Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

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WHEREVER NINA LIES
Author: Lynn Weingarten

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Point; 1 edition (February 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 054506631X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0545066310

SUMMARY:


Nina was beautiful, artistic, wild . . . and adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But one day, without any warning, Nina disappeared.

Two years later, Ellie can’t stop thinking about her sister. Although everyone else has given up hope that Nina will return, Elile just knows her sister is out there, somewhere. If only Ellie had a clue where to look.

And then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing tucked into the pages of a book. Determined to find her sister, Ellie takes off on a crazy, sexy, cross-country road trip with the only person who believes she’s got a chance — her hot, adventurous new crush.

Along the way, Ellie finds a few things she wasn’t planning on. Like love. Mysteries. Lies. And something far ore shocking — the truth. 

MY THOUGHTS:

I had no idea what to really expect with this book.  I knew it was about sisters, one of them goes missing, and the other sister never gives up hope.  That was my general understanding of what this book was going to be about.  As I read the book though, it had so much more than that!

While I didn’t like only getting flashbacks of Nina, the author did do a wonderful job letting the reader know about Nina through her sister, Ellie. Ellie has never given up hope that her sister is still out there alive.  Even though everyone tells Ellie that she needs to move on, Ellie can’t let it go and stop searching for her.  When Ellie and her best friend find a card that Nina has drawn on in a donation box, Ellie gets her hopes up again.  Amanda doesn’t want to see Ellie get hurt, but she tries to help at first in locating her.

When Ellie and Amanda show up at a party, Ellie meets Sean.  Something about Sean captivates her and she finds herself attracted to him.  When they meet at Ellie’s job the following day, they hit it off.  One thing leads to another, and they are off on an adventure road trip finding clues along the way of what happened to Nina.

I loved how the author sucks you into the story of this book.  She gives you enough hints and even sketches throughout the story that makes you feel like a detective.  I will say that they twist in the middle of the book was great.  The only problem with the twist, was how quickly it wrapped up the book.  I feel the author could have added a few more chapters to the story to make the ending flow at the pace of the beginning.

A great read if you are looking for a young adult romance with plenty of suspense and twists.  I look forward to finding out what the author will write next!

MY RATING:


Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

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ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS
Author: Jeaniene Frost
  • Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Avon (July 27, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061783161
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061783166
SUMMARY:
An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears – this fearless, beautiful….human who braved death to rescue him. Though her burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

MY THOUGHTS:
The first thing I need to say about this book is if you haven’t read anything by this author before, what rock have you been hiding under? Ms. Frost can mix suspenseful paranormal effortlessly with romance and humor.  She writes incredible stories with characters that will capture your interest and will leave you wanting to know even more after the last page has been turned!
Kira is a private investigator on her way home late one night.  When she hears noises from a warehouse, she chooses to investigate.  What she walks into though is something she can hardly believe.  She sees Mencheres being tortured by ghouls. When she attempts to rescue him, the ghouls attack her.  What Kira doesn’t know is Mencheres is a vampire. Actually, he is a Master Vampire who is looking for an end.  He was hoping that the ghouls would have finished him off to where he could end his long undead life. When Mencheres sees the ghouls attack Kira instead, he lets his power loose, and kills them off.  He notices that Kira has witnessed it all, and heals her before she can die.  The only problem is Mencheres is having a hard time erasing her memories and being able to read her mind. He takes her to his home and tries to explain things to her.  Kira accepts what she is being told and falling for the vampire at the same time.  Mencheres falls for Kira as well, but is hesitant on being with her since his visions have shown him nothing but his death approaching.
I found the story between the two wonderful.  I loved the bickering and the banter between them when they were around each other.  I loved the suspense that Mencheres’ enemy, Radjedef brings to the story as well.  Kira was strong and determined which made her character fun and intriguing.  The romance between the two was hot one moment, and tender the next. 
I can’t wait for the author to finish the next book in the series.  I would love to see Vlad have a story as well in this series.  The side characters were so wonderful that they deserve a story all of their own. 
The only problem with this book for me was the cover!  What was up with the fake looking cover? While the people on the front were great, the blood drops looked like an after thought when printing was complete. It actually looks like someone took a red sharpie to each cover after printing and looks horrible! The photo above is nothing what the cover looks like in your hand! Trust me! That would be the one thing that I would want to be fixed for the next books.  Please figure out how to make a cover art department!
MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!  5 STARS

GIVEAWAY: Holly’s Inbox-Scandal in the City by Holly Denham

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Today I have great giveaway! Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have the following book to offer you!
SUMMARY:
Dear Holly, isn’t it shocking…?
Things are finally going Holly Denham’s way: she’s in love, she’s getting the recognition she deserves at work, and her friends and family have graciously opted to avoid disaster for the moment.
Just when Holly is starting to settle into her new life, scandal erupts and Holly finds herself—and her in box—at the center of a gossip whirlwind that threatens everything she’s worked so hard for.
Written entirely in emails, this follow-up to the UK smash hit Holly’s Inbox will keep you glued to its pages as the scandal running rampant in the city threatens to ruin Holly’s hard-earned and long-awaited happiness.
RULES:
1. USA only this time as I am using my low funds to ship this time!
2. No need to be a follower, but I would love it if you would be!
3.  Just  leave a comment with an email address for me to contact you!
4. Contest will run until 9/10/2010 and winner will be announced the following day.

(ARC Review) Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

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CRYER’S CROSS
Author: Lisa McMann
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 8, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416994815
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416994817
SUMMARY:

The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain. 
 
When a second student goes missing – someone close to Kendall’s heart – the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall¹s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school – messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there – Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.
Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross – and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.
MY THOUGHTS:
After the Wake Triology ended, I was anxious to see what author Lisa McMann would bring to the table next.  When I signed up to review Cryer’s Cross, I wondered if it would be as addictive as the Wake series.  All I can say is this–WOW!
I love how this author can pull you into the story with such short chapters, a quick pace, and wonderful writing.  Yet the one thing that fascinated me the most about this book is the suspense and mystery.  I could not put this book down! I didn’t want to miss one single paragraph of this book! The character’s were great and the story was dark with a touch of mystery to keep you guessing. 
Even though I loved this book, I do wish it had more chapters to it.  It seemed to be missing parts of the story of the town throughout it.  I wanted to know more about the history of the Reform School and the souls that were trapped.  Once you start reading the book, the cover makes much more sense to you as well.  I was sad at the outcome of some of the characters too.  I feel if the author could work in just a few more chapters this book would be complete and leaving the reader truly fulfilled. 
If you are looking for a new young adult read that will leave you gripping the pages in suspense, then I recommend picking this book up on release day! 
MY RATING:


Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS