Review: Her Wiccan, Wiccan Ways by Traci Hall

Her Wiccan, Wiccan Ways
Rhiannon Godfrey Book #1
Traci Hall
Samhain Publishing
December 1, 2008
Kindle edition

Rhiannon Godfrey is a psychic prodigy, but her parents don't see things her way. They think she needs a "normal" high school experience. She wants to stay in trendy Vegas. In the small farming town of Crystal Lake, being Wiccan doesn't exactly help the Godfreys blend in. Beyond angry, Rhiannon neglects to inform her parents the farmhouse they just bought is haunted. Instead, she decides to use the resident ghost to prove that she belongs back in Dr. Richards's Institute of Parapsychology. Not that dispelling ghosts is her area of expertise, but really, how hard can it be? And then there's Jared Roberts. Totally hot. For a cowboy, that is. Only problem? He comes with an evil twin sister, the shallow and popular Janet. Janet's only goal is to make Rhee's life miserable. So when she and her friends decide it's time for a little payback, Rhee goes to her mother's book of spells. Janet needs to be taught a lesson, and what harm can come from a few words? Just one little spell. - Goodreads.com

When I started this book I thought Rhiannon was a bit whiny and sulky but the further I read and learned more about her, I could understand where she was coming from attitude-wise.  She did feel like a very real person to me. Of course I'm fifteen years her senior so I felt like she was being immature but the 15 year old girl that lives inside my brain sympathized with her and could see why she felt animosity for being transplanted to someplace new. It's clear that Rhiannon felt safe and had a good thing going at the Institute.

I am not a follower of Wicca and am unfamiliar with the practices but it gave the story an interesting spin. Rhiannon is embarrassed by her family's beliefs and how they practice their religion. I'm sure that we can all related to being embarrassed by family members are some point in our lives. The paranormal/ghost aspect was very interesting. For me, it added creep factor without going overboard to the point that I needed a friend to go use the restroom, if you know what I mean, or sleep with the lights on.

Of course her issues with the girls at school and integrating into high school is typical for an outsider-trying-to-fit-in story. Rhiannon is determined and stubborn, sometimes to a fault and detriment to herself. She certainly is not a stranger to making bad decisions, that's for sure.

Overall, I was entertained and enjoyed the story. It didn't change my life or make me gush and bounce over the moon about it but that's okay. Not every book can be my absolute favorite and not every female protagonist is going to feel like my long lost best friend. It wouldn't be a book that I would suggest right off the bat if someone asked me for a recommendation. The following books in the series would make for interesting reads and I wouldn't be opposed to picking them up in the future for tickles and grins just to see where Rhiannon's story goes.

Review: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Waterfall (River of Time #1)
Lisa T. Bergren
David C. Cook, publisher
February 1, 2011
Amazon Kindle edition


In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another. –Goodreads.com

It has been a few weeks since I finished Waterfall and I am realizing now I should have written this review much sooner to capture the spirit of how I was feeling at the end of this book.  Can I just say I really, really, really want to know what happens next?!  There are two more published books in the series, Cascade & Torrent (which was just recently released) but I haven’t gotten a chance to purchase & read them as of yet.  However, I SO want to know what happens to Gabi & her sister.
With that being said, the Goodreads summary hits the high-lights of this book on the head: knights, swords, horses, armor…and Italian hotties.  I know my blog is fairly new but there are a few things I should share with you. I am a sucker for:

• Guys with accents
  
• Guys in armor
  
• Foreign settings
  
• Historical fiction

The list could go on and on and now with THAT being said… In both high school and college I studied Italian (although my grammar is still  rusty as heck) and even got to visit Italy.  This book reminded me of that so it immediately struck the right chord with me. I love Gabi’s thought process as she gets flung back into time.  She is worried about how to get back to her time, how to survive in a world without modern medicine, realizes how easy and what a blessing modern conveniences like indoor plumbing can be.  Gabi is a smart, considerate, and amazing protagonist.  She takes action and brings her modern knowledge into play to help those in need.  This girl is not going to sit demurely in the corner and let the boys fight her battles.  No, she is going to be right beside her new crush and his flirtatious best friend kicking butt and taking names.


The romance between Gabi and Marcello is not love-at-first-sight and I love that!  It was a slow build and felt so right.  It was courtly and chivalrous & *sighs* just perfect. 

There is a small undertone about religion but it did not interfere with the story.  However, religion was a very big part of the time period so it fit.  The time travel in the book isn’t quite explained.  It happens and you’re not sure of the “how” or the “why”.  BUT it isn’t confusing (for those of you that get worried when you hear the words “time” and “travel” put together).  However, I’m hoping that further into the story we will find out what mystical/magical happenstance brought Gabi & Lia back in time.

Was it a divine plan that took her and Lia back in time?
Will Gabi and Lia’s heroic efforts change the course of history?
What happens to Marcello & the rest of the characters at the end as well?

These are all things that we were left wondering but I’m hoping we’ll find out more in the next two books.  Head’s up: There is some Italian in the book but Ms. Bergren is very good about translating the phrases she uses. 

This book left me wanting but in a good way!  After reading this book, if you don’t want to travel to Italy or at least learn a few phrases of this romantic language, I’d be surprised.  This book screamed, “Marissa, READ ME!” and I am so very glad that I did.
I hope it will do the same for you!

Review: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Remembrance
Michelle Madow
Create Space
Kindle Edition, July 27, 2011

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie
Davenport has been reincarnated from
Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't
know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy. –Goodreads.com

First, let me tell you I enjoyed the book. Is it something that I will re-read? Probably not. While entertaining, I just didn’t fall in love with the story. I could identify and sympathize with the characters but it did not leave me wanting more of the story. For me, even if a book is a stand-alone novel, I still want to be left wanting more or thinking about what happened in the “happily-ever-after” and this time around I was okay with where the story ended.

After reading the summary from Goodreads, I thought it was going to be another retelling of Pride & Prejudice; it was and then again it wasn’t. If you read this expecting Lizzie and Drew to mirror Elizabeth Bennett & Fitzgerald Darcy exactly, you might be surprised. Yes, there are extreme similarities, but Lizzie & Drew are very far form their counterparts.

The love at first sight that happens is easily explained by the use of reincarnation which is okay -- at least it’s not instant-lust-ification-with-no-explanation. coughBella&Edwardcough*
In my opinion, Ms. Madow made it crystal clear from the beginning that Lizzie should no longer be with her boyfriend, Jeremy. Right off the bat I saw him as an egotistical, materialistic JERK-face. I just did not like his character at all. I could not understand why Lizzie was still with him. It was always my thought that Drew & Lizzie should be together. Drew was treating her how a boyfriend SHOULD treat his girl. I understand why Drew was standoffish and trying to distance himself from her. The explanation is a good one once you finally find out. You really do want to cheer for them getting together. However, I’m not sure the collateral damage was worth it…And here I get a little spoilery: (highlight to read)

I felt really bad for Chelsea and a little bad for Jeremy at the end. Funny enough, I felt those two should be together for most of the book.

The book is definitely filled with the themes of pride, prejudice, second chances, and destiny. However, not everyone gets the second chance to set things straight. Of course, most of the conflict in the book could have been avoided had the characters had more communication between each other, and not been in states of self-denial, but then where would the conflict be?

Okay so maybe I just realized I would like to know what happens with the people considered “collateral damage,” in my opinion. I’m just not sure it would warrant a sequel. Of course not everyone can have a happy ending like our lovers and that’s life. C’est la vie.

Overall, the story was entertaining and the plot was creative with an interesting twist thrown in from a place you least expect which pulled together all the loose strings nicely. Michelle tied up all the loose ends, dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s, but as I said above, the collateral damage made it a hard sell for me to be okay with the ending. 

Review: Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

**If you haven't read The Demon Trapper's Daughter -- Turn back while you still can but GO READ IT!**

Did you read it? Okay then. Now we can talk...

Soul Thief
Book 2 of the Demon Trappers Series
Jana Oliver
St. Martin's Griffin
August 30, 2011
US Kindle Edition

Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them… 

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever… -Goodreads.com

After reading this book I'm not sure I can write a non-spoiler review. I shall attempt to do so...blindfolded. Just kidding, but seriously... 

I waited six months to read this sequel and let me tell you: it was WORTH the WAIT!  
 

In The Demon Trapper's Daughter (DTD), we met apprentice Demon Trapper Riley Blackthorne and the long cast of characters on both the good side and the bad side. Riley had it pretty rough in the first book: she loses her dad in more ways than one, almost lost her Demon Trapper boyfriend, the demons know her name...Let's just say if it could go wrong with the flick of Murphy's Law wand, it went WRONG. Riley just could not catch a break!

At the end of book one there is no doubt that Riley's soul is highly sought after from the good guys and the bad. Everything snow balled into an epic throw-down-knock-out battle at the end and now Riley has some pieces of her life to reassemble and a HUGE promise to keep.

This is where we find Riley at the beginning of the second book. The girl literally has the weight of the world on her shoulders. What I still love about Riley (besides that fact that she kicks ass) but also find frustrating is her need to try and solve all of her problems herself. She is learning to reach out and accept help...from everyone but Denver Beck. That is something that I hope will eventually change.

As far as second books in a series goes, I was not disappointed in the content. This time around we get the story from both Riley AND Beck (which lemme tell ya = fan girl SQUEEE!!!!). We get more of Mr. Denver Beck and I LOVED IT. He is so complex but simple at the same time. But maybe I just think that because it is not often that you get the male POV in YA books but I disgress...

Was I happy with the choices the characters made? No. They went in every direction but the one I was hoping for. Oh sure, I wanted to strangle Riley & Beck. A LOT. But was everything necessary for story progression and character development? Hell to the Yes.

Fair warning: You may not like where the story goes in this second book. I had my doubts. ~~~HOWEVER!~~~ I am placing my FULL faith in Jana Oliver's storytelling ability to take this story where it needs to go.

I started taking notes while I read Soul Thief and I wish I could share them with you, but alas they would be SPOILER-ISH TO THE MAX. Looking back at my notes I'm glad I was questioning things about characters, motivations and events from the very beginning. Twists and turns await you my friends.

If you thought the story was complicated in DTD, is just got even MORE complicated.  At this point it could be anyone's guess what we will find in book three. I, for one, will be squirming until that release date!

Review: The Forest of Adventures by Katie M. John

The Forest of Adventures

Book 1 of the The Knight Trilogy

Katie M. John

Little Bird Publishing House

October 26, 2010

Kindle E-book edition

For seventeen year old Mina Singer, falling in love with an Arthurian Knight on a white horse was never part of the plan - especially being that she's an ordinary college girl living in the twenty first century.

As Mina finds herself catapulted into a land she believed only existed in the bedtime stories of her childhood, she soon discovers that Fairyland is not quite as innocent as she imagined.

The question is...who will come out alive? Haunting, beautiful and sexy, The Forest of Adventures, is a dark romantic quest into the land of true and forbidden love. -Goodreads.com

When we meet Mina she seems like a typical British, college-aged girl.  She attends college, hangs out with her friends, and lives at home with her mother.  Mina's future is already mapped out; she'll finish school and marry her loving and sweet boyfriend.  However, nothing ever goes as planned and destiny awaits her.

How many times have you thought that you had everything planned out, a set order of how your life will proceed and then in the flash of an instant, everything gets turned upside down?  This is exactly what happens to Mina.

Many stories begin with ordinary people that are unremarkable and seem very normal as they go about their everyday lives.  However, as the best fairy tales and stories progress we discover the ordinary protagonist is indeed destined for extraordinary adventures.  This is exactly what you will find when you read The Forest of Adventures.

You will also find a love triangle, of course, which will make your heart ache.  There are delicious knights in armor bound by chivalry, honor, and fighting the battle of good versus evil.  Romance, humor, honor, prophecies, magic, the impossible made possible, good vs. evil, knights on white horses, epic battles, castle towers...this story has it all!  What little girl doesn't dream of her prince charming coming along and sweeping her off her feet?!

This story will charge into your heart and leave you breathless and waiting for the next book in the series.  As with all Arthurian Legends have ever done, this one made my heart bleed and ache!  I cheered the heroes, laughed, boo'd the villains, and also wanted to comfort and console the characters when they needed it.

Katie painted a vivid picture of Arthurian knights and ladies with a new contemporary setting.  I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in book two.

The story itself uses some British terminology but it didn't throw me for a big loop.  There were some grammatical things that made me shake my head but I'm not sure if it was editing errors or just a British vs. American grammar difference.  But don't let these things stop you from picking up this book.

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines

Richelle Mead

Razorbill

August 23, 2011

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood. - Goodreads.com

In Bloodlines, Sydney Sage is our main character.  For those of you that read the Vampire Academy series, you might remember her best for assisting Rose and her crew in the majority of Last Sacrifice.  I loved reading this book from Sydney’s PoV because it was great to see the Moroi/Strigoi/Dhampir world through a human’s eyes.  If you thought Sydney was smart and intelligent before, she really shines in her new role helping to protect Jill.  Brains and beauty!  Love her!

For those of us left wanting more of Adrian, heartbroken as we were at the end of Last Sacrifice for him, rest assured that he is back and in a big way.  Adrian’s character progression in Bloodlines did not surprise me but definitely endeared me more to him.  I was really happy with his personal development and can’t wait to see where this story arc takes him.

Poor Jill.  Thrust into a new role in her life as a Moroi royal, her entire world just got thrown even more topsy-turvy having to go into hiding.  Jill is still an awkward and gangly teenager and trying to find the balance between staying out of the spotlight and finding a niche for herself in her new school.  I definitely felt for her and wanted to give her a hug or ten. 

Eddie Castile, is still a kick-ass guardian as ever.  He can be my bodyguard any day!  His talents as a guardian are not wasted by being assigned to Jill at all.  Protective, concerned, loyal and understanding – you would hardly expect anything less from someone that was under the tutelage of the expert trainers at St Vladimir’s.  He will certainly have some challenges in this series; it will be interesting to see what happens next with him.

There were only two things about the book that frustrated me.  The first was the lack of kissing/romance.  If you’re looking for a lot of romance, you may not be happy -- although there are some things that I am SURE are headed our way in books to come in the series.  Certainly new characters take time to adjust to each other and figure things out so I’m not horribly disappointed with this aspect.  In fact, I’m kind of GLAD there wasn’t much of the omg-I-love-you- glomp-hug-attached-at-hip-StALk-mE romance.  So maybe this is a plus.  Romance for romance sake is sometimes too much.  I can see where there will be build up through the series and that’s okay for me.  Anticipation can be heady and rewarding.   

Second, I pretty much had the book’s mysteries mostly solved before the characters.  I don’t think this is because of any flaws in Richelle’s writing but more an after effect of that I read too much (is there such a thing?) so this was only a personal problem for me.  But I was still delighted in the end that I had been on the right track! 

Simply put:  The first book in this spin-off series simply delivers.  

It was everything I expected and more from a creation of Richelle’s.  There was action, mystery, favorite beloved characters, new characters, and as a bonus we saw more about the Alchemist world than we had previously.  I will tell you that seeing some friendly characters were enough to have me giggling with glee.   When I finished, I laughed heartily and loudly and almost ran around my apartment screaming the book was that EXCELLENT. 

The Golden Lily which is scheduled for release on May 1, 2012 will definitely prove to be a sought after sequel.  If you were addicted to Vampire Academy as a Strigoi is to Moroi blood, you will be addicted to the Bloodlines series.  What makes me ecstatic though is May isn’t THAT far away.

Fangirl note: If I had this book in something other than e-book for I would probably sleep with it but since it IS on my Kindle I will have to settle for sitting it on my nightstand.  

Review: Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber
self-published
April 29, 2011
Amazon Kindle edition


When Hollywood It Boy, Reid Alexander, arrives on location to shoot his next movie, his goals are the same as always—film another blockbuster hit and enjoy his celebrity status to the fullest while doing so. His costar is a virtual unknown with whom he had blazing hot chemistry during her auditions. The universe is lining up nicely to grant whatever he wants, as usual, until he’s confronted with unexpected obstacles on location like a bitter ex-girlfriend and a rival for the first girl to spark his genuine interest in years.

Emma Pierce just got her big break after more than a decade of filming commercials for grape juice, department stores and tampons, and more recently, bit parts in made-for-TV movies. Nailing the lead role in a wide-release film sent her agent, father and stepmother into raptures, and should have done the same for her. The Problem? Emma is experiencing a building desire to be normal, and starring in a silly, modernized adaptation of one of her favorite novels—opposite the very hot Reid Alexander—isn’t going to advance that aspiration.

Graham Douglas doesn’t fear playing the part of a nerdy dimwit; when it comes to choosing film roles, if it pays, he’ll do it. Besides, his friend Brooke Cameron snatched up the role of the bitchy hot girl and could use his help as a buffer, because her ex is the star. Graham has no problem keeping a handle on the situation, until he finds himself attracted to Reid’s costar, Emma, the girl Reid is pursuing full-throttle with his standard arsenal of charm, good looks and arrogance.

Author recommendation: Mature teens+ (language/drinking/sexual situations) -Goodreads.com


When I picked up Between the Lines for my Kindle my reasoning was that it was only $2.99 and the premise sounded interesting.  Cute guy, nice girl & both in show business working on a movie together.  Add in some teen-aged friends and voila! quick easy read.  I was not expecting to fall in love with this book and the characters.  When I got to the last page all I wanted to do was read more about Emma & the cast (especially a certain male).



I really identified with Emma and her adventures in making the right decisions.  Of course I haven't ever been in the position of being close to movie-stardom and having to navigate life in the public eye but Emma is still a regular teenage girl trying to decide on how she wants to live her life.  I think we've all been at that stage or still are in that stage, struggling to find ourselves.  We have all been at that point where we were almost an adult but not quite a little girl (or boy) any more.  Should I go to college or pursue a career in something else?       I'm about to be thirty and I still don't know "what I want to be when I grow up."  So when Emma is deciding on continuing with acting or going to college, I can sympathize with her.  


When the light bulb is turned on over her head and Emma graduates from the self-centered thinking she has been doing and starts thinking about how relationships are more than one-sided and how to be a good friend, I also identified with that notion.  Maybe that's a sign of growing into adulthood.  It's so easy to get lost in our day to day little dramas.  It's more difficult to step out of our shoes and see that other people have issues they need to work through as well.  


Tammara really gives us a wide variety of characters and shows that people deal with their lives and hardships in different ways, and not always for the better.  I'm sure that anyone that reads this book will find a character to identify with.  She touches on a lot of different issues, some that can even be uncomfortable but are inevitably a part of life.  Tammara's approach is honest and purely brilliant.       


OH! And one more important thing that I thought was a primary point of this book without being preachy:  Life may throw you curve balls and you might make mistakes, but it is how you handle them that can ultimately show the world how you are as a person.  After all, that's what growing up is all about. 


I highly recommend Between the Lines if you are looking for a contemporary read.  Here's hoping you fall in love with it like I did.