Category: Romance

‘The Chemist’ – Stephanie Meyer

This is one of those books that is not badly written, and there are some cracking scenes, but it seems to have attracted its fair share of hate from online reviewers.

We begin in very different territory to Twilight (thank goodness) with an adult main character who is very good at what she does, even if she is socially inept. She has come under threat on a number of occasions and her paranoia is justified when we learn more of her life.

The story focuses on the attempts by her ex bosses to get Julia (known for most of the novel as Alex) to find a suspect and torture him for information. The target, Daniel, is a teacher who seems to know nothing about the situations Alex wants information about. Okay, so no prizes for originality in how this scenario came about, but Meyer does deliver a pretty well-paced story. At least, initially.

There’s a patch during the novel where not much happens. While Alex and Daniel are left in the dark, we sit and wait…and wait some more…and then get another attempt at something action-packed.

You’ll spot the clunky moments, and the romance is just verging on cheesy, but I still found myself carried along by this. I also admit to being quite satisfied by the peek into their lives after these events (though it was not remotely necessary).

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

‘All in Pieces’ – Suzanne Young

A story that will pluck at your heart-strings, even as you realise you’re being shamelessly manipulated.

I’ve only read The Program by Suzanne Young, and this strikes me as something of a departure in subject matter – though the need to get you rooting for a character who’s struggling is there in spades.

In this story we focus on Savannah, a young girl dealing with things anybody would find tough. Her younger brother – who she has a strong bond with – has some kind of developmental disorder which causes untold difficulties. Her mother has left them, and her father blames Evan for this. He has descended into alcoholism, neglecting his children and basically acting like someone who has given up. It is up to Savannah to deal with the day-to-day things, and to try to prevent her younger brother being sent to live with their aunt.

The background to the story would be tough for anyone, but Savannah has been sent to a special school for troubled teens after stabbing her boyfriend with a pencil when he mocked Evan. Here she’s judged on her previous actions and nobody is prepared to look beyond the label she is given.

Savannah and her friends are the kind of kids who are labelled as trouble, and who slip through the cracks because nobody cares. Yet they all exhibit amazing qualities, and a resilience that is admirable. Of course, it also means that when things reach their inevitable conclusion we feel it is all desperately unfair and are hoping for someone to come in and save the day. If only…

After finishing this I did feel as if I was in pieces. This was brutal. Suzanne Young introduces us to these messed-up teenagers, makes us see beyond the judgement…and then throws everything at them. No matter what they have to endure they get up, and keep going.

This made me so sad in many ways. The adults, and some of the kids, were awful. Then you get a good one.

I was blinking away tears by the end. Very emotional.

‘White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)’ – Jennifer L. Armentrout

Originally published in 2014, this is the first in a trilogy which is something of a must for paranormal/fantasy fans (though it seems hard to get your hands on a physical copy in the UK in the usual outlets).

Layla is our main character-a seventeen year old who has the ability to steal people’s souls with a kiss. She lives with Watchers (gargoyles who kill demons), is half Watcher but is also half demon, so we immediately guess there’s a bit more to this story.

The beginning sets up the paranormal elements fairly well, but covering up any anomalies with the idea that the Watchers are keeping these ideas from humans. When Layla’s presence starts to attract all manner of demons, things become rather frantic.

There’s no denying Armentrout gives you exactly what you expect (and want) and does it well. We have Layla, who has potential (though she’s a bit whiny for my liking); a cute best friend who cares for Layla but doesn’t show it until there’s a rival for her affections; her trusty human sidekicks (thinking Buffy) and a very very attractive but snarky rebel who should be the bad boy but who shows himself to be pretty decent.

The story carried me along at breakneck pace. I think I fell slightly in love with Roth, Bambi and the cats. My big bug was Abbott and the Watchers who were clearly hiding a lot of things, and whose rigidity caused some real issues. A blistering climax, which has ensured I will get book two because I can’t leave it hanging there!

 

‘The Names They Gave Us’ – Emery Lord

This was one of those books that I was in two minds about before reading. I’d loved ‘When We Collided’ but I wasn’t sure whether this would be little earnest for me.

Seventeen year old Lucy is a fairly typical teenager. Her father is a pastor, so religion is a major part of her life; she has had a steady boyfriend for two years, but their religious beliefs mean they have chosen not to be physically intimate and she is close to her mother. However, when she learns that her mother’s cancer has returned Lucy’s perfect world is thrown into chaos.

Though Lucy has been a counsellor at their Christian camp for years, this summer her mother convinces her to take on the role at Daybreak – a camp for children experiencing trauma. Here Lucy makes friends, learns about herself and her beliefs and – rather obviously – develops her own sense of self.

The setting for this did bother me a little – but Lucy is quick to acknowledge her own potential to stereotype and she tackles head-on the qualms she has about her faith. I liked the way Lucy develops friendships with people that are focused on her as a person, rather than who she is or who she knows. As we watch the summer unfold we come to see the significance of the camp and people within it.

This was a genuinely moving read which, thankfully, doesn’t shy away from some pretty heavy issues. I did feel that everything was being thrown at Lucy (us) thick and fast by the end so I was less convinced by this part of it. However, Lord sends a really positive message with people dealing with things in the best way they can.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’ – Laini Taylor

This, to me, seems like one of those books that will either infuriate or inspire.

We open in Prague, focusing on a young art student. All seems very ordinary – but then we’re told about mysterious handprints appearing on doorways and people dealing in teeth. From early on it is evident that we are in the realms of fantasy, but it is heavily mixed with a more contemporary feel.

The opening descriptions of Prague are evocative and starting with the focus on Karou and her rather interesting secret life definitely piques your interest.

The opening chapters seemed like a contemporary romance in places, but there were enough links to a fantasy world to keep me intrigued. However, the time-frame of this novel was rather disorientating.

We are, essentially, getting the love story of Madrigal and Akiva – a kind of fantasy Romeo and Juliet. They live in a world of seraphim and chimaera, where magic brings danger and few are to be trusted. Only this isn’t clear until about halfway through the book when we start to see how Karou is linked to their story.

I don’t want to give away how the two elements combine, but it works – for the most part.

‘Lobsters’ – Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

‘Socially awkward’ is a fitting phrase for this…I couldn’t believe some of the stuff that was happening to Sam and Hannah and their friends.

Our groups of almost eighteen year olds are on the cusp of adulthood, and we watch them in their summer before heading off to university. We get the inevitable post-exam analysis; the drunken fumbles; the changing issues around friendships; a growing sense of needing to become independent and the highlights of summer-holiday and festival.

Throughout this I was laughing out loud at so many moments. I was also groaning, cringing and torn between being thankful I am long past that age and desperately wanting to return to that time, where anything seems possible.

I liked the characters of Hannah and Sam, and their somewhat disastrous attempts to get into any kind of romantic situation. Knowing the focus was on the love story I was holding out for a relatively hopeful ending – but I was really wondering just what else could get in their way.

The split in narrative really made this, and though this might not fit all teenagers there’s something that most will relate to. The dual perspective was used to maximum effect when we were focusing on the Hannah and Sam relationship – excellent stuff!

Can’t wait for Freshers…roll on August 2017…

‘A Court of Wings and Ruin’ – Sarah J. Maas

I have to begin my review, sadly, by criticising a rather large online organisation – whom I use A LOT. They messed up here. I pre-ordered my physical copy of the book to arrive on delivery day…the night before I got an email telling me my copy would arrive at the end of the month! Simply not good enough…and I am eternally grateful to the ebook here, as it saved me!

Anyway, issues with actually getting my hands on a copy aside, this is another of those books that you will love if you like Sarah J. Maas.

Our story begins with Feyre back in the Spring Court playing a very dangerous game as she seeks allies and tries to establish just who to trust. This first part allowed us to see a little more of Feyre and Lucien – which was good – but I did find it a little dull. Stick with it though, as it gets a whole lot more exciting.

The book comes into its own once Feyre returns to the place she considers her home, alongside Rhysand. With people being told about her new role as High Lady we focus more on the political manoeuvrings as battle looms.

A warning for anyone who goes off the loose book recommendations. I’ve seen this marketed as for 11+ – the very graphic sex scenes make perfect sense in terms of the story, but I don’t think they are necessarily suitable for a younger reader (bit more graphic than the Jilly Cooper books I used to nick from my sister).

That aside, the story is epic in scope. We see everything coming together, and I was desperate to read on to find out just what happens. I loved the fact that we see old and new characters here, and Feyre slowly comes to realise that acting out of a need for revenge isn’t always the most effective move. There were moments in the battle that almost had me in tears – definite movie-style tear-jerking moments.

Thankfully, though not everyone makes it and there’s a lot of loose ends to tie up, there’s plenty to keep you satisfied here.

 

‘But Then I Came Back’ – Estelle Laure

A companion guide to This Raging Light, this story focuses on Eden. She nearly drowns in an accident and is in a coma for a month. When she wakes up she remembers her family visiting her, but is convinced that she also met the young girl in the room opposite her (who remains in a coma).

Eden was a talented dancer, but it is evident that she set herself very high standards and is struggling to adjust to life after a coma.

There was a lot of mystical/supernatural detail, some of which was interesting but it all felt rather like watching someone explore their philosophical beliefs from a distance.

We watch Eden fall in love with Joe, the best friend of the girl in the room opposite her, and there is some passing reference to Lucille and Digby. There is no need to have read Laure’s debut of this to make sense, but it was good to return to the characters.

A little like my response to This Raging Light, this was a book that was easy to read but which didn’t really appeal as much as I hoped it would. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

‘Letters to the Lost’ – Brigid Kemmerer

Juliet Young has always written letters to her photo-journalist mother. When she is killed in a hit-and-run accident, Juliet continues this tradition – leaving letters at her mother’s grave. Declan Murphy is not the kind of student you want to cross. He is stuck at the local cemetery carrying out community service after crashing his father’s car after he’d been drinking. When he finds a letter at the cemetery he is struck by the content and decides to write back.

The opening chapters of the novel are a little confusing as we try to establish who the two characters are, and how they are linked. However, it is evident that both these characters are struggling to deal with grief. Though Juliet and Declan have this shared grief, they don’t seem to have anything else in common.

In real life you might be tempted to ignore a note written on a letter left at a grave. However, Juliet is angered by someone reading her innermost thoughts and decides to respond. Thus begins a rather quirky exchange, which allows us to learn an awful lot more about Juliet and Declan than we would if they were constantly censoring what they were telling us.

I really liked the alternating style of this novel. We were able to see beyond the surface of the two characters, and it was refreshing to see them bond without actually meeting.

Inevitably, the two start to work out who each other is. They trust each other to reveal their true feelings about the events that have happened in their lives, and we get to see their shifting relationship as they start to think about how to move on and take control of what happens to them a little more.

The ending is, perhaps, more resolved than might reasonably be expected to occur but I liked the fact that the writer allows us to see the potential for change, and shows how sometimes taking a risk can pay off.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this in advance of publication.

‘The Caster Chronicles’ – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

 

 

Book One – Beautiful Creatures – finished 13/04/17

Intriguingly this novel is told from the perspective of a young male, Ethan Wate. He has been having strange dreams, and they seem to be linked to the new girl to arrive in the town of Gatlin, Lena Duchannes. We can tell, immediately, that there is something unusual about these two…the question is, just how unusual.

In this first in the series we are introduced to the hidden people of Gatlin, the Casters. On their sixteenth birthday we are told that each female descendant of Guinevere Duchannes must be claimed. It is an age-old event, and nobody knows whether they will be claimed as Light or Dark. Lena is desperate to avoid this fate, and the novel focuses on her attempts – with help from Ethan – to work out what steps she can take to control her destiny.

Ethan is the kind of character who seems quite content to live his life on the sidelines. He’s fairly popular, but nothing too special. He does what he can to avoid confrontation – until Lena’s arrival, which seems to wake him up and force him to start questioning just what and who is important to him.

There wasn’t anything particularly unexpected in this, but I did enjoy watching Ethan and Lena start to unravel the mysteries surrounding their respective families. A powerful ending, which nicely prepares us for something big in book two.

Book Two – Beautiful Darkness – finished 26/04/17

Book Two in the series was, for me, possibly better than the first but it did seem to take a long time to get going. We pick up after the unfortunate events of Lena’s birthday and we expect everything to be positive…but it’s very far from alright. Lena and Ethan are drifting apart, and Ethan has no clue why.

The struggles in the relationship between Ethan and Lena form the backdrop to this story, but the real interest lies in the developments in the Caster world. There are hints that what people believed might not be quite the truth, and there are some rather shocking revelations.

I enjoyed the journey to try and help Lena, though I am amazed that Liv – who seemed to have her head screwed on right – found much to like about Ethan. He learns a little more about himself, but he is clueless to say the least. I wonder whether he’ll come into his own in the rest of the books, but I’m hoping to see a little more of Link who is definitely not having the best of times by the end of this!

Book Three – Beautiful Chaos – finished 30/04/17

There’s a horrible sense of inevitability to this third in the series. We suspect that things are not going to end well for Ethan and Lena, and there’s a lot to suggest that this is the case. Nothing is, however, certain by the close of the novel so I am hoping that we’ll get proper answers in the final book.

Abraham is becoming more of a threat, though nobody is entirely certain what he is planning. What is clear is that Lena’s earlier actions have upset the order of things, and there will be a price to pay.

I loved the development for Link, who is rather a goofy character but one you cannot help but like. I was also pleasantly surprised to see some of the other characters in a new light here.

Book Four – Beautiful Redemption – finished 30/04/17

A shorter read in the series, and thankfully everything panned out nicely.

I wouldn’t say this was as good as the others in the series, but you definitely could see the story progressing and were able to get a sense of how matters might be resolved.

Ethan and Lena share the telling of this story – and this makes sense once we know what’s going on – but it did lead to a more disjointed feel.

If you’ve read the first three, you’ll not want to miss this.