Review of THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS (Fire & Thorns #1) by Rae Carson

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do.

The way I read it ~

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a coming of age story for Elisa. She's the second daughter of a King and feels like she isn't worthy of anything spectacular or can accomplish anything of great importance but she's so endearing in her doubt and lack of self confidence that I couldn't help empathize with her. She doesn't consider herself beautiful and was extremely jealous of her sister Alodia's natural grace or what she perceives as natural. I never really got to understand Alodia's character and at first instance (she was barely in the story) I detested her because she seemed callous and uncaring towards Elisa. But in retrospect, maybe that was older sibling tough love. And maybe Elisa needed it to become who she was by the end of the story. What Elisa did have going for her was her intelligence and her devout faith. If nothing else this fueled her emotions and guided her instincts, which could have led her all over the place.

Elisa finds herself thrust into a new life. She's married off unexpectedly and quite urgently to a man she doesn't know and has never met and moves to a new place where nothing and no one is who they seem. So of course she can't trust anyone and mostly,I think she couldn't trust herself to survive it. All of that drama is centered around the Secret! she holds and if it is revealed she's in mortal danger. 

I truly began to enjoy the characters by the second half. I think I didn't know what to make of them or if to like any of them. I loved the progression of the story. As Elisa matured and came into her own, the scenery of the books changed with her. I clearly saw the evolution although there were one or two slumps in the story telling that I couldn't ignore and frustrated me to no end. I almost didn't finish the book. But I did. Why?

My Spidey-book sense.

It tingled along with my frustration because I knew there was more to the story and with two sequels, I was inevitably intrigued. Ultimately that is my downfall. Intrigue me enough Authors and I will read on!

I'm looking forward to the rest of this tale. It's without a doubt unlike anything I've ever read and maybe it isn't like most other fantasy books out there... Maybe (as I haven't read them all).

I like it. I like it a lot.

Oh and before I go... there was one part. 

This part totally sucker-punched me. I couldn't breathe. I choked on my rage.


Why Rae Carson, Why?!!! 

But then I really noticed 'dreamboat'.

You. Are. Forgiven.

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE SUM OF ALL KISSES by Julia Quinn

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide. But forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, and four, the mathematician may lose count, and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless ...

The way I read it ~

The Sum of All Kisses turned out really to be 'The Sum of various sarcastically flirtatious conversations that had absolutely nothing to do with kissing till almost to the end of the story'



I kept waiting for the kissing.  And waiting and waiting.....




Till finally they kissed....





Which made up for the long wait.



I loved all the witty banter between Hugh and Sarah. Neither character was what I expected them be. Which was delightfully surprising. 

I fully expected the surly 'I always get what I want, when I want and I want it now' British Lord. But Hugh was intense yes, though in a laid back, sarcastically flippant and funny way. Outrageously funny. Outrageously daring. So naughty.

Sarah was very opinionated yet still naive in most ways common to gentlewomen of her time. She was sassy but never too outspoken to be considered rude or impolite. I disliked her at first and found it difficult to sympathize with her. She was borderline inconsiderate with her choice of words and overly dramatic, yes definitely. But her personality altered and developed as the story progressed and through it all, her penchant for sarcasm was such a force to be reckoned with. 

And in that Hugh sure did reckon with it. 



They were characters who were both very sure of themselves (even though at times I felt, not very aware of themselves) , what they said and how they said it. Which was probably why they butted heads and totally disliked each other instantly.

Which all translated to me as



The writing was marvelously done. I loved how Julia Quinn kept it light and engaging. I rather enjoyed The 17th/18th century slang, once I allowed myself to swim with the words rather than against them. I learnt a few new ones here. It was great! 

And yes I totally read with an English Accent.

A point to consider:
This is the third in a quartet. You will meet characters who've had their own stories told. But I didn't feel like I missed anything in reading this first. All characters were given their due entrance and part in the story line and it may make you curious. The Sum of All Kisses can absolutely be read as a stand-alone though feel free to read in order. I simply 'happened upon' this one and didn't read the blurb.

Sometimes it works out best that way, makes the journey that much more intriguing. 

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of FURY by Charlotte Mc Conaghy

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes up naked and covered in blood on the same day every year-when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"-an immunization against anger mandated by the government-and believes herself to be a threat to others. 

Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different than the other "drones"-and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon. 

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of? 

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity. 

The way I read it ~

Sooooo many unanswered questions.



Took me a while (3 months) to hash out this review with my over-active brain, my all too deceiving curiosity and my unhinged spidey-book sense.

Fury, for me, was a bundle of unnerving sequences that left me floored, flabbergasted and feeling outright weird.



I read Josephine as strong willed but she's ultimately a tortured soul, defeated and torn by her 'circumstance'. I loved her deadpan sarcasm (I'm a total sucker for it) and her unwavering resolve (though it did annoy me when it made her seem obtuse). She was all alone in the world midst her terrifying reality till she meets Luke. 

Luke. Can I tell you about Luke?



Yeah... Luke was a picker-upper for me. He walked in like the blazing hero to swoop and conquer the heroine and set her ovaries on fire.

Well not really. But I'll just go back to my previous point...



Luke was a steady force that Josephine could not resist. He was kind and compassionate, strong willed and sweet. He was the screw driver to all Josephine's loose screws, as I like to put it.



Their romance (If I dare call it that. It was so twisted and complicated it probably isn't) was well spaced and played out. I truly felt heartbroken for them. I hoped for a bright and shiny ending for these two love birds but noooooooo. No brightness, no shine and no way it will end well, or at the very least get better before it ends in total catastrophe.

I will say I am intrigued by the whole premise of this world, where emotions are 'erased'. This story was full of suspense, mystery and weirdness. There was a bit of horror which scared and delighted me in equal measure. And as I said before, it left off with a ton of unanswered questions and wonderful possibilities. 

I feel irked. 

But I also feel excited as I contemplate where the story will continue. I'm eager for more of this dark, twisty tale.

And this feeling usually gets me into good trouble.

Here's hoping...

**************************************
Received from Publisher via NetGalley

RATED TOO SWEET: 5 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo