Review: WHITE HOT KISS by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: WHITE HOT KISS

Cat/Gen: YA/Paranormal

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pub Date: Out now!

ARC received from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dannie says: Oh. So this is why people love JLA. I understand now.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

WHAT I LIKED

The lore. Being the first in a series, she didn't delve into the traditional gargoyle lore as much as I would have liked, thus making it a like and not a love. But I did dig the world-building that happened. I haven't read many gargoyle YA's and that definitely caught my eye here. Hoping for more in Book 2.

It's a quick, fun read. I may have almost been late to work the morning after as a consequence of reading this from start to finish one night. 

The FMC. I liked Layla, but I didn't love her. She wasn't as strong as I like my main characters to be and she relied too much on the men...erm...demons and gargoyles in her life to save her. As the book went on, though, and she made more complex/flawed choices, I grew to like her more. 

WHAT I LOVED

How pleasantly I surprised I was overall. This is the first Jennifer L. Armantrout novel I've picked up, mostly because I've heard a lot of meh things but also because I hadn't really been grabbed by any of the plotlines. But I decided to give this one a chance when it came across my netgalley feed and I was pleasantly surprise.

The sexytimes. Oh. So this is why people love JLA. I understand now.

Roth. I won't go into a lot of details here because spoilers, but I'll just say I like to write bad boys a lot more than I like to read them. And, as a general principle, not so much a fan of demons. This is a bad boy demon I enjoyed reading and hope to read more of very soon. 

WHAT I WANTED MORE OF

More depth and screen time with Zayne. I think to do a love-triangle well, you need to really buy into the idea that both L.I.'s have an equally realistic possibility of success as a partner and that both have the potential to offer her something she can't get from the other. I didn't quite buy into Zayne's potential, what with the whole not being able to kiss him thing. It'd kind of a bummer to not be able to kiss a guy you're dating. 

More screen time with the bad guys. I felt like they were sort of in-and-out and not scary enough as a consequence. 

More interaction with the human world. For a girl that's in high school there's suspiciously few humans in her life. And yeah I get the whole soul-sucking urge complication and whatnot, but as a reader who is, well, human...mostly...it felt weird that there were so few humans in the book. On a related note, I wanted more clarity about how the humans came into play in this world because they didn't really seem to add any sort of value to the story. The human players are very unimportant to the overall plot, and I never really invested in them. Moreover, I wasn't 100% sure why gargoyles mattered to humans. 

A more complex FMC. Though again I wish she made more of an impact on the story. Anything more would be spoilerish so I'll leave it there.

Also, more gargoyles. Because, um...gargoyles? 

Short story long, if you're curious about JLA but you haven't read her yet, this isn't a bad place to start. It's not a book that's going to change the face of YA/ParRom, but that's okay. It's a fun, quick read, perfect for summer break.

This one's been out for a while now, so if you've read it, let me know what you think! Buy links are below!

Fangirl Friday Review: SECOND STAR by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Title: SECOND STAR by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Pub Date: May 13, 2014
ARC received from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
Dannie says: I'm already wishing for a sequel!

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward his nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of J. M. Barrie's classic tale, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up—and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

WHAT I LIKED

The overall story arc and plot. It's a like not a love because, for me, while the first half of the book had fantastic, gripping pace, the latter half, maybe last third, felt rushed. Part of that is that I was reading at top speed, dying to know what was going to happen next. But in terms of plot points it felt a little bottom heavy for me. That said, the plot is fantastic and I read the book from start to finish in one sitting, forgoing sleep because I was so invested in the story. 

The characters and relationships. Related to the point above, I felt like we got great insights and time with Pete, but not so much with Jas. I felt like he needed to be more villainous, or at least we needed to see his villainous side played out on the page a little more clearly. I think maybe the author fell for Jas as she was creating him and sort of softballed him as a result. And surely part of that was to emphasize the love triangle aspect, but for me it made him feel less three-dimensional than Pete. I wanted the author to take his relationship with Wendy further, to spend more time building their bond. Without revealing too much, I left the love triangle aspect of the story not knowing who I was rooting for, and I'm a pretty effing opinionated person when it comes to love triangles. It's the reason I avoid writing them in my own stories. I didn't know who I thought was a better fit for Wendy, not because I loved them both equally but because I didn't get to love either of them enough. 

WHAT I LOVED

First thing's first--yay contemporary retellings! I loved the way the author incorporated and stayed true to the original Barrie fairytale while setting the book firmly in the modern real world. I think she did an excellent job in that respect. Her concept grabbed me immediately and I felt like she did an amazing job of following through on what her book blurb promised. 

The setting. I'm not a beach book gal by any stretch of the imagination. But I felt really pulled into the setting and the world that she created, despite my original misgivings that pink, beachy books are not for me. She contrasted that enough with real world grit that I got invested quickly and stayed *hooked* throughout. ;)

The MC. I like that Wendy is that catalyst for the story. Yes, there are strong male figures in the story and yes they definitely impact the plot, but this is Wendy's story and she's a strong female MC without being overtly feminist or unfeminine. I really enjoyed reading her story and I was rooting for her from start to finish. 

WHAT I WANTED MORE OF

More resolution in the ending--in looking on Goodreads, it doesn't appear this is a series. Boo. That said, the ending doesn't feel neat enough for me for a standalone. I wanted something more concrete. So ironic, because I'm the queen of unresolved open and grey endings. But there it is. 

A nitpicky note, but I wanted Jas to be more Hook-like. I was hoping he would have some sort of disability the way Hook does (it would be easy, given the hazards of surfing), or at least something symbolic of the hook. If there was such a thing I missed it, but I definitely found myself looking for it when Jas was introduced and throughout the read. 

These are picky, purely opinion things, though. And they won't stop me from re-reading this one. 

Short story long, I can't say enough about this story. The only negative I have was that it wasn't long enough--that I wanted to keep reading even after I ran out of pages. I really hope there is a sequel planned they haven't revealed yet. Maybe I'll have to wish upon a star to make it happen, eh?

Buy links below. If you like retellings or beach reads or good YA in general, pick this one up. 

Review: SONG OF THE FIREFLIES by J.A. Redmerski

Title: SONG OF THE FIREFLIES by J.A. Redmerski 
Pub Date: Out now!
ARC received from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review. 
Dannie says: *big pouty face here!* I wanted to love this so hard.

THE TRUTH WILL SET THEM FREE
Brayelle Bates has always been a force of nature. Even as a child, Bray's wild and carefree spirit intimidated everyone around her. The only person who's ever truly understood her is her best friend, Elias Kline. Though every fiber of her being wants to stay with Elias forever, Bray can't bear the thought of him discovering her agonizing history. She's done everything she can to keep him at arm's length, including moving away. But their undying bond was too strong a pull to deny, and Bray couldn't survive without him. Now she's back home with Elias, and things have never felt more right--until one night changes everything. 

Elias vowed never to be separated from Bray again. So when she decides to flee in a desperate attempt to escape her fate, Elias knows he must go with her. As the two try to make the most of their circumstance, taking up with a reckless group of new friends, Elias soon realizes there's a darkness driving Bray he can't ignore. Now in order to save her, he'll have to convince Bray to accept the consequences of their reality--even if it means losing her. 

WHAT I LIKED

The MCs. I liked them, but didn't love them. There were a few reasons for this that I'll get to below, but while I cared about what happened to both of them, I wasn't necessarily championing them or their relationship. 

That mental health was a theme but not THE story. I think it's a mistake in trend in both YA and NA to make stories that are just about [insert sick lit theme here]. So it was nice to see a story with a mentally ill MC where the illness itself was not the spotlight of the book. The handling of bipolar disorder itself made it a like, instead of a love. More on that below. 

WHAT I LOVED 

I really struggled to find a love in this book. And for a strengths-based critiquer, that's a hard thing for me to write. I was disappointed in a lot of this book, which really sucks because THE EDGE OF NEVER was one of my favorite NA reads for a long time. 

WHAT I WANTED MORE OF

Authentic handling of sexual addiction. It's easy for me to nitpick about the handling of addiction issues, having been an addictions therapist for nearly 15 years now. However, this isn't really about that. Krista and Becca Ritchie absolutely nailed both drug and sex addiction in their ADDICTED SERIES novels, and they're not therapists. This is a matter of the author doing enough research to make the story authentic. And for anyone who has ever met a girl who is truly addicted to sex, it's beyond insulting to their struggles and strengths to say "I like sex a lot" and call it an addiction. This really raised my hackles because it doesn't take a TON of research to do better than the author did in this case. 

Authentic presentation of bipolar disorder. The author hugely missed the boat here, too. And she missed an awesome opportunity to utilize the dual narrative POVs to present bipolar as it appears externally to a loved one as well as internally within a person with the disorder. In the case of Bipolar, these are two very different perspectives, particularly when the person is in a manic phase. So here again, I felt like the author didn't do her research and slapped a label on her character to give her an "issue" rather than do the work to make the disease feel authentic. I felt that she did attempt to rectify this in some of the very last chapters, but it was too late at that point. The opportunity had been messed up way before then, and the author had lost her credibility with me as a reader. The same went for the plot aspects of involuntary commitment and correctional suicide watch. 

Distinct narrative voice. (And yes, Dannie is harping on voice again.) Really, though, if you're going to bother to have two points of view, a reader should be able to tell the difference between them. There were many times when I had to skim back to figure out whose POV we were in. And when one of the characters is pervasively mentally ill and a self-diagnosed sex addicts, this really shouldn't be the case. I felt like the voice was spotty and muddy throughout the read. 

Not more but less chunky expository narrative. I felt like this book was heavy on the internal monologue but that that narrative was neither emotive or provocative. It makes sense when you have a depressed MC that she's going to be withdrawn and isolating. That's all the more reason to make that narrative jump off the page where both voice and content are concerned. There was a huge disconnect for me in this respect. 

More editing. And here I'm not talking about line editing, which you expect with an ARC to be spotty. I'm talking about big picture editing--characterization, plot, narrative voice, pace, etc.  Like THE EDGE OF ALWAYS, this feels more like a first draft than any sort of finished product. The potential is there but the execution is way off.

I'm willing to accept that I may be totally wrong here. But like I said, I loved the author's debut novel when I first started reading NA a couple years ago. This felt so off the mark for me compared to that, and made me feel like I wasn't just being biased here in my disappointment. 

But that's my two cents, for whatever they're worth. Let me know what you think!

Review: THIS IS NOW by Maggie Gilbert

THIS IS NOW by Maggie Gilbert  
Pub Date: February 1, 2014
ARC received from Harlequin Enterprises Australia in exchange for an honest review.
Dannie says: Sexy, nice guy, classical musician? Why thank you, I think I will. 

A gritty, urban New Adult Cinderella story where the princess can do her own rescuing — she just needs someone to believe in her.

Sister to car thieves, ex-girlfriend to a drug dealer, high school dropout, no-hoper and loser — Jess is on the sidelines, watching her life become one epic fail. Her dreams of university are fading fast, as the people in her life fight to confine her to their own expectations. 

Then she meets Sebastien, a gifted cellist from a very different walk of life. Sebastien is clean and strong and talented. He likes and respects her, but he too has expectations. Sebastien seems to think she can do anything, and Jess, despite her fears and the secrets she hides, is starting to believe him.

But just as Jess dares to hope, the secrets in her past and the lies in her present catch up with her. All seems lost and she has to make a choice. Between past and future. Between home and hope. Between now and never. And this is now.

WHAT I LIKED

That the New Adult themes were highlighted, even though it isn't a traditional college story. As a NA author biased toward books that don't fit the college cookie cutter, I was super excited about this element. Though I wish the themes had been more consistently present. For me, it felt like they were more of an afterthought added in during editing to fit the category, which made them a like rather than a love. But yay for out of the box books! :)

Overall characterization was a like for me (with one exception, see below.) I think we spent so much time in the MC's head that we sort of lost the other characters at times. An increase in dialogue would have helped this tremendously for me. A good example is Anna, who plays such a crucial role but hardly gets any on screen time. I think the author missed a huge opportunity to play her up more. But I did feel that the characters were overall relatively consistent and well thought out. 

WHAT I LOVED

Sebastien. *girlie sigh* He makes a lovely book boyfriend. I loved that he wasn't a tattooed raging beast like so many MMCs in NA, that he was sort of nerdy, but still sexy and strong, and that he was a good guy. I'm so sick of the bad boy trope in NA, so I found him not only endearing but refreshing. 

The romantic plot arc. This is a contemporary romance where the romance and the characterization really come together in an organic way. I think the author did a good job of presenting realistic, organic conflict between the characters that really popped off the page. And though they didn't seem *perfect* for each other the way a lot of NA couples do, I think this made them even better, even more realistic. And I found myself rooting for them the whole way through. 

The sexytimes. Gah. Though tame by NA standards, the sensual aspects of this story do NOT suffer in the least. I love, love, loved them and wanted more! The chemistry and sexual tension was fantastic. And I loved the natural way the stereotypical roles were reversed between them.

WHAT I WANTED MORE OF

A stronger FMC. In some ways the weaker aspects of Jess' character make sense. She's been through a lot and having low self-esteem is a natural side effect. But as the story continued, I would have like to have seen more growth from her in that respect. I wanted her to kick ass and take names at the end, and for me it didn't really turn out like that. I won't say more because I'm desperately avoiding spoilers here, but suffice to say I wanted her to be stronger, even if only in personality rather than action. 

Character interaction. As I mentioned above, a lot of the story happens in a vacuum inside the MC's head. There is a TON of internal monologue, some of which I felt was pretty tangential, and which consequently slowed the pace for me significantly. Particularly toward the end, I lost my battle with my urge to skim, wanting to get back to the plot, conflict, and relationships. 

More focused internal monologue. The stream of consciousness style of narrative voice at times did a disservice to the plot and to the MC. All of these factors really went together for me to be a downside of the book. I think for some readers prone to give up at less than 100 pages if the story hasn't been thrown into full blown action, this may not be something they have patience for. I was engaged enough by the characters to keep reading, though. 

More distinct voice. I'm such a hyper-vigilant hardass about voice, and I wanted something more unique here. That's not say the voice is inauthentic or bad, it's not. It's just not as unique as I like my narration to be, particularly when a book is so narration heavy. 

All that said, I did enjoy this book. I think it's great for NA readers who are tired of the cookie cutter college story with a reformable bad boy MMC. And if you're a fan of underdogs, this MC might be a good one for you. 

Check it out and let me know what you think! Buy links are below!

Review: THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN by Jessica Sorensen

Title: THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN
Pub Date: 5/6/14 from Grand Central Publishing
ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review
Dannie says: not as tempting as some of Sorensen's other works, but still fun!

On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory. 

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

WHAT I LIKED

If you've been following this blog for a while you know I'll pretty much pick up anything with Jessica Sorensen's name on it. She has a knack for writing realistically imperfect characters that are easy to champion. The premise of Lila and Ethan promised to be another book I'd reread until I had memorized. It touched on the New Adult themes I loved without being a cookie cutter college let's get drunk and tame a bad boy trope that I've grown really, really sick of. I was hooked by this premise. There were some areas it fell short for me, though, making it a like rather than a love. 

Ethan. I'm not really a sucker for a bad boy and I think this was one area where some of Sorensen's characters start to blend together a little. He's a bit similar to Quinton, who is probably my favorite character by this author, and so I found myself comparing the two, leaving Ethan to be more of a like than a love, since I felt Quinton was more multifaceted and tangible. I did really, really enjoy reading Ethan's chapters though.

WHAT I LOVED

The realistic portrayal of addiction in upper class teens/twenty-somethings. You know how I'm a sucker for a well-told drug story, and Sorensen's books are some of my favorite in this respect. I did think she handled this aspect of the story very well, and I won't say anything more than that to avoid spoilers. But it was realistic and from me that's hard praise to come by. 

Hurray for a book that can be read as a standalone! I've read the previous two books in this series, but I don't think you need to read them to enjoy this book. And although there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, there's enough tying of loose ends that if you want to stop here, you can, and feel satisfied that the story has reached a conclusion. 

WHAT I WANTED MORE OF

A stronger FMC. I felt like Lila could have grown more in terms of her personal journey. I wanted her to be stronger and to rely on Ethan less. I felt at times like they were toying with codependency in a way that seemed unhealthy, and I wanted her to need less rescuing than she did. 

More chemistry--while Sorensen's characterization and chemistry are nearly always out of the box, I did feel like this book went into the tropey area a little too much with the whitewashed pure girl and the inked up bad boy. While I didn't think Ethan was your typical NA LI, he wasn't unique enough from other male leads in Sorensen's growing collection. So, maybe because I've read nearly everything in her catalog, I felt like these characters and their chemistry was not as original as I'd hoped. 

Short story long, if you enjoy Jessica Sorensen's books, I think you'll be tempted by Lila and Ethan. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Cover Reveal and Excerpt: KNIGHT ASSASSIN by Rima Jean

Today Rima Jean and Entangled Teen are revealing the cover for KNIGHT ASSASSIN, releasing in March 4,2014! Check out the gorgeous cover, exclusive excerpt, and enter to win an eARC!

On to the reveal!

About the Book

Title: KNIGHT ASSASSIN

Author: Rima Jean

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pub. Date: March 4, 2014

Pages: 216

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Seventeen-year-old Zayn has special powers she cannot control—powers that others fear and covet. Powers that cause the Templar Knights to burn Zayn’s mother at the stake for witchcraft. When a mysterious stranger tempts Zayn to become the first female member of the heretical Assassins, the chance to seek her revenge lures her in. She trains to harness her supernatural strength and agility, and then enters the King of Jerusalem's court in disguise with the assignment to assassinate Guy de Molay, her mother’s condemner. But once there, she discovers Earic Goodwin, the childhood friend who still holds her heart, among the knights—and his ocean-blue eyes don’t miss a thing. Will vengeance be worth the life of the one love she has left?

Exclusive Excerpt!

Earic emerged from behind a rosebush, his eyes glistening at her. He looked misplaced, this broad-shouldered monk-warrior, wandering amid the blooms of an Eastern garden. Even at night, the reds and golds and pinks were vivid and breathtaking. “Is Marguerite well?” he asked immediately, his brow creased with concern.

Zayn frowned as he sat beside her on the bench. “She has been better.”

“Her injury—”

“It is healing well. It’s not her leg that ails her so much.” Zayn looked down into her lap. How would she tell him what Marguerite should be telling him herself? This whole situation was terribly uncomfortable. “Lady Melisende has forbidden her from keeping your company.”

He exhaled, looked down as well. “I thought she might.” Zayn tilted her head to look at his profile. His hair was freshly washed and still damp, dark at the roots and shorter than before. Gone was the baby-faced Fair Boy she remembered; the man beside her had a network of scars on his sun-baked face and neck. His palms were like cracked leather, and the scent of sandalwood mingled with the musk of a man. She was surprised to find that it did not repulse her. In fact, it did quite the opposite. She glanced away.

“She never did approve of our friendship,” he said with a sad smile. “I was not good enough for her daughter. And I don’t disagree—I am not good enough for Marguerite.”

“Oh, stop,” Zayn said impatiently. “Just because you were not born into the right family doesn’t mean you cannot be friends.”

Earic looked at Zayn. “I suppose. But Marguerite is something special.”

Her expression softened. “Yes. I agree.” She hesitated for a moment. “She wanted me to tell you that no matter what, your friendship will endure.”

His smile was like a bolt of lightning in the dark. “Of course it will. Just like ours has.”

Zayn focused straight ahead, her blood beginning to hum. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Zayn.” His voice was hoarse with emotion, his hand gently brushing against hers. “I know it’s you. I knew it was you the moment I saw you.”

“Your enemy,” she heard herself say, turning to look at him.

His voice was barely a whisper. “God’s bones! What have you become?”

Emotion clogged her throat, made her voice rasp. “Forget you ever met me, Earic. You must forget. I must kill you otherwise.”

“You can try. You won’t succeed.” He moved his hand up her arm, sending sparks throughout her body. “I had intended to visit Monteferrand soon. I wanted…to find you.”

She shook her head, her breath coming quickly now. “Find me? Why? You are a Templar, have you forgotten? And I…I’m not the girl you remember, not even a shadow of her.”

“I follow no one’s law but my own.” His face was illuminated from within. “As for the girl from Rafaniya… She’s here, I can still see her.” He raised his hand to her mouth and touched her lips with his forefinger.

Her every nerve tingled in response, her brain woozy with realization. Was it possible that he had feelings for her? In the blink of an eye, her hand flashed out, seeking his throat. Before she could grasp him, he’d snagged her wrist in his powerful fist. Her other hand lashed out; he stopped it as well. Her body rose in fury, but he rose with her, twisting her forcefully against him. Locking her within his arms, he lowered his head. “I won’t touch you, Zayn, I swear it. Please, control your strength. I don’t want to hurt you.”

The roar abated; her strength retreated like a falling tide. She gasped and slumped against him. How was he so strong? She was surprised how far up she had to look to meet his gaze. “I don’t understand. How…?”

His lips were inches from hers. “Haven’t you realized it yet, Zayn? You and I…”

His breath mingled with hers, intoxicating her. “What?” she managed to whisper.

Rather than answer, he dipped his head just a fraction and touched her mouth with his. The spark his lips ignited was so very different from the one created by her power. A warmth spread throughout her body, turning her muscles to jelly. She felt completely, utterly human in Fair Boy’s arms, and it was too good to be true…

She pulled away abruptly, horrified. “I have to go. I can’t… You must forget about me, Earic. Or else you put your life in danger.” Before he could reply, she turned and hurried away, breathless with fear.

About Rima:

Rima Jean received a degree in archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania. After a dismal law school experience, she floundered a bit before accepting her calling: storytelling. She resides in Houston with her wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters, where she writes, edits, and dabbles in digital art.

Website/Twitter/Goodreads







Giveaway Details:

1 eARC of KNIGHT ASSASSIN International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: FOREVER INNOCENT by Deanna Roy

FOREVER INNOCENT by Deanna Roy  

Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Pub Date: Available now!!
ARC Received from Casey Shay Press in exchange for an honest review. 
Dannie says: A gripping read, but I'm still looking for the ending! 
"Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again." 

Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.

Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.

When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.

WHAT I LIKED

The male MC. Though I wasn't crazy about his behavior all the time, I did find him relatable. He was a like not a love, though. I'm still not entirely sure I wanted the book to end the way it did where the romance is concerned. But I will leave it like that because spoilers suck. :)

WHAT I LOVED

The heartbreaking concept. As soon as I read the blurb on NetGalley I had to request it. That said, I didn't anticipate it being as triggering for me as it was. And the text rang true to the book blurb. I was hooked throughout. Read it in less than forty-eight hours, despite life and what not that required dealing with. 

On a related note--the authenticity. As the mother of a NICU preemie I can personally vouch for the authenticity of those flashback scenes. Unfortunately it seems the author can vouch for her authenticity personally. You should know if you've lost a child or had a baby spend time in an incubator before they were strong enough to go home, that some of these scenes may be difficult to read. But the authenticity is there for sure.

WHAT I WANTED MORE OF

Denouement--I felt like we were a chapter or two short of a full story arc. Some of the major themes were left unfinished or partially finished. I felt, quite strongly, that story ended too soon. 

A stronger female MC. There was a lot of rescuing going on, and not just by the male MC. I think in situations where the story opens with a situation that has clearly been traumatizing for the heroine, that aspect of the MC's character arc from hero blown sideways to hero as warrior is exceedingly important. I think more denouement would have offered the opportunity for the author to show more growth in the main character. 

Stronger, more intentional character arcs overall. While I found the plot and pace very strong throughout, I didn't see a lot of character growth happening. Not only did some of the couple's glaringly obvious flaws go unaddressed, as people the author didn't show us a heck of a lot of growth from chapter one to the final page. Some of the minor characters vanished altogether without any tying up of their story lines. 

Short story long, I was really engaged by this read, so much that I didn't want it to end. At least without us knowing the full story.

Have you picked up FOREVER INNOCENT yet? What did you think? GoodReads and Buy links are below!

Fangirl Friday: WILD CARDS by Simone Elkeles--A Review

Fangirl Friday is a weekly feature where I talk about upcoming books and how much I lurve them!

Love, life, and sports will never be the same. A steamy new series with a Friday Night Lights flavor, from best-selling author, Simone Elkeles

WILD CARDS by Simone Elkeles

ARC from Bloomsbury USA

Pub Date: October 1, 2013

Dannie says: Just Wild Enough

Find it on: Goodreads  Amazon    B & N     Indiebound   Facebook



After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama. 

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain—people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Full disclosure here: I am a straight up, die-hard Simone Elkeles fangirl. 

When I first started to consider publication seriously, I picked up Simone Elkeles' PERFECT CHEMISTRY and devoured it in a couple hours. Beyond just being a really good book, as a writer, it gave me hope--that maybe someday I could publish the gritty, authentic YA Contemporary stories I loved to write but thought might be too dark for publishers to take seriously. Since then, I've picked up every title she's produced. 

So I was super excited when I got the opportunity to review this ARC.

The things I first loved about Elkeles' writing are still present in WILD CARDS: Authentic dialogue, characters I can imagine existing in the real world (though Ashtyn's femininity was a bit of a stretch for me at times--given not only is she a jock, but also grew up without a mother), and a plot that goes beyond the romance. And speaking of romance, in the years that have passed since I first read PERFECT CHEMISTRY, I have yet to find a YA author who can go with Simone as far as sexytimes are concerned. She always walks the hotness line and WILD CARDS is no exception. One scene in particular was steamier than some of the New Adult titles I've read lately, which for my parent readers is something to consider when picking up this title for your teen. But nothing I would label overtly inappropriate.

Plot-wise, I've read nearly everything Elkeles has published, to the point where her books sometimes seem formulaic: girl and boy who have every reason to hate each other are put in a predicament where they are forced to interact and in the process develop a mutual, impractical, and reluctant attraction to which they inevitably surrender. But for me, Elkeles' formula works. I read WILD CARDS in one sitting, and I can't wait to see how this series unfolds.

Although it is the first in a series, and therefore you'd expect some loose ends, I felt a couple things were left unfinished. I expected and wanted more conflict when Ashtyn and Landon ended, but for me it felt like less than a blip on the plot's radar. I thought the stakes could have been higher there. And I wanted a confrontation related to the team rivalry prank and Landon taking credit, or at least for Ashtyn to discover that Derek was responsible. 

I also wanted Derek to be more reactive to his expulsion in chapter one, and I was surprised how little what happened in that chapter came into play in the rest of the book. If he had been at that school for some time, surely he would have maintained at least one of those friendships, no? Especially since he took the rap for everyone. (No spoiler alert here, kids, it happens in chapter one.) 

Short story long, WILD CARDS was a schmexy, fun read and you should absolutely check it out when it hits shelves on October 1st. Until then, if you like gritty Contemporary YA and you haven't read her entire list yet, you've got homework to do!

Fangirl Friday: Promise Me Something by Sara Kocek

Fangirl Friday is a feature here on the blog where I talk about kickass reads and what I like about them. And this time, I'm also including a giveaway courtesy of the author and the awesome people at Albert Whitman Teen. Stay tuned for more info at the end of this post! 

PROMISE ME SOMETHING by Sara Kocek

Author's Website   Goodreads   Twitter   Facebook

ARC from Albert Whitman Teen in exchange for an honest review. e-Books are made available via Open Road Media.

Pub Date: September 1, 2013

Dannie says: Promise me you'll read this one because it's just so good. 

Book Blurb:

As if starting high school weren't bad enough, Reyna Fey has to do so at a new school without her best friends. Reyna's plan is to keep her head down, help her father recover from the car accident that almost took his life, and maybe even make some friends. And then Olive Barton notices her. Olive is not exactly the kind of new friend Reyna has in mind. The boys make fun of her, the girls want to fight her, and Olive seems to welcome the challenge. There's something about Olive that Reyna can't help but like. But when Reyna learns Olive's secret, she must decide whether it's better to be good friends with an outcast or fake friends with the popular kids. . . .before she loses Olive forever.

Just for starters let me say that despite having to be up at 7AM with the one-year-old, once I started reading this around midnight, I didn't put it down until I finished. The next morning hurt.

Worth it.

What I liked:

Tim, for starters. He ended up being one of my favorite characters. I would have loved to see Reyna become friends with him earlier in the book. As is, it felt like she was using him to a certain extent, and I would have liked to see their relationship grow more gradually.

I liked and wanted more denouement where Reyna's feelings of guilt were concerned. I think survivor's guilt and self-blame is a huge factor when teens' friends attempt or commit suicide. And I would have liked more "on-screen" resolution as far as that went. But that's the therapist in me more than the reader.

I also dug the way the subject matter was handled. I felt that Reyna's reactions to the sexual identity issues that came into play were very authentic and courageous on the author's part, though I did not always follow her thought process.

What I loved:

First and foremost, the characters. I loved Reyna's journey as far as identifying the values and characteristics she wanted in people she called friends. I liked that none of the characters were cookie-cutter-cliches. Even the minor players were multi-faceted. I especially felt that Reyna was a very tangible and sympathetic MC, and I enjoyed reading her story.

As a mom and a therapist, I felt that Kocek did a great job of confronting the realities of suicidal ideation in one's friends without crossing the line into preaching. And I think it's super important that the book addressed the legal consequences of some of Olive's choices. That's not something I've seen done much in YA and I was glad to see it here. And while I wasn't surprised at the plot twists, I think that's writer and adult bias that won't apply to much of Kocek's target audience.

Finally, I loved that Reyna's values were portrayed in a way that was fair and allowed her to be a character either side of the aisle could rally behind. I think when we see conservative/moderate teens in YA, they tend to be portrayed in an extremist way that isn't an accurate reflection of these youth. And I loved that part of Reyna's journey included a though exploration of her own belief system.

What I wanted more of: WARNING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS

I felt like it was too convenient for Levi's parents to be gay. I also think his perspective would have made more impact were that not the case. Instead, it almost seems like the only people who empathize with gay kids in this read are other gay teens and teens with gay parents. That probably was true about five to ten years ago, but that's not my experience with the teens I see at work.

I wasn't crazy about the way things were resolved between Reyna and her parents. My reading left the impression that Reyna's dad and would-be-stepmom were right about everything and Reyna's feelings were invalid, which I found to be both unrealistic and inaccurate. For me, the better ending would have been one without resolution. Sometimes our parents do things we don't understand, things that feel really unfair, and we don't have to agree with them or apologize for our feelings. We just have to learn how to deal.

I wanted more resolution where the besties were concerned. Not externally with the girls themselves so much as within Reyna. It felt, for me, like a loose end.

I wanted to be in Reyna's head a little more where the sexual identity issues were concerned. Like I said before, I loved that we saw a character arc that included her questioning and identifying her own moral code. But I feel like, particularly in a late Middle Grade or young YA book, that sexual identity is a major developmental issue, and I would have liked to see Reyna's cognitive dissonance regarding the conflict between her faith and her friends' sexual identity. Despite Olive confronting her on the matter, I didn't feel like we experienced Reyna's thought process enough there.


Short story long:

I really loved this book. I think the perspective is original, the characters are complex and engaging, and the plot has some great twists and turns. The pace is just right, and the social concerns are handled in a way that is both age-appropriate and pertinent to today's young readers. Good stuff, people! Add it to your Goodreads and pre-order now via the links below.

Tomorrow you can check out another review and giveaway over at The Random Thoughts of Crazy Mandy and an interview with Sara at Starry-Eyed Heart Book Blog. You can find the entire roster of blogs included in the Sara Squared Book Tour HERE. And don't forget to enter the rafflecopter drawing to win an autographed copy of this kickass read! (Sorry international peeps--USA and Canada only for the raffle on this one.)

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