Category Archives: 2 Flames

SEALed Forever
Author: Mary Margret Daughtridge
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for honest review*

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402246196
ISBN-13: 978-1402246197

SUMMARY:

He’s got a living, breathing dilemma…

In the midst of running an undercover CIA mission, Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale finds an abandoned baby, and his superiors sure don’t want to know about it. The only person who can help him is the beautiful new doctor in town, but she’s got another surprise for him…

She’s got a solution…at a price…

Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver has left the frantic pace of big city ER medicine for a small town medical practice. Her bags aren’t even unpacked yet when gorgeous, intense Garth Vale shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night with a sick baby…

But his story somehow doesn’t add up, and Bronwyn isn’t quite sure who she’s saving-the baby, or the man…

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading previous books by this author, I was a little excited to jump into her story telling of romance.  While the book was nice, it wasn’t a great  read for me. 


While the characters were detailed nicely and the author tried to make us love them, they each fell a little flat for me.  It seems the series started out great, but by the time you get to this book it is too predictable and boring.  I honestly had to force myself to finish the book just so I could read the ending that I knew was coming. The story was slowly paced and even when the plot seemed to pick up, the pace always returned to a lull. 


Overall, if you have read the series then you might has well read this one if you are someone who likes to see a series through.  Otherwise, if you haven’t read any of them yet, go ahead and give it a pass for now. 


MY RATING:

ASHES, ASHES
Author: Jo Treggiari
Source: Publisher
*I received this ARC free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (June 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545255635
ISBN-13: 978-0545255639

SUMMARY:

Epidemics, floods, droughts–for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she’s rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can’t continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There’s something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

MY THOUGHTS:

With all of the Dystopia books that are being released lately, I wasn’t surprised to find another one in my review pile.  I actually put this one behind a few others just so I could get a break from these for a bit.  So when I started reading it, I came at it fresh and ready to jump into the end of the world story.


Ashes, Ashes was not one of my favorite Dystopia books.  I wanted so much more from it.  While I liked the character of Lucy and her strong self of independence, I felt the romance between Lucy and Aidan was less than thrilling.  I never could really figure out Aidan’s role with some of the other characters.  While I enjoyed the premise of Sweepers and such, I didn’t feel there was enough action and drama to warrant the 341 pages in ARC format.  Some of the scenes were repetitive and some of the characters were confusing.  The character of Grammalie Rose was left unfinished in not knowing if she has secrets that need to be revealed or if she is just grouchy at times.  Del was a nuisance and I couldn’t figure out her interest in Aidan and Sammy.  While it is explained a little bit, I wanted a little bit more back story to warrant her affections for them.  Henry was fun and flirty.  I felt Lucy could have had a better chance with him than with Aidan. 


The ending was not one I was really a fan of either.  There were still some things left unanswered.  Plus it didn’t feel believable. Without giving away a spoiler, it is hard to write the one thing that could have made the ending better and believable for a follow-up book if one is planned.  THE VIAL! Why does she do what she does with it? Why not hand it to the one person in the camp that can use it? Plus, the book is heavy on narration and not enough dialogue between the characters to keep you engaged in the plot.


Overall, this was just a decent read with many flaws that need to be worked out.  Not one I would reread again, but I might pick up the sequel if there plans to be one just to see if some things plan to be answered further.  


MY RATING:

CUT
Author: Patricia McCormick
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Push; Reprint edition (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545290791
ISBN-13: 978-0545290791

SUMMARY:


A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next.

Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside.

Now she’s at Sea Pines, a “residential treatment facility” filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn’t want to have anything to do with them. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with anyone. She won’t even speak.

But Callie can only stay silent for so long….

MY THOUGHTS:

I have only read a few books on the topic of cutting.  I enjoyed the ones I have read, but I had a really hard time enjoying this book by Patricia McCormick.

It starts out slow and features Callie in group therapy.  She never speaks and tries to tune out everything that the group is sharing.  Since I have never been a cutter myself,  I personally can’t share what a cutter goes through.  While the author gave me a glimpse into what all it can do to people, I never felt the connection the Callie that the author was wanting.  I understand that this book is a reprint of the book that was originally published in 2000.  Does it feel like a dated book? Yes.  It seems the author muted it a bit back before young adult books were really allowed to touch heavily on certain subjects.

You can tell the author was really trying to get a message through with this book, yet since I couldn’t get the connection I was wanting with Callie, it didn’t impress me as much as it should have.  It is a short read at only 151 pages long, so it doesn’t take up a huge amount of time in reading it.  A book that was just okay, but not one I would reread again or even search out.

MY RATING:

AFTER MIDNIGHT
A Youngblood Novel
Author: Lynn Viehl
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: Flux (May 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 073872632X
ISBN-13: 978-0738726328

SUMMARY:

A Suspenseful New Series Featuring Vampires and Forbidden Love

Sophomore Catlyn Youngblood is used to the nomadic existence she and her two older brothers have shared since the death of their parents. When they settle down for good in the sleepy backwoods town of Lost Lake, Florida, Cat thinks they might finally fit in. Instead, they’re shunned by the locals.

While riding her horse late one night, Cat meets an enigmatic and handsome boy named Jesse Raven. Even more strange than her overpowering attraction to him is Jesse’s apparent aversion to the sun. As their attraction intensifies, long-kept secrets come to light. Cat learns that the Ravens are a centuries-old vampire clan . . . and worse still, that she and her brothers are descendents of Abraham Van Helsing, the world-famous vampire hunter. Mortal enemies by blood, the two families do all they can to keep them apart. But Cat and Jesse will risk everything to be together—including death.

MY THOUGHTS:

I don’t even know where to begin with this review since it was a book that I was really looking forward to.  While it was one I was excited to receive, it fell flat while reading the story.

After the death of her parents, Catlyn has been living with her oldest brother Patrick and middle brother Grayson.  While Catlyn is trying to adjust to another move and yet another school,  Patrick announces that they are finally going to settle down in one place and stay in Lost Lake, Florida.  Catlyn tries to make the best of it, but she still feels like an outsider after the way she is treated by the people in town.  When she decides to take a night ride on her horse Sali, she literally crashes into Jesse Raven, who just happens to be the mysterious boy who lives on an island in seclusion.

I felt the author did a great job at setting up the story in the beginning.  It was paced nicely, but as soon as Jesse entered the storyline, the author rushed everything and at times leaves the reader confused.  There were many times in the book that I wanted to stop reading the story even if I wanted to know what happens at the end.  The romance was forced between Catlyn and Jesse, the secrets were not so secret at times, and the revelations that are revealed near the end are predictable and cliche.  It seemed like the story had no outline and was just a jumble of thoughts and ideas rushed into a book.  This could have been an amazing story if the author would have paced the story like the first few chapters instead of forcing the plot in a rush.  I never could connect with any of the characters in the story.  There wasn’t much chemistry between Jesse and Catlyn, and what was there was too rushed.

Would I read the next book in the series?  Yes, but only if the author can sit down and time the plot better.  I am looking forward to see what the author will create for Grayson and Patrick, who in my opinion, were more exciting than Catlyn and Jesse.  For that fact alone, I am willing to find out what their stories will bring.

MY RATING:

IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS
Author: Jordan Dane
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (March 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780373210299
ISBN-13: 978-0373210299

SUMMARY:

Two years ago, Brenna did the unthinkable. She witnessed the aftermath of a murder and accused her only true friend–the first boy she ever loved–of being a killer.

Now sixteen, Brenna returns to Oklahoma only to discover that Isaac “White Bird” Henry isn’t in juvie. The half-breed outcast is in a mental hospital, frozen in time, locked in his mind at the worst moment of his life. And when Brenna touches him, she’s pulled into his hellish vision quest, seeing terrifying demons and illusions she doesn’t understand.

Feeling isolated and alone, she’s up against the whole town, targeted by bullying former classmates, a bigoted small town sheriff, and a tribe who refuses to help one of their own. But when Brenna realizes she’s as trapped by the past as White Bird is, this time she won’t turn her back on him. She’s the only one who can free them both.

Even if she has to expose her secret–a “gift” she’s kept hidden her whole life.

MY THOUGHTS:

At first, I thought this was going to be an awesome and eerie read.  While it had the creepy and dark story I was craving at the moment, it didn’t reach the awesome that I was looking for.  It touches on many subjects including murder, racism, sacrifice, and cruelty.  Usually, this could make for a deep and dark read, but the characters irritated to the point to where I almost didn’t finish this book.


Brenna was the most obnoxious and irritating girl in this book and she was the main character.  I couldn’t stand her from the beginning, she pushed my buttons in the middle, and she still was on my last nerve at the end.  I just couldn’t bring myself to like her character. 


White Bird, while at times could have been great, he is in la-la land for most of the book.  He had the potential of saving this book, but there wasn’t much of him in a normal state of mind to enjoy.

Again, while some people might enjoy the angst of the deeper emotions and plot, I was not a fan of it.  I thought the cover was gorgeous, but it didn’t help me enjoy the story. Frankly, the only thing that kept me from rating this as a one star was the small scenes of White Bird when he was lucid.  


MY RATING: