REVIEW: HER PERFECT GAME ~ SHANNYN SCHROEDER

Charlie Castle is an expert archer and a fierce warrior - in her favorite video game, anyway. But college life was a program she couldn't quite master. To land a cybertech job without a degree, she's entering a "hackfest" over spring break, where she also hopes to meet the sweet gamer who's been flirting with her online. Instead, she runs into the man she had once thought was the love of her life; the man who walked away years ago, without saying goodbye.

Jonah Best has never gotten over Charlie, whose kisses were always as deliciously creative as her coding. But now that they're face to face again, he doesn't know how to admit that her online admirer is really him - or how to convince her that he's offering her a job for her incredible skills, not her sex appeal. Can Jonah cut through their communication glitches and persuade Charlie that the next level up for them should be forever?

Kensington Books has graciously provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Her perfect game is the second book in Shannyn Schroeder’s Hot & Nerdy series, and can be read as a standalone novel.

The story focuses on Jonah and Charlie, former lovers facing a second chance at happily ever after.  Their love story started years ago when Charlie’s college room-mate had committed suicide after an old boyfriend released very private materials of her over the internet.  Charlie became determined to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again and befriended Jonah, who taught her everything she needed to know about hacking.  Charlie became obsessive in her efforts to prowl cyberspace looking for transgressors.  Helplessly watching the girl he loved lose herself, Jonah could no longer stand by and watch Charlie engage in the self-destructive behaviour that had started to take over her life, and walked away from the girl he loved.  Now, years later, he realises the error of his ways and wants a second shot at love.  Charlie is her old self again, the girl he fell in love with, and she’s an even better hacker than he remembers. 

Jonah’s abandonment gave Charlie the wake-up call she needed to get her life back on track.  While she managed to get over her heartbreak, she never forgot the only man she truly loved.  When she unexpectedly meets up with Jonah at a hackfest, Charlie can’t deny the pull she feels towards him, but something is holding her back - Charlie has started to fall for her online friend, "Win".  Can she choose between the man she loved who had broken her heart and her trust, and the safe, reliable friend who had helped her heal her heart? 

I had a hard time really getting into this story for two reasons.  Firstly, I never felt connected to the characters; I never really got immersed in the story to the extent that I was heavily invested in the outcome.  While I respect Charlie as a hacker and gamer, I never came to like her.  I do appreciate, however, that Charlie is not your typical heroine.  She has attitude, she’s nerdy and unapologetic for it.  As for Jonah, I had a hard time dealing with his reason for leaving Charlie the way that he did.  He claims he loved her too much to watch her self-destruct.  For some reason this felt like an easy out to me.  Perhaps because the author didn’t really establish exactly what Charlie had done that was so terrible.  Personally I just didn’t get the impression that she was that far gone.  Either way, to my mind you don’t abandon someone you love when they lose their way – you help them find their way back.  The fact that Jonah left without first breaking up with her, without even saying goodbye? I had a hard time respecting him after that.  Sure he was remorseful and sweet, but I never came to believe Jonah was sincere in his reasoning. 

Secondly, the whole hacking aspect wasn’t really explained in a way that I could understand.  It just didn’t translate well.  I never knew if the characters were playing some kind of game and were using their skills to create cheats, or whether they were working in Matrix like code.  I had absolutely no idea what was going on, on the computer screens.  Having said that, I do appreciate the fact that the author wrote a book about a girl gamer/hacker, and that she was good enough to give the guys a run for their money.  I also enjoyed the convention setting.  The author took me to Comic-Con, if you will, and those scenes were quite enjoyable.  While I may not have bonded with the characters in the way that I wanted, I do think that the author did a good job of portraying the chemistry between Jonah and Charlie.  It was obvious they were still very much infatuated with each other despite their separation, and their connection was tangible.  However, I do feel that Charlie fell back into Jonah’s arms way too easily and way too quickly – he should have had to work for it just a little given the way he had abandoned her.

Product Information:

Title: Her perfect game

Author: Shannyn Schroeder

Publisher: Kensington Books

Year: 2014

Pages: 112

ASIN: B00KM906W2

ISBN-10:1601833342

ISBN-13: 9781601833341

REVIEW: ONCE UPON A PRINCE ~ RACHEL HAUCK

Suzanna Truit grew up in a dysfunctional home where her parents were always fighting – the plate throwing, screaming at the top of their lungs kind of fighting.  In her teen years, however, her parents found the Lord and turned their marriage around.  The unpredictability of her living situation, however, ingrained in Suzanna the need to live a safe, predictable life; the need to always have a plan.

Content in her comfortable, safe, predictable relationship with her high school sweetheart, a soldier, Suzanna is happy to wait for Adam to finish his tours of duty and ultimately a proposal.  After twelve years together when a stroll on the beach turns into a break-up instead of an engagement, Suzanna is flabbergasted.  She is even more shocked to find that she isn’t heartbroken, just furious – at herself, for hiding in a dead-end relationship for 12 years.  Adam wasn’t wrong when he said they didn’t love each other like spouses should love each other, and the fact that she couldn’t see it before he pointed it out leaves Suzanna frustrated and confused. 

After storming off, Suzanna seeks refuge under Lovers’ Oak, where she meets Nate Kenneth, a charming man on vacation from Brighton.  Nate and Suzanna have instant chemistry and an instant friendship forms.  Soon they are spending every day together, but neither have a romantic relationship in mind.  Suzanna is still reeling from her Adam situation, and Nate has a much, much bigger complication: He is truly Nathaniel, crown prince and heir to the throne of Brighton.  According to Brighton law no heir to the throne may marry a foreigner, so Nate knows from the start that no good can come of seeing Suzanna as anything more than a friend.  Even if marrying Suzanna wouldn’t cost him his crown, the political situation in Brighton and its sister country, Hessenberg, is such that Nate might just be forced to marry the beautiful but cunning Lady Genevieve.  His family, his parliament and even the people of Brighton are certainly pushing him towards it.

Nate and Suzanna’s friendship soon blossoms into a mutual attraction, but with both of them fighting it every step of the way it seems like a happily ever after isn’t in the cards for Nate and Suzanna.  Upon news of the King’s death, Nate leaves Suzanna behind and returns to his life and responsibilities in Brighton.  Certain that a clean break would be the only way to get over Suzanna and the hopes of what could never be, Nate doesn’t make contact with her again… until five months later when Suzanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

Having lost her long-time boyfriend, her job and her home in recent months, the girl dependent on a plan doesn’t have one.  Suzanna must finally learn to let go and let God.

Having nothing keeping her home, Suzanna embarks on a journey to the European country that will steal her heart, and the man who already has…

Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck is the first book in the Royal Wedding series, and can be read as a standalone.

I truly wanted to love this book.  The beautiful cover first caught my eye and the blurb had my hopelessly romantic heart sighing in anticipation.  An ordinary girl winning the heart of an honest to goodness prince is a tale as old as time, and the ultimate dream of every little girl.  Something about this book just didn’t work for me, though.  

I liked both Nathaniel and Suzanna, and I enjoyed the two of them together.  My favourite part of the story was how Nathaniel and Suzanna each found strength in their relationship with God to overcome the challenges they faced, and how that is what ultimately brings them together.  Their shared faith is the foundation on which their friendship is built, and the aspects of faith are realistically handled without ever being preachy. 

Suzanna’s family were sweethearts (especially her sister, who I hope will get her own book down the line), but I did not like Nathaniel’s mother or his brother.  They were set against his relationship with Suzanna before they even met her, despite the fact that he clearly loved her.  Five months apart couldn’t drive her from his heart, but they cared more about the monarchy than his wellbeing.  He was clearly miserable, he was losing weight, but they would rather he keep the country stable by marrying the conniving Genevieve, who he couldn’t stand, than try to help him find some way to be with the woman who made him smile, who made him laugh, who made him the best version of himself – exactly the kind of woman a King needs by his side.  I understand that sometimes royals need to put their country’s wellbeing before personal happiness, but it seemed Nate’s mother and brother didn’t care for Nate’s wellbeing at all.  They merely wanted him to fall in line and commit himself to a lifetime of misery all in the name of politics.  They invite Suzanna to his coronation solely to prove to him how out of place she would be in their world.  They are certain her presence would highlight the differences between her and Lady Genevieve, and that her unsuitability would help his sense of duty to prevail.  Nathaniel’s entire family treats Suzanna like dirt.  The servants make up for it though, and I loved them all.

While I love the premise and the main characters, there was just a little something missing for me.  I had a hard time believing the depth of their relationship.  I didn’t quite believe that they could be so very connected considering their limited interaction.  I suppose you could argue that it was simply because they were meant to be, but I didn’t completely buy into the depth of their love.  *Mild spoiler alert*  They spend two weeks together, and make no contact for five months. Suzanna goes to Brighton for the coronation, they spend three days together, Suzanna goes home. They make no contact for five months. Nathaniel shows up at Lovers’ Oak to propose to Suzanna, she happily accepts – at this point they haven’t spent three weeks together and they haven’t even shared a kiss.  As much as I would love to throw caution to the wind in the name of a good love story, this just didn’t completely work for me. I wasn’t convinced that they were madly in love at this point. 

Once Upon A Prince is by no means a terrible book, it just lacked a little something for me.  I will, however, give the next book in the series a go.

Princess Ever After will focus on Regina Beswick, the heir of Hessenberg.  I look forward to seeing a regular girl, and a tomboy at that, learn she is a long lost princess.  That is the kind of transition I would have liked to see of Suzanna.  I would have enjoyed more focus on Nate and Suzanna’s relationship back in Brighton, seeing them act like a couple instead of friends, and seeing Suzanna face the challenges a commoner would need to overcome on her journey to becoming queen.  

Product Information:

Title: Once Upon a Prince

Author: Rachel Hauck

Publisher: Zondervan

Year: 2013

Number of pages: 353

ISBN-10: 0310315476

ISBN-13: 978-0310315476

ASIN: B00A9UJWU0

REVIEW: TRAPPED ~ IRENE HANNON

Following their mother’s death, Laura takes charge of her teenage half-sister, Darcy.  A clash of personalities and wills soon leads to Darcy running away and getting herself into all kinds of trouble.  Laura hires Phoenix Inc to track down her wayward sister, and the case lands on the desk of James Devlin.  Before long it’s not only Darcy’s safety that’s on the line, but Laura’s heart.

Dev is attracted to Laura the moment he lays eyes on her, which is disconcerting considering she is nothing like the women he usually dates.  She is conservative and quiet – she’s a librarian, for goodness’ sake! - yet he finds himself drawn to her nonetheless.  Phoenix rules dictates no getting involved with a client, and while he’s determined to honour the professionalism Phoenix is built on, he finds it difficult to keep his relationship with Laura from becoming personal. 

Darcy runs away from home thinking life on her own terms would be a blast.  However, she soon realises that things at Laura’s place weren’t as bad as she thought.  Once she makes the decision to return to Laura, however, that’s no longer an option – Darcy finds herself in the clutches of a demented serial killer.  Can Dev connect the dots before it’s too late?

Trapped is the second book in Irene Hannon's Private Justice trilogy.  Each book focuses on one of the partners of Phoenix Inc, and can be read as a stand-alone.

One of  the things that bothers me most about this book is the fact that Laura and Dev don’t spend nearly enough time together for my liking.  They have great chemistry, so it was very frustrating that they don't have many scenes together – not as many as I would have liked, anyway.  There is also too much focus on Mark and Darcy, who I consider to be secondary characters.  I wouldn’t be surprised if calculation shows they have more page time than Dev and Laura.  

As I have mentioned in the past, I’m not a fan of knowing the identity of the villain from the get go.  I prefer having an author making me work to figure out the mystery alongside the main characters, but once again Hannon shares the identity of the villain very early on.  I found myself skipping Mark’s POV sections – I just didn’t care.  I realise the author attempted to let the reader into the mind of a killer, but I found these sections to be extremely boring and eventually I just started skipping Mark's scenes altogether - even the end, which I expect is supposed to be tense, but really isn't.

There is also much less focus on faith than I expected; it’s much less of a central theme than I have come to expect from Hannon.  There were a few mentions of Laura praying for Darcy’s safe return, and Darcy remembering a church service or two.  Dev has come to believe that God does not care about the human race, but ultimately winds up praying to God out of desperation.  As I would generally classify Hannon’s books as religious fiction, I would have appreciated a little more focus on faith.  I would have liked to see more of Darcy and Dev’s spiritual growth, and also more of Dev and Laura as a couple than only one short epilogue.  On that note, Hannon likes to end her epilogues with the characters getting engaged – I’m all for happily ever after, but she needs to guard against her basic plot structure becoming too predictable.

Sadly this book just wasn’t suspenseful for me at all. I thoroughly enjoyed Hannon’s Heroes of Quantico trilogy, but the Private Justice trilogy just isn’t grabbing me in the same way.  I’ll probably read the next book in the series, Deceived, because I'm a little OCD like that and I need to finish a series a started, but truthfully I won’t be rushing to the shelves for this one.  Sadly the Private Justice trilogy is not living up to my expectations.

Product Information:

Title: Trapped

Author: Irene Hannon

Number of Pages: 400

Year: 2013

Publisher: Revell

ISBN: 0800721241

ISBN13: 9780800721244

Related posts:

Review:Vanished ~ Irene Hannon

REVIEW: THE CINDERELLA PROJECT ~ STAN CROWE

The Cinderella Project by Stan Crowe is the first book in the A Comedy of Love series.  It follows doctoral student Nick Cairn, who is writing his dissertation on the secrets of everlasting love.  Nick is engaged to what seems to be the perfect girl, and disillusioned by his parents’ apparent loveless marriage, Nick is determined to discover the recipe for a perfect marriage in order to secure the success of his own. When smart and sassy Moiré de Lanthe walks into his lab and informs Nick that she is his new research assistant, Nick’s happily ever after is put to the ultimate test.  

For reasons Nick is not willing to explore, he finds himself reluctant to let Moiré know that he is off the market; but when spending time with Moiré becomes Nick’s favourite part of the day, he must face the truth: He is very attracted to a woman who is not his fiancée – a woman he is now sharing hours and hours of romantic situations with; for his research, right?  

Moiré de Lanthe has spent a large part of her life watching her step-sister, Ella, toy with men before coolly discarding them.  Ella is strikingly beautiful and a master-manipulator – a deadly combination when let loose on the average man.  Moiré even lost her best friend to Ella’s man-eating-ways, and when Ella gets her hooks into the guy Moiré has been admiring from afar, Moiré vows to put an end to Ella’s endless scheming.  Moiré establishes herself as a steady fixture in Nick Cairn’s life, determined to help him realise that marrying Ella would be a mistake.

With his wedding date looming ever closer, and his suddenly neurotic fiancée repeatedly moving the wedding date up even more, Nick starts to feel confused and anxious.  The more time Nick spends with Moiré, the less certain he is that Ella is the girl of his dreams after all.  Where Ella is demanding and high-maintenance, Moiré is supportive and easy-going.  Where Ella is suspicious and confrontational, Moiré is fun-loving and comforting.  And is it his imagination, or is he suddenly noticing Ella having a roving eye?  Is his mind playing tricks on him, or is he finally learning truths about Ella that rose-coloured-glasses had kept concealed?

But how will Nick react when he discovers the truth - that Moiré knew of his engagement all along, and that she had been hoping he would call the wedding off?  Will he trust her motives when he realises she wants him for herself?  More importantly, being taught by his father from an early age that the mark of a man is how well he keeps his commitments, will Nick risk disappointing his father and failing the moral code he is determined to live by, by breaking the ultimate commitment to the one he once was so sure was the woman of his dreams?

I decided to read The Cinderella Project because I was in the mood for something light, and the Kindle edition was free on Amazon at the time.  I did not expect a fantastic read, but I was quite pleasantly surprised.  The book might not be perfect, but I found it enjoyable and just what I was looking for.  It was interesting reading a book from the hero’s point of view (though I wish there were chapters on Moiré’s point of view too), but I think this book would have been even better written in a third person narrative.  I enjoy knowing all the characters’ thoughts.  If I have to read a first person narrative, I prefer to read the heroine’s – someone I can relate to.  Having said that, it was quite refreshing experiencing a story from the hero’s perspective.

I have to say though, that as for the first book in the A Comedy of Love series, I did not find this book comedic.  In fact, I don't think I laughed once.  Also, I mentioned in my summary what Moiré's intentions are.  In the book it is supposed to be a shocking revelation near the end, but for whatever reason I made the connection as soon as Ella's "evil step-sister" was mentioned; I am sure most readers will pick this up relatively early too. 

I really like Nick and I had empathy with his plight.  I like that he is a good guy who sees the best in people, and who is trying to do the right thing.  Moiré is lovely as well, and I wish there was more of her in the book.  I especially like that even though she knows Ella is wrong for Nick, she never tempts him to cheat on Ella - she merely makes him realise that he is not truly happy with Ella.  Even though she deliberately places herself in Nick's life to stop him from making the mistake of marrying Ella, she doesn't go about it in a manipulative fashion.  Ella is the perfect antagonist - maybe too good of an antagonist. For the life of me I could not figure out why Nick was so stubbornly clinging to this relationship.  For the reader it is so obvious that Ella is a devious manipulator, and it is so frustrating to watch him reject Moiré's every tentative advance. 

I always find it a plus when details make a book believable.  I especially enjoyed details about Nick’s research and dissertation.  I’ve often said details make a book great, and I enjoyed the realistic inclusion of Nick’s studies.

While it's not one of my favourite books this year, The Cinderella Project is a lovely light read.  It would have gotten a three star rating if there had been more of Moiré, but as it is I was just a tad annoyed by too much Ella.

Product Information:

Title: The Cinderella Project

Author: Stan Crowe

Number of pages: 244

Publisher: Breezy Reads

Year: 2014

ASIN: B00930CIVC

REVIEW: TORMENTING LILA ~ SARAH ALDERSON

When Lila and Alex sneak off for a romantic weekend away, Lila’s hoping she’ll finally have a chance to work on Alex’s resolve.  But just as things start heating up, news reaches them of a serial killer at loose on the island and it isn’t long before their intimate weekend away is interrupted.

A mind reader, a projector, a protective older brother and a serial killer. One of them is going to find Lila first. She's hoping it's the serial killer.

Tormenting Lila by Sarah Alderson is a (very) short story featuring characters from Hunting Lila and Losing Lila, set eight weeks after the conclusion of Losing Lila.  It follows Lila and Alex on a romantic vacation, but Lila and Alex are only alone for the first few pages.  Jack, Amber, Suki and Nate show up to complicate Lila's romantic plans for Alex. 

A night on town leads to one of the girls having a narrow escape from a serial killer.  *Spoiler alert*  The short story abruptly ends with the team leaving Nantucket, reading a newspaper article about a girl being murdered, wondering if it was the same individual they had encountered.

Much as I love all the characters from the Lila books, I don't get the point of this short story other than it being an introduction of sorts to Alderson's new characters and new book, The Sound. Since Alderson currently has no official plans to write a third Lila book, all this short story did was make me want more with no more to be had.  The blurb also hinted at more of a plot than was actually delivered.  This one let me down.

Product information:

Name: Torming Lila

Author: Sarah Alderson

Pages: 36

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Year: 2013

ASIN: B00DL4HRR

Related posts:

Review: Hunting Lila ~ Sarah Alderson

Review: Losing Lila ~ Sarah Alderson 

REVIEW: DANGEROUS PASSAGE ~ LISA HARRIS

Revell Publishers has graciously supplied me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When two Jane Does are killed on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, detective and behavioral specialist Avery North discovers they share something in common - a tattoo of a magnolia on their shoulders. Suspecting a serial killer, Avery joins forces with medical examiner Jackson Bryant to solve the crimes and prevent another murder. But it doesn't take long for them to realize that there is much more to the case than meets the eye. As they venture deep into a sinister world of human trafficking, Avery and Jackson are taken to the very edge of their abilities - and their hearts.

Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris is the first book in the Southern Crimes series and follows Detective Avery North as she tries to balance life as a single mother, a possible blooming romance, family commitments, responsibilities at church and a time-consuming job.  When a possible serial killer targets young Asian girls, Avery has to join forces with her romantic interest, medical examiner Jackson Bryant. Together Avery and Jackson need to find a tangible link between the murdered girls in order to make sense of a case that just can't seem to come together.  On the side Avery is also conducting her own investigation of her brother's death - also a police officer, Michael's reputation has been destroyed as he was labelled a mole after his death.  Refusing to believe the rumours surrounding her brother's loyalties, Avery won't let go of her suspicions that her brother's close friend, Mason, is the one responsible.  When Avery is ordered to work with Mason on a different case built on one of her prime suspects, Avery's ability to forgive and forget comes into question.  Is it time she let Mason off the hook and focus her investigation elsewhere?

I really, really wanted to like this book.  The synopsis had me hooked and I was in the mood for a good mystery.  While Harris delivered on the religious aspect of this novel, the mystery aspect fell a little short for me.  I found it hard to get into this book and found it all to be a little too slow for my liking. Even in the most suspenseful of scenes I was never wound up, and I never feared for the characters (though I was very shocked by an unexpected death).  The author didn't completely place me in the scenes; I wasn't quite immersed in the story.  The story did pick up speed around the halfway mark, and from there I got into it a bit more.  

I would have liked more focus on the intricacies of detective work, and I would have liked Avery to be just a bit more solid in her cop instincts.  For instance, knowing a possible serial killer is toying with her, Avery wakes one night from a noise.  She suspects someone is in her house.  What does she do?  She turns on her bedside light!  My father used to be a cop, and one of the first things he ever taught me is that if you suspect someone is in the house at night, you never turn on the light.  In your own home, darkness can be your greatest advantage. You know every nook and cranny in your home, and you can dictate the situation if you have that upper hand; whereas if you turn on the light, they can see you but you can't see them - this scene unfortunately made me question Avery's competence as a cop. Also, Avery dropped evidence.  While I understand that scene shows a certain level of vulnerability in her, I would have liked Avery's cop instincts to be more solid.  I do like the way Harris portrayed Avery's struggle to balance all of the aspects of her life, her concerns being a single mother and her hesitation to get romantically involved following her husband's death.  

From the synopsis I have to say that I expected a decent amount of romance (suspense and romance, just how I like it!), but Jackson and Avery don't spend an awful lot of time together, and the chemistry between them just didn't work for me.  On the upside, the supporting characters are really interesting.  I like Avery's father, daughter and partner, and her mother's decline following her brother's death is a brilliantly handled sub-plot, which I assume will be dealt with more in the next book in the series.  While Avery's serial killer case is wrapped up, she got no closer to finding the truth about her brother's death, which I also assume will be explored further in the next book.   

What Harris did manage to capture very vividly is the harsh realities of human trafficking. Personally, while I knew human trafficking still occurred, I had no idea that it is the second largest illegal and profitable enterprise in the world! Approximately 27 million people are enslaved around the world, and there are more slaves today than ever before in history! You can learn more about human trafficking here, on Lisa Harris' website.

While this isn't one of my absolute favourite books in this genre, I would consider reading the next book in the series to discover more about Michael's death and Mason's involvement, and to see how Avery and Jackson's relationship progresses now that they are more serious about each other and not just casually dating.

Product information:

Title: Dangerous Passage

Author: Lisa Harris

Pages: 321

Publisher: Revell

Year: 2013
ASIN: B00CIUJWLI
ISBN-10: 080072190X
ISBN-13: 978-0800721909

REVIEW: BULLY ~ PENELOPE DOUGLAS

My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me.  But he still won't leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I'm done hiding from him now, and there's no way in hell I'll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It's time to fight back.

Growing up neighbours, Tate and Jared are the best of friends who get each other through the rough patches of life.  They are kindred spirits; they are inseparable.  Then the summer before freshman year Jared visits his father and comes back completely changed.  Gone is the gentle boy who held Tate’s hand and snuck into her room for innocent sleepovers.  He is replaced by a cold, hard, bully.  Suddenly, out of the blue, with no explanation, he hates Tate… with a passion that terrifies her.  Suddenly her best friend turns on her, and Jared makes it his personal mission to make Tate’s life a living hell.

Rumours and pranks follow Tate wherever she goes and suddenly she is a social pariah – no boys will date her, nobody will invite her to parties, and nobody will stick up for her when Jared moves in for the kill.   For over two years Tate is crushed by Jared’s treatment of her, until eventually his bullying makes her physically ill and she convinces her father to let her study abroad for a year.  Jared, of course, ensures that she leaves for France in tears. 

When Tate returns for senior year, she is the changed one.  She’s got spunk, she’s got confidence and is no longer hiding from Jared or cowering from his attacks – she’s fighting fire with fire.  Unsettled by the new Tate, Jared can’t get his kicks from making her cry anymore.  His old tactics don’t have any effect on her, and to get her to crack he must turn the pressure up… way up.  Pulling out all the stops to prove that he can still make the tough girl cry, Jared finally goes too far and Tate realises she can’t do it anymore.  She doesn’t like the person she has become in fighting Jared.  “This is how bullies are made”.  So Tate gives up – she gives up on fighting back, she gives up on trying to figure him out, she accepts the boy she once loved is gone and she just completely gives up on Jared.  It is only then, when he can’t get any reaction out of Tate at all, when she tells him “You are nothing to me” that he realises he has finally lost a hold on the girl he secretly loves. 

Jared finally makes the move to reconcile with Tate – but is it too late?  Tate is fed up with Jared and his treatment of her and it will take a whole lot of explaining to make Tate understand why he turned on her; and even more to convince her that he truly loves her.

Bully by Penelope Douglas is quite different than any young adult novel I’ve read before.  I liked Tate as a character.  She’s independent and brave and refuses to let Jared keep her down.  She’s a well-developed, multi-layered character and gets the reader behind her very early on.  Jared, on the other hand, I had a harder time warming up to.  Even after he explained why he turned on Tate I didn’t really get it.  I can understand why he was hurt and upset, but it doesn’t justify the things he did to Tate.   I get that the author tried to portray him as a misunderstood, wounded guy who lashed out at his best friend because he couldn’t hurt the people who had hurt him, but for me it fell flat.  I get lashing out against your loved ones in a weak moment because you are hurt… but deliberately hurting the one person who loved you unconditionally for three years?!  That’s not lashing out – that’s something else entirely.

There was a total lack of character development in Jared.  It seemed like one day he just flipped a switch, deciding to be the nice guy Tate used to know, and there was a complete lack of development in this regard.  Unfortunately the author never gave me enough reasons to fully like Jared's character, and his reconciliation with Tate left me unaffected.  Because of Jared this was never I couple I found myself rooting for.  I was rooting for Tate all the way, and while I was happy she was finally happy, Jared still left me cold.  I do have sympathy for what he endured, but that does not magically excuse his horrid treatment of the girl he claims to love, for three years.  He literally went out of his way to hurt and humiliate her time and time again.  I'm sorry, but if you truly love someone you will never stoop this low.

I understood Tate’s forgiveness considering the person she is and the depth of love for the boy Jared once was, but I had a hard time dealing with her now being in a relationship with him.  I just don’t understand how a girl can be in a relationship with a guy who emotionally abused her for so long – yes, she understands his reasons now, but can you really just forget three years of torment after one kiss?  It would have been more realistic if Tate had more difficulty with this decision, and if the reader had been privy to her reservations.  I think the author initially went too far in drawing Jared as a villain.  His treatment of Tate was simply too big of a barrier to completely get over, and it was simply not possible to get me, as the reader, to forgive and forget and suddenly trust.  By that point he was too well established as a jerk to endear him to the reader, and the lack of character development made it impossible to like him even after he softens up.  The author failed to humanize him.  Mostly, she sexualizes him... Using his hot body as an excuse for forgiveness doesn’t work, because let’s face it, that's not a good enough reason.

The supporting characters don’t fare much better.  Madoc starts out a total jerk and halfway through the author tries to endear him to the reader.  Same as Jared, the author went to too much trouble early on to make the reader hate him, and then suddenly expects the reader to like them because they do one nice thing – I just couldn’t warm up to him the way the author intended.  Tate’s new best friend, K.C, is just a terrible friend, plain and simple.  I don’t like her at all and I feel Tate was way too forgiving of her actions and what I saw as a complete betrayal.  Also, the fact that Tate never addresses this betrayal with Jared is unrealistic.  *Spoiler alert* If a guy I have feelings for hooks up with my best friend simply to hurt me and to turn her against me, that’s not okay and will definitely be a huge stumbling block in the road to romance.  I just can’t see a best friend worth her salt hooking up with her best friend’s tormentor, and I can’t see Tate not being bothered by Jared and K.C’s fling once she and Jared make up.  She never confronts Jared about it and he never apologises; it’s like the whole Jared/KC fling never happened.

This book also features graphic sexual scenes – surprising to me for a young adult novel.  The sexual content was more adult than young adult.  I enjoy young adult novels because generally while they tend to be passionate, the characters seldom hit the sheets; and if they do the author keeps it clean.  This one was quite graphic, and I don’t quite know what to make of that.  It’s definitely not the kind of thing I would be comfortable having my niece read.

All in all, whichever way it leaves you, Bully is a moving and powerful read.  This book does not sit comfortably with me, and maybe that is a really big compliment to the author. It upset me, it confused me,  it made me reflect and ponder, and - for whatever reason - it will stay with me. 

Product information:

Title: Bully

Author: Penelope Douglas

Pages: 371

Publisher: Penelope Douglas

Year: 2013

ISBN: 1490559175

REVIEW: FATED ~ SARAH ALDERSON

What happens when you discover you aren’t who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

Evie Tremain is a shadow of the girl she once was.  After the death of her father and the betrayal of her best friend and boyfriend, all Evie cares about is saving enough money to move to New York, and her only priority is working as many shifts as she can.  All that changes one night when Evie is attacked by creatures she could never have imagined truly existed – that’s when Evie finally learns the truth.  She was adopted at birth because her biological parents were killed protecting her.  Evie is the last in a long line of demon slayers, and an unwilling participant in a war between Hunters and Unhumans.  A prophecy predicts that Evie will be the Hunter to end the war, severing Earth’s connection to all other realms – making Evie the Unhumans’ number one target.

Lucas Grey is half human, half Shadow Warrior demon, and a member of the Brotherhood – the group of Unhuman assassins tasked with killing Evie.  Orphaned by Evie’s mentor, Lucas has only revenge on his mind when the Unhumans descend on Riverview, California.  Aided by the power to merge with the shadows, invisible to humans, Lucas has the best chance of getting close enough to kill Evie – but he finds himself protecting her from his Brotherhood instead.  Confused by his instinctive actions, Lucas convinces himself he only protected Evie because he has something better in mind.  Lucas, being half-human can risk getting close to Evie – with her skills undeveloped and not yet at full power, Evie won’t be able to sense his Unhuman side.  Lucas moves to Riverview to get close to Evie, learn all the Hunters' secrets and kill Evie before she can fulfil the prophecy.  The only problem is, instead of focusing on his mission, Lucas finds himself secretly aiding Evie in her training, time and time again protecting her from threats known and unknown.  Is it possible that despite his orders, despite his oath to the Brotherhood, despite Evie being his sworn enemy, Lucas has gone and fallen in love with a demon slayer?

Having so enjoyed Sarah Alderson’s Hunting Lila and Losing Lila, giving both books a rare 5/5, I was very excited to start her new series.  The sad truth, however, is that Fated did not grip me half as much as the Lila series did.  For some reason I just did not instantly connect with Evie and Lucas as I did with Lila and Alex.  I also found their chemistry a tad unbelievable – just the whole scenario surrounding their relationship came off a little forced and unnatural at times.  Initially I also didn’t find Evie a very likable character.  While I have understanding for her emotional turmoil, I found her weak and whiny.  I can say, though, that Evie does improve throughout the book, and as she gains confidence and strength she becomes more interesting and more likable.  I do like Lucas as a character; his motivations and intensity are very believable.  I did not like the supporting characters, however, whereas I loved all the supporting characters in the Lila series – so much so that I can’t wait for a reunion novel. 

I think my mistake was going into this series expecting a second Lila series, comparing it right off the bat - probably not fair to the author.

The book is not bad, though, and if this is your first Alderson read you’ll probably enjoy it.  But if, like me, you’re hoping for something on par with Lila, I think you might be disappointed. 

The storyline has promise, and the sequel, Severed, is sure to be more interesting, but ultimately this book just didn’t hook me as I like my books to do.

Product information:

Title: Fated

Author: Sarah Alderson

Number of pages: 310

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster

Year: 2012

ISBN: 9780857074348

REVIEW: BY MIDNIGHT ~ MIA JAMES

Moving to Highgate, London, April Dunne must start a new life and a new school, stuck in a creepy old dump of a house which doesn't even have proper mobile phone reception. Ravenwood, her new school,  is a prestigious academy for gifted students (financially and academically) - and for reasons unbeknownst to April, her father insists on enrolling her here even though they are struggling financially.  April grows suspicious of her father's motives when she suspects there is more going on at Ravenwood than meets the eye.  Nobody ever says what they mean, or means what they say.  April soon discovers that her father is working on a secret investigation surrounding Highgate, and when she encounters a dead body in the cemetery (and is saved from an unidentified attacker by the mysterious Gabriel Swift) her suspicions that Highgate is more than it seems is confirmed.  Gabriel seems aloof and avoids April as best he can, but when April’s incessant snooping places her life in danger he finally entrusts her with the truth: Highgate, especially Ravenwood, is a playground for vampires; and he is one of them.

By Midnight by Mia James is not the worst book I’ve ever read, but it contains way too many similarities to Twilight:  Girl moves to gloomy, rainy town infested by vampires.  She’s drawn to a moody boy who’s initially rude to her.  He’s all “it would be better for you if we weren’t together”.  Surprise, surprise, he’s a vampire, and soon he must protect her from another vampire intent on killing her for fun; there is even mention of Robert Pattinson!

The story builds very slowly, and while the slow-burner pace of the book might work for some, I personally prefer a fast-paced plot.  The major problem while reading this book, though, was that I didn’t particularly like April.  I found her to be immature, unreasonable, selfish and whiny.  She’s so obsessed with “hot boys”, she might be a bigger blow to feminism than Bella Swan!  I also worry about April’s intelligence.  She realises her town is infested with vampires, mysterious murders occur around her, she suspects she’s being followed… does she carry any kind of weapon with her?  No.  Does she learn how to protect herself from vampires?  No.  Does she attempt to identify all the vampires in her midst?  No.  She’s too obsessed with why Gabriel hasn’t called.  And then the author tries to convince me that *spoiler alert* April is destined to become a vampire slayer?  I don’t believe she has what it takes – when you have no faith in the protagonist, a book becomes very dull very fast.

Gabriel is a strong character, but as the protagonist’s love interest his page time is ridiculously limited.  He is probably the least featured character in the whole book.  As he is supposed to be the romantic lead, this was a huge mistake by the author.  There’s a fine line between mysterious and absent, and Gabriel verges on being a non-character.  

As for April and Gabriel’s “relationship”, I didn’t find their chemistry very believable.  They have a moment, April ruins it by being unreasonable and rude, they don’t see each other for days – this becomes a very annoying pattern.  They don’t spend enough time together to convincingly fall in love; by the time Gabriel tells April he loves her, my first thought was “really?!”  They hardly spend any time together throughout the course of the novel; when did he have time to fall in love with her?  When they are together, April is being a brat - the fact that she’s not very likable also comes into play here; how on earth did he fall in love with her?  It must be destiny again.  It comes across as a very superficial relationship – they make no effort to create a meaningful connection.

The sad thing is, this book isn’t all bad.  In fact, it has a lot of potential!  The vampire lore is excellent, and the mysteries of Highgate as a whole are gripping.  The author strengthens the book by using actual London landmarks and drawing on historical London happenings such as Jack the Ripper, the plague and the legend of the Highgate Vampire.  Building fiction on a foundation of reality always makes it stronger and more believable.  If this story had a stronger protagonist or even a better developed romantic element, it would have been amazing.  As it is, when the reader doesn’t like the protagonist, and doesn’t believe the chemistry of the central romance, there’s something really wrong.  By Midnight concludes on a a cliff-hanger, and is followed by two more books in the Ravenwood Mysteries series.  However much I like Gabriel and wonder about his fate, I am so annoyed by April I doubt that I will continue following this series.  

Product information:

Title: By Midnight

Author: Mia James

Number of pages: 448

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Year: 2011

ISBN: 9781780620459

ISBN-13: 9781780620459