunting Violet (Alyxandra Harvey) teaser + Trash (Andy Mulligan) Trailer!

Exciting news from Bloomsbury! Alyxandra Harvey will be coming to the UK in May to promote her  forthcoming book Haunting Violet! Keep checking the Facebook page, event details will be added soon: http://www.facebook.com/myloveliesbleeding

In the meantime here’s a little teaser about the new book from the author herself:

Dear Reader:

I love historical fantasy because I can lose myself in a world where Mr. Darcy might be just around the corner . . . or the ghost of a murdered girl out for revenge. It combines corsets and cravats with paranormal mysteries of every kind.

Haunting Violet takes place in Victorian England, during the 1870's, which was the pinnacle of the interest in mediums and séances. Talking to ghosts was all the rage in private parlours and public halls. The details of clothes and food and the popularity of séances are as accurate as I could make them to create a realistic backdrop for ghosts and spirit possession. But in the end people are people; we still just want to be happy. And 1870 or 2010, I love a girl who can kick butt . . . especially when wearing a corset.

I hope you'll enjoy meeting Violet as she struggles to come to terms with her new gift for communicating with the dead . . . and as she chooses between a traditional safe life and an Irish pickpocket with a wicked grin.

Alyxandra Harvey

Check out Alynxandra's site below for more news!
http://alyxandraharvey.com//http://www.alyxh.livejournal.com/ 

In other news, Andy Mulligan's superb book TRASH is out on paperback on the 31st March! This is a brilliant book which I recommend heartily. Check out the trailer below!



From the publishers who brought you THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS and THE
CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, comes another story that transcends reading ages and leaps literary fences. Three street boys take on the world in TRASH, a fast-paced, exciting, intensely moving story by Andy Mulligan.

Paperback is out 31st March 2011 - if you haven't read it on hardback yet, wait no longer! Trash will make you laugh, break your heart and will truly uplift your spirit. You can find my review HERE, in any case.



Book Review: Low Red Moon (Ivy Devlin)

The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. 

Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she's ever experienced. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died.

Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans. As breathless as Twilight and as spooky as Shiver, this is a book to be devoured in one sitting—by an acclaimed YA author making her paranormal debut under the pseudonym Ivy Devlin.

This book is so, so marvelous! It's mysterious, grue-some, heartbreaking and romantic at the same time. It has a very believable heroine, a sexy hero and a murder-mystery that had me on the edge of my seat!

Avery is - like I said - a very believable heroine. Although significantly ostracised from both her high school and her community, she feels like a girl-next-door who one could easily get to know. Her interactions with people are somewhat limited by her home-schooled background, but to those who she does befriend, she is both giving and understanding. She has a generous heart and I adore her for it. Sheltered by them all her life, Avery doesn't only feel lost in the death of her parents but feels like she's trapped in a sort of limbo, tormented by her lapsing memories.

Avery narrates the book with a voice with genuine grief. The melancholy but collected narration is honest and lyrical. Every word is captivating, every thought filled with emotions.
My heart ached for Avery at many points in the book, but never did the narration make me feel like putting the book down. On the contrary, I read it in record time! I have none but praise for Avery and her lyrical prose.

I also love how the narration matches the gruesomeness of some part of the book while being flexible enough to equal the majesty of its romance. Ben and Avery share a deep, instant connection. Uncontrollable and life-changing, both are each other's salvation. There is a lot of discovery surrounding Ben Dusic, but it's left wide open for the sequel (I am wishing for more) to build on. The romance is sexy and seductive, and there's more than just one. I am hungry for more from these characters!

Low Red Moon has a good transition in the plot, from murder mystery to direct supernatural. Furthermore, the backdrop of the forest, and how most things happen at night gives a very eerie feel and setting. And whenever Avery and Ben gets together, this shifts to become a romantic atmosphere. A perfect fit for the plot!

Five Stars!

* Thank you to Bloomsbury for my shiny, lovely review copy!

Book Review: Blood Feud (Alyxandra Harvey)

It’s been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she’s made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

I was hugely excited for the second installment in the Drake Chronicles and am glad to say that it pleased me a lot! I know a lot of you girls out there are excited for it too - you better be, because this is so much better than Love Lies Bleeding (US title: Hearts at Stake)!

Let me start by saying that it surpassed all my expectations. I thought it was going to be a book that was more romance than anything but boy was I wrong. It was a good mix of mystery and action (I love!) - it was really a fast-paced read which I could barely let go of.

It is not only an excellent sequel, it can also stand-alone. Alyxandra Harvey continues the plot in Love Lies Bleeding smoothly, without foregoing the development of the relationships (Nicholas-Lucy!) established in its predecessor. If anything, it actually entices any reader who has not yet read Love Lies Bleeding to read it.

Blood Feud is told in both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives. The difference in their way of thinking delivered a very insightful glimpse into a tale that was part past and part present. Logan's point of view is always fraught with humour and indignation whilst Isabeau is the more reserved, thoughtful type. Logan is hilariously funny and Isabeau, though trying not to be, is still a girl underneath all the hatred she harbours. They are a wonderful pair together, but I'm afraid I'm still a hard-core Lucy-Nicholas shipper!

The narrative is not exactly told in alternate POVs, but rather in blocks. You have several chapters of Isabeau's perspective and several of Logan's succeeding that. In between an omniscient narrator relays the past that explains Isabeau's experiences during the French for revolution and elaborates her thirst for revenge. I must say that these chapters are very well-placed, so that they support the continuity of the plot rather than distract the reader from it. They serve also as a form of characterisation of Isabeau. Well described and strongly portrayed, it allows the readers to not only understand, but also sympathise with Isabeau.

What I did not favour in the general plot would be the lack of characterisation on Logan's part. Isabeau was definitely a developed character; I was not sure Logan is. I certainly would have wanted more on his part. The second and final thing I can say about the plot is that I wanted more romance! Quite difficult to impose on a character such as Isabeau but the fan-girl in me screams more.

I have once more enjoyed immersing myself in Alyxandra Harvey's vampire world. The Drakes and Lucy are always a pleasure to be with, but with the addition of Isabeau and with the deeper, more action-packed plot, Blood Feud just made it a whole lot better!

Four Stars.


P.S. If you haven't yet read Love Lies Bleeding/Hearts at Stake, why not download it? For 24 hours only, Bloomsbury is giving away a free download of the first book in the Drake chronicles! Download it HERE.

Book Review: My Love Lies Bleeding (Alyxandra Harvey)

The Drakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.

My Love Lies Bleeding is a mouthful also known as "Hearts At Stake". I have no idea why they have different US and UK titles.

This book reminds me of Lynsay Sands' Argeneau Vampires Series, which is totally hilarious, by the way. First in the Drake Chronicles, this book revolves mostly around the plight and love lives of best friends Solange and Lucy. In one word, I'd say this book felt condensed.

Let me elaborate. At 256 pages, it attempted to introduce its readers to a vampire mythology, complete with its geneaology, politics and history. It also features an unlikely romance that made me giggle and thrilling chase. It was a quick, very fluffy read, but there was not much I could have gathered from it. I felt it was rather short, and hence not much detail was incorporated into the book. The details that managed to stay were passable, and I wanted so much more. This also applies to characterisations - they were quite a few secondary characters that could have been developed more, although they are not directly pivotal to the plot. I loved the Drakes and would have appreciate hearing more of each.

My Love Lies Bleeding is told in Lucy's and Solange's perspectives. At the beginning I found it difficult to differentiate between their voices - they seemed to be too similiar, almost blending in to be merely an extension of one another. This affected the characterisation and it was not until later that I was able to personify Lucy and Solange as two different characters. I also failed to grasp the necessity of having the plot told from two differing point of views. However, this proved useful as the plot progresses especially when they part ways. Afterwhich of course, I begin to enjoy Lucy's fierceness and Solange's kindheartedness.

I enjoyed the romance hugely. From the very beginning I knew it will not disappoint, and it sure did not, at least for Lucy and Nicholas. I found Nicholas to be a swoony, manly man vampire, with the perfect history and attraction to fierce little Lucy. His reactions and approaches to her is really really cute! However though I found Lucy and Nicholas' romance well supported and is one of my favourite kind (honestly, I giggled a lot), Kieran and Solange's I found slightly rushed and less enjoyable than the former. However, overall I really did enjoy the witty banter that moulds the romance of this book.

The tension is present in the plot, but I did not quite find it exciting. It was enough to keep me reading but not intensified enough to make me flip through the pages as quick as I could. The vampire mythology and history, including its very realistic politics are a good setting stone, but I felt it was slightly lacking.

I wanted so much more from this novel, but as it stands, it still is a wonderful, romantic read with a hint of adventure and thrill. A good weekend read.

I am quite excited for Blood Feud - the next in the chronicles.

Three Stars.