Review: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein
Series: Arclight #1
Release Date: April 23rd 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Arclight was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013 and after I got the book, I kind of shelved it and forgot about it. That is until I got my eyes on the sequel. At this point I hadn’t read any reviews of Arclight so I dove into the book knowing nothing but the synopsis. If I had bothered with the reviews, I probably wouldn’t have so much as bought this book because.. love triangle alert. You know what the sad thing is though? The love triangle isn’t actually my main problem with this book. I loved it for the first 60 or so percent. This was an assured 4 star read until then and I was flying through the pages. 

The book opens with an attack by the Fade. At this point we don’t know much about anything except that light is safety because the Fade are allergic to it and that our MC suffers from amnesia. She remembers nothing from 'before' and she also happens to be the only person to have survived the Fade. People died to rescue her from the grey. She represents hope to many, hope that there is still a world outside the arclight but at the same time, she also represents the death of loved ones to certain kids. There are rumors about her being fade proof but they don’t work in her favor. Kids in her class despise her and are constantly getting in her face.

Marina is a pretty decent character. She didn’t actually annoy me. For the most part she isn’t actually stupid. It’s hard to actually talk about her because I don't actually have anything to say. Her character made no significant impact on me. She was realistic and well nothing about her shines out. She is dull as far as characters I’ve encountered go. I mean the twist that came later on? I guessed it so far in the beginning it’s ridiculous. The point I am trying to make here is that Marina was neither a good or bad character. She was just decent. She was easy to follow and you could understand her actions. Also she did not go on and on about how Tobin was absolutely gorgeous (I still have no idea whether he is or not).

Now Tobin, Tobin was someone who grabbed my attention. He may have been passive aggressive in the beginning. Hating her but also saving her at same time but I couldn’t help but like him. Marina is the reason why his father isn’t alive yet he is the one that helps her instead of all the other kids. He has more reason to hate her than they do but he decides to save her life. Before we even go anywhere with this, it wasn’t insta love, no he hadn’t decided he loved her and hence decided to save her, he saved her because that is what his father would have wanted. Tobin feels very real to me, he clings on to hope that his father is alive and he also tends to turn into a rage beast when someone says something about his father. It seems childish and angsty, but he lost his only parent, give the guy a break. It’s healthy to express anger. It’s one of the stages of grief. 

The romance (before the love triangle was thrown in) was well developed. It could definitely read like insta-love but for me it worked. They are two people, all alone in the world and so they depend on each other. They’re initial exchanges aren’t exactly hostile but neither are they full of love either but that changes. They cover each others backs, save each others lives and hence a bond forms. Their relationship starts blooming and no I love you’s are said. This brings me to the love triangle (which also happened to be strike 1). The love triangle adds a measure of angst that is NOT appreciated. I am a hater of all things love triangle so it’s a wonder I didn’t run in the other direction as soon as it was mentioned. I felt like it was completely unnecessary but this also ties in with something I’ll talk about later. As far as love triangles go, this isn’t actually horrid (if you can look past the amount of angst it adds and how it was completely unnecessary). The female lead actually has a good reason to be confused. It makes complete sense and there isn’t an obvious choice at the moment because Marina herself has no idea what she wants. She doesn’t know who she is and until she figures that out, neither of the guys will come out the victor of her affections. 

My ranting skills will now be unleashed as I talk about strike 2 which was when we learn about the reality of Fades. Up until that point, I thought, no I HOPED that this book wouldn’t go down that road. I thought that for the first time ever, the leaders of the society weren’t out to ruin lives, that they actually meant well but that was all a lie. It was just building up for that supposed big blow. It ruined the whole book for me. I might have been able to swallow the love triangle but this was the last straw for it took what I liked most about this book, and smashed it into pieces. It took away from the dark and scary atmosphere and it almost felt like I was in a rainbows and sunshine land. Where everything is perfect. Where everyone lives in harmony. Well let me tell you something, HELL TO THE NO. Things don’t work like that in the real world. Hell I COMPLETELY understand the supposed villain who I feel like is actually a victim because she is surrounded by brainless people with no sense of self-preservation. Perhaps I am one of those annoying people who think humans are better than everyone else but I am not completely sure about that. There are some things that just aren’t meant to be and the reality about Fades wasn’t. It pissed me off and I just couldn’t. Show Spoiler

I cannot enjoy a book that paints these disease stricken people as good. They destroyed humanity at one point, how did they suddenly turn good, and what the hell are they doing breeding and living in families? Are you telling me that they are human? BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT. Let me repeat that if you didn’t get it the first time around. THEY ARE NOT FUCKING HUMANS and I for one would definitely not want to hang out with them. Now I am not saying the whole family thing is only something humans do, it's just the way it pains these creatures, it feels like they are basically humans with a few 'advantages' and that does NOT work.

The whole situation basically ruined the world building for me. I loved the world building up until that point. I was immersed in this world the author had created and then it had to go down the drain because no good things can last. 

It pains me to give this book such a low rating but I cannot say I regret buying it. It does look pretty on my bookshelf. With that said though, I am not completely sure I want to read the sequel. I don’t want to dive back into that world after the ‘twist’ the author threw at us but that may change in the future.

ARC Review: Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak

Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak
Series: Whiskey Creek #5
Release Date: October 29th, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Christmas is a time for remembering….

Too bad all memories aren't pleasant. Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned.

But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. So when he goes missing, she secretly hopes he'll never come back—until she learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm. Not only has he left Sophia penniless, he's left her to face all the townspeople he cheated….

Sophia is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted, now a successful suspense writer. He can't bring himself to turn his back on her, not at Christmas, but he refuses to get emotionally involved. He learned his lesson the last time.

Or will the season of love and forgiveness give them both another chance at happiness?

NOTE: I have not read the first 4 books in this series. Also, some of the things I say may offend some people. Read at own risk and keep in mind that I am not trying to victim blame.

Good morning, evening or whatever time of the day it is in the part of the world you live in.

I’d like to welcome you to the second episode for my talk show where I interview people who don’t exist in our idea of reality.

Before we get started, it would be a good idea to summarize what happened so you aren’t completely lost. Take Me Home for Christmas is about a young mother, who has been in an abusive marriage for the past 14 years. When her husband dies, it comes to light that he was running a scam and basically talked almost everyone in the town out of their money never mind the fact that he left his own family in a state of bankruptcy. People are being awful and basically storm through her house and take everything they can find (with her consent). Her ex-boyfriend, who she cheated on, comes in as a knight in shining armor offers her as a job as his housekeeper/cook/assistant because he pitied her. Things become awkward and he starts a relationship with one of his friends which we all know is set to be doomed.  

*walks onto the set*

*sits down*

*takes down yarn and needle*

Rashika: Oh this? I thought crocheting would help me get a grip. It helped me get past the parts where I wanted to bang my head on a wall and seeing that we’re going to be inviting the whole gang, I thought I’d need it. At least I am sober this time. Isn’t that a good thing?

Rashika: Why don’t we welcome the gang onto the set.

*A bunch of people walk in.. some are holding hands.. some are looking at someone who is in a relationship with longing*

Rashika: Ted and Sophia were the stars of this book right?

Everyone: Yup.

Rashika: Why don’t you all take a seat. This could take a while.

Rashika: Now that all of you are seated, I have to ask, if some of you thought that Sophia was being abused by her husband why the fuck didn’t you try to help her? If you didn’t believe her excuses why didn’t you bother to find out more, to see if there was something you could have done? Why?

*they all look around awkwardly*

Rashika: And Ted, this is the woman you’ve supposedly been in love with for the past 14 years of your life, why didn’t you do anything? Why did you believe the excuses she gave when you should have at least tried to find out more. You of all people. *shakes head*

Ted: I didn’t know okay? I was too angry. I didn’t want to see her or talk her lest I decide to forgive her. It would make my life miserable.

Rashika: Well you sure didn’t have a problem making someone else’s life miserable.

*turns around to see Eve staring at Ted with a look full of longing*

Ted: I am sorry. I didn’t want to. I was trying to move on. I am 34, I couldn’t spend the rest of my life lusting/loving a woman who was no good for me.

Rashika: Of course you couldn’t. I appreciate you tried to move on but dude, you could have spared your friend. She deserved better.

Ted: She does. I agree. And hopefully she’ll find someone better.

Rashika: Yup. So, why do you love Sophia so much?

(quote taken from book)

Ted: “But, oddly enough, it wasn’t her beauty that drew him to her. Not entirely. It was the vulnerability in those big blue eyes- and the way she was trying to show her love for Alexa, despite her difficulties”

Rashika: Ah I see, so you like being her savior?

Ted: Yes.

*starts crocheting*

Ted: Umm are you going to ask us more questions?

Rashika: Give me a minute.

.....

You do realize you didn’t really complement her personality as much as you did her beauty.

Ted: And?

Rashika: You tots blew it, she wanted you to complement her personality. Her husband was a douchebag and she was basically his trophy wife, how dense ARE you?

*Ted looks around guiltily*

Rashika: I’ll ask Sophia stuff now. So, Sophia, what century do we live in?

Sophia: That’s an odd question. The 21^st of course.

Rashika: Then why was it so hard for you to do anything about your situation? Why, for the past 14 years, have you been stuck in a marriage that is a nightmare? You hated your spouse and he had physically abused you, bad enough that you feared for your life. Before you talk about how he was a good father, anyone with a pair of eyes could see that he was NOT setting a good example for Alexa. Why could you not do something about your situation?

Sophia: I was afraid I wouldn’t survive if I tried to get away. And even if I did get away, he would never let me see Alexa again. He would win. Plus, I was getting what I deserved.

*gets up and walks around*

Rashika: So you thought you could turn to the bottle. That would help Alexa right?

Sophia: Stop it. Stop being so judgemental. I was the biggest victim.

Rashika: I am not saying that you weren’t, you definitely were but your lack of a backbone was really annoying.

Sophia: I try okay. I do the best I can. I am so grateful to Ted for helping me out. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t know what I would have done. And the same goes for Eve.

Rashika: Oh I know what you would have done; you would have let yourself and your daughter starve to death because you’re so incapable of helping yourself out.

Sophia: Excuse me?

Rashika: Why do you need a Prince Charming to come along and save you?

Sophia: I got myself on my feet for your kind information. I worked as a housekeeper and did all these things for him. I even took typing classes.

Rashika: But you did all that so you could impress him didn’t you? Like a kicked puppy who only wanted to be loved.

Sophia: Is there something wrong with that, after the kind of life I lived for the past 14 years?

Rashika: Yeah, the fact that you are incapable of doing anything on your own. You will always need someone to help you out.

Ted: Back off okay? I helped her because I couldn’t stand what she was going through.

Rashika: So, charity right?

*awkward silence*

*crochets during the silence*

Rashika: So you guys, great friends. Really. 

Oh Ted, I got a question.

Why did you like not move on for 14 years?

Ted: Because I was still in love with Sophia.

Rashika: But 14 years… that's kind of long. And you were just a kid, how could you not have been in a proper relationship since then? Is that even healthy?

Ted: I CANNOT COMMIT OKAY?

Rashika: Okay. Calm down man. Hey Alexa.

Alexa: Hey lady

Rashika: So like how did you not know your dad was an asshole who abused her mother?

Alexa: HE ABUSED MOM?

Sophia: YOU HORRIBLE WOMAN!!! HOW COULD YOU TELL HER THAT? SHE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO KNOW.

*crochets while waiting for everyone to settle down*

Rashika: Can we continue?

Sophia: I am not letting you interview my child.

Rashika: Now you don’t get to make that choice do you? So shut up.

How could you not see the signs Lex? You’re 13. You know your dad basically controls your mom’s life. How do you not see it?

*Alexa runs away crying*

Sophia: Look what you’ve done.

Rashika: What had to be done?

Sophia: Did you invite us on this show to insult us?

Rashika: Maybe?

Ted: You horrible woman.

*everyone leaves*

Oh. Cool. I was just going to talk about how I liked that she actually did decide to stop being the victim and stood up to the asshole sheriff but whatever floats her boat.

So what did we learn guys?

We learned that women will probably always need a dude to fall back on because, Prince Charming and that crocheting can be very therapeutic and can prevent a self inflicted head injury.

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you had a great time.

Before I wrap this up though, I just wanted to say a couple of things. While it may seem like I didn't enjoy the book at all, it did have it's moments. I did laugh and it was a fairly quick read. My main problem lay with the fact that Sophia was completely incapable of helping herself. She always needed someone to give her a push and could not stand on her own feet. Her daughter was more responsible than her and that is just embarrassing. The fact remains that in spite of all my problems with this book, it was relatively enjoyable and I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, light read. 

Review: The Holders by Julianna Scott

The Holders by Julianna Scott
Series: Holders #1
Release Date: 5th March 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are all--especially Becca--in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

She meets Alex, a Holder who is fiercely loyal to their race, and for some reason, Becca and Ryland. There's an attraction between Becca and Alex that can't be denied, but her true nature seems destined to keep them apart. However, certain destinies may not be as clear cut as everyone has always believed them to be.

Becca is lost, but found at the same time. Can she bring herself to leave Ryland now that he's settled and can clearly see his future? Will she be able to put the the feelings she has for Alex aside and head back to the US? And can Becca and Ryland ever forgive their father for what he's done?

You tried so hard to not be a cliché but in the end that was all you were.

This is the only Strange Chemistry title that I’ve read that disappointed me. I say this with a heavy heart because honestly, I expected a lot from this book. The synopsis intrigued me and the cover was gorgeous. Alas as we all know, never trust the summary or the cover. They can be misleading.

Ryland has been hearing voices all of his life, people think he is crazy but Becca isn’t so sure. The book begins with people trying to take Ryland ‘to a school that would be better for him’. Becca, being the good sister she is fights for him and ends up agreeing to let him go so long as she can come with.

She starts off as a great female lead, someone who is protective of her brother and mother, not stupid (she graduated at the age of 15 so she is pretty damn smart as one might expect) and even though she has a crush on Alex she actually does have her priorities set straight. When she learns about the world of holders, she doesn’t accept it right away but displays a good dose of skepticism  Personally, I think the only reason she ends up believing all of this is because it would mean her brother isn’t actually crazy, as she had always believed in the back of her mind.

The author pulls of Ryland’s character too, he acts like the way a 7 year old should, like a brat. The author doesn’t try to make him mature for his age, even with the voices in his head. He remains an innocent 7 year old who is a tad bit perceptive.

Other than the interesting world building that is mostly everything ‘good’ I can say about this book.

Going back to what I said right at the beginning, this book is a big fat cliché. It tries not to be, there is a shy guy, a ‘not special’* female lead, the female lead is willing to check herself into a nunnery if she becomes one of those girls who drool over a guy they just met, but underneath all of this there are layers of clichés.

This book has soul mates

Run away fathers

Angry teenagers

Girls who have never had any girlfriends

A girl who feels like she finally belongs

*You get what I mean. There isn’t much that makes this book different. The one thing that I thought worked for this book gets taken away as well. I was so excited to see a female lead who wasn’t special, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this book, I wanted to see how this girl would help her brother through everything, but in the end my dreams remained unrealized. The girl turned out to be special. She was a speshul flower. Extremely powerful. One of a kind. You know the drill.

It might have been slightly easier to swallow if there weren’t some inconsistencies here. The author first builds Ryland up to be special but in the end he remains ‘ordinary’. He was said to be extra-ordinary because even at such a young age he was able to pick up on some thoughts. He hadn’t been awakened yet, so he shouldn’t have had so much power. But all of this is filed away and he was labelled ordinary.

I was also bothered by how easily she bonded with Chloe. As for Chloe herself, she reminded me of the energizer bunny. She was way too hyper and she got on my nerves. I did not like her.

The only characters I liked in this book were Mr. Reid and Mr. Anderson, now if she made those two Anam, that would be interesting but I’ve never seen a book that actually does anything like that, so I won't get my hopes up too high.

Becca and Alex’s relationship was insta love. The author tried to disguise it in the beginning but if you’re telling me, anam or not, that within 2 weeks, ‘they’ve always loved each other’ then I don’t know what to say. Although I’ll admit that the romance didn’t bother me as much as an insta-love usually might. I wouldn’t say it worked, but it wasn’t a nightmare.

If it hadn’t been with all my issues with this book, I probably would have enjoyed the plot a lot more, but as it was, I was concentrating too much on my annoyance with these characters to actually care so much about the plot.

My favorite part in the book was when she stood up to her father, aside from that I didn’t really care so much.

With all that said I just feel the need to point out that Saol is just a fancy word for soul (if you’ve read the book you’ll know what I mean).

Even with all my issues with this book, I am hooked. I probably will read the sequel because I do want to know what becomes of these characters but honestly I won't go out of my way to recommend this way to anyone. Unless you don't mind the cliches, then definitely give this a shot.

Review: A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith

Title: A Place to Call Home 
Author: Deborah Smith

Release Date: May 4th, 1998

Publisher: Bantam

Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

Twenty years ago, Claire Maloney was the willful, pampered, tomboyish daughter of the town's most respected family, but that didn't stop her from befriending Roan Sullivan, a fierce, motherless boy who lived in a rusted-out trailer amid junked cars. No one in Dunderry, Georgia--least of all Claire's family--could understand the bond between these two mavericks. But Roan and Claire belonged together...until the dark afternoon when violence and terror overtook them, and Roan disappeared from Claire's life. Now, two decades later, Claire is adrift, and the Maloneys are still hoping the past can be buried under the rich Southern soil. But Roan Sullivan is about to walk back into their lives....By turns tender and sexy and heartbreaking and exuberant, A Place to Call Home is an enthralling journey between two hearts--and a deliciously original novel from one of the most imaginative and appealing new voices in Southern fiction.

THIS IS A RANT

I read this book on a hunch really (I am not even sure if that's the right way to put it) and honestly it just didn't pan out. I just wanted a little light/fun romance to balance out the other 4 books I was reading at the moment. 

So there are two parts to the book, the first part-the past and the second-the present. The past was perfect. I really thought I was on to something and that I had made a good choice when I decided to read the book. The portrayal of this young innocent child in love was beautiful. I wasn't skeptic at all (which is somewhat of a surprise). Deborah really pulled her character off. I mean even the part when she first finds out about sex (I had to mention it). Yes I really loved her reaction because it reminded me of mine so I connected with this young child. What amazes me even more is how the author portrayed Roanie's feelings for Claire. Because they had a 5 years age gap (this mattered because she was 9 and he 14... you get my point don't you?), had Roanie felt anything sexual towards Claire, that would have been completely wrong in my book. The author takes a different spin on his feelings, they aren't brotherly but they aren't sexual either  they have a hint of romantic but really she was the one person who saw beyond everything else and to him instead of all the other B.S.. so she meant the world to him, he would have done anything for her. 

After a while though the past just seemed too long to me, I wanted to get to the present and see their reunion and how things worked out. Well umm Ugh? Yeah that was my reaction to the present part of the book. It was extremely disappointing. After everything she had built up in the past, how she played the whole thing was just a big fat disappointment. 

For starters I didn't even like Roanie until near the end. He gave me the willies. Now I don't care what anyone else says but what he was doing was stalking. He knew everything about her, he had his people and inside contacts find things out. He once even went as far as to be parked outside her dorm and watch her. If that isn't stalking I don't know what the hell is. It was just extremely disturbing. Don't try to justify what he did with his feelings. A lot of creepy stalkers will think they love the person they are stalking so you cannot really make it sound any better, at least not to me. It is just not romantic. Hell if he loved her so much he might have contacted her at least once in the past 20 years. Aside from his stalker tendencies (for which he really should get checked) I hated how immature Roanie was acting. He was flaunting his money around and went as far as to try to buy Claire (at least that's what it seemed like to me). He never even tried to understand why Claire was so vary of the whole thing and fighting him! Where did the Roanie I grew to love from the past go??

(spoilers start here)

Let is move on to the ungrateful bastard, Matthew. WOW. I cannot believe how easily he turned on the man who had raised him. I really cannot. So Josh tells him that he has been looking for him for the past 20 years and he just falls for that? What about the time when the same guy denied his existence and was ashamed of him? Huh? I just. I just. UGH! 

And now the biggest bastard of all, Josh. I absolutely hated how Deborah played Josh. First the surprise that he was actually the father and then the fact that the author tried to tell us that he wasn't all that bad and had been looking for his lost son and was worried about him? Someone shoot him in the head for me pretty please? Never mind that he denied the existence of his child and let him stay in those horrible conditions for the first few years of his life. He also ignored his legitimate child because of this. The poor girl thought her father hated her for the first 10 years of her fucking life. Oh lets not forget he took advantage of an underage girl. Someone who treats a woman like that isn't worthy of any respect and don't you dare give me the Vietnam excuse. Look at Grandpa Joe if you need any reason as to why I won't accept that bullshit. 

I am just disappointed. At least I have Castle and The Dream Thieves to cheer me up. 

Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir

Title: Timekeeper

Author: Alexandra Monir
Series: Timeless #2
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Release Date: January 8th, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

When Philip Walker appears as a new student in Michele Windsor’s high school class, she is floored. He is the love she thought she lost forever when they said goodbye during her time travels last century. Overjoyed that they can resume the relationship they had a lifetime ago, Michele eagerly approaches him and discovers the unthinkable: he doesn’t remember her. In fact, he doesn’t seem to remember anything about the Philip Walker of 1910.

Michele then finds her father’s journals, which tell stories of his time-traveling past. As she digs deeper, she learns about his entanglement with a mysterious and powerful organization called the Time Society and his dealings with a vengeful Windsor ancestor. Michele soon finds herself at the center of a rift over 120 years in the making, one whose resolution will have life-or-death consequences.

Alexandra Monir’s Timekeeper combines breathtaking romance with a tale of complex magic in a sequel that will have every reader believing in the transcendent power of love.

I have terrible luck, whenever I get excited for something it gets messed up. I wish I could say this book was amazing and that it was worth it but it wasn't. This book was disappointing. It was so disappointing that I feel like pretending that the first was a stand alone and that the ending never happened. Okay I may be overreacting according to some people but I am so disappointed it hurts. The author had two years to work on this and if this is what she came up with.. well I don't even know what to say. The first one was magical, it had this musical flow to it which made you love it so much and things made so much more sense in the first one. Also the historical concept was so much more better. I am not one for historical fiction but sometimes I'll come across one that I love, Timeless was one of them but Timekeeper failed to do the time era's it was referring to justice. Aside from that it also seemed rushed, the author never focused on anything, just kept on throwing bits of stuff at us. One second she would say one thing and the other she would mention another, she kept on jumping from idea to idea never telling us enough about what she was talking about. For example, Lisa was mentioned once in the book when Michele had to go to her for help. Lisa disappeared from the book after that. She used to be her mother's best friend. I would have loved to know something about her but there was nothing. I got the ending I was hoping for but not in the way I wanted, some of the things don't even make sense with the whole Philip thing. Monir took the easiest and the most obvious way out of the problem and it disturbed me because it wasn't what I wanted. I was even more disappointed with how easily Philip accepted things, it was so sudden you don't see the change happening. Did I mention how obvious her solution was? I am going to repeat it to put emphasis on the obvious part because half of the people already guessed it. I guess it's not only the romance that disappointed me because the romance wasn't the only thing that captivated me in the first book- although it was part of it, it was the how the author weaved in the historical concepts and Michele's way of dealing with things. This book was a jumbled puzzle. The pieces didn't fit together perfectly. The whole book was all over the place. I feel like I am being easy on this book because despite what I said it breaks my heart to see how Timekeeper turned out. I cannot make myself give it a worse rating because despite being not as good as I hoped, it wasn't horrible. In most situations a horrible sequel would make me dislike the first book but it didn't happen in this case probably because I felt so detached in this one. I never got involved with the characters. I was sitting there trying to figure out where the characters I loved disappeared because in this book, they were flat. There was no depth to them. I really do hope that people don't find it as disappointing as I did because I know a lot of people have been waiting for it longer than I have and I hope that it makes them happier than it made me. I think the worst part is that this was the book I was most excited about for this year and seeing how it wasn't nearly as good as I hoped, I lost hope for all the other books I had been waiting for.

Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L. Reid

Title: Pretty Dark Nothing
Author: Heather L. Reid
Publisher: Month9Books
Release Date: April 23, 2013

Goodreads Summary

It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

This book had the potential to be great but it had Too. Much. Drama. The opening scene to the book was perfect, you could tell from the way the author wrote that she was talented. The idea was great, so much could have been done with it but the author focused on teen drama.

This book had dual narration and it did work out rather well in this case except that Aaron came off as slightly creepy although I think that was the point because Aaron goes on to admit that his obsession was becoming unhealthy. At first I was confused by why he was so attracted to Quinn. She wasn’t particularly special or anything. She mostly annoyed the hell out of me but we find out later on why.

I’ve never mentioned this before in my review but I am reaching my breaking point so I have to mention it. WHY IS EVERYONE ALWAYS CUTE?  (this goes out for most YA books in general) I don’t get it. Why does the author focus on how hot the person is when she introduces a character? It really annoyed me. I found myself rolling my eyes when the author described (from Quinn’s POV) how cute Aaron was, same goes for when she was describing how hot Quinn was. How come when reading from Quinn’s POV no one mentions how ‘good looking’ Quinn is?

Quinn started off as an interesting character but then she just became worse. She was clearly hung up on her ex when it should have been obvious she needed to move on. She also feels jealous when Aaron is with another girl even though she keeps on pushing him away. For christs sake don’t do that. Also, my god she was insecure. I guess this is justified because most of the guys in her life suck. They messed with her. Half the time though I resisted the urge to scream at Quinn, she was being haunted by demons but she was so focused on guys. This pissed me off to no ends. She seemed so weak to me. I mean I never really saw her try to resist the demons. She never tried to tell anyone anything; I hate it when characters keep everything to themselves without reason. Yes the demons told her not to but really, it was obvious that the demons were messing with her but she never saw it, she believe everything they told her. It was so easy to manipulate her. I would have liked to see a real struggle.

Jeff was clearly a douche bag. I mean he seemed nice but it looked like he was playing the two girls. I never found out whether his feelings were genuine or not. He and Quinn used to be best friends before they started dating so I hated that he just cheated on her and never gave her a proper explanation. I really hope we get some explanation in the sequel about this Jeff character because he was slightly fishy.

Aaron was a good character. I believe he was my favorite. It was easier to relate to him. He clearly hates Quinn for how she treats him but he still goes back to help her because he wouldn’t forgive himself otherwise. A lot of shit has happened to him and really you can feel his pain. Same goes for Quinn of course but I didn’t really like Quinn so I wasn’t able to sympathize with her. Plus I liked how he was honest. He told people stuff, maybe not all of it but he didn’t just keep it all to himself and he did tell Quinn the whole truth.

There was quite a bit of cheese in the book starting with the Aaron swooping her into his arms scene. I cringed there.

This book did have good best friends which I appreciate. In most books they are either kind of stupid or they are mostly absent. Reese was always trying to get Quinn back on track and telling her it was time to move on. I really liked how she was there for her even though Quinn did some stupid things. It didn’t matter to Reese because they were best friends and they needed to be there for each other no matter what. Same goes for Marcus. I really liked Marcus. He was hilarious.

There were a couple of creepy awesome scenes but alas they were outweighed by the drama. There was this one scene near the end that was just pathetic. I started laughing because I couldn’t believe it.

I was going to give this book a 2 but the ending. The ending was just awesome and now I really would like to read the sequel. The ending cannot make up for the other shit I had to endure in this book but I get the feeling the next book will be a lot better. The ending explained a lot of things and well it sucks I have to wait a year for the sequel.

Hearts in Exile by Mysti Parker

Hearts in Exile by Mysti Parker
Series: Tallenmere #3
Publisher: Melange Books
Release Date: June 3rd 2013

Goodreads Summary

In Tallenmere, fate has a way of catching up with you...

Somewhere, hidden in the waters of the Southern Sea, lies an island unlike any other. Within the amber glow of its pyrogem-laden cliffs, legend says the very heart of the dragon god Drae keeps the island, and its occupants, alive.

Loralee Munroviel, daughter of Leogard's High Priestess Arianne, had no idea what she would face when she arrived by boat ten years ago and was left alone in exile. All she knew about Draekoria's inhabitants was written in one tattered notebook. Now, her life revolves around keeping Drae's descendants happy. Never in her life did she imagine being a Dragon Keeper.

Captain Igrorio Everlyn, known as Sir Robert to his unit of Holy Paladins, has faced his share of hell, battling the evils of Emperor Sarvonn's tyranny and the dark god Tyr's abominations. But none of that compares to the ten years of hell he's been without Loralee, presumed dead.

One freak storm changes everything. Now the two of them must fight to reestablish the delicate balance of the island before the dragons take things into their own hands. Through it all, they discover the secrets that kept them, and their hearts, exiled for a decade.

First of all before saying anything else, I’d like to say that this book isn’t a fantasy but more of a romance, of course it’s set in a fantastical world but it doesn’t focus on it so I think I am going to call it a romance instead.

This book didn’t do much for me to be honest. It’s because I don’t usually like books that are focused on a romance instead of, for example, the world that this book is set in. As it is, there isn’t much going on besides the romance. This book starts with the main character being exiled to some island and then after 10 years, her lover comes up. Then the book goes back in time to the first time they met and then it moves forward until it comes to the present.

It was hard for me to enjoy even that because I was waiting for the story to continue in the present but the majority of the book is set in the past. I think there wasn’t enough time spent in the present to satisfy me.

The characters however were pretty good. Loralee is the daughter of a priestess and will eventually have to marry someone chosen by the king and her mother. She is determined and believes in change. I like how she is willing to stand up for what she believes instead of standing at the sidelines waiting for change to happen. Although she can be a bit naïve when it comes to her sister, she cannot see through the lies her sister tells and falls for them even when her sister is hostile to her.

There are two sisters, the youngest one is rather adorable and the second youngest one, well as I’ve said, is fishy and selfish and… a whole bunch of other things.

Igrorio had an okay childhood until his mother died and his father became depressed and then his father died and said some things right before that happened. Igorio of course dismisses what his father said because denial is better isn’t it?  Aside from that, Igrorio is loyal to the bone and cares deeply for his friends and Loralee.

I am the kind of person who doesn’t find it believable when teenagers go around claiming they are in love, that is not to say that there aren’t cases where I am absolutely convinced, but in this case I am glad that the romance takes time to be developed even though they’ve had feelings for each other since almost the first time they met.

Her dad is the ‘good’ parent while her mom is horrible. Her mom, it seems, is jealous and upset because she claims her husband doesn’t love her but loves her sister who died.  I don’t understand why she takes that out on her older daughter. They are always clashing heads and can never agree on anything. It bugs me when parents treat their children like that.

The ending wasn’t particularly satisfying either. It wasn’t how I wanted things to work out, it ends in the present of course but because there wasn’t exactly a conflict in the present, the ending just didn’t work for me and what happened right in the end? Well it left me slightly confused.

If you enjoy a romance, then give this a shot.

About the Author:
Mysti Parker (pseudonym) is a full time wife, mother of three, and a writer. Her first novel, A Ranger's Tale was published in January, 2011 by Melange Books, and the second in the fantasy romance series, Serenya's Song, was published in April 2012. The highly anticipated third book, Hearts in Exile, has already received some great reviews. The Tallenmere series has been likened to Terry Goodkind's 'Sword of Truth' series, but is probably closer to a spicy cross between Tolkien and Mercedes Lackey.

Mysti's other writings have appeared in the anthologies Hearts of Tomorrow, Christmas Lites, and Christmas Lites II. Her flash fiction has appeared on the online magazine EveryDayFiction. She has also served as a class mentor in Writers Village University's six week free course, F2K.

Mysti reviews books for SQ Magazine, an online specfic publication, and is the proud owner of Unwritten, a blog voted #3 for eCollegeFinder's Top Writing Blogs award. She resides in Buckner, KY with her husband and three children.

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