Review: Finding London by Ellie Wade

2 STARS FOR DISCUSSING ADDICTIONS & THE ADOPTION SYSTEM!

London Wright thought she’d been in love before, but she hadn’t—not even close.

Then she met him. Rugged and gorgeous, Loïc Berkeley, a special forces soldier is everything she’s ever wanted. Getting him to notice her was a challenge, but keeping his love is proving to be more difficult.

London’s used to getting what she wants so loving someone like Loïc is a humbling and somewhat terrifying experience. For everything she has in her life, he’s the one thing she can’t bear to lose.

Loïc Berkeley never wanted love. He views it as an unneeded distraction that causes nothing but pain. Love, for Loïc, always ends in disappointment.

Then he met her.

Spoiled, witty, and breathtakingly beautiful London Wright is his undoing. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew his life would never be the same. Though he tries to fight it, he finds himself falling for her.

Having lived a life full of sorrow, finding London brought Loïc rare happiness. Though his feelings for her are strong, is what they have powerful enough to break the cycle of his past?

*Generously received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

*This review contains spoilers. Please read at your own discretion*

Starting this review, I would like to apologize for the lapse in time in posting reviews. I was on vacation for a couple days and I actually finished this book on the plane to Vegas, but I was unable to write the review until I got back and had some time to sit in front a computer. So apologies and I hope that this review is informative and non-crappy.

Finding London - I wish I could write a raving review about this book and how amazing it is, but I can't. I really can't. I had to struggle to come up with some things that I did enjoy about the book.

First, London as a character is one of the most annoying people. If I met her in real life, I would probably hate her and hope to never have to be in her presence. Wade states in the synopsis that London is spoiled. London in the book comes to learn that she is really spoiled. London's parents and friends tell London that she is spoiled. Loïc tells her that she is spoiled and that it is one of her flaws. So to make it clear, yes, London is spoiled. I think that as a reader, we get the point, but that is not a trait that is endearing. It is so annoying to hear on and on about how spoiled someone is. I am not sympathetic to London at all. I do not find anything about her likable. She has never had to work a day in her life, her parents paid for all of her college education, cost of living, and are still paying for everything for her following her graduating from college. Wade writes a scene where London's parents tell her that she doesn't need a job and that if she needs more money then they will give her whatever she wants. This is following London telling her parents that she is wanting to look for a job. By the way, the only reason London feels inclined to start looking for a job is because she graduated, she is bored, and Loïc makes a point about her being spoiled, so she is pretty much wanting to get a job for a guy.

London is a terrible character. She has many traits that are terrible for women to aspire to be. Spoiled, lazy, solely seeking attention from a guy because he rejects you, lacks confidence, has no real ambitions in life, stupid, described as one of the most beautiful girls, hates any form of exercise, yet is in peak physical shape ("skinny"), doesn't even really have much of a personality. Okay, that last one isn't really something that someone can aspire to have or be. It is just more of a personal issue, but still! This is the main heroine that Wade wrote and the reader is supposed to enjoy and relate too. No one can read a point of view of an individual like this and enjoy it! I wanted to rip my hair out and I really love my red hair! I still don't understand how Loïc was interested in her let alone in love with her. I just can't even. London reminds me of one of those girls that you would find on TV. Like a girl from The Bachelor, Laguna Beach, or some other E! TV series. Yes, they might be entertaining to watch on TV and they will probably have some moments that will make you think that they are "down to earth", but in reality they aren't. London is just not down to earth.

I will give Wade a nod of acknowledgement in the department of Loïc. He honestly had a great story line, unlike London, who pretty much had no story line besides having the goal of getting Loïc. What a great goal to give a young woman! Loïc was really interesting. I enjoyed learning more about his past and how it developed to create the character that he becomes. Loïc actually had struggles. He lost a lot of people that were close to him and it really shattered his young mind and psyche. This leads into the discussion of addictions and the adoption system. I don't think the topic of the adoption system is discussed enough.

Yet, one thing in the realm of Loïc that I could not understand and get over was Sarah. I felt it was completely unnecessary to bring Sarah back at the end of the work. I guess Wade just wanted to create more drama and tension for London. To me as a reader, Sarah was just weird. I get that Loïc is pretty much her one and only family, but it has been 8 years. It seems like she has moved on, has a job, a life. Why would she just decide to pick up and move across the country because she reconnected with Loïc. Have him create a FB account, get his phone number! But does she really have to decide to move right down the street from him?! It is weird and their relationship is weird. I can sympathize with London in that aspect. Especially if she knew that Sarah pretty much begged to sleep with Loïc when she was doing drugs. Idk, Sarah as a whole is weird. I can understand the past that they had together and that she got help and is moving forward, but I think bringing the character back and having her move close to Loïc is just a method to create more drama for London, nothing else. Just my food for thought. 

I hope this review was non-crappy and maybe slightly entertaining to read. I wish I could write and say more positive things about Ellie Wade's Finding London, but I can't. There will be a sequel to the book, but I will not be reading it, so this is my adieu to the series. 

I will say that I do share the enjoyment with gummy candy. I do love me some gummy worms, but I do not think that a connection with candy is enough for me to overlook all of these flaws and traits of annoyance. Can't do it. Sorry, Wade. 

Review: Ophelia Adrift by Helen Goltz

3 STARS FOR OPHELIA, AUSTRALIA, & THE OCEAN!


The first love might be her last. 

In her wildest dreams, Ophelia Montague never imagined she would leave the city, her friends, her school and move to a seaside village. But when her parents die in an accident, that’s just where she finds herself – ensconced in a rambling house on the beach, with her uncle Sebastian, his boarder – nineteen-year-old Adam Ferrier, and two Great Dane dogs named after shipwrecks. By the ocean's edge she meets Jack Denham who seems to command the sea and the moon—and if he has his way—Ophelia, too.

*Generously received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

*This work will have a sequel: Ophelia Aground*

*This review does contain spoilers. Please read at your own discretion*

(Disclaimer: I, as a reader, have to remind myself that Ophelia is about 16/17 in this work, so thoughts in terms of formations of friendships and relationships are different then that of an adult. I will try my best to keep her age in mind during my review.) 

This book contained many things that were a turn off for me, but it still held enough qualities that I liked for me to not completely hate it and finish the book. 

One of the big quirks with books and I've stated it before and I will state it again, is rushed romance! Everyone loves a slow to burn romance. The heat leading up. The foreplay! The reader wants to get to know the couple and wants the couple to get to know each other. We, as the reader, need to connect to the couple, just like the couple needs to connect with each other. It is a loss to the reader and the book when the opportunity and time isn't given  to have a fair chance at a good romance. 

Because of the lack of buildup to the relationship and the time for Ophelia and Jack to get to know each other - the romance read unbelievable, at times creepy, and weird. 

After the death of her parents, Ophelia Montague, is forced to abandon her previous life and move to a small town along the sea with her uncle, Sebastian. Here she becomes acquainted with a new school, new friends, and a mysterious history of shipwrecks. She is quickly welcomed at the school, by her new "brother" Adam, and it seems almost everyone and everything. It seems like everyone immediately liked her without really knowing anything about her and every guy around her was interested in her.

The house shared by Ophelia, Sebastian, and the tenant/"brother", Adam, played an unnecessary role in the work, in my opinion . With the location and history of the house, there was potential for this setting, but it lacked any sort of buildup beyond what was told and not shown. The house is beach front, so it really is an ideal setting, but the scenarios were too forced. The house would make noises and everyone would just respond or talk to the house. It seemed like the characters had to communicate with the house for the reader to be reminded that the house is supposed to be "alive." 

There's multiple perspectives between Ophelia, Jack, Harry, Adam, and Holly. Each point of view also features Chayse, Peggy, and Uncle Seb would pop-up every now and then to reinforce that Ophelia was supposed to have a guardian. The multiple perspectives between Ophelia's friends did not really provide too much to the stories. They were more like point of views to remind the reader that everyone likes Ophelia and worries about her. Well - I guess that it does demonstrate to the reader that Ophelia's behavior is strange even to her peers, but remember - she is pretty and going through some tough times!

One perspective we receive is Jack, a "boy" with an extremely possessive attraction to Ophelia. Goltz immediately has Jack tell the readers that he has been following her even before she got off the train. There was no absolute understanding of his nature and his psychotic thoughts toward Ophelia. Jack clearly describes how he is preparing his quarters for Ophelia.The reasoning behind his actions felt far too simplistic and one-dimensional. Jack wanted Ophelia, so he was going to have her. He didn't even like her talking to Adam, when she doesn't really have a choice. She lives with the guy. Jack did have some moments that were interesting. He was really good at manipulating Ophelia to keep her coming back even when she wanted nothing to do with him. 

Initially Ophelia is unaware of Jack, until she starts noticing him lurking outside her house. And what does she do? She decides to venture into the middle of night to meet him. I'm sure that's what any sane person would do, right? From then on, he consumes her life. He is all she can think about. She loves him, which we don't really know why. Never mind the fact that she hardly knows him, and he's disturbingly jealous. I was kind of hoping at the end that she would go down to see his ship. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but when half of the book is about this ship in the ocean and Jack has been preparing the ship for her, well, let's see it! But the reader never does. :/

Instead, we are left with an empty feeling of "what-ifs", probably similar to how Ophelia is feeling. Alas, like I said there will be a sequel about investigating the history of Jack with more interaction with Jack. I will say that I am kind of glad that there is not a HEA. We do get tons of insta-love, but without the HEA. I think that this could be read as a stand-alone and the sequel can be read for those that really loved the story and want more of the characters, but if you feel so-so about it, then you can just read the first book and go on with your day. 

Review: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

4 STARS FOR MAGIC, ALADDIN, & LOVE!!!

She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... 

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

It has finally been completed! I hated having to put this book on hold to read other books for reviews, but c'est la vie! It's all part of the gig. ON WITH THE REVIEW!

"I am not allowed to hope. I am forbidden a wish of my own. And so I will not think of the world above, of the open sky, of the fresh air and the light of day.

I will be lost, a myth, a dream. Trapped forever with myself in this prison of sand and magic. I cannot imagine a more terrifying doom. I thought I had resigned myself to this fate long ago, when it seemed no one would ever find me. Now I know this to be untrue, and that hope has pulsed deep within me like a dormant seed, waiting to flourish at the first sign of escape."

Khoury's The Forbidden Wish is a beautifully written work. I mean, come on! Just read the quote above! The book is a perfect blend of the well known story of Aladdin with a completely original love story. When I first started reading the book, I recognized the story of Aladdin that we all know. 

The reader hears the jinni in the lamp calling out to Aladdin to come find the lamp and keeping to the original text, Aladdin finds the lamp, takes it, and has to escape the tomb. But after this, Khoury twists the story and makes it her own. Instead of the Robin Williams' comedic jinni that I was familiar with growing up, the reader is introduced to Zarah. Oh, Zarah. Zarah is such a fantastic heroine for the story. She is completely conflicted with her past, what she wants, and what she can realistically have as a jinni. I love that she is a strong female jinni that uses the wishes of men against them. "I've destroyed smarter  men than you with their own words." She is by far one of the most interesting characters that I have read this year.

Through the character of Zarah, Khoury created a whole universe with a past, present, and possible future. The past holds the beginning of the world with jinnis and magic, Zarah's history before a being a jinni, and Zarah's past as Queen Roshana's jinni and best friend.

Most of the story is told at the present with Aladdin as her new master who wants to seek revenge on Sulifer who murdered his parents. It takes place in the same land that Zarah had once lived in with Roshana,Parthenia, but time has passed and now people hate and fear jinnis following the war and devastation that was brought down on them. This provides the foundation for most of the conflict that will occur.

The future is something that is kept open in the book. Zarah, as a jinni, wants a future free from her lamp, but does not allow herself to dream and hope for it. Aladdin wants a future free from his past and with a possibility of his home being free from Sulifer.

Now, on to Aladdin! I loved the Aladdin that Khoury created. He is realistic, flawed, brave, and someone that the reader can easily fall in love with. He still had traces of the Aladdin from the Disney movie. Ladies man, thief, clever, smart and an outsider, but Khoury created more depth to Aladdin. We get more of a story of his past,  inner conflict between doing what is right and what he wants to do, and struggling to move forward from his past. Plus, falling in love! Khoury does not keep Abu in her story, but it is understandable why. It wouldn't have really added too much to the story and it isn't really essential. Also, the magic carpet was mentioned in the beginning, but was not continued throughout. This demonstrates the lack of magic available to Aladdin in this retelling. He solely relied on Zarah and his wishes for magic.

All of the secondary major characters are interesting as well. Caspida, Caspida's handmaidens, Sulifer, and Sulifer's son (his name is drawing a blank on me at the moment.) I don't even know if I would really categorize Caspida as a secondary characters. Her character is written very compellingly. She is a very bad ass character in herself and could easily have her own story. Khoury could have written the story between Aladdin's and Caspida's  point of view and it would still be interesting to read. She really holds her own, is noble, strong, and courageous. She is truly a modern woman in a not very modern time. A woman in authority is looked down upon and is considered ludicrous, but she does not let that stand against her. Instead she is inspired from women from the past and surrounds herself with strong women as her handmaidens. Again, I repeat myself. Caspida really probably deserves her own story. Sequel possibly?!? *wink wink nudge nudge* I'm talking to you Khoury!

So overall, I give this book 4 stars! It really has several great elements without anything lacking. Strong writing, great character development, the characters have depth, the universe that was created is beautiful, and the pace of the story was great! 

Review: The Rule Book by Jennifer Blackwood

3 STARS FOR TATTOOS, BRUCE, AND BREAKING RULES!

Starr Media Second-Assistant Survival Guide
1. Don't call your hot boss the antichrist to his face.
2. Don't stare at hot boss's, um, package or his full sleeve of tattoos. (No. Really. Stop!)
3. Don't get on the malicious first assistant's bad side.
4. Don't forget to memorize the 300-page employee manual.
5. If you value your cashmere, steer clear of boss’s dog.
6. Boss’s dimples are lust-inducing. Do. Not. Give. In.
7. “The elevator ate your clothes” is not a valid excuse for showing up to important meetings half dressed. 
8. Don't break seven of the rules within the first week of employment if you, ya know, are in dire need of money to support your sick mom.
9. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the boss. See rule eight about sick mom.
10. Never forget the rules. 

*Generously received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

* Does contain spoilers, read at your own discretion *

The Rule Book by Jennifer Blackwood is a fun, light hearted read. I definitely felt like I was turning the page pretty fast.  Blackwood had moments that stood out more than others in the work. These moments usually brought humor or depth to the work. Such as:

Betsy, the elevator, pretty much attacking all of the employees and eating Lainey's Chanel sweater. I found this scene actually hilarious and cringe worthy. I read this while screaming in my head to push the elevator button. Surely, the door will open and let the sweater go. Well, Lainey finally did push the botton, but good Ol' Betsy did not let it go. Nope! She decided to shred the innocent sweater. 

This shredding of the sweater also led to the hilarious burial of said sweater. This was really funny and reminded me of a scene that might have come straight out of a Rainbow Rowell book. I could definitely see something like this happening in Fangirl. 

I think the scenes with Lainey and her mother where they tackled the subject of cancer were really deep. I enjoyed the struggle for Lainey to be strong and to try to help her mom as much as she can, financially or emotionally. In the same , I enjoyed that Lainey's mother told Lainey that she doesn't need all of the pampering. These scenes created a lot of emotional development for both characters. Which were very much needed.

Lastly, I enjoyed the scenes with Zoey, Lainey, and her mother watching/discussing The Bachelor and Netflix. Any work that brings pop culture into the plot gets an extra little thumbs up in my book. These little scenes, which might not seem much to others, actually provides a little bit more information to the reader about the protagonist. Knowing that Lainey, her mother, and Zoey enjoy The Bachelor, provide an insight into how Lainey thinks and understands romance. She probably understands that love is not like The Bachelor, but she is probably a big romantic at heart and wants to be swept off her feet. Also, I can see a little bit of a correlation between the romance between Brogan and Lainey and how romances are formed on The Bachelor. 

So, let me explain this idea in a hopefully short amount of time. I don't want to dwell on it for too long, but just enough to give a little bit of an explanation. The Bachelor is a show about a good, common guy that is looking for love, but he has to follow the rules of the show. Brogan in this scenario is "The Bachelor".  He is at a basic, ground level a good, common guy. He has created a company for himself that is successful, but Blackwood wrote him in such a way that his wealth seems to not affect who he is as a person. Brogan has created "The Rule Book" for himself to keep him emotionally safe and help him navigate through the workplace. Unlike, The Bachelor, Brogan is not choosing between multiple girls and Lainey, but he still seems to keep himself guarded with Lainey, just like a contestant on The Bachelor might. He is not fully opening himself up to the experience of love for fear of getting hurt. Lainey though is fully open to love ("Love is an open door!" :) ) and wants Brogan to be the same. This creates struggle and conflict between the two. You have The Bachelor, Brogan, who wants love, but is afraid of breaking the rules of the show that have protected him emotionally, yet he can see the possibility of something forming with the contestant, Lainey, that is all in and allowing herself to be emotionally open and invested. Of course, through all of these situations and conflicts, The Bachelor messes up and hurts the contestant, apologizes, and tries to make things right. This leads to The Bachelor picking "the one" and living HEA in a very short amount of time. Similar to how Brogan and Lainey get into a relationship and fall in love in a very short amount of time, say like 2-3 months. They become engaged after being together for 8 months. 

So, that is my little idea and correlation between The Bachelor and The Rule Book. I am, in no way, stating that this a legitimate argument or that Blackwood was intentionally wanting to write a romance that was similar to The Bachelor. It was just an idea that formed because of the pop culture reference and how it played a role in the story. 

Things that just didn't cut it for me:

* What happened to Zoey as a character?
I know that this is a series, so my guess is that she will be the main focus in the next book, but I felt like after Lainey moved out of the apartment, Zoey did not make an appearance for the rest of the work.

* The scene where Brogan's father blackmailed Lainey
This just seemed thrown into the book to create more conflict and drama. Because otherwise the book would have been very short and had little to almost no drama. It did not do much for me and just made Brogan look stupid. Also, it pretty much made Zelda into a completely different character. I honestly would have probably enjoyed it more if they had Jackson be the bad employee in that situation.

* The rushed relationship and HEA
As I have previously mentioned, Brogan and Lainey had a very accelerated relationship. Within 2-3 months of working at Starr Media, Lainey and Brogan were in a relationship without actually dating. They did have about a handful of one-on-one interactions that took place in elevators, the break room, the work place office, and 2 instances in his apartment which was still for work. So based on these work encounters, Lainey and Brogan decided to get into a relationship, which quickly ended because Lainey asked Brogan a question about himself . (Shocking because they seemed to really take the time to get to know each other! *sarcasm*) But then Brogan decided that he wanted to get back together while he was having a bro's night and ran into Lainey, but then he ends it again because Lainey was framed for a second time. BUT then he wants to get back together again because he learns that she was framed. I am really surprised by the amount of times that Lainey and Brogan are on again, off again in this short, fast paced book! Seriously, this just makes me consider my idea about The Bachelor again or possibly another TV drama.

Like I have stated, this relationship is very rushed and did not provide much time for emotional development between them or really any explicit scenes, which would have been nice. I would have rated the book higher if I felt like I was getting a really strong plot, character development between Brogan and Lainey that provided a foundation for their relationship on an emotional level, and an ending that did not seem rushed.

Review: Princess of Tyrone by Katie Hamstead

4 Stars for Steampunk, Fairy Tales, and Female Ass-Kicking!

Apolline is happy hunting magical creatures on her pirate infested outer-perimeter planet. She is a fantastic shot, and doesn’t flinch at the blood and guts of her kills. Never once did she consider she could be the missing Princess of Tyrone. 

All her life, she has heard the story of the Princess, cursed to sleep for eternity, unless her betrothed, the Prince of Oran, gave her true love’s kiss. Although Apolline knows she is betrothed, she thinks her fairy guardians arranged it out of ignorance of human ways. The thought she could be a princess is inconceivable.

Then Allard appears. Handsome, charming—but he’s not hers to have. He’s betrothed, too. Her guardians warn her against her new found friendship, but she and Allard meet in secret anyway. Despite her rough exterior, he sees beyond her gun-slinging bravado, and their love blossoms.

But the deadline for the sleeping curse is approaching. If Apolline falls in love with the wrong person, she could end up sleeping forever. 

A quirky, adventurous retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with a less than princess-ly princess!

*Generously received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

(Reviewer's Note: I am still currently reading The Forbidden Wish and I am hoping to finishing it soon, so I can post the review for everyone)

Who I would recommend this for:
I would recommend this to readers that enjoyed The Lunar Chronicles series by Marrisa Meyer,The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare, and Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls series) by Maggie Stiefvater. 

As soon as I saw the cover of this book and read the description, I was hooked. I love re-tellings of fairy tales and steampunk stories, such as, Firefly and The Infernal Devices. And Princess of Tryone did not disappoint. 

Hamstead's creation of a space universe with different plants and creatures is incredible. I absolutely loved the way that she stayed true to the Grimm's fairy tales, yet she made them her own. As a writer, Hamstead made each fairy tale identifiable, but with a twist. The focus was on the children of the well known characters, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Snow White, the Evil Queen, but Hamstead did not rely on the original name of the characters. She made them her own by naming them Cytheria, Byranna, and Apolline as Sleeping Beauty. This allowed for the characters to become someone and something else in a whole new story. 

The main protagonist is Appoline, or Sleeping Beauty. She is a spunky, sassy, ass-kicking female that is completely independent and stays true to herself. I applaud Hamstead for keeping these traits in Appoline through the whole story. For many stories, the writer will create a heroine that is strong and independent, but as soon as they meet "the one" they completely lose all of the traits that made them strong and appealing. This was not the case for Appoline. Appoline stayed Appoline even after she met her parents and learned that her true identity is Elpida. This is such a strong message to send to women. Stay true to yourself and who you are. 

Appoline feared that once she became a queen and would be in the public eye, that she would have to become a totally different person, but I loved that she was told that all of the basic traits of being a queen could be taught. It is who she is an individual that will make the people love her. 

Appoline's love interest is Allard. Allard was a particularly fun character to read. I think that I actually enjoyed reading his parts of the story more than Appoline's. Allard is extremely loyal, respectful, and thoughtful. He is mature for his age. Instead of thinking about himself, he thinks about Cytheria and Hernan, his planet, his father, and Elpida. He does have instances where he wants to be selfish, but in the end, he realizes that he needs to think about what is best for the future.

Allard's love and interest in Appoline is pure. He loves her for who she is as a person and does not judge her for her social position. He does not believe that he is better than her, instead he actually believes that she is better than him. He is amazed by her knowledge of magic, the working class, and her ability to hunt. I find this to be really admirable.

I really appreciate that Hamstead wrote Appoline and Allard's love story as a friendship that grows into more. They did not automatically jump into a whirlwind romance. They kept each other at arms link, because they want to be respectful to their betrothed. They both understand the promises that they have and the responsibilities that come with it. This work shows a mature depiction of a friendship and romantic relationship. I stand-up and applaud Hamstead. Thank you, Hamstead! Thank you for writing a strong heroine, thank you for writing a great love story where people become friends and love each other for who they are, and thank you for creating such a great steampunk/fairy tale world!

I could keep writing about all of the different facets of this work that I love. I haven't even touched on the fairies, Bryanna (which is a great villian! She is just as interesting as the heroes!), the Whites, and the technology in the work. If you have not read this book, you need to! I am so happy that there will be a sequel and can't to see which direction Hamstead goes with it. Either way, I know that I will be in for a treat. Thank you, again, NetGalley for the copy! :)

Review: Thin Lies by Bethany-Kris

4 STARS FOR SEXY ITALIAN MAFIA MEN!

I think we all need a Calisto Donati in our life <3

WARNING: The first two books in the Donati Bloodlines Trilogy end on a cliffhanger, and are not considered safe romance.

Synopsis: Calisto Donati

She was just a woman. That’s what Calisto wanted to tell himself; that’s what he wanted to believe. Emma was nothing more than a woman. There were other women for him to want. To obsess over.
It couldn’t be Emma Sorrento.
Not for Calisto.
She was taken.
She was claimed.
She was not his.
In a few days, Calisto would hand her off, and that would be that. He wondered why it wouldn’t be that easy to let her go. 
What good had saving her done?
He had simply taken her from one monster to give her to another.

Emma Sorrento

Emma slid on her mask. All someone would need to do was look close enough to see what was really beneath the sheer falseness of her smile.
At the other end of the table, Emma found her lies staring her right in the face.
He smirked.
And winked.
Calisto Donati was her worst mistake, her greatest shame, and the one thing she still wanted more than anything. Emma could still feel him all over her, long after his touch and kiss was gone. In thirty days, her entire world had changed—he had changed her.
Emma had a feeling that if she played another game with Calisto, she would surely lose.
She had already lost once.
Wasn’t it enough?

Wow! I don’t even know where to begin after finishing the first book in this series. I knew the ending of the book was coming up, but I was not expecting the cliff hanger that it gave. I feel like I was thrown for a loop and have nothing to help me recover since the next book is not out. I am dying for more Calisto and Emma. I absolutely love them as a couple. There is something young and innocent about their feelings for each other, but the book and story is anything but innocent. This is what makes them come across as the reader as so pure. You want them to have something pure and good for each other. Both of them need it so much. They need each other like oxygen. It really pulls on your heartstrings.

This book is so many great things in one. The characters are great. They are thought out and well developed. I had to remind myself a couple times that Emma is 20 years-old and her reactions to situations reflect that. Her decision making is that of a young adult. She is treated by her peers as a baby and nothing else besides spoiled, yet they expect her to act above her age and have the emotional maturity of one that is older. I really praise Kris for the way that Emma is developed as a character and understand the emotional state and turmoil that a woman at that age would be experience. Emma is completely written authentically.

Calisto is written at the same level. I enjoyed that it took a little bit of time into the story for the understanding of his character to come through. I enjoyed that journey and I think that it is needed for the story. As a reader, I need that time with the character to understand all of the different levels of his character and decision making. Calisto is a complex character, more complex then I believe Emma to be, and thus time is needed to explain him. I am very curious and excited to see where Kris takes him. She provided clues with possibilities about how things might playout for him. Yet, if this first book is any indicator as to how things happen in a Kris book, then I really have no idea. But I am definitely looking forward to more time spent with his sexy Italian ass. ;)

As I was reading the story, I kept waiting for that moment. For them to finally be together. “Together” <wink, wink, nudge, nudge>. Yet, when it did, you had the same sinking feeling as Calisto and Emma. What will happen now that the boundaries were crossed. I DON’T KNOW!!! THEY DON’T KNOW!!! AAHHH….BETHANY-KRIS!! This is not fair! We, as your readers, need to know what happens. Do they keep seeing each other secretly? Do they completely ignore each other and then start to hate each other for how things are? How will Emma handle being a Mafia Boss’ wife? Will she be put into dangerous and difficult situations? What will happen with Calisto and his duty in la famiglia? We demand answers! This is one of the cruelest cliff hangers that I have read.

Overall, I give this an astounding 4 STARS! It is a really well written romantic, suspenseful, mafia story. I LOVE IT! I will be dying to read the next one and have it in my hands as soon as it is available. Bethany Kris, I hope you are busy writing at this very moment and providing us with the answers that we need. J

Review: Wink, Poppy, Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

3 STARS FOR HEROS, RED HEADS, AND PLOT TWISTS!

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

Who I would recommend this for: 
I would recommend this to readers that enjoyed Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand, Places No One Knows by Breanna Yovanoff, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

It is actually really difficult for me to review this book, because I really want to love Wink, Poppy, Midnight. I was really excited to get the book and have a chance to read it, so when I did - I was really kind of caught off guard by how I felt after I read it. Because of my overall mixed feelings about Wink, Poppy, Midnight, I'm going to divide this review between things that I like about it and things that I didn't. 

What I like about the book: 
I really enjoy the multiple points of views between Wink, Poppy, and Midnight. Midnight's point of view was good and consistent through the whole book. His point of view creates a bridge and focal point for the whole book. Also, Midnight is able to shed light on both Wink and Poppy. Plus, he had the most interaction between the two. 

Wink's point of view was the most interesting of the three. As a character, Wink does not have a strong personality (besides being a odd/weird girl) that is presented, but she does provide elements of mystery, fairy tales, and young innocence. Also, Wink provides the biggest plot twist of the entire story. Her character comes across as small and not that significant, which makes the the twist that occurs that much more dramatic. I was completely caught off guard and thrown for a loop. 

Poppy's character has the strongest voice in the whole book. I enjoyed that Tucholke made her voice so clear and unique. Poppy is a bully, but that is just one facet of her character. I enjoyed the depth that her character holds. She struggles with her identity and who she wants to be. Poppy is definitely not a character that I always liked. I really didn't even like Poppy until the end of the book, which is the opposite from how I felt about Wink. 

What I didn't like about the book:
I wish that the book was longer to possibly develop more of a plot. The book has 247 pages and I feel like that is very short when the point of view is constantly changing and action and plot didn't really develop until later in the book. 

I absolutely hated the ending and maybe it was just because I hated the twist and Wink at the end. Possibly, I don't know. I just know that once I finished the book, it left a sour taste for me. 

I feel that the age and maturity of the characters is very noticeable by the end of it. The maturity level of Wink wasn't that questionable in the beginning, she just came across as really odd and really enjoyed fairy tales stories. My thoughts completely change at the end. Honestly, I think that she is completely crazy and a psychopath at the age of 15. As for Midnight, I feel really sorry for Midnight at the end and really surprised about his character's resolution.  As for Poppy, I'm glad that she got her little bit of HEA, but the resolution is still kind of odd for her age. 

Overall, the book's ending is odd, weird, and not really realistic at all! It left me with a sour feeling. Thus, 3 stars because of the writing style and unique point of views, but definitely not loving the book!