Review: The Girlfriend Request by Jodie Andrefski

Title: The Girlfriend Request

Author: Jodie Andrefski

Series: N/A

Publisher: Entangled: Crush

Publication date: January 11th 2016

Format: Kindle | 267 pages

Genre: YA | Contemporary | Romance

Goodreads

Updating best friend to girlfriend is more than a change of status...

Emma has been best friends with Eli since she moved to his neighborhood ten years ago. Tired of being cast in the role of the girl next door, Emma creates a fake Facebook profile in the hopes of starting an online friendship with Eli, which would hopefully lead to more. Like...way more. From friend request to In a Relationship--it all seemed so completely logical when she'd planned it.

Eli can't figure out what Emma is up to. He’s pretty sure she's the one behind the Facebook profile, but then again, why would she do something so drastic instead of just admitting she wants to be more than friends? And who the heck is this new guy he saw her with? Eli starts to think that just maybe...he missed his chance with the girl next door.

Two best friends, one outlandish ruse. Their status is about to become way more than It’s Complicated...
This Entangled Teen Crush book contains one fake Facebook profile, two best friends who secretly crave each other, and a dreaded sex talk with parents...boy crush in the room included. Pushing a relationship beyond the friend zone has never been so crazy...

My thoughts:

I always pick up books like this and end up saying exactly the same things about them. I don't know why I bother sometimes, but for some reason, silly little cliched romances are my 'in-between books' kind of reads. They always put me in a good mood even if I know what's going to happen and the cliches are enough to get anyone rolling their eyes. I think it mostly boils down to not taking them seriously and just going with it. Pretend to live in a world where best friends always fall in love in the cutest way and nothing serious ever happens. Life is so much less complicated. At least for a few hours until you're at the last page and reality checks right back in.

This read was pretty much the same deal as other feel good reads. There's a girl, who's best friends with a guy, she falls for said guy, and tries weird ways to get him to notice her as more than a friend without telling him directly. The only difference with this one was the guy notices and figures it out straight away. I appreciated that too because what best friend wouldn't notice something was going on?

I liked Eli and Emma. They worked as friends and they worked as a couple. Emma was a sweet girl and Eli was so cute - if he was real, I would pinch his cheeks. Don't judge me.

This read was still totally predictable and it was still chocked full of cliches, right up until the very end. But all that aside, it was a sweet, cutesy and quick read that I enjoyed.

I will say Emma got a little annoying towards the middle of the read. She had so many signs that I think anybody in reality would notice - like you would notice a big red flag in front of your face right? Emma was just a teensy bit of an idiot for not going for it at that point. But whatever.

All in all I liked this read for what it is. It's not an emotional roller coaster - it won't make you cry and it probably won't even make you laugh but it's nice for just getting away from reality for a little while and that's what reading is all about.

My rating: 6/10

Jodie Andrefski:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

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Review: Of Light and Darkness by Shayne Leighton

Title: Of Light and Darkness

Author: Shayne Leighton

Series: Of Light and Darkness #1

Publisher: CreateSpace

Publication date: January 11th

Format: ebook 

Genre: NA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Raised by a Vampire in a secret society of Witches, Shifters, and Elves, Charlotte finds that she is the freak in her world of magic and wonder. When she stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of survival in this coming-of-age modern fairy tale is slim, resulting in a war between light and darkness.

Charlotte knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches draw spells of enchantment, Shifters throw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin.

As genocide and war threatens her life and her home, Charlotte will not allow her one true love to be destroyed. Fighting for her adopted coven of rogue monsters, she will do whatever it takes to save them...and she'll do it before the sun comes up and light takes over forever!

 

 

My thoughts:

There are hardly any reads - new or otherwise - that feature vampires that actually act like vampires. Traditionally they're set in gothic sort of settings and their stories are dark and gloomy. I feel like they've been changed so much over time that they shouldn't even be called vampires. It's the same with any paranormal creature. I love, love, love finding different books where the vampires, werewolves, witches, elves, fairies e.t.c don't just behave like humans with a little bit extra. It's rare you find something where the werewolves are actually dangerous and vampire drinking blood is a big deal. It's always romance where the love interest just happens to turn into a wolf once a month or just happens to like being nocturnal but it's whatever babe, you're still basically normal.

With that little rant over, my point is, Valek acts like a vampire. Right from the beginning there was the perfect feel of dark and creepy where a vampire works best. He misses the sun, he's dead during the day and drinking blood is not something he likes being a public show. It's not pretty sparkles but a little grim and that's the way I like it.

I liked the characters in this read. I took to Valek straight away, but Charlotte took a while. I don't do well with female characters who mostly think or focus on their love interest right from the beginning. What I mean is, before getting to know Charlotte and her personality, I was bombarded with her love interest and how amazing he is and how she longs for him. It was a little too much, especially for the beginning of a book. It changed when the plot started to get going and Charlotte soon came across as a strong-willed and smart girl. 

The plot was great. Like I said, the dark and broody type settings were a refreshing touch and the fact that all these paranormal creatures were together in one place gave me plenty to keep me interested. I will say though, I think the world this book is set in could be explained in a little more depth. I was a little overwhelmed at times and a little background information would have gone a long way.

 

All in all I liked this read. It was good to get away from the usual vampire romances and get some 'Dracula' type stuff going. This book features great writing, decent characters and plenty of action - if anything, pick it up to forget the wimpy vampires and get some super dark vampire action. 

 

My rating: 7/10

 

 

Shayne Leighton:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter

 

Of Light and Darkness:

1. Of Light and Darkness
2. Of Blood and Magic
3. The Vampire's Hourglass

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Review: Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake

Title: Thief of Lies

Author: Brenda Drake

Series: Library Jumpers #1

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication date: January 5, 2016

Format: Kindle | 400 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy 

Goodreads

 Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels - magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books - rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren't busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

My thoughts:

This was, I'm sorry to say, not a great read to start off the year with. I had so many problems with it, I can't even remember what I liked about it.

What I didn't like about this read ended up coming together into this convoluted mess where I started to hate any and all the characters and whatever was going on made no sense to me. It became so tedious to read and that, in turn, frustrated me to no end so it was just a cycle of generally not enjoying myself.

I will say, at the beginning, I liked the characters. I liked the relationships they had going and I liked all the different personalities going on. Arik in particular.

I think where it started to go downhill for me was when I noticed this repitition of the characters doing the same thing and generally having the same conversations. Not just in the sense that they would go to the same places over and over again but in the sense that every single supporting character was in some kind of romantic relationship. Why? There were a lot of characters to be paired up. So throughout the read there was no end to the protagonist noticing how other characters felt about each other, being curious about it, and asking if that's the case. Like 500 times. Not really, but it felt like it after a while.

The pacing was also a big problem for me. As in, there was none. So much happens in this book that I couldn't keep up and got so confused. It made everything seem so muddled and of course that caused me to see the characters as unbelievable and unrelatable since I was so confused but they were taking stuff all in their stride.

It might have been me, but the world this book was set in wasn't clear enough. I was fine at the beginning, but when things started happening too quickly I felt like a runner who'd been left behind after tripping up. I was just watching everything else race ahead of me. Everything going on was meant to be exciting! There was action - fighting sequences left and right, magic training, people being kidnapped and endless romances. The pacing of this read killed all of it. By the way, pair all that with the introduction of a love triangle. No thanks.

I genuinely feel this book needed to be cut in half. I can even imagine at what point in the story it would have been perfect to end it at. Everything could have happened at a slower, more relative pace and I most likely wouldn't have had anywhere near as much of a problem as I did.

All in all this was a disappointing read that had a lot of potential. The original aspect of 'library jumpers' held no excitement when I could see no end in sight to the story.

My rating: 4/10

Brenda Drake:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Review: Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Spell Bound

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Series: Women of the Otherworld #12

Publisher: Orbit

Publication date: 26 Jun 2012

Format: Paperback | 352 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Goodreads

Savannah Levine is in danger. That's not usually a problem. But, caught in the grip of a disturbing and violent murder case, Savannah swore to give up her unique gifts if it would save an innocent young girl. Little did she know that someone - or something - was listening… Now she has no idea how to restore her powers, just when she needs them the most.

In this compelling, fast-paced new thriller. Savannah has to face a host of deadly enemies bent on destroying not only her but the very fabric of the supernatural world. As dark forces gather, Savannah isn't just fighting for her life, but for everything and everyone she loves.

My thoughts:

Spell Bound picks up where Waking the Witch left off, Savannah realises she's lost her powers. As well as dealing with a witch hunter and a supernatural group hell bent on ruling the world and putting humans in their place, Savannah has to race to find out how to get her powers back before she puts everyone she loves in danger. Oh and Adam… FINALLY!

I loved this one. Savannah has finally come into her own as a character. All of her faults were made evident, some by herself and some through others saying so - she admitted to them and she tried her best to change them. She was made all the better for it and it was brilliant.

While this book did sometimes feel like a 'filler' book for the series, I loved the hints that the author gave of things to come. The last couple of books in the series have had a completely different feel to them in that you can tell things are coming to a close and there's going to be some kind of big fight or a war to round everything off. This book pretty much just made me very, very excited to read the last book in the series and I think that may have been the intended goal.

Overall there isn't really much to say about this one. It was a typical Armstrong novel with plenty of action and suspense but it had a new twist with more character development than a complex plot. That being said, the plot is most definitely going to carry on to the last book so I can't wait to see how it's resolved.

My rating: 9/10

Kelley Armstrong:

 

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

  Women of the Otherworld:

 

1. Bitten
2. Stolen
3. Dime Store Magic
4. Industrial Magic
5. Haunted
6. Broken
7. No Humans Involved
8. Personal Demon
9. Living with the Dead
10. Frostbitten
11. Waking the Witch
12. Spell Bound
13. Thirteen

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Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Title: Red Glove

Author: Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers #2

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication date: 16 Jun 2011

Format: Paperback | 272 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Curses and Cons

Magic and the Mob

In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, but now he knows the truth - he's the most powerful curse worker around. He can transform anything - or anyone - into something else. That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Now she's back, but she's been cursed to love him. If Lila's love is as false as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit him to help find the killer. But the mob wants Cassel too - they know how valuable he could be to them. He will have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. Where can he turn when he can't trust anyone - least of all, himself?

My thoughts:

After finding out he's one of the most powerful curse worker's around, Cassel Sharpe can't trust anyone to keep his secret and protect him from being exploited. A lot of people want him to work for them and will use any means to get it to happen - bribery, blackmail and even murder are all on the table where Cassel's involved. The only person he can really trust is himself.

I will say right off the bat that I didn't enjoy this read as much as the first one in the series. I didn't find it as thrilling simply because the element of surprise wasn't there to the same extent. I already knew what Cassel could do and what the rest of the characters curses are. It just wasn't the same.

Those elements were there on a smaller scale though. I liked the mystery involved in this one and how Cassel (or Holly Black I should say) kept the answer secret until the very end, even though he knew who the murderer was quite some time before it was revealed.

What takes the biscuit for me, in both this read and the previous one in the series, was how Cassel dealt with his problems in such a genius way. He waits until he has all the facts possible and then puts them together to plan a huge con. The cons are the best part of the book. When everything comes together and everyone plays their part - pure genius. It gives Cassel such depth and mystery that I can't help but want to get to know him more.

Overall I really liked this read and I can't wait to see more of Cassel and his brilliant ideas. I definitely recommend it.

My rating: 8/10

Holly Black:

Goodreads | Website | Livejournal | Twitter

 

Curse Workers:

1. White Cat
2. Red Glove
3. Black Heart 

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Review: The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

Title: The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss

Author: Max Wirestone

Series: N/A

Publisher: Redhook

Publication date: 10/20/2015

Format: Kindle | Netgalley | 320 pages

Genre: Humour | Mystery | Contemporary 

Goodreads

For fans of The Guild, New Girl, Scott Pilgrim, Big Bang Theory, Veronica Mars, or anyone who has ever geeked out about something.


The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1. But never tell her the odds.

Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change.

Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?).

Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.

 

 

My thoughts:

Well this was different.

I found myself drawn to this read purely based off the summary alone. The protagonist sounded quirky and after reading a book that made me sob for longer than I would have liked, I needed something to make me gigle. Well giggle I did…abundantly.

I liked this read, if only for the ridiculousness that is peppered throughout. Dahlia Moss is unemployed, broke and somehow has managed to become a fake detective. Her first case? Solve the mystery of the missing 'Bejewelled Spear of Infinite Piercing'. If she happens to come across the murderer of the owner of said spear then that's another problem solved in the many that complicate Dahlia's life.

 

Dahlia was funny. Her inner monologue always had me smiling and her interactions with other characters were the most awkward encounters that were filled with strange personalities and eccentricities. 

 

I loved how the plot led to the most bizarre mystery solving I've come across so far. It was hilarious how Dahlia figured things out almost by accident and how the other characters just stood by and accepted the fact that she's not actually a detective. It was as if everyone understood that she needed to do her thing and consequently ignored her most of the time. Hardly anyone gave up any information and Dahlia seemed to trip over most of the clues. It was hilarious. 

 

I have to say though, the number of characters involved in this book got me really confused. Add that to the fact that most of the characters have two names - one for real life and the other for an online username, it was a little too much. 

 

That also led me to not liking a number of characters. Some, I just felt there was no need for and some I just didn't get. Dahlia only had the one friend, her flatmate, in the beginning and then all of a sudden there's around a dozen more characters constantly around her. I didn't think there was a need for it.

 

I would have also have liked a little more depth when it came to Dahlia's personal life. I wanted more of Nathan and for that relationship to develop further past the funny, flirty couple of encounters. 

 

All in all I enjoyed this one. I would recommend it for a light hearted read to get you smiling after a bad day.

 

My rating: 7/10

 

Max Wirestone:

Goodreads | Twitter

 

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Review: Gambling on the Bodyguard by Sarah Ballance

Title: Gambling on the Bodyguard

Author: Sarah Ballance

Series: What Happens in Vegas #8

Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck

Publication date: October 12th 2015

Format: Kindle | Netgalley 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary Romance 

Goodreads

He’ll guard her body all night long…

Ski instructor Ellie Montgomery hits Vegas during a romance convention to meet the man of her dreams…only, the man of her dreams isn’t the cover model she’s there to see. He’s the hot-as-sin bodyguard who catches her sneaking in the back door of a meet-and-greet, and he seems more than ready to do what it takes to prove he’s twice the man her pretty boy crush could ever be. 

Jax Mathis couldn’t resist snagging a date with Ellie, but he didn’t count on the attraction being more than physical. They connect on a level he didn’t think possible—and he can’t run fast enough. She makes him want things he thought he’d never have, and maybe, just maybe, they’re within reach. But to have it, he’ll have to face the one mountain he swore he’d never climb...and with no guarantee she’ll be waiting on the other side.

 

 

My thoughts:

I don't really know what to say about this one other than that it was an okay read. It had enough to keep me interested but it wasn't something I would go back to again.

Ballance has a good writing style in my opinion. I enjoyed her writing and it really made the whole romance between the characters something special. It wasn't as simple as two characters making eye contact and then non stop gushing over how hot they both are. The romance meant something and it was believable.

Unfortunately that was where it ended for me. I just didn't understand the ending - it was so disappointing. The story takes place over a couple of days so the characters have no more than a full day and a half together - why did it end like that then? I won't say what happens, but trust me when I say if it ever happens to you…run the other way.

I get that it's a book. It's just a story. But why can't it just end in a way that makes sense with the addition of great writing that the author is capable of? It was like taking the whole book and flushing it down the toilet…not unlike Ellie's ticket in the beginning of the read.

If you enjoy cheesy romances just for a quick read with likeable, well done characters then I do recommend this one. Ballance has a lovely style of writing that makes this book better than most clichéd, fast romances.

My rating: 4/10

Sarah Ballance:

Goodreads | Website

What Happens in Vegas:

1. Tempting Her Best Friend by Gina L. Maxwell
2. The Makeover Mistake by Kathy Lyons
3. A Change of Plans by Robyn Thomas
4. Masquerading with the CEO by Dawn Chartier
5. Just One Reason by Brooklyn Skye
6. Tamed By The Outlaw by Michelle Sharp
7. Tempted by Mr. Write by Sara Hantz
8. Gambling on the Bodyguard by Sarah Ballance

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