Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

Altered by Jennifer Rush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.


My review:

There's something to be said about being laid out flat with a sinus infection. Not only do you get a lot of reading time, but family tends to steer clear of your sneezing moaning self so that reading time is largely uninterrupted. Bonus.

The only downside is, my brain doesn't appear to be as sharp as usual. So please to be excusing if I sound completely out there.

The story had a lot of the same elements as "Touch" - father involved with the super secret group, mother supposedly gone, a breakout from the Secret Government Agency, life on the run, etc.

To my mind, though, this one definitely had the tighter story. For one, there wasn't any insta-love between Anna and Sam. An attraction, sure. A connection, oh yeah. But it wasn't the automatic "omgwantyounow" I've seen before. Amazingly enough, that did nothing to pull away from the chemistry (and the inevitable heartache.)

Anna was lovely, Sam was a delightful hardass. Nick, Cas, Trevor, even Dad. The secondary characters were all fabulous and the story itself was very well written and tight. Just enough mystery to keep me interested, but enough progression so that I don't feel like I'm floundering in the dark. I loved the details with their tattoos, and the experiment. (And i have a very sneaky triangle suspicion I hope is wrong.

Already have the next one on my TBR list even though it doesn't have a title or cover image yet.

I know. Short review. My bad. The Kindlecave is a hospital ward today. I'll be better next time!

Review: Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer

Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra—the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead. She has the dark responsibility of helping souls transition safely into the afterlife. If people die without the help of a Fenestra, their souls are left vulnerable to be stolen by the Aternocti, a dark band of forces who disrupt the balance of good and evil in the world and cause chaos.

Having recently lost her beloved Auntie—the woman who showed her what it meant to be a Fenestra—Meridian has hit the road with Tens, her love and sworn protector, in hopes of finding another Fenestra. Their search leads them to Indiana, where Juliet, a responsible and loving teenager, works tirelessly in the nursing home where she and several other foster kids are housed. Surrounded by death, Juliet struggles to make a loving home for the younger kids, and to protect them from the violent whims of their foster mother. But she is struggling against forces she can't understand . . . and even as she feels a pull toward the dying, their sickness seems to infect her, weighing her down. . . .


My review:

Life seriously got in the way of reading and reviewing this week. Between work stress, kid stress and being sick as hell...yeah. Funtimes.

Finally wrapped up the second in the Fenestra series though and while it was a fine read, I think I'll be leaving the world here. The sad part is, there isn't a real defining reason why. I just got to the end of the second book and there was absolutely nothing pushing me to hit Overdrive for the third book. It was more of a "that's done" kind of feeling instead.

I wish I could pin it down to one thing, but I can't. The story was compelling (even though it did have more than a few holes in it) and I absolutely loved being back with Tens and Meridian agan.

I do love Tens, even more in this one than I did in the first one. I understand him a lot better than I did in the first book, and get what drives him to do the things he does...even when I want to reach through the pages and shake him for them.

The supporting characters were a little weak this time around an I think that might be what kept me from really falling in love with it. Rumi was supposed to be cute and quirky with the obscure SAT words but all that did was pull me out of the story. Joi was a little...too much, I think. Too quick to accept, to quick to jump in and give them a place to live, etc.

For Juliet and her crew - again, there wasn't a strong connection to the newest fenestra in town. Maybe I'm just over "ten years of unimaginable suffering" in a character, but I really am. It's just too hard to believe that residents went in to DG and no one ever came to see them again. it's one of those "out of reality" things that seriously keep me from accepting a story. I know I'm reading about half-angels, but I'm sorry. If there are family members paying for care, they'd be there to see the place. If they were being paid from Medicare, they'd be inspected. Someone would have noticed something. Especially in small town Indiana.

Anywho. It's a good series and strong stories, it just didn't pull at me enough to have me continuing.

Review: Me & My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey

Me & My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:

The cheerleader who has everything . . . ? Mallory Dane has a great family (at least on the surface), is popular at school (as long as she doesn’t make waves), and dates an amazing boyfriend, Todd (who happens to be completely made up). Boys—and sex—are something Mallory just can’t deal with, so she created her “invisible guy” to avoid it all. But when Liam Crawford comes along—a real guy, flesh and bones and strumming his guitar—Mallory starts questioning her fictional relationship. Is she really willing to give up Todd for Liam? And can she make amends for the lies she’s told—even to her best friend, Tess? What if your biggest, most embarrassing secret was broadcast to the whole world? Letting go of her secret will be easier said than done, and Mallory will risk everything—her family, Tess, cheerleading, her reputation, and most of all, her heart.

My review:

Another recommended to me impulse buy (starting to think I need to make a shelf for that, tbh.)

Another story that didn't really know what it wanted to be, so it tried to be everything. It almost succeeded. The almost is what kept me reading despite the issues - because even if it kept going from theme to theme, they were still brought together to a logical and fulfilling resolution. I was still cheering for Mallory, and her sister, her friends, her family, and I wanted to see if everything tied up. Surprisingly, it did.

I should put a warning on - if you're turned off by books that mention God, or have characters whose faith is a strong part of their character makeup, this probably isn't for you. I didn't find it overly preachy at all - and it could have been. Just putting that out there.

Still trying to figure out what the underlying theme was supposed to be. Lying is bad and will mess things up faster than you can blink? Premarital sex is bad and will mess things up exponentially, too? Lack of religion in your life can leave you empty/not all religious people are fanatical? Standing up for what you believe in is more important than being popular? Making the right decision is more important than making the wrong one for the right reasons?



Those are the main areas of the storyline as Mallory's story moves through a few months of her life that upend a life that's about as stable as lake ice in November. Sure it looks frozen solid, but one wrong move and it all goes to hell fast. The first crack splinters and leads to more and more until she's drowning in it.

The synopsis is pretty spot on for the story - the plot doesn't center around Mallory's relationship with her fake boyfriend, but on the fallout of what happens when she "breaks up" with him and still the truth gets out. One truth, then another, and another. Crack, crack, splinter, splash.

I did like the way Mallory stood up to every crack in the ice. Once she had made her decision, and her 12 steps, to stop lying - she really did stick to her plan. She did backslide once (which, to my mind, made it more realistic) but rectified it almost immediately. And though she kept trying to be everything to everyone, and sometimes did the right thing only because her hand was forced...once she did, she stuck to her reasoning. Even when it meant losing everyone.

Even then, she didn't back down. She owned it.

The love story was more a secondary thing - important, and even adorable - but this was more Mallory's story than it was Mallory and Liam's. And it really was a good one, even if it had a little trouble staying on course at times.

It is...the most boring blog in the world

It took me reading through my blog reading list this morning for me to finally realize it.

Why only a few follow it, or the FB page, or the Twitter feed.

I seriously have....the most boring blog in the world.

You know. Sort of the exact opposite of this guy ---->



I don't do a lot of memes. I don't do cover reveals, I don't get books in the mail or ARCs, no blog tours or interviews. I don't host character inverviews, or guests posts.



I read books. Then I review them.


Snooze.





I'm actually pretty okay with this. I love reading and I'd read all the time if my family didn't believe that the second I open my Kindle is the precise moment that I'm NEEDED IMMEDIATELY. I've also found that I truly love writing about the books I read - the challenge of putting my thoughts into words, the Very Real challenge of keeping what I say restricted to thoughts about the books and characters - good and bad - and not a review that reads more like a summary.

I think the most fun I have is when I see a ton of pageviews go up for a book I found by accident - one I've never seen a ton of posts about/links to on Twitter/discussion topics on Goodreads. Especially if it's one I found and loved. If I can point someone else to a great story, one they might not have found without my boring little corner of the interwebs, It's a happy, happy day.

So for those reading this - thanks for stopping by and reading along.

From me to you...

Review: Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann

Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


It’s stupid to fall for your brother’s ex. It’s even worse to enlist another’s help to win the ex over. But Brody is desperate and Hayley, his partner in American Sign Language, is more than willing to lend him a few tips. 

She’s the school’s matchmaker,’ and with her bizarre and positive personality, Brody finds her easy to talk to, even about the most awkward situations. Hayley’s tips seem to be working, but as Brody learns more about his matchmaker, he starts finding reasons to spend time with her, and not the girl he thought he was in love with. 

But Hayley isn’t ready to fall for anyone. Labeled the “Funny Fat Friend” within her group, her self image makes it impossible for Brody to share his feelings without Hayley shrugging it off as a joke. 

Convincing her Brody can, and did, fall for the “Funny Fat Friend” turns out to be harder than simply falling in love.


My review:

I think it's happened to all of us. You see a book the Amazon recommendation carousel, the cover snags your eye, the title snags your attention, the synopsis looks good, and, what the hell, it's only $3 so why not?

Then you read it and you groan...knowing suddenly why.

Every now and then, though, you get one like Reasons. You can't put it down, you hate the 'falling asleep' feeling and fight to stay awake so you can keep reading, first thing you do on Sunday morning after checking email is coffee, Kindle, and the next thing you know you've lost three hours.



That's what happened for me with this book. I've spent, literally, all morning reading because I needed to get to the next reason.

For the purists out there, let me add a small codicil. This is not A Deep Meaningful Read. This isn't a Groundbreaking Emotional Study. This is a boy's story of how he fell in love. It's his story, it's told entirely in his voice, and with all the good and stupid boy thoughts mixed in.

Yes, I'm still laughing at him calling his room the "ass room" because it smells like ass. Mostly because this is what my 19 year old and I both call his. And it does. I should own stock in Febreeze by this point.

Back to the story. This beautiful, touching, funny story. I loved the way it was laid out. Because of the title, you expect the chapter titles - but when you finally find out the reason, they mean so much more. Especially when they finally come out in the story itself. One of my favorite scenes.

I loved that the characters weren't perfect - they made mistakes, made me want to reach into the pages and shake some sense in to them. I also loved that not everything was explained out (like Hayley's aversion to swearing) because that wasn't what was important to Brody. The why didn't matter, just that she had that aversion and he tried to stop. It's one of those things you suspect will be discussed later, or off screen if you prefer, but not a vital-to-the-story thing.

All in all, I got just what I wanted from this book - a pleasant surprise, a lovely story (and if we're honest, a written out fantasy for all the not-cute-and-skinny high school girls like me who were always playing wingman to their guy friends because they knew there wasn't any way the hot guy would ever be into them and covered that up with laughter.)

Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

My review:

This is where I breathe that happy exhale of a beautiful book, a wonderfully complete story....






...and then let lose a primal scream because I have to wait wait wait for the next one in the series.






November, I tell myself, I only have to hold on until November. I can do that.








Now...onto the review.

I'm usually pretty critical when I read and as I sit here I'm trying really hard to find something to comment on, something that felt off or didn't resonate with me.

I've pretty much got nothing.

One of the things I see authors fall down on, especially in multi-book series. I don't mean trilogies - that formula's pretty basic. Same with a continuing series (one of indeterminate length where each book is its own story.) The challenge is a series that's 5-6 books long. You have the 6-story plot arc *and* the book story arc - one needs to be furthered while still keeping some mystery, the other needs to have a beginning, middle and end.

For Indigo, there was also the third plot element - the relationship between Sidney and Adrian. It had to have some movement to keep the readers engaged, but too much resolution too soon can make the second have of the story lose its pull.

All three. Perfectly executed. Sidney's questions about the Alchemists (and Marcus), her own position within that community, her magical abilities, the subplots with Eddie, Jill, Angeline, and her relationships with her father, her sister and Adrian. This entire mix of plot elements were all woven together in a story that made me laugh, made me angry, and made me sigh.

It also made me nearly pickle myself in a hot bath so I could finish reading it undisturbed, but that's not important right now.

I desperately want to fangirl-gush, but I can't do that without spoilers. But the gushing. It would be like spring thaw in the Rockies and my fangirl is the runoff.

Then there's that lovely little wrench at the very end, but that was covered in the primal scream.

A definite reread for me. Several rereads. And about fifteen-twenty Kindle bookmarks.

Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Cast in point:

- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.


My review:

Meant to write this review last night, but the words were just not flowing.

Apparently, my writers block was short lived. I know the four people reading my reviews are relieved =)

This was one of the cutest stories I've read in a long time. It's not classic literature, it's not the next great American novel, and it's not breaking any new ground.

What it is, though, is a very enjoyable story of how first impressions can shape our relationships - both good and bad - and how sometimes we let those impressions get in the way of what might really be there waiting.

Elise was a joy of a character to read. I loved her sarcastic snap backs when answering questions, the elaborate stories she'd craft ("I'm not a miracle worker, man!") on the fly. I loved her relationship with her older sister...and seriously wanted to slap her other sister Layla.

Her parents were believably eccentric and odd, but they were consistent about it. The only thing that didn't seem to fit was the mother being all starstruck about Derek. For parents who wouldn't allow cell phones to be used in the house, and didn't want living in such a posh area to change them...she was practically crawling into limos and simpering to Derek.

I probably could have done a little less time with the beginning of the story, though, because I wanted the second half to go on a lot, lot longer.

Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Hysteria by Megan Miranda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

My review:

What did I just read?

That was my first reaction when I finished the book. I actually sat there, looking at the Acknowledgements page and couldn't pull the frown off my face.

Seriously, what did I just read?

I'll start by saying I loved her first book, Fracture. I loved it a lot. It was a little paranormal but mostly it was about coping, and about choices and the life you want to lead over the one people tell you that you should lead. It was funny in places, emotional, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.

Her second book...It was like she couldn't decide what she wanted it to be. Paranormal? Contemporary? Was the main love story between a girl and a guy or two girls? Was Mallory being haunted? Stalked? Terrorized? And if so, by whom?

I get that Mallory was traumatized by what happened the night she killed her boyfriend in self-defense. Who wouldn't be? I also get that the human brain is a complex organ and has an amazing ability to protect even as it tortures.

I also get that writers want to keep mystery in their stories - the constant "who done it" storyline that keeps the reader engaged, the fun little hints and red herrings all leading up to that big Ah Ha moment when the plot reaches its climax and everything comes together, memories are recovered and the resolution leads us off into the sunset.

I never got the feeling that we had that moment with this story because it was trying to be too many different things at once. It didn't even feel like plot and subplot. There were Mallory's memories of That Night, her experiences at night, her relationship with Colleen, the restraining order against Brian's mother, Reid, Krista and Crew, and then Jason. And to me - they didn't compliment each other. Instead, they tended to work against each other, especially at the end.

Was it worth the read? Definitely. And Reid is just lovely and constant and wonderful. But it was a bit of a letdown, too. I'm hoping that this was only sophomore novel syndrome and that she'll come back with a third that's stronger.

Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker-and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she's traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude- and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan's attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood.


My review:

After my boneheaded move of returning this book to the library before I was finished, I hit the top of the hold list yesterday and was finally able to finish it off.

A rarity for me, I know, being an adult book rather than my usual YA, but I love vampires and I love Chicago. How could I not? Besides, I can get it at the library and not pay the outrageous Penguin Price. Win win all around.

Overall, it was a pretty strong story. Strong enough that even after a week's break from it, I was able to pick it right back up again without missing a beat. Considering the number of books I read, as well as the rest of the chaos in my life, online and AFK, that's saying something.

I like the worldbuilding in this one. Vampires out in the public eye, much of the Hollywood mythos (garlic, immediate death in sunlight, having to kill victims to feed) was discarded for this world. And it works to the book's advantage. One thing I love is the silvering of the eyes when they're angry or turned on. I dunno why, but I've always liked it when vampires have something other than a fanged response when they 'fang out' as it were.

I did like Merit as a heroine - drawn into this life utterly against her will but rather than bemoaning it forever, she took it, owned it, and made it her own. I especially loved when she kept showing up to Cadogan house in jeans despite their penchant for more formal attire. And I've gotta say it, I loved it when she decided to rock the leather.

I loved the secondary characters that populate the world, too. Merit's best friend is a stitch and I loved how 'omg so awesome' she was about Merit's turning and the way she kept Merit from going all morose about it with the jokes. Merit's grandfather was, of course, utterly lovely.

Since this is a continuing series (rather than a finite one), I knew nothing would come of the sparks between Merit and Ethan, though I wasn't quite prepared for the way that was knocked home in the scene with Amber. (Also, yeah, quite a rude awakening after so long reading YA...)

One thing I didn't really care for was the semi-contrived way she guaranteed there would be a triangle-like element to the series with the "boon" granted during what was, in every other way, a completely kick-ass scene for Merit.

I'm not going to jump right into the next book, but I will probably read more of them.

Review: Meridian by Amber Kizer

Meridian by Amber Kizer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain. 

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra—the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.


My review:

I was all set to start another book when I got the email from the library that my hold was ready for Meridian. I didn't remember putting the hold, but I scanned the synopsis and hit the download. The other book wasn't going anywhere...so I gave it a shot.


And was promptly hooked like a trout. To the point I was up until 3 am finishing it. I tried to go to sleep at around 1am (60% finished). Ten minutes later, my Kindle was open again.

I've had iffy luck with angel stories. There are the good (Unearthly series) and the bad (Fallen series) and several that fall somewhere in the middle. If the first book in the Fenestra series is any indication, this one's going to stay closer to the Unearthly side of that scale.

Meridian is an engaging and very real character. She's not perfect by any stretch. She's got her flaws, her whiny teenager I-didn't-choose-this-I-don't-want-it moments, and a touch of stubborn for good measure. But beneath that is a girl whose been ripped unceremoniously from her life, her family, and is suddenly thrust into a life that centers on what most people shy away from. Death.

One of the things that pulled me in was the way the author frames these half-angels and their reason for existence. The window between this world and the afterlife, the quilts Auntie makes in memory of those she's helped pass through. Meridian's heartbreak over trying to learn how to use her ability tugged at my heartstrings and brought tears to my eyes.

Tens is also everything a leading man should be. A little mysterious, a whole lot standoffish, but always hovering just on the edges to be there if needed. It took me getting further into the story before I realized the reasons behind his reticence. One it was revealed, though, I understood. And it rose him several levels in my estimation.

There's also a slightly dystopian edge to this surrounding the dark presence in Auntie, Tens and Meridian's life. The Pastor and his followers are frightening not only for what they do, but also for how easily such a situation could actually happen.

This is an emotional story in all the best ways. There is enough humor to balance out the sadness, a plot that pulls you in, a twist or two that pull in a few gasps, and a love that will warm your heart even when its fresh from breaking.