Category Archives: 1 Flame

Can’t Buy Me Love
Series: Crooked Creek Ranch #1
Author: Molly O’Keefe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Bantam Books
Source: Amazon Vine
ISBN: 9780440423072

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)


A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she’ll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to do is play the part of a gold-digging fiancée to lure Lyle’s estranged children home. The mission is soon accomplished. 

Now Lyle’s gone—and his ridiculously handsome son, Luc, an ice hockey superstar sidelined by injuries, is the new owner of Crooked Creek ranch. He’s also Tara Jean’s boss. But being so close to sinfully sweet Tara Jean does crazy things to Luc’s priorities, like make him want to pry her deepest secrets from those irresistible lips. But when Tara Jean’s past demands a dirty showdown, will Luc stay and fight?

I am still laughing at the plot of this book.  I don’t know if it was the writing, the characters or the whole scheme that has me shaking my head in displeasure with this read.

I had a really hard time getting into this story from the first page.  It felt forced, the characters were one dimensional, and there was hardly any spark between the two main characters.  I knew about 50 pages into the story that it was not going to get much better.  Even with the story problems and such, I kept reading hoping for the best.

I still cannot remember one thing I liked about this book.  Oh wait!  The cover has to be my favorite thing.  Those peek at me abs were very sexy, but the romance inside was not.  This is true to the saying of don’t judge a book by its cover.  The story was boring, the characters still didn’t have any type of personality by the end and left this reader wondering what the heck I read.

Overall, this one was a failure for me.  I did finish the story but it left me with no excitement for a follow up in the series.

       

Glitch
Series: Glitch Trilogy #1
Author: Heather Anastasiu
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Amazon Vine
ISBN: 9781250002990

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.


When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.


As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

How do you write a review on a book that is just okay?  I am still trying to get my thoughts together on this book.  I really wanted to love the story and the characters, but I just couldn’t bring myself to really care about it by the last page.  I am not trying to be harsh, but I think I had this book built up in my head to be great and it disappointed me in so many ways.

Again we are reading about a Dystopia/Fantasy like world set in the future.  With the flood of books in this genre jumping on the Dystopian theme, you really have to write an awesome story and even better characters than the last big book.  I found this book to be repetitive, drawn out and slow in building in momentum.

Onto another issue with this book.  Yes there is a love triangle, but it came across all wrong.  Max was sleaze and total jerk.  If Zoe would have stood up to him when his crap started, I might have felt some sympathy towards her character.  Instead she glosses over his behavior for so long that when her back bone finally stands up straight, I was hoping she would get what she deserved.  Seriously, Max really ruined this book for me.  I understand that some characters are needed to move a story, but his just moved it to the back of the pack in my opinion.

I had a really hard time finishing this book.  I trudged through it though and finished it up until the last page.  I can’t see myself reading the rest of this trilogy though to see what happens.

     

Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: 9780525423287

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit — more sparkly, more fun, more wild — the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.


When Cricket — a gifted inventor — steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Lola and the Boy Next Door had big shoes to fill in my opinion.  After reading Anna and the French Kiss, I was in love with this author and her writing.  It surpassed my expectations in so many ways.  So when Lola and the Boy Next Door was released, I was hesitant in reading it.  I picked it up and put it back.  I eyed it from across the room.  I did not want to be disappointed and have it fall in the trap where second books fall.  I wanted it to be great like Anna.  Finally I caved and started reading it.

I was right though.  Lola fell flat and it fell hard.  I will say that the writing was there and the author can write some amazing scenes.  You could read a paragraph and know it was written by Stephanie Perkins.  I think one of the main reasons I didn’t enjoy this book so much was because of the main characters.  Lola was a spoiled girl that is being raised by two Dads.  I have nothing against gay parents raising a child.  Yet when two parents — no matter the genre — think it is okay for a teenager who is approaching adulthood dress like it is Halloween everyday makes me rethink their ability to be a parent.  Seriously?  They think it is okay to send their daughter to school in a sheet with a Cleopatra wig and eyeliner?  Lola was also spoiled and bratty.  I couldn’t connect with her on any level.

Then we have Cricket.  Oh Ms. Perkins.  Why? Why name a guy Cricket?  Seriously?  Then you step off the ledge and dress him like a dork?  Skinny short pants? Plus we have a plot of them growing to like each other when they were younger and the reason they separate is just laughable. I just couldn’t see the reason being enough to cause Lola to act the way she does whenever his name is brought up.

There were just so many cliches in this book that it made it unbelievable and worthy of eye rolling every other page.  I know this author can write.  Anna and the French Kiss is proof of it.  I wish the author would take a step back before her next novel and go back to her roots in writing.  I desperately hope her next novel can reclaim her work to that spot in my heart that Anna is filling.

       

Silver
Author: Rhiannon Held
Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
Source: Amazon Vine
Publisher: Tor Books
 (June 5, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0765330376

Andrew Dare is a werewolf. He’s the enforcer for the Roanoke pack, and responsible for capturing or killing any Were intruders in Roanoke’s territory. But the lone Were he’s tracking doesn’t smell or act like anyone he’s ever encountered. And when he catches her, it doesn’t get any better. She’s beautiful, she’s crazy, and someone has tortured her by injecting silver into her veins. She says her name is Silver, and that she’s lost her wild self and can’t shift any more.


The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent. 


Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other.

First off, I don’t know why this is classified as a Fantasy.  I felt it fit better in the Paranormal Romance or even Urban Fantasy, but definitely not quite as Fantasy only.  What made me want to read this book was the werewolf characters.  It had been awhile since I stepped into the werewolf world and decided to read about them again.

When Andrew comes across Silver during a run for the pack, he is held responsible in finding out where she has come from and where she is suppose to belong.  Sounds good right? You would think this would create some drama or at the very least some suspense.  Well, it could have but never did for me.  This book was choppy, not paced well and all around boring.  I hate to use those words because I know this is an author’s hard work, but it is what it is for this reader.  I had to struggle just to finish this book and reading should never be a struggle.

If you want a good werewolf read, look elsewhere.  If you want a Fantasy, look elsewhere.  If you just want something to pass the time, then pick it up.  Don’t expect much though from the story though.

       

Where It Began
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
 (March 6, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1442423213

Sometimes the end is just the beginning. 


Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss…Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there. 


And Billy’s nowhere to be found. 


All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn’t difficult, it’s impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby’s beginning to realize she’s missed more than a few danger signs along the way. 


It’s time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes. 


Especially if it means everything changes.

I was so excited to get this book in advance from Amazon Vine.  It sounded interesting and I was in desperate need of a young adult book to bring back my passion for this genre.  Unfortunately, this book was not as great as I was hoping it would be.  I think I will be in the minority in saying that this book is not one that will live up to the hype, but this is only my opinion.

Gabby was not a character I enjoyed.  I was to the point of wanting to rip her from the pages of the book and slap some sense into her.  I just didn’t like how the author portrayed her.  At times, she was annoying and a pain in the butt, but then there were times when you wanted to give her a hug and a shoulder to cry on.  While this could be an interesting combination for a character that would leave the reader interested in more, it left me frustrated and to the point of wanting to just put the book away.  I can understand the confusion that the character goes through, but her attitude was not one I wanted to read about.  You can tell that Billy is not someone to trust or want to be with, but naive Gabby doesn’t seem to grasp this.  Even a brain injury couldn’t excuse the behavior of wanting this boy.

This book starts out great, but quickly falls into the trap of predictability, boredom and characters with shallow intentions.  I felt that this book was a let down, but could have been better with further exploration of the characters and plot.