Book Review - Fire by T. G. Ayer

Normal people sneak out to a party and have fun. Maya Rao ends the evening by incinerating the guy who attacks her. 

Nik Lucas, sexy, new in town and totally forbidden, happens to walk in on her. Normal guys would run for the hills. Nik knows a whole lot more than he's telling.

Maya doesn't believe the gods are real, doesn't waste her time with mere mythology. But when gods, demons and hellhound's become the new normal and wielding fire becomes her new skill, she must decide what it is she really believes.

Can Maya accept that normal is something she will never be because it isn't normal to be...the Hand of Kali.

My thoughts...

Let me first talk about the beauty of this cover. Isn't it gorgeous? Look at that hair! I think it's stunning.

Now to the story. This is my favourite T. G. Ayer book so far. I think it's because it has far more teen angst than her other books and I'm really into that. Maya is a great character. Ayer knows how to write kick-ass female leads and Maya is no exception. But Maya also has a softness and uncertainty about her that is endearing.

The romantic elements of this story are great. I'm totally into the whole forbidden love thing and Nik is a GREAT character. I was totally crushing on him throughout the book :)

I also love Maya's two best friends. They bring so much flavour to the story. They balanced the tense action with the right amount of comic relief and a few heartfelt moments that were brilliantly written.

Another plus about this story is the unique nature of the mythology. I knew nothing about Hindu mythology before reading this and I found it fascinating. I love that we find out things at the same time Maya does. It made me feel like I was walking the journey with her and helped me engage so much faster.

If you're looking for a unique story with strong characters and Ayer's usual writing flair, then you should definitely check out Fire.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Add the book to your reading list on Gooreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17264568

Book Review - Skin Deep by T. G. Ayer

Panther Shape-shifter Kailin Odel just wants to be normal. Leaving her clan, and her Alpha responsibilities, to live with her grandmother in Chicago had been the best thing for her. 

Only then did she discover her ability to track and kill the soul sucking undead creatures called Wraiths. Now she protected the humans, and had something to be proud of.

But, when she discovers the body of a murdered shape shifter, Kailin has to come to terms with the reality that her own kind are just as vulnerable as the humans. 

The closer Kailin gets to the killer the more she has to face the intricacies of her people. When the time comes can she accept who and what her real purpose is?

Whenever I write a review for this lovely lady, I always start with the same thing... T. G. Ayer writes beautifully. I love the way she crafts her text. Her language and descriptions always make me smile. She paints a vivid picture and I appreciate this about her writing.

Skin Deep is a great story. The world T. G. Ayer has created is alive with conflict, tension and dark creatures. I could picture it all so clearly and was immediately drawn into Kailin's problems. Poor Kailin, she has a tough battle on her hands and things just keep going from bad to worse. Thankfully she can kick some serious butt and has the ability to become a panther. A panther! How cool is that!

Logan is a great love interest. I liked his character and as always, I wanted to see more of the two of them together. I like that Kailin calls on him and doesn't constantly push him away which sometimes happens with strong, self-sufficient females.

The only thing that made me wrinkle my nose when reading this book was the violence. I found some of it a little too much for my tastes, and that is simply a matter of opinion. Because T. G. Ayer is so good at describing everything, the scenes really jumped out at me and there are some pretty full on things that happen in this story. 

If you're looking for a novel set in a dark world, with a plethora of fascinating characters and a healthy dose of other worldly magic, then you should definitely check out Skin Deep.

4 stars from me.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

The Hunger Games - Book and Movie Review

The Hunger Games (THG) by Suzanne Collins 

{May contain spoilers}

I was on a camping holiday and didn’t realise how addictive The Hunger Games would be and how fast I’d get through it, so because I only brought one book to read, I read it twice in three days.

I was unsure when I started, how I was going to enjoy a book that had kids killing kids and how the author would handle that. I was pleasantly surprised at how the world Collins created wasn’t as awful as I’d imagined and I found myself imagining what it would be like to live in such a place feeling a huge amount of pity for the fictional characters.

The main character Katniss is really likeable even though she has got quite an abrasive personality. And immediately you wonder what’s going to happen with her and Gale. Sadly that part of the book is a bit disappointing to me. I do prefer books with more romance.

The actual Hunger Games don’t start til well over half the book, but you don’t notice as it’s such an interesting read, finding out about this new world that you have stepped into. Once Katniss is in the games, the book is unputdownable (is that a word?) I just had to keep going until it was finished.

Personally I was disappointed in the climax. It seemed a little rushed or convenient or something, which did detract from the book a bit for me.

Overall I would give the Hunger Games a 4 out of 5 stars.

The Hunger Games THE MOVIE

I saw the movie, after reading the book, TWICE, so I completely understood the story, therefore I didn’t have to make sense of anything, like a complete HG virgin would.

I thought the movie interpreted the book beautifully and kept in all the important bits. There are always storylines that get left out of a movie, but none of the missing ones disappointed me.

What I found interesting was seeing life from the gamekeepers point of view and how the people running the games made the rules and messed with the arena. It makes me appreciate the free world I live in, because the Hunger Games is scarily what used to happen in arena’s in Rome in front of an audience. People killing each other for the audience’s enjoyment; it seems so sick to me, but it used to be normal.

I’d give the movie 4 out of 5.

[I’m not sure how easy to understand this movie is for a person who has not read the book. My husband might add his input from that point of view later today.]

Thanks for stopping by, let me know what you thought of the movie and/or book, the Hunger Games! 
Zealous Girl

Book Review - Watched by Cindy M. Hogan

It takes more than a school trip to Washington, D.C. to change fifteen-year-old Christy's life. It takes murder.
A witness to the brutal slaying of a Senator's aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot boys.
She discovers that if she can't help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.
(Sorry for the lack of cover image. Blogger will just not load photos for me at the moment!)

I actually hadn't read the blurb for this book before I started reading it. I won it in a competition and loaded it onto my kindle without a second thought. It's actually taken months to get to the book, but I'm really glad I got there. This was a great read and because I hadn't read the blurb, the first few pages were filled with unexpected surprises. It took me a while to believe what I was reading!

I ended up liking Christy a lot by the end of the novel. She is very genuine and I totally related to some of her awkward emotions. 

There is a love triangle going on in this book. Usually I immediately lean towards one love interest, but I found myself wavering between the two guys throughout the entire book. I didn't know who I wanted her to end up with. I think Hogan did a fantastic job of capturing the emotions of a teen who really likes both parties equally. 

The suspense in the book is well done and kept me turning pages. As soon as I finished, I immediately went online and downloaded the next book - Protected. I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens.

If you enjoy books with great characters and good suspense then add Watched to your reading list.

4.5 stars from me.

MP

Watched can be purchased both digitally and in paperback through Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. 

Book Review - 13 on Halloween by Laura Elliot

Twelve-year-old Roxie wants to be like Adrianne, the peacock, who gets everything she wants––a trampoline, a flock to prowl around the mall with, and most especially invitations to parties, despite the fact that Adrianne tarantulas and hamsters and cats and owls her way to get it all. But everything changes when Roxie invites all the peacocks in the eighth grade to her birthday party on Halloween and they all come. And a boy, the boy, actually talks to Roxie. She has the best night of her life until the peacocks decide they want to celebrate her birthday in a way she never expects––in her attic, with a pact to swear to never tell a living soul what happens there. Roxie gets everything she’s always wanted, except her old life back.


First things first, I love the cover. There is something very beautiful about this girl's face and it made me want to read the book as soon as I saw it.

To be honest, I initially struggled to get into this story. The main character thinks of people as different types of animals. I'd never read anything like it, so it took me a while to get into Roxie's head. I soon got used to it and the story slowly took off. I'm really glad I persisted, because I had a lot of fun jumping into Roxie's parallel world. That's when things got really interesting!

There is a really good "lessoned learn" type moral running through the story and in the end, I loved Roxie's voice. Elliot captures the emotions of a 12-year-old girl brilliantly, touching on all those little things that are important to them.

If you're looking for a story that will take you on a whacky ride with a very likeable character, then you should check this book out.

3 stars from me :)

MP

Book Review ~ Falling for Romeo by Jennifer Laurens

John can have any girl he wants. Jennifer's never been kissed. Everybody thinks he's perfect. She's got issues with pride and jealousy. They were best friends - once. Now, they're playing Romeo and Juliet. Virgin lips Jennifer must have her first kiss on stage with John, the guy every girl in school wants. The pressure and tension build along with each staged kiss. Both are shocked when feelings bloom. Can either tell which kisses are real and which are for show?

REVIEW

This is a hard review to write as it's not going to be very complimentary.

For starters the cover is not very attractive (to me). I wouldn't have even picked it up off the shelf, but had ordered it into the library on a recommendation so didn't see the cover beforehand.

Second, the story was lacking a real twist. I could guess what was going to happen from page one and I didn't like the fact the couple kissed on the first page. No anticipation.

Any tension was pretty mild but as a quick teen read it does hit the mark.

Character wise, I really liked John but found Jenn a bit annoying. In saying all this. The writing was good. Some nice descriptions and turns of phrase.

I would give this 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Review by Brenda (aka Zealous Girl)

Book Review #2 - The Kiss off by Sarah Billington

When sixteen year old Poppy Douglas writes a song about her ex-boyfriend Cam and ex-friend Nikki, she has no idea that her heartbreak is about to go global. 


A local band picks up her song from Youtube and soon she’s along for the ride with her own fanbase as they blow up on the local club scene and hit the international charts. Though it turns out leaving Cam behind isn’t as easy as she had hoped. 


Tangled in a web of unfinished homework, ill-considered sexting and a new lead-singer boyfriend, Poppy has a choice to make between the ex that inspired it all and the rock God whose poster lines the inside of half the lockers at school. But as she struggles to keep her emotional dirty laundry private, she learns that the truth can be hard to find when your life is in the headlines.

Sarah Billington has a unique voice in her writing, which I loved. Her main protagonist, Poppy, was dynamic and interesting and fun. She told you everything she was thinking and feeling. This story is full of detail! I loved the way the teens spoke to each other, it sounded very real. My only little concern was the amount of alcohol in the story the 16 year olds drank.

The love triangle definitely kept the tension. I wasn't sure who Poppy was going to end up with (if either of the boys) but she ended up with the guy I wanted her to. YAY. I had a tiny crush on him myself :-)

A fun story, with lots of dialogue, teen angst, awesome music stuff and did I mention fun? If you like romantic teen comedies, this book is for you. 4 out of 5 stars from me.


If you'd like the check out the current blog tour that's happening, you can find the schedule here:
THE KISS OFF BLOG TOUR

You can find THE KISS OFF on Amazon, Smashwords and Goodreads.

And you can connect with SARAH BILLINGTON here:
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Blog

Book Review - The Kiss Off by Sarah Billington

When sixteen year old Poppy Douglas writes a song about her ex-boyfriend Cam and ex-friend Nikki, she has no idea that her heartbreak is about to go global. 

A local band picks up her song from Youtube and soon she’s along for the ride with her own fanbase as they blow up on the local club scene and hit the international charts. Though it turns out leaving Cam behind isn’t as easy as she had hoped. 

Tangled in a web of unfinished homework, ill-considered sexting and a new lead-singer boyfriend, Poppy has a choice to make between the ex that inspired it all and the rock God whose poster lines the inside of half the lockers at school. But as she struggles to keep her emotional dirty laundry private, she learns that the truth can be hard to find when your life is in the headlines.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the main character, Poppy, right from the start. She was engaging and I love the way she spoke and acted around her friends.

The story had me laughing quite a bit, which I think is great. It's so fun to read a light, playful novel with likeable characters. I think the novel is written for this day and age. The author captured the essence of teens beautifully - the way they talk and dress, the things they are into. I know I am generalizing here - obviously teens are different in lots of way - but you know what I mean. She really nailed it for me. I felt like I was reading a teen novel about realistic teens. It was cool.

The love triangle had me guessing right up til the last page and I've gotta say, Poppy didn't end up with the guy I thought she would. At first I was really disappointed, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized she ended up with the right guy for her.

I think Ms. Billington did a wonderful job with this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes an easy, entertaining read that will make you laugh.

4 stars from me!

If you'd like the check out the current blog tour that's happening, you can find the schedule here:
THE KISS OFF BLOG TOUR

You can find THE KISS OFF on Amazon, Smashwords and Goodreads.

And you can connect with SARAH BILLINGTON here:
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Blog

Book Review - Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family—even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.


The first thing I loved about this book was the cover. It's so emotionally captivating and I wanted to read the book as soon as I saw it. I thought the premise of the book was fantastic and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.


The story played out very differently to what I was expecting. I guess I was a little disappointed by this, but it didn't stop me from finishing the book in two days.


I really like Ms. Argyle's writing style. It is so subtle and unobtrusive, you don't notice at all, which allows you to delve into the story with no interruptions. 


The book is written with raw emotion and I found myself sometimes confused on how I felt about each character. Were they good or bad? Should I be cheering for them or not? I think this was very clever as it kept you on an emotional roller coaster throughout the book.


I liked seeing Naomi's journey. It was very realistic. I don't want say too much, because I don't want to give anything away, but I felt the ending was appropriate for the style of the story. It definitely left me thinking.


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an emotional journey that deals with some of life's heartache in a very raw way.


3-stars from me :)


To find out more about The Breakaway check out: 
Goodreads
Breakaway Official Author's Page 

You can find out more about the author on her:
Website
Blog

Book Review ~ Black Blood by Melissa Pearl

Gemma's parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she's living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison's step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It's also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who's stalking her.

When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn't know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.

Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.

This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her... otherwise, she'll never get her boyfriend back.


I'm attempting to be unbiased, but I absolutely LOVED this book. GOLDEN BLOOD (Book One in the Time Spirit Trilogy) was fantastic but BLACK BLOOD was even better. The tension and fast pace of this story made it impossible to put down. The only reason I didn't read it all in one session was the book is on my husband's ipad and he needed it at work. In fact today I stole it and kept it at home to finish the book.

This builds on Book One (without too much of that repetitive stuff that trilogy's often do) and takes us off on a wild adventure into Gemma's worst fear; her boyfriend has been deleted from time.

Melissa Pearl's writing is intelligent and colourful. She has a unique voice without too much fluff. She gets to the point and holds you on the edge of your seat, drip feeding you clues until the dramatic conclusion.

And last but not least, the cover of this book is beautiful. It perfectly encapsulates the anguish Gemma goes through in this story.

Pop by next week for my review of PURE BLOOD (final book in the Time Spirit Trilogy).

Check BLACK BLOOD out on Smashwords or Amazon (but read the first book of the trilogy first: GOLDEN BLOOD)

Find Melissa Pearl on Goodreads and Facebook

Book Review - Dead Radiance by T. G. Ayer

Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead. 

The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human. 

Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?


Okay - before I start with the guts of this review I just want to talk about the cover. Hello!! Gorgeous! Check out those amazing wings. I love it. This is one of those covers that made me want to read the book without even looking a the blurb. A great start, Ms. Ayer :)


I really enjoyed this book. The writing is elegant and intelligent. It is packed full of mysterious and questions that keep you turning the pages.


I really liked Bryn right from the outset. She is a strong, female character who is compassionate and very easy to cheer for. Her love interest, Aidan, is a total babe and I liked him from the second he pulled into her driveway on his motorbike.


The story leaves earth pretty quickly and you get to hang out with gods like Odin, as well as spend a little time with Valkyries, Warriors and Ulfrs. Ayer describes this world beautifully. I could picture everything so clearly. 


As much as I was fascinated with this world, I couldn't wait for the story to get back to earth. I wanted more of Aidan and Bryn's relationship. The story does head back there eventually and I loved that whole sequence.  I don't want to give anything away, but Bryn has a very cool mission to complete and throughout it gets one surprise after the next thrown in her direction. I really liked that.


I wanted more romance in this story, but I think that's more personal preference. We all know I'm a romantic sap and enjoy books with a very strong emotional element. Ayer has probably opened up the book to a much wider audience by not dwelling on the romance too much. Boys would really enjoy this book. It is action packed, interesting, fantastical - it's a really awesome read.


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little magic and mystery.
Norse mythology is pretty cool and Ayer has done a great job at wrapping a compelling story around it.


If you want to check out more on the book you can find it on:
Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook


You can also learn more about the author on her blog:
tgayer.wordpress.com and Facebook


There is a particularly cool character interview on Ayer's blog at the moment. Definitely worth checking out.


I hope you enjoy the book. I'm certainly looking forward to the second one!!

Book Review - Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. 

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed. 

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time. 

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.


This is the second book in the Heist Society series and I really enjoyed it. The writing was tight and filled with humour. I really loved Kat's journey. She is one independent chick and it was nice to see her FINALLY learning to rely on those around her.


Hale, is once again gorgeous and charming while the rest of the cast provide the well timed humour and tension in the story. I liked the growth in the relationship between Kat and Hale too. 


I also liked the villain this time, she was one clever lady and a great opponent for Kat. 


I don't want to give anything away, so I'm keeping the review brief, but if you're looking for an entertaining story that will keep you guessing, this is a great choice.


Oh - and you have to just LOVE the cover, don't you? It's GORGEOUS!!!


Happy reading :)

Book Review - Screwing Up Time by C. M. Keller

Mark Montgomery is a slacker content with his life. He’s a senior at New Haven Prep, has a great friend, and after graduation he’ll get a brand new sports car from his parents, assuming he stays out of trouble. Then, she comes into his life—Miranda with her I-just-escaped-from-a-Renaissance-Fair clothing. Only, she hasn’t. She has come from Bodiam Castle in the Middle Ages and demands a secret ingredient and a book of recipes for traveling through the treacherous colors of time. Although Mark has never even heard of either before, he must find them, or Miranda will die. To save her, Mark must break into a psych hospital to visit his grandfather who once tried to kill him, pass through the colors of time, take on a medieval alchemist, prevent Miranda’s marriage to a two-timing baron, and keep it all hidden from his parents. The sports car is definitely in trouble.

This book captured me from the first chapter. I warmed to Mark immediately. He was a well rounded character with flaws and a typical laziness that can only be attributed to teenage boys who aren't quite sure where they're headed. I loved it. I found him endearing and incredibly human. I also liked Mark's best friend, Brian. Every person in the world needs a friend like this - someone who refuses to give up on you. In my opinion, Mark's character is made better by Brian's influence and I loved the friendship between them.

Miranda took a while to grow on me, but I loved her tenacity. I look forward to seeing more of her in the coming sequel.

Aside from the magic of time travel, this book was incredibly real. What I mean is... the family situations for Mark and Brian, the tension between different characters, and the unspoken secrets from the past touched on very real human emotion. C. M. Keller captured these emotions with raw beauty.

The story was written with intelligence and style. The mystery carried me through, along with the constant surprises that popped out of the pages. Each chapter ending made you want to keep reading.

This is a well-written story with great pacing, real characters and an enticing mystery. I can highly recommend this book.

You can purchase a copy of this book at Amazon.

Screwing Up Time by C. M. Keller

And you can check out more about this gorgeous author on her blog.

Screwing Up Time Blog

I hope you enjoy the book :)

Forbidden by Megan Curd

Forbidden is the story of a fallen angel, Levi and the girl he falls in love with, Hannah. He is her guard and while protecting her, he can't help falling in love, which is forbidden. He then must face the consequences of his choices and fight to keep his girl alive.

It is a great read. The whole idea of forbidden love is so enticing. Levi is easy to relate to and the relationship he has with his best friend, Ethan, is awesome. I loved the characters in this book. They were engaging and fun.

Megan Curd wrote with a sense of humor and good pace. She had me chuckling, biting on my lip and she even gave me a great dose of the warm fuzzies. Sleeping cuddled up to an angel, surrounded by his wings - who would not LOVE that!!

I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading her other work... Bridger.

You can find Megan on Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4904383.Megan_Curd