Review of FRIEND-ZONED by Belle Aurora

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Nikolai Leokov never thought he'd fall in love with the only girl he's ever befriended. 

Valentina Tomic has issues with commitment after the ultimate betrayal. 

When Tina decides to make broody Nik's day better, she never thought she would end up friends with the hard man. 

Nik has never had a woman be so affectionate to him without expecting something in return. 

Nik and Tina cordially invite you to read Friend-zoned. 

A story of friendship, humour and love.

The way I read it ~


Where do I even begin.......



Friend-zoned is a story about a girl. A girl who is intrigued by a boy. The boy doesn't kiss, doesn't do relationships and doesn't do long term. The girl has a tortured past, full of hurt and disappointments. The boy is all macho and full of 'dimpled charm'. The girl decides to friend-zone the boy. 

All cool right? WRONG! 

Boy and girl soon realize that they're attracted to each other and then begins the "I want you but I'm not sure if I can love you because we are friend-zoned and that means we can't be more than friends so we should just hang out and have lunch every other day until our hormones overload and we kiss and realize the friend zone is full of crap" tango. 

They dance, they twirl, I get bored. 

I had such high hopes for this one....



The romance of it was sweet. There were some touching moments thrown in for measure and lots of baking. The steamy parts were steamy, the happy parts were happy, the annoying parts were definitely annoying. 

I abhorred the misuse of words. Sometimes it's forgivable, but this time...there shouldn't be confused with they're!



Yes, exactly!

I could go on but it all left me with a migraine....



I am utterly disappointed...



Made it such a task to take it all seriously. The characterization of the main characters confused me. I couldn't connect. The plot started off with a little intrigue, then it got a little interesting but then I got more and more annoyed. What was up with all the corny phrases anyway? 

Crudsickles!
By the beard of Zeus!
Heaven to glory
Craptastic!
Jiminy Crickets!

???



I could go on, but...




....moving on.

RATED BITTER: 2 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of JUST A KISS by Ally Broadfield

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Charlotte Lightwood has one season to find a husband or she'll be forced to marry her guardian's loathsome cousin. With no title or dowry, she doesn't have much hope of making a good match. Sebastian Wilkinson, the Earl of Marley, has been the most eligible bachelor on the marriage mart for more years than he cares to count and is very aware of his duty to marry a woman who will add to the wealth and stature of his title. Sebastian makes Charlotte an offer she can't refuse: he will pretend to court her to help her attract more suitors in exchange for her advice about which ladies he should pursue. As they work together, their mutual attraction grows. When they realize they just might be perfect for one another, they must decide whether to bow to the dictates of society or follow their hearts.

The way I read it ~

I love it when an awesome piece of writing falls into my lap.



I adored this story. It was simply...



It was full of wit and humor, with those tiny bits of dry sarcasm that only the English gentry can truly convey with accuracy. It was a truly delicious read. I love when writing is flawless and grammatically correct. The twist of words got me excited to read further. I've always been a fan of historical romantic fiction and I love when it comes together so eloquently. And there was a touch of softness that lent to the tender moments between the main protagonists. I think Sebastian and Charlotte were perfectly matched in their personalities. It’s always fun to read when you know the two main characters are perfect for each other and they are the very last to realize. 

So achingly frustrating. 

Horace was perfectly repulsive and he aided in most of my mirth. I shuddered every time his name was mentioned and wondered what depravity he was going to display next. I love, loved that last scene! Elizabeth, I just wanted to throttle. There is always the character that inspires you wish them bodily harm. I was appalled at the things she’d say to Charlotte. Urgh! The woman had nerve. Sebastian was sweetly sexy. He had wealth but wasn't self absorbed and arrogant. I loved him from the instant his grandmother hit him with her fan. He exuded charm but wasn't cocky with it and I got that right off from the start. He wasn't even all ‘angry-possessive-alpha-male’, which I fully expected but was pleasantly surprised to find that he wasn't. Lady Marley was simply entertaining and I knew she was up to something!

I got completely wrapped up in this world. Some of it was predictable, old fashioned historical romance. But I did not mind at all. I was rooting for a good ending and it wasn't. It was steamy, sultry and ‘hawt’ but at exactly the perfect time for it. It was great!

All these intense feelings are a testament to great writing. I think the author Ally Broadfield did a splendid job of balancing the historical factor, yet I detected a touch of contemporary influence? These characters could have existed in a modern setting and the story still would have worked. 

My one complaint, which really is a futile one, is that it was too short. It was just enough yet by the time I got to the ending, I wanted a couple more chapters. Confusing, yeah? But there it is. 

It’s been ages since I've read a really good story in the genre. I took a chance with one just previously and came out very satisfied. And here is that satisfaction once again. Happy as a clam. My foray into a previously dormant, historical romantic wonderment has been attempted and I consider it a resounding success. 



My proverbial historic cherry has been re-popped. Now, I want more.

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ARC received from the Publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

Rated Too Sweet: 5 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of TEASE by Amanda Maciel

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

From debut author Amanda Maciel comes a provocative and unforgettable novel, inspired by real-life incidents, about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.

Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

With its powerful narrative, unconventional point of view, and strong anti-bullying theme, this coming-of-age story offers smart, insightful, and nuanced views on high school society, toxic friendships, and family relationships.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.

The way I read it ~

I feel like sratching my eyes out……

If this is what it’s like inside the mind of a teenager these days, well goodbye eyeballs. It was nice knowing you.

The story is being told through the eyes and mind of Sara, caught in the aftermath of the suicide of Emma, a girl she has been accused of bull

ying. Sara is best friend to Brielle, the head of their clique and spokesperson for the mean girls ‘r’ us (not really). To have the story told through Sara’s perspective was both interesting and refreshing. Granted that I loved that aspect, I didn't connect to Sara. I didn't feel either sorry for or angry with her. I was mostly dispassionate. And irritated. She wasn't apologetic for the actions she’s accused of and I understood that because I got that she felt justified in what she was doing. She felt wronged and her actions toward Emma were in retaliation due to hurt feelings (instigated at times by Brielle, the best friend). And as a teenager, hurt feelings powers practically ninety percent of brain function. So retaliation was in the form of petty pranks and a lot of name calling, mainly ‘slut’. Sara came across as insecure. It seemed to me that her world revolved around ‘everything Brielle’. Every thought that came out of Sara had roots to Brielle by way of something Brielle had said, thought or done. It was very tiring to read. Seemed like the story was leading me around in circles and all I wanted was to get off the merry go round before I puked. Not to mention the ‘like’ factor. Like, I got really, really, tired of it, like really.

That being said, the underlying message I got from Tease was the seriousness of bullying. How latent it might seem in general to other teenage issues. How secretive that insiders’ world is. How isolated the recipients can feel. How sometimes unrepentant the perpetrators can be and how unprepared some people are when faced with the gravity of it all. It is very serious and very real. The author did a good job of highlighting this certainly, but for me it was overshadowed by the utter drag of Sara’s thought process. Yes, I got that Sara is young and not worldly, how can one be at sixteen/seventeen. I absolutely got that. But Sara needed to grow a back bone. Sara needed a new best friend. Sara needed to wake up and smell the reality. This only shows, to me at least, how shallow and self absorbed teens of this era can be and establishes the fact that repentance is sometimes too late.

Anyways, I think readers will either love it or hate it. Tease balanced that very fine line and it could surprise a few people, infuriate others and maybe even intrigue most.

I’d recommend it, just on the basis of experiencing something new.


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ARC received from the Publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

Rated Bitter: 2 out of 5 Sugar cubes

                                                                                   Review by Leelo

Review of NOT A DROP TO DRINK by Mindy McGinnis

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all. Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand. But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

The way I read it ~

I've mulled it over for days, thinking about how to review this book. It left me with a weird taste in my mouth. Not necessarily a bad one, but very weird. Like I wanted more but was cautious about having more. Like a sweet treat that you know will give you cavities and yet you know without a doubt that you will delight in every single, sweet morsel even as your teeth fall out.

The story begins with the introduction of Mother and Lynn who live in a world lacking in sufficient fresh water and where such water is coveted and killed for. The setting seemed brutal to me. Brutal and bleak. Very 'western desert'. Mother is a force to be reckoned with. She raised her daughter with a firm hand, teaching her from very young that it is better to kill before being killed for the water you have. It was a very distrusting upbringing that led to a solitary sort of existence centered around protecting the one source of water, the pond. They had to fight against strangers who ventured too close to their property and even with very determined coyotes. And the descriptive writing of Mindy McGinnis brought it to life for me. I cringed and closed my eyes at those moments. It was very real to me and I connected with Lynn through every bit of it.

Her journey from being self sufficient and yet dependent on Mother to being self sufficient but caring for strangers. It was exciting to watch her evolve in that way. She began to react to situations with her heart too and not just with her brain as Mother had taught her. Her suspicious nature blossomed really beautifully into a loving one. Though it was clear she didn't know what to do with that softer emotion because it was so foreign to her. There was a fear of the unknown that Lynn had to face and this was enhanced by her lack of social etiquette and understanding of tenderness. But she never lost her edge. Nope. She was sharp and calculating and I called her a 'badass chick' a few times and the name stuck. She was not one to be trifled with. She held her ground on what mattered to her; protecting her home and her water, while realizing that Mother didn't have all the answers. She realized that there was more to her world than just defending her pond. 

The supporting characters of Stebbs, Eli, Lucy and Neva were enjoyable when they first interact with Lynn and eventually as they helped shape her new perspective on the world. The threat of incessant danger was always there looming in the background. I think Mindy McGinnis did an amazing job of tempering that, making the evolution of the story and the revelation of the ending very exciting. I kept waiting for the danger to pounce. Was thrilled when it did. It was exhilarating to read. It was also unexpected, the twists and turns I was led through. I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did.

I had read no reviews that could tarnish my initial interest. I was glad I didn't. The story felt fresh and exciting. I definitely want to read the next chapter In a Handful of Dust.

P.S. I heart the cover.

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned-to her old life, her family, her boyfriend-before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance-and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

The way I read it ~

This was a challenging read for me. I dove in, expecting not to like it and almost six days later I have surfaced, realizing that I surprisingly did. It was one of those reads that tug you along and you're not quite aware of the initial pull till its too late. My spidey-book sense tingled viciously and I found myself engrossed in a story that was weirdly interesting and interestingly weird. Needless to say this weird child was perfectly happy about it.

Cole was an enigma. I couldn't figure out if he was good or bad. Which tickled me incessantly. You never really learned much about him. And even when  his ulterior motive was revealed, and mind you that motive was totally self serving, I didn't dislike him. But I didn't love him. I think I couldn't quite make up my mind if he was the hero or the villain because this book doesn't warrant enough time for that kind of revelation. I get the feeling there's much more to Cole. I'm excited to find out what.

Nikki was just depressing. At times I felt I could reach in and give her a swift kick in the butt. It was becoming annoying and it was enough to make me not want to read on. I definitely felt that 'doom and gloom' about her and I couldn't quite shake it. Until Jack came along. He was like a light at the end of the Tunnels (insider's joke). It was only then that I started to like Nikki. Jack seemed to balance her out in a way that gave the story hope and not make me want to bang my head against concrete. They had obstacles to overcome, what with Nikki's disappearance and then her Return. It was heart warming to read about them finding their way back to each other. It was sweet. And the poking and prodding of Cole added that next level of angst that was utterly delicious. Two guys in love with the same girl? An old story that tends to get boring as it is over used, but I didn't mind it one bit here.

That ending? Urgh! Poignant and oh, so predictable. But... I LOVED IT! I'm curious to read Part 2 Everbound.

Very, very curious.



....moving on.

RATED  JUST RIGHT: 3 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE DUKE'S SHOTGUN WEDDING by Stacy Reid

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Victorian Era England...

 As far as rash decisions go, it was formidable. But Lady Jocelyn Rathbourne's will remains strong. If the only way to save her family's estate and reputation is by aiming a small pistol at the Duke of Calydon, then so be it. For Lady Jocelyn demands satisfaction - and she will have it at any cost. Even if it means demanding the hand of the intense and foreboding Duke himself... But she's made the first move against a very dangerous opponent... For Sebastian Thornton is no stripling to be trifled with. The lady has played her hand. Now it's his turn. For Sebastian is in need of a wife. And to find a wife with spirit and fire - even if she means to only marry for his money - would be a great prize indeed. And he intends to thoroughly take his pleasure with her... and demands his own satisfaction in return.

The way I read it ~

I would have loved more of this story. I felt it wasn't enough. I craved the opportunity to delve deeper into the personalities of Sebastian and Jocelyn. It all felt like a tiny morsel that was neither thoroughly satisfying or enjoyable but was quickly snatched away and hidden in some far off dark corner. I simply wanted MORE. MOOOOOOOOORE!!!!

I think because of the length (too short) of the story, the drama kicked in from the instant the first page was turned. There was no gentle nudge of polite introduction, no perfunctory drivel. I was smacked straight into the drama. And by drama (in pure historical romantic fashion) I mean: Wronged Lady points loaded gun at rakish yet devastatingly handsome and cynical Duke. I knew I'd love it. That was a given. What I didn't expect was the delight of getting to know the main characters better being denied. Nevertheless There were things I enjoyed.

Sebastian and Jocelyn's first meeting was sizzling. I love when the women are fiery and rebellious and the men are dauntingly distrusting and hot blooded. Yikes! I did fan myself a few times. And the other times when I forgot to, this happened...

I did like the witty comebacks from Jocelyn and the fact that she didn't' cower when Sebastian went all I-am-your-husband-and-you-will-obey-me, angry male dominant on her. I would have loved to read more of their initial wedded 'bliss' but that part felt rushed through and I barely got to digest. I have a case of heartburn now.

What didn't I like? Jocelyn was infuriating at certain points where I even yelled at her "What is wrong with you woman?!" The flip side of her fiery temper was the crazed young whip appeal as I called it. Like she had moments when a split personalty would come out. Sebastian was the Lord of Over Reactions. He would get upset so easily and totally dismiss Jocelyn's pleas with such finality that had me reeling and calling him a bastard. The severity of all this was even more apparent because the story was too short! I needed back story, scene lead-ups and more in-depth introduction of the support characters. They kind of just floated in and out of Sebastian-Jocelyn orbit. 

I will say though, that the writing was spot on. I pretty much pictured Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy so kudos to Stacy Reid I'm such a fan that I incompletely fell into the story. I even read in a English accent. (not totally weird) 

This was a fun, albeit fast read. But lots of fun.

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ARC received from the Publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of PANIC by Lauren Oliver

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

The way I read it ~

DNF @ 55%

I expected to blaze a hot trail with this one but all I ended up with was a whole lot of...



and...

The story didn't pull me in. Lauren Oliver's writing wasn't lacking per say, I simply wasn't engaged and by the time I got to where I last read, I was neither excited nor curious. The characters felt very boring to me. Boring and fickle. I didn't connect with their fears, their anguish or their romantic inclinations. Even though the blurb did a good job of piquing my interest, I found there was no foundation to the first part that drove character emotion to carry through to the second half. I love Lauren Oliver's work but maybe it was the contemporary setting of Panic that did nothing for me. I felt like I'd read this story before. Girl has issues. Boy pines for girl. Tragic family past. Secrets that come between friendships. Yada yada yada.

She spoiled me with Delirium. Yes, she did.  

She spoiled me.

I must add that I adore Lauren Oliver's writing. However this one in particular just wasn't my cup of tea.

.....moving on.

RATED BLAND: 1 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE CHAOS OF STARS by Kiersten White

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Isadora's family is seriously screwed up—which comes with the territory when you're the human daughter of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris. Isadora is tired of her immortal relatives and their ancient mythological drama, so when she gets the chance to move to California with her brother, she jumps on it. But her new life comes with plenty of its own dramatic—and dangerous—complications . . . and Isadora quickly learns there's no such thing as a clean break from family.









The way I read it ~


Two sentences. 

Six words.




One sugar cube.

For the potential that could have been.


....moving on.

RATED BLAND: 1 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo