Book Review: The Girl in Between by Laekan Zea Kemp

Author: Laekan Zea Kemp
Titles: The Girl in Between (The Girl in Between series #1)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Pages: ebook
First Published: September 2014
Where I Got It: On my shelf (Amazon Freebie)

Bryn Reyes is a real life sleeping beauty. Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn’t spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is. 

But the appearance of this strange boy isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn’t find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.

I…..I did not expect anything in this book. Honestly…I did not expect to like this as much I thought I would. This was an Amazon freebie and it seemed mildly intriguing, so I grabbed it. It spent a little time on the back-burner and then I decided to randomly give it a try since it was short and different.

Okay….the story. Bryan (yes she is a girl) is a poor girl suffering from KLS. Never heard of it before myself, so me being me decided research it. It IS a real disorder FYI. There are different levels and of this disorder and Bryan seems to be getting worse and strangely enough have real, vivid dreams which is odd and stumping her doctors. Poor girl is just trying to get through High School, but her disorder makes it fall asleep for X amount of time. Sometimes it can last just a couple of times, but sometimes she loses weeks or months at a time. Scary and that SUCKS! Well - her disorder seems to be getting worse and worse. She’s talking to a random boy who showed up and evil shadows are haunting her in both her dreams during her episodes and now in real life. Oh boy.

The first 20 pages seemed to drag on, but then a certain event changes EVERYTHING and I could NOT put this book down. I had to know who the boy was and if he was even real. Something fishy was going on with the doctors. I especially was rooting for her to snap and kick Drew and her jackass Father who is a spineless and worthless man! 

Oh yes, lots of feels.

I liked Bryan and I could relate in some aspects. Not the KLS of course, but with other aspects. I liked Bryan and I felt bad for her. Yes, she had been a fool with Drew in the past, but she realized she deserves better. 

And then….then there was the ending. GAHHHHHHHHHHHH! *shakes fist* WHY MUST YOU BE SO GOOD! I WANT MORE! Sighs…I guess I will be forced to read the next book to see what happens. Haha. 

Overall, this was good. An interesting concept and characters. I really want…no need…to know what happens next. I do worry, but I’ll be checking out the second book in the future. The beginning was a little slow, but it did get me hooked and I couldn’t stop reading. I highly recommend this even though it is a YA. WHICH it didn’t feel overly YA, so I am content. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 5 stars. Yes, a 5. I'm still stunned that this turned out to be a 5 star book. 0_0 

Blodeuedd Reviews: Eidolon by Grace Draven

In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis has unleashed a malignant force into the

world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by a diseased darkness and on the brink of war. His human wife Ildiko must decide if she will give up the man she loves in order to secure his throne. 

Three enemy kingdoms must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king must raise an army of the dead to defeat an army of the damned.

A tale of alliance and sacrifice.

My thoughts:

I have meant to write this review since yesterday, but I kind of just wanted to say squee, and let that be it.

Book 1 was just awesome, it made me snort, and I loved how they got to know each other. She saw past him looking like a dead eel with scary teeth, and he looked past her looking like a boiled mollusk. Awww, they are so sweet. Him calling her a hag, and she calling him, yes good times :D

She is human, he is not. They made an alliance. And now the country is falling apart cos of mummy dearest. Monsters are everywhere.

So this one is not really centered on the romance, more on the what the F will be do!? Everyone is gonna die!!!! And a bit of romance, as, oh it had me worried. Think about it, she is human, he is not. Others are not always happy with her.

The feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeels!

What I like about this one is the the lightness, the humour, the banter between them (and two others that had me giggling). The world, the feel of it. Aye, I enjoyed this one.

But I hear the next one is about another couple, which make me sad in a way. I'd love to read more, and I wish, I wish that one thing could be possible between them. That does make me sad.

But I am also happy that there will be more, and the next couple will be a hoot.

It feels like I jumped from one to the next in this review ;)

Conclusion;

Just read it

Cover

ok

ebook, 240 pages
Published April 18th 2016 by Grace Draven
Wraith Kings #2
Fantasy romance
Own

Book Review: Ink and Ashes by Valynne E Maetani

Author: Valynne E Maetani
Titles: Ink and Ashes
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, & YA
Pages: ebook
First Published: May 2015
Where I Got It: Borrowed friend's version

Claire Takata has never known much about her father, who passed away when she was a little girl. But on the anniversary of his death, not long before her seventeenth birthday, she finds a mysterious letter from her deceased father, addressed to her stepfather. Claire never even knew that they had met.

Claire knows she should let it go, but she can’t shake the feeling that something’s been kept from her. In search of answers, Claire combs through anything that will give her information about her father . . . until she discovers he was a member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. The discovery opens a door that should have been left closed.

So begins the race to outrun his legacy as the secrets of her father’s past threaten Claire’s friends and family, newfound love, and ultimately her life.

This was a book club choice picked by someone in the group. However, I have had my eye on this for a while. There were so many mixed reviews, that I avoided it. I am glad someone picked it, so I can finally get myself to read it.

Old secrets, old hurts, old lies, old tradition, new discoveries, new dangerous, new love, and a new beginning. There was a lot going on, but at the same time nothing going on. Poor Claire and her siblings. There is something not being talked about and things being swept under the rug and they can feel it but their step-dad and mom will not talk about it. Did the parents really think they could hide the truth for so long? There is something fishy and Claire wants to know. 

I certainly did enjoy the ride, but.....I wanted more. I know, I know. There is already a lot going on. However, with  the summary and my good guessing talent, I managed to unravel the big secret. When it came true, I felt like it wasn't as climatic as it should have been. Honestly, I felt like there was something missing in he mystery. I did not LOVE this book like I waned to. It was simply decent.

After all the truth came bursting out, the story should have ended. After everything was disclosed, the tears, the apologies,and the hurt was out in the open, there should have been a couple of chapters to tie everything together and ended. However, it dragged on 100 more pages. I was still slightly intrigued hoping more would come to the surface, but meh, nothing really did. 

I am glad it was a short read. Only about 290 pages. It was a quick read and I managed to get it done after a couple of sessions. It is YA, but at times it did not feel like it was. There was a nice balance and it wasn't at all cheesy like YAs tend to be. The parents didn't disappear and were a part of the story/plot; that made me happy. 

The best part of the book, for me, were the characters. The mystery was meh. The thrill was meh. The action decent. The characters had me decently invested and I wanted to know them. I wanted to know why and what would happen to them. I think that is the only reason I kept reading honestly. I do recommend this to those looking for a quick read with some interesting storyline and characters. Not the best book of the year, but worth a read. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3.

Book Review: Daughter of Time by Sarah Woodbury

Author: Sarah Woodbury
Titles: Daughter of Time (A Time Travel Romance #.5)
Genre: Historical Romance, Sci-Fi, & Fantasy
Pages: ebook
First Published: March 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)

Daughter of Time tells the story of a young widow, Meg, healing from the pain of a brief, unhappy marriage, who falls through time into the Middle Ages-and into the arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last Prince of Wales. He saves her, and she in turn saves him, thanks to her knowledge of future events. Although powerful forces seek to divide them, by working together, Meg and Llywelyn have a chance to navigate the dangerous and shifting alliances that constantly undermine his rule and threaten the very existence of Wales-and to create a future in which Llywelyn's death does not come too soon.

NOOOO! *shakes fist* NOOO! I am so upset at the ending even though I TOTALLY knew what was going to happen! UGH!!!!!!!

Okay….I will backtrack a bit, but I had to let go of my emotions about that bloody ending.

It is a time traveling “romance” story. Meg and her daughter for some odd reason gets sucked back to 13^th century Wales. Meg is saved by Llywelyn the Prince of Wales who – at this point in time – is fighting for his throne against not only England, but some family members. Of course the two fall in love, but it does take a wee bit. Sort of insta-love (more lust then anything), but it takes time for them to come to grips with their love. I’m glad that Llywelyn didn’t act upon his lust, because why on earth would you trust this random chick with a weird accent and clothing?? So it was “realistic”.

SPEAKING of which. THANK goodness Meg did not magically speak the language. Yes, she knows a few words bc her granny is from Wales, but Meg and Llywelyn could only communicate through French at the beginning. Sounds about right.

Meg was meh. I do pity her about her whole first husband issue. Llywelyn was okay; I did enjoy his POV better than Meg’s.

I am on the fence of the “level” of romance. At times it seemed to be more historical fiction then romance. I liked it, but I do wish there had more romance-y aspects to make it feel more like a romance. But I did like the historical fiction feeling behind it as well and it seemed like a “realistic” romance not over-the-top sappy. OH love-hate relationships.

And now back to my utter hatred of the ending. Granted…it made me want to read more, but eGAGS!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You can’t end it like thattttttttttttttttttttt! You might as well ripe my heart out of my chest and step on it. THE FEELS IN NOT A GOOD WAY! Brilliant writing, but GAH! I cannot SAY what happened….but I am tempted to read the second one, but the author BETTER fix it or I will not be a happy ducky.

In the end, this was pretty good. I do adore time travel novels especially the romance ones. This wasn’t over-the-top sappy, but at times I forgot I was reading a romance and was instead reading a staunch historical fiction. I am on the fence on how I feel about that. The ending I hated it as a reader, but I applaud as a writer myself. It has made me interested in the second book, HOWEVER, the author fix what was broke. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3 stars.

B's Monday Review - The Immortal Throne by Stella Gemmell

The emperor is dead…long live the emperor! 

The fervent hope of the victorious rebels and the survivors of the uprising that liberated the City from tyranny is that the accession of Archange to the imperial throne will usher in a new era of freedom, peace and stability. If only that were so... 

As the the City struggles to return to something resembling normal life after the devastation brought on by the rebellion, word arises of a massive army gathering to the north. No one knows where it has come from or who leads it, but it soon becomes apparent that its sole purpose is to destroy the City and annihilate all - man, woman and child - who live within its battered walls. And while warriors go forth to fight and die on the battlefield in defence of their homeland and all that they believe in, bitter family feuds and ancient rivalries, political and personal betrayals, and mindless murder surface within the palaces and corridors of power: it seems the City is under siege - from both without and within . . . 

With this new novel, Stella Gemmell brings the astonishing story of the City to a spectacular climax and confirms her place as a master of the genre.

My thoughts:

Just amazing. This was great fantasy, beautifully written and what a tale it told. I read like 80% in one day, I could not put it down. I was immersed in it.

In the last book the Emperor was killed and the aftermath left the City weak. This is a messed up place and I like it for that. They are fighting on many fronts and they are sending out every man and woman they can. Which in turn is stupid because their numbers are dwindling. It's a City on its last legs. Constant warfare, a blockade at sea. And Immortals fighting among themselves.

My favorite POV was Rubin, a son of the 7 families, spy, loyal to Marcellus, and sent on missions that will probably get him killed. He still had hope, I liked him for that.

Then there was Em and Evan. The orphan and the soldier. She had something others wanted, and he was loyal to the bone. And yes so many others. Valla who becomes a bodyguard. Members of the 7 families; the Immortals. All playing their part in defending the city, and the city's destruction. 

The book is really about the City and those who live there, and I also found out why they live there. Why it was created and at the end, was this the end? Yes, everything fell into place *coughs* in one way or another. But the aftermath, there are still stories to tell, and I would love to read more, but I am happy with the ending I got.  Still, I need more. Gemmell is a great writer.

Conclusion:

It was masterfully crafted. And a tale I could not stop reading. I recommend it, but you really should read The City first. Lots happened in that one. This is fantasy after all and they should both be enjoyed.

Did I mention that it was great!? It was great. 

Cover

good

Hardcover, 576 pages
Published March 24th 2016 by Bantam Press
The City #2
Fantasy
For review

Joint Discussion: Dawn of War by Tim Marquitz

This month Blodeuedd and I will be discussing "Dawn of War" by Tim Marquitz

Author: Tim Marquitz
Title: Dawn of War (The Blood War #1)
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: ebook
First Published: July 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)

For hundreds of years, the bestial Grol have clawed at the walls of Lathah without success. Now armed with O'hra, mystical weapons of great power, they have returned, to conquer.

Witness to the Grol advance, Arrin can abide his exile no longer. He returns to Lathah, in defiance of death, with hopes to save his beloved princess and the child born of their illicit affair. He finds her unwilling to abandon her people. At her behest, Arrin searches for a sanctuary for them only to be confronted by the Sha'ree, a powerful race long thought gone from the world. Through them, he learns it is not just the Grol that threaten the land.

Empowered by a magic never before seen, the savage nations spread chaos and ruin across the realm. With Lathah under siege, and the world on the brink of cataclysmic war, Arrin must strike a deal with the Sha'ree to take the fight to the Grol, or forever lose his one true love: his family. 

B: We do have the worst luck, it would be one thing if I loved, you hated, but we sure have picked many meh ones...though waiting your judgment now…

C: did not hate it. I am so happy I didn’t hate it!!! However…….it didn’t shock and amaze me. It was simply….okay-ish

B: Omg whaaat. Well ok that still proves my point ;) We can’t pick good or amazing ones, just ok ones. Oh poor us. But let’s get to the book then.

C:Lets….so…..where shall we begin?

B: Hmmm, honestly I do not have a lot to say. I thought it was  a messy piece of..not goodness *coughs* The world-building lacked. Too many races of cats, wolves, blah blah blah. Too many people I can not remember. The only guy I remember was the one who got a princess preggers, oh and some guy who had some kind of artifact. I only remember that he had something, his whole story I skimmed

C: Ugh. I have to agree. It was a bloody messy. Too much going on. I was honestly confused on who was on whose side. Who was who. I honestly wanted to just focus on Arran (or however you spell it) and that princess he knocked up X amount ago. I think it would have been WAY better if we just focused on his story and his exile and whatnot.

B: I agree, I did feel it was ok at first when we read about him, and I would love to have had more of a shocking reunion, and them finding their kid or something. But then, then came the boring guys, then came the cat people, then came whoever was fighting the cats. Then came the Uberwolves who did not like the lesser wolves and I was all wtf is going on? And then it went downhill for me. It really took away from that feeling I had first when it actually was good and then only ok, but then blerhhggg.

C: Yes, yes. Maybe the next book will be better and more focused. I think the author tried too hard to do world-building, which ended up in making me confused about the world. The beginning had me intrigued, but like you when the rest of the peeps showed up I was meh about it. However, I can see potential if the author calms down. LOL

B: I sure hopes he calms down, and not that the people attaching the cats are in fact eagles or something like that and then they all venture to  find the horses….

C: Gah. Just so much. But speaking of those eagle people, I was really grossed out that they hang their dead people up in the trees so “their spirits can fly” or whatever. Just….yuck. All I could imagine was a line of trees with nasty rotting dead bodies looking at me. 0_0

B: Lol. *me trailing through the woods* Damn, not another leg hitting me in the head* This forest sucks! Ok, let me think, ….what did you think of the evil prince? He was so overly evil for no reason, and not really evil at all. What a loser.

C: Yeah. I didn’t get why he was so evil and a total ahole. I didn’t get why they wouldn’t let the princess and that Arran guy be together. It’s not like they married that chick off to some king. They married her off to a congressman or something another. No one really, super special. SO who cares if she gets with their top warrior dude? Seriously!!!!

B: I am still confused about the world, so who could she have married? A cat, wolf, those hippie people`? But yes at least some Duke from the city, also confused about that country and if it was a city and nothing else. Big alliance there. Sheesh, at least Arran could have kept you all safe, but whatever let her marry someone else who seems to be a nobody. Oh and why is the king in a weird coma still?

C: I have no idea about what was up with the King. They mentioned it like once and didn’t elaborate. Maybe it's in the next book? Or he’s just old and has Alzheimer's or something. No idea. But nothing made sense. However, I must admit the war scene at the end entertained me a little bit. LOL That was the only thing that made sense to me war and death. xD


B: I seriously can not even remember the end...I had spaced out by then and was all, I am SO over this book. Can’t it just end. Can’t everyone just die? The only thing that intrigued me a bit were those uberwolves who was all, these lesser wolves sucks ass, but now we are scared of them.


C: It was kinda funny how they scoffed at them one minute and then realized they were kinda scary and they should be scared of them. But yeah, the war scene at the end literally lasted like 10 pages roughly. I just wanted more Arran!! He was dumb sometimes and his loyalty to that stupid kingdom annoyed me, but I liked him and wanted to know more about him. 

B: Ok I remember. Lame. I hate wars that are over in a second, give me blood, give me gore, and a red sun rises. Awww waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!!!!!!!!!!!!! That city fell in second, that country before fell in like hours from what I remember. The people are really bad at their jobs, even if the wolves have magic.

C: They were fools. I’m glad the city fell. I hope one of those goul things ate that prince guy. 

B: I shall not trust you, you are exiled. Oh man, hold a grudge much? And why have you not gotten some lady preggers yet. Silly prince. Maybe he lost his privates in a fight or something.

C: Or maybe he was in love with Arran. And he was poed that Arran likes his sister. HAHAHA. 

B: Oh shit, you made me snort! Bf thought I was crazy cos I was talking at him and writing and then snort. But yes that would actually make sense, I KNOW it’s not like that, but in my mind that sure spices things up.

C: Hahaha we are too funny. BF thinks I’m a nut because I keep laughing. But yesssss that would make it interesting. Sooooo anything else to add? I know that it was not the best, but some parts entertained me. I’m glad I didn’t hate it like I thought I would after the first boring part popped up.

B: I am still thinking about the prince and feeling sorry for him now since he is madly in lust with Arran. Poor guy, for 15 years he has suffered and thought of his beloved Arran and then Arran comes back and is all where is she? Poor prince, his hope died that night...ok yes I am done now ;) It had ok parts, but was too messy for my taste and I totally skimmed all other parts than Arran’s. I would not read more.

C: Sadly, same here. I do want to know if Arran ends up with the princess or….maybe the prince *waggles eyebrows*. XD XD

B: *snort* He will definitely end up with the princess...or the cat lady? But I think princess cos her hubby dies, they find their kid and the prince dies and she becomes Queen and then they live happily ever after.

C: Sounds about right sadly. BOOOO! The end?

B: The end. And next we will by THE GODS read that YA book and by LOKI it must be good or I will go mad.

C: Eekkkkkk excited. *fingers crossed*

**CAROLE'S CONCLUSION:

Overall, this was messy and there was a lot going on. I really wanted the book to focus on Arran and his story. There were boring parts and a couple fun parts. Super bummer that it wasn't as good as I hoped. However, I'm glad it wasn't a complete wash for me. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 2 stars. 

Movie Review: Crimson Peak (2015)

Length: 1 hr & 59 mins
Released: 2015
Genre:  Drama, Fiction, Historical, & Horror
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Watched online

SUMMARY:
In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:

Ooooooh I’ve been dying to see this movie since….since forever? Okay – maybe not forever, but it has felt like it. Well, why? It mixes two of my loves: scary/paranormal and historical. This seemed like a shoe-in for movie of the year.

Sadly….this is not the case.

Was it horrible and made me want to puke? No. Was it amazing beyond belief? No. It was simply okay. Let’s divide and conquer this review.

The Good
-Amazing actors. They certainly give it a star or two on its own. And no…I am not biased because a certainly man I love in there looking all spiffy in fancy old Victorian clothing. 

-The effects were good. I certainly was grossed out and wee bit scared of the ghosts. Kuddos.

-The plot twists were good. I called a couple of them, but they certainly did shock me by doing what they did with two of the characters. 

- Plus I was in LOVED with the costumes. Beautifully done.

The Bad and the Ugly

-This was not as horror-y as I thought it would be. It was more thriller-y. Not a huge biggy, but I truly wanted to be scared. 

- The ending was silly. WHO’S READY TO BE A GHOST NEXT!? You? You wanna be a ghost. Okay, here you go. Gah. 

- I wanted more horror...less thriller and romance. 

- The main character. She was daft as hell and I wanted to punch her. Granted, the actress did wonderful portraying this idiot, but I hated the character. FOOL! 

Conclusion

Overall, this was simply okay. I am super bummed and it fell short. Granted I had high expectations, because this simply looked AMAZING. Bleh. I do recommend this if you are bored and want a decent movie to entertain you. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3. Click HERE to check out the review by Anarchist. 

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: The Midnight Watch by David Dyer

On a black night in April 1912, fifteen hundred passengers and crew perish as the Titanic slowly sinks beneath the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Charting the same perilous course through the icebergs is the SS Californian, close enough for her crew to see the eight white distress rockets fired by the Titanic. Yet the Californian fails to act, and later her crew insist that they saw nothing. As news of the disaster spreads throughout America, journalists begin a feeding frenzy, desperate for stories. John Steadman is one such reporter, a man broken by alcoholism, grief and a failed marriage. Steadman senses blood as he fixates on the Californian and his investigation reveals a tense and perplexing relationship between the ship's captain and second officer, who hold the secrets of what occurred that night. Slowly he peels back the layers of deception, and his final, stunning revelation of what happened while the Titanic sank will either redeem the men of the Californian, or destroy them. 

My thoughts:

This is fiction mixed in with reality, the fiction being there was no John Steadman out for the big scoop. But his eagerness of that big story made me feel that the hunt was on.

I had not known that the Californian was close when the Titanic sank and it was such a mess! Wtf happened? What were they thinking? Doing? There also seems to be many answers that we just do not know, still today. It's a mystery, a sad one really.

The book begins with the dead bodies newsman John Steadman, he is the man to write about catastrophes. And when he hears about Titanic he knows he has a winner, but he focuses on The Californian, and wonders what went wrong...yes what did go wrong?

And we all know what happened to the Titanic, I do not have to say anything more there, cos this is not about that. It's about that other ship and what she was doing, and the aftermath.

I liked that I learned more, because yes I had no idea about the whole Californian mess. But I still wonder about it, I guess I always will.

Oh and Ice bergs are scary!

Conclusion:

Interesting take on this story.

Hardcover, 336 pages
Published April 7th 2016 by Atlantic Books
Historical fiction
For review

Book Review: Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie

Author: Jennifer Crusie
Titles: Fast Women
Genre: Chick Lit & Mystery
Pages: 448
First Published: May 2001
Where I Got It: My shelf (Used Book Stores)

Nell Dysart's in trouble. Weighed down by an inexplicable divorce and a loss of appetite for everything, Nell is sleepwalking through life until her best friend finagles a job for her with a shabby little detective agency that has lots of potential and a boss who looks easy to manage. 
Gabe McKenna isn't doing too well, either. His detective agency is wasting time on a blackmail case, his partner has decided he hates watching cheating spouses for money, and his ex-wife has just dumped him...again. The only thing that's going his way is that his new secretary looks efficient, boring, and biddable. 

But looks can be deceiving and soon Nell and Gabe are squaring off over embezzlement, business cards, vandalism, dog-napping, blackmail, Chinese food, unprofessional sex, and really ugly office furniture, all of which turn out to be the least of their problems. Because soon, somebody starts killing people. And shortly after that, they start falling in love...

I had read and LOVED one of the author's other books, so I was excited to get my hands on another one. This was on the back-burner for a while and after moving and unpacking, I decided it was time to give this book a go.

The first couple of chapters were fun and had me laughing and feeling bad for Nell and Gabe. However....that is all the enjoyment I had. 

Nell turned into a fool. Nell's friends were idiots.

Gabe needed a kick in the face. Gabe's friends were idiots too.

Nell and Gabe together made me want to throw the book. 

I hated everyone by the end of the book. All the situations made me roll my eyes and want to slam the book down. These people are suppose to be 30-40s, however, they all acted like drunk 18 years olds in their first semester in college.  It was ridiculous and I was annoyed. Why did I keep reading? Well - I did a lot of skimming, but I am one for self-torture and I was hopeful I would fall in love like I did with the last book I had read by the author. Sadly, I need to start DNFing books. I skimmed so much, I might as well label this as a DNF. Sighs.

Besides for the first couple chapters, there was nothing redemable about this book. I am upset, because I do enjoy the author and her writing style. She is good, but this book was a total flop for me. I do not recommend this book if you want to start trying this author. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 1 star.

Saturday Scribbling Challenge #2

This is a fun little writing challenge that Blodeuedd and I have come up with! We each challenge each other with the selected theme. 

The second challenge is a mix of a photo and a quote. Of course, feel free to join in and share your own stories with the selected theme of the month! 

First....my challenge to Blodeuedd:

My Tree by Blodeuedd

I'd like to tell you a story of a girl I used to know. She had hair fair as sunshine, she had eyes sparkling like emeralds. She had a tongue that could suck the life out of you.


I met her one rainy night on the Brooklyn Bridge.

"What are you doing good Sir?" She asked as she strolled by, as if the sun had been shining and the weather warm.

I was sitting on the rail looking at the water. Down on my luck. Not a dime to spare, not a thought of others in my mind.

"What do you think," I said as she came to sat next to me. Dangling her legs and laughing in the rain. Looking down and grinning right back at me. And I stared, how I stared. She was beautiful. Then rain did not even seem to touch her and her smile it brightened the darkest night.

"Come on, let me buy you pie." She said and gave me her hand.

I took it and together we find a diner. It was the best pie I had ever had, and I was a goner. She was all I could think of, all I could dream of, all I could imagine having. We spent a few glorious days together, making love and laughing. I did not even notice how I seem to shrink into myself. Like the air itself was sucked from my lungs.

It ended a sunny afternoon. She took me to the woods, she said she wanted to get out of the city. I had a ring in my pocket, a ring I had stolen the night before. It was a work of air with a sapphire on it that would had cost me a fortune to earn. It seemed to burn a hole through the pocked, and I could not wait to give her it.


She took me to a tree, a tree sporting fall colors and she dreamily looked up.

"This is my tree, "she told me with her silken voice. A knowing smile on her face.

"Ok," I said and she leaned in to kiss me.

"My tree, " she whispered and sucked the last life out of me.


And this is now where I am, a ghost tied to a tree with so many more. But I still get to see her when she brings men to us. Men to die, Men to be buried under the roots. We all long to see her one last time.....

Now, Blodeuedd's challenge to me:

The Transformation by Carole Rae

The only word they allow me to say is yes. I have no choices. I was born into this and I cannot escape my fate. Tomorrow is the day and it is eating me alive…..

Gently, I close my diary. The ring of my pack sparkles under the candle light. It just lies there so solid and so unescapable. A sigh leaves my lips as I roll back over. I force my eyes close. I might as well get some sleep before the day of my first change happens.

I am lightly shaken away, “Daughter, daughter.” I peel my eyes open and my lovely mother is leaning over me with a soft smile, “Let us get you ready. There is some breakfast for you.” As I sit up, I grab the golden ring with a green emerald center. There is a serpent intertwined with the diamonds and emerald. In the mouth there is a diamond. Its eyes seem to be boring into my soul every time I look it.

Mother leads me to a seat in front of the mirror. I refuse to look at myself in the mirror. Mother gently brushes my dark black hair and she goes on and on about the ceremony and the transformation. She tries to comfort me and encourage me to eat the food before me. I only nod and do not take any food.

Once mother is done with brushing my hair and make-up, she lightly places my golden band on my head. The pearls lay coldly on my forehead, “You are the most beautiful, my dear. Look at yourself.” I do as she says and look up. I stare into my eyes and I can see the fear there.

~*~

The doors are opened and I stand by the opening. Our pack file out one by one. Each person congratulates me and offers me a hug and some offer me some words of advice. Finally everyone is gone except my parents and me. They each hug me and kiss my forehead. Before mother leaves she touches my cheek, “My dear girl. Do not be scared. It will hurt since it is your first. I love you very much and…..I am sorry, but the pack is your family and this….this IS a gift. You will see.” I say nothing as they leave.

The sun is setting and I just stand at the door. I pull my cloak over my head and stare down at my ring. The serpent’s white eyes glitter and stare at me. I touch the diamond and let out a huge sigh.

The moment the sun has set a huge pain strikes my body and heat takes over my body. I fall to my knees. I rip my black cloak off and begin to crawl away from the black doors. The moon is hidden behind the clouds and rain begins to pour down. It feels good on my burning skin.

It feels like the skin from my body is being torn away. I can barely breathe! I had made a promise to transform with dignity, but a scream rips from my throat and tears pour as hard as the rain around me. I fall to my side and cry out curses to my pack and this “gift”. The pain grows and grows and I want this to end. I scream to the point that my throat is raw.

I black-out for just a moment.

The rain stops as I open up my eyes. My view is weird and everything is sharper and clearer. Standing up, I go over to a puddle. My reflection is no longer of me, but a black and white wolf. I want to cry, but all I do is howl to the now shining moon.