Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Love and Other
Unknown Variables
by Shannon Lee Alexander

Published: October 7th 2014
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Format: Ebook

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck.

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy.

By the time he learns she's ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).



AMAZON | B&N | iTUNES

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
At first I was a little hesitant whether I wanted to read the book or not. It was compared to The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and you remember what happened with that. Not my favorite book, though I didn't hate it either. The main problem was I thought it would be about one thing, but as it turned out, it was about completely another thing!
Well, the same thing happened here, kind of. I expected the focus would be on Charlie and how he's a complete geek and completely fells for this girl, who is ill. It was a little bit like that, but something was missing.

Everything was just too.. mild. For example the synopsis describes Charlie's prank "the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history". It would be a completely different thing if Charlie pranked Charlotte's sister for the right reasons (like, for having fun etc.) but to take her attention off Charlotte? Really didn't get that.
And the whole pranking thing felt just a little awkward over all. As in this is actually funny haha vs. I'm trying to act as if this is funny.

I was also having hard time with their whole romance, cause I didn't really feel the vibe. Maybe there was some chemistry, but again I felt like things were really mild.
This was probably why I had no urge to finish this book. I usually read a little before going to bed and halfway through the book began checking the page numbers. Cause I felt like I had been reading this book for weeks and I was convinced I was nearly finished. As it turned out, I wasn't even halfway through which usually means it's way too slow-paced for me.

So overall, I loved the idea of this book, but as it turned out, ended up just liking it.


My thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy for review!

ABOUT AUTHOR

Shannon Lee Alexander is a wife and mother (of two kids and one yellow terrier named Harriet Potter).
She is passionate about coffee, books, and cancer research. Math makes her break out in a sweat.
Love and Other Unknown Variables is her debut novel. She currently lives in Indianapolis with her family.



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The Unloved Blog Tour + Giveaway (INT)!

Welcome to my stop on the The Unloved blog tour by Jennifer Snyder hosted by YA Bound. Click HERE to see the rest of the blog tour schedule!

The Unloved
by Jennifer Snyder

Published: July 28th 2012
Pages: 263
Source: For review

The Unloved is on sale this week only for $.99!
Amazon | B&N

Sometimes the love our heart needs to heal can be found in the familiar eyes of a childhood friend...

Julie Porter learned the hard way that trust is something which must be earned and not something to be given out lightly, those who say they love you are those who hold the power to hurt you most, and best friends can help you survive anything—until they move away.

Nick Owen knows a thing or two about a hard life. At a young age Nick learned how to take a hit and to make lemonade out of the lemons life tossed his way. Returning home after nearly two years of being away, all Nick cares about now is protecting his mom from the abusive hands of his father and catching up with his best friend—the girl who lived across the street, the girl he can’t seem to stop thinking about.

Finally reunited after two years apart, Nick and Julie are about to learn that age does nothing to protect you from life’s trials and tribulations, heartache and loss, but maybe together they’ll find a way to survive.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Like I've mentioned so many times earlier, I have a thing for sad and even disturbing stories. So I was absolutely thrilled to read this book!

Jules and Nick have always had it hard, but together they stayed strong. Until one day Nick was gone and Jules was left all alone against the world. But now it's two years later and Nick is back.

Like I said, I had some high hopes for this, and I wasn't really disappointed. In occasions, I managed to take the heartache and pain and feel like it was my own. And who doesn't love that??
Yet I had some trouble with connecting the characters. Some of the things were just so over the top, I couldn't take them seriously. Like how Jules feels so many times every guy is a potential rapist, or just a total creep, except for Nick of course. But everyone else seem to be a threat. And how she dresses to shirts 10 sizes too big. It was just taken too far.
And the beginning with Nick coming back to home.. To a mum, who just didn't seem to give a ****. Absolutely.. don't even know what.
Definitely too much sometimes, and sometimes just not enough.

I still managed to enjoy this, and even though I shouldn't describe this as "good time", that's exactly what I'm going to do. This didn't change my life, but was some pretty good time!

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About the author

I live in a small town nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina with my husband and two small children. Growing up, I was always an avid reader. My mother spent way too much money on R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike books!

Writing a novel of my own wasn't something I'd ever given much thought to. It seemed like an unobtainable, far-fetched dream. Then, in late 2007, I attempted to put pen to paper for the first time. What came out wasn't pure gold. And what came out next wasn't either. Things didn't work that way for me. I had to write and rewrite and learn more about my 'voice' as an author first.

It took me a while to find that. Roughly about two years.

I did make a stab at going the traditional route to getting a novel of mine published, but it didn't work out. Some might say I gave up too quickly, some might not. You can look on the 'For Writers' tab to read my post on why I went the way I did to hear the full story.

I will say, I don't regret my decision to Self-Publish. It was right for me. I'm loving that fact that I am able to still be a stay-at-home-mom even though my kids are both now in elementary school. I thank my readers for that. Seriously, a million times over I thank you!

SHATTERED SOUL was my debut novel and no, you haven't seen the end of me yet...

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Shadow of Time by Jen Minkman

Shadow of Time
by Jen Minkman

Published: January 1st 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
FREE ON AMAZON |

All Hannah needs is a nice and quiet vacation after her first year of teaching French at a high school. She joins her brother Ben for the summer in their mom’s log cabin in Arizona. There, she meets Josh again, Ben’s childhood friend from the Navajo reservation. The little boy from the rez has grown up fast, and Hannah can’t help but feeling more for him than just friendship.

But fate apparently has something else in store for her. And it’s not peace and quiet. Night after night, Hannah is plagued by strange nightmares about the past of Navajo Nation and terrifying shadows chasing her. They seem to come closer – and why is Josh always present in her dreams?

Sometimes, the past has a way of catching up with you.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Our main character is Hannah, who is on her way to Arizona, where she's suppose to meet her brother, Ben. Before she gets there, she runs into a hot stranger while fueling up. She's blushing like an idiot, but manages to somewhat get over it, until she realizes The Hottie is Josh, his brother's best friend. He's the guy who used to call her "big sister". And he still is only 17!
Hannah tries her best to get over his hotness, but doesn't really manage that so well. Especially when she sometimes feels like he might feel the same way about her.
And that isn't her only problem; she's started seeing some weird dreams, where Josh is with her. And after first running into three drunken guys, he keeps seeing groups of three men everywhere. Sometimes not even men, but coyotes. You'd be freaking out, too!

Main thing left in my mind about the book was a huge admiration towards the author. Because times and times again I was just astonished her knowledge of Native American culture! She's really done her homework and a whole lot of more on top of that! She knew everything about customs and culture and language and it just kept surprising me over and over again. That's definitely a positive thing. But it also made me wish I was more into Native American culture. Or to any other culture. In school, any class about different cultures or even about history and I was fast asleep. Like in ten seconds! I have no idea how that's even possible, but it's a true story, I swear.
So, there was a whole lot of information in this book. Yet I didn't fall asleep, but I did get distracted occasionally. There was just so much details about a subject I'm not that interested about, so I had to take a lot of breaks. But still, I always came back!

The story was pretty slow paced, probably because of the huge amount of details. That also kept distracting me, and I had to really focus and remind myself that this is a love story and the main focus should be on Hannah and Josh.
In the end, they are a great couple, but Josh was definitely my favorite! Hannah was suppose to be an adult, yet she acts like she's fifteen with all the blushing etc. And the age difference bothered me. And I kept reminding myself that my husband is six years older than me, but then I remember I was 20 when we started going out. Everything was legal. Yes yes, I'm definitely old.

In the end, I didn't really get along with the characters, but still, the main thing on my mind about this book is how talented and passionate the author is. I'm not a fan of Native American culture, and probably never will be, but I hope someone who is will read this. Because this will probably become his/her favorite book, thanks to amazing details and a great love story!


My thanks to the author for providing a copy for review!

Mini Reviews: Bridget Jones's Diary & Ditched: A Love Story

Bridget Jones's Diary
by Helen Fielding

Published: October 25th 1996
Publisher: Picador
Format: Paperback
Pages: 300
Source: Bought
Amazon |

Meet Bridget Jones —
a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:

a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."

Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.

Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Nice read, but there's not much to say. I ended comparing this to the movie nonstop, since I've watched the movie like million and one times!
And I must admit, both have pros and cons. Book had less embarrassing moments, when the movie was filled with embarrassment. But the movie had more scenes with Darcy and Daniel, which I missed in the book.
I think I like the movie better, since I'm going to watch it yet again this Christmas (because you just have to watch it when it's Christmas!), but I don't see myself reading this again.

Oh, and I was all confused when there was all this talk about answering machines etc.! Then I had to check out when this came out, and realized I was only about 10 years old back then, and cellphones came few years later, so no wonder they didn't have cellphones..
But huge plus for the fact that this was written ages ago, yet still didn't feel outdated. Except for the part about answering machines.

Ditched: A Love Story
by Robin Mellom

Published: January 10th 2012
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 277
Source: Borrowed
Amazon |
Book Depository

THERE'S A GIRL.
Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. That said, she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

AND THERE'S A BOY.
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

THEN THERE'S A DITCH.
But when Justina is ditched, figuratively and literally, she must piece together--stain-by-stain on her thrift store dress--exactly how she ended up dateless...with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven.

To get the whole store, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. Can losing out at her prom ultimately lead to finding true love?

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Extremely cute and quick read, but that's it. Didn't raise any kind of feelings, except sometimes I was a little bored and occasionally annoyed by the main character. The beginning was great, cause she's pushed out from a moving car and everyone's like W00T!, who would do that?!
But in the end.. Justina is pretty annoying with a whole lot of imagination, and Ian is the most thoughtful guy in the planet, and that guy doesn't actually exist. And hopefully neither does Justina.

Yet I can't hate this book, cause occasionally it was funny, even hilarious. And you can't really hate Justina, because she obviously have some issues, like a mother, who dresses her like a blueberry. And she obviously doesn't have any sense of style, so there's another reason to feel a little sorry for her..

Quick, brainless read, so if you're between books, you can read this.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn
by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Published: September 18th 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format: Ebook
Pages: 356
Series: Burn for Burn #1
Source: Through Pulse It for review
Amazon |
Book Depository

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Big girl don't cry.. they get even.

How amazing is that?! I dreamed about something like that even when I was a little girl! Seriously, who doesn't dream about getting your sweet, sweet revenge? So this definitely was a book I wanted to read!

Three girls, Kat, Lillia and Mary, feel they've been treated wrong. But thanks to Kat's great idea, they decide to get even. And that's why I just love Kat! She drinks and smokes and is pretty much considered white trash. She has a big mouth and has some huge problems with the popular kids, but she has a heart in the right place. Her mother has passed away, so it's just her brother and father, so no wonder she acts like one of the guys!
All I wish for her is to be happy. And no surprize, I wish things would work out with her and the guy she was hooking up with, no matter how complicated things are.

Lillia.. meh. Just a bit. She's a princess everyone loves and her life is filled with unicorns and puppies. Okay, not really, but her main problem is a bad best friend.

And then there's Mary. Everything else, even Lillia, fits the book perfectly. Together they create a great story about revenge. That idea I loved. But then Mary came along and.. I'm convinced she must be crazy, because there's no other way she fits the story. That's why I couldn't give this 4 cupcakes, like I originally thought.
It's as if one author wrote everything else, and the second one wrote things about Mary. She just doesn't fit. Especially, since there's the whole paranormal thing going on. That's the main reason why I think she's just plain crazy. She definitely had some mental issues in the past, so I think that's the best, and only, explanation.


My thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review!

The Stubborn Dead by Natasha Hoar

The Stubborn Dead
by Natasha Hoar

Published: January 23rd 2012
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: Ebook
Pages: 72
Series: Lost Souls #1
Source: From NetGalley for review
Amazon |

Rachel Miller thought her next job was a run-of-the-mill haunting.

As a member of the Order of Rescue Mediums it's her duty to release trapped spirits from the earthly realm. But when called to client Sylvia Elkeles's house, she finds a wraith who doesn't act like he should.

The Order considers the wraith an extreme threat and Rachel may be forced to use a barbaric ritual to free him — a ritual that comes with a heavy personal price.

If she fails to humanely release the wraith, she'll have her supernatural abilities bound.

When Janus Ostara — local supernatural mob boss — shows up demanding her attention, and Sylvia keeps secrets that may place Rachel in mortal danger, she doesn't need her abilities to know something darkly sinister is at play.

Between uncovering Sylvia's disturbing motives, and avoiding Janus, Rachel has enough on her hands without dealing with a wraith who may not realize he's supposed to be dead...

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
This is one of those entertaining and actionfilled stories. But man, was it short! I didn't realize it until I was finished and expected to see what happens with Kit and Rachel (you know, some roooomance!), and OOPS!, it ended! Which was sad, since I was really getting into the story :/

And since it was so short, there really wasn't any time for any character development or even to get deeper with the plot. Which really was unfortunate, since I was finally getting some contact with Rachel.

There's few glimpses about Rachel's past and the world around her. We get to find out that she's part of The Order, and her mum is The Boss. And we get to meet Janus, a mob boss, and few of Rachel's clients.
But it still felt like the novella was only length of one chapter. The information we gather is pretty small amount and nothing drastic is really revealed. Though there is some mysteries that leaves you craving for more.

And yes, it left me definitely craving for more, since when I finally got into story, it ended. So hopefully the second part will be a whole book, since there really is potential with Rachel :)

My thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press!

Blind Date, Checkmate by Veronica Blade

Blind Date, Checkmate
by Veronica Blade

Published: December 24th 2011
Publisher: Crush Publishing Ink
Format: Ebook
Pages: 105
Series: -
Source: For review from author
Amazon

Should a woman who’s unable to forget her first love give “happily ever after” one more try?

Shelby Winters’ one great love went sour. If she can’t feel that way about a guy again, why bother?

When Shelby’s best friend sets her up on a blind date with Logan, the guy who broke her heart, he pursues her relentlessly, forcing her to make a choice:

give her heart what it’s always desired and risk total devastation or shut Logan out and lose her only shot at happiness.

To Shelby, it’s a lose-lose situation.

Or is it?

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Earlier I read Veronica's Something Witchy This Way Comes and A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable and since this is my third book from her, guess you could say I'm officially a fan!

Like with her other books, Veronica manages to write some effortless dialogues, and guess you could say that really is her specialty. The story is full of action and full of romance (though no dirty scenes, so younger audience can read this too) and it just keeps you hooked.

Since this is a novella, it is quite short. That was probably the reason why I occasionally felt like things were moving too fast and there was just a little too much action.
I'm the biggest fan of an emotional rollercoaster, but because of the length, there had to be emotions flying around nonstop. So I wouldn't have mind if there hadn't been that many up and downs so fast, but it still didn't stop me from reading, and enjoying, this! It took me two hours and I was finished, since I couldn't stop reading!

Shelby and Logan were enjoyable and interesting characters, even though Logan was quite The Hunk and occasionally liked himself a little too much ;) And Shelby's so called BFF just bugged me soooo much, I just wanted to kick her butt!
Though, of course, things might have gone differently if she hadn't been forcing these two together, but still. She was just kind of annoying.

The romance was so sweet and cute, and there really wasn't anything besides kissing, so even though this isn't exactly YA book, things stay decent.

Overall, this really was a fun and cute read! Maybe just a little too quick, since in the end you just wanted more to read! Give it a go, you won't be disappointed!

Again, my thanks to Veronica, you didn't let me down! :)

Banshee Charmer by Tiffany Allee

Banshee Charmer
by Tiffany Allee

Published: January 24th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Format : Ebook
Pages: 159
Series: From the Files of the
Otherworlder Enforcement
Agency #1
Source: From NetGalley for review
Amazon

When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose.

Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure?

When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads.

While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency.

Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well.

But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin works for police in a world where is completely normal to have supernaturals hanging around. What makes Mac so special is that she's a half-banshee. Which isn't such a great thing for her, since that makes her unsuitable to live with the other banshees. So she's been living with humans all her life.
Now, they have serial killer on the lose, and Mac is determined to find him. Especially when her best friend is one of the victims.

I really liked the part telling about Mac's past, but unfortunately that was the "deepest" the story went. Otherwise, it was mostly just action. Which isn't a bad thing, this was definitely an entertaining book!
Mac was quite likable character with tough exterior, yet sensitive on the inside. Though I expected more banshee- action, especially since even the cover says "Scream for me."! That's probably the main reason why I liked the part about Mac's past and what it meant for her to be a banshee living with humans. But it would've been awesome if we'd seen more of her insane screaming skills!

Luckily, I wasn't left without any romance. Aidan was also quite interesting character, though kinda shady, since nobody knew anything about him. But there's some funny moments when he's involved, and especially when he's browsing through Mac's books ;)
And even though I knew this wasn't an YA book, I didn't expect some scenes to be so.. descriptive, if that's the correct word? I mean, I do like when books have some heated scenes, but there can be too much information! Call me a prude ;)

But as I said, this really was an enjoyable read! And I'm definitely looking forward to read the second book too. Though I have some obsessive "character loyalty", so of course I'd like the next book to be about Mac too :)

My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing a review copy!

The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

The Boy on Cinnamon Street
by Phoebe Stone

Published: February 1st 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Format : Hardcover
Pages: 240
Series: -
Source: Borrowed
Amazon |
Book Depository

A story about a wounded girl and the boy who won't give up on her.

7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't.

She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't.

And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect.

Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?

Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Louise is seventh grader, living with her grandparents. She wants to be called Thumbelina, because she's just as tiny. She has a best friend, Reni, who has huge crush on Justin Bieber. Yeah, I don't get it either.
Reni has a brother, Henderson, who is smart and also a friend of Louise.
One day, boy called Benny brings a pizza to Louise and she can't shake this feeling that there's something special about this boy.
Her friend Reni is convinced that Louise has a crush on Benny, and since Louise is receiving notes from a secret admirer, they're convinced that Benny likes her back.

This book did have a lot of potential, but I just didn't really connect with it. Through out the story you'll get little glimpses where you suspect that everything isn't what it looks like, but it's just too little information.
And it's really, really weird to constantly mention Justin Bieber and that Louise is convinced she has a crush on someone just because her friend tells her so. I mean, come on, wouldn't you know if you had crush on someone?! Especially since the feelings Louise has towards Benny aren't really that positive. It's just weird.

I actually thought this would be more about romance and young love than anything else. And I was nearly finished with the book when I realized that Oh, this is about some sort of trauma! It was pretty hard to figure this out, since nothing huge wasn't revealed until I was nearly finished with the book.
And I really did like the ending, since there was some real emotions. I actually did cry little, which is the main reason I didn't completely hate this book. I did consider few times that I would stop reading without finishing this book, but since the best part was in the end, I'm glad I finished this.
Though I still feel that you shouldn't just write a good ending, since some people might stop reading before that since the ride isn't just that nice.

Overall, a nice read. An okay read. And that's only because the ending was great, which somewhat balances the not-so-great parts. Maybe I'm just too old for this, and the Justin Bieber- references really didn't help. And it won't take long time before nobody remembers who the hell is Justin Bieber, so it probably would have been smarter to leave his name out altogether.

My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

Published: November 1st 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Format : Ebook
Pages: 208
Source : For review from Netgalley
Buy : Amazon | Book Depository

You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies.

Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe.
But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature!

When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Jenny is a twelve year old girl. And what makes her special? She's an adventurer! She runs around helping magical creatures so everyone would just get along. She's been on the business for few years, originally taking the job because it sounded like fun.

But like many times, having fun may turn to something not-so-fun at some point.

This is a quick and fun read, but probably targeted for younger audience. This book is full of adventures and action, but that's pretty much it. I'm not saying this is a bad book, it's just for younger people.

Since she's only 12, there isn't much of a romance. Though there's a little hint, but since the other person would be a.. lamb, you can't really go there, right?

This book also has the most disturbing villain ever! The creepiest clown of all times. Isn't that just awful?
I actually thought about quitting this book at that point. Everyone who's seen Stephen King's It get's me. Too traumatizing to even think about.

I would love to know if there's second book coming out some point? Oh, stupid me, maybe I visit author's homepage and check it out there, d'oh! So yeah, in spring 2013 we'll get to read the second book!
I actually can't wait for that, since there is so many things left open in the end (including the romance with a lamb)! What about her parents? Her career? Her lamb?? These are the answers I left craving for!

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky! :)

Anna lives near Boston, Mass. with her husband and their adorably insane black Lab.

She's represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Her debut novel, MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE, was published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in November 2011.

You can visit her at www.annastan.com or follower her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/annastanisz.




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A Vampire for Christmas by Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Piñeiro, Alexis Morgan

A Vampire for Christmas by Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Piñeiro, Alexis Morgan

Published: October 18th 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Format : Ebook
Pages: 384
Source : Netgalley
Buy : Amazon | Book Depository

All they want for Christmas is you…

It's the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.

And they don't care if you've been naughty or nice.

Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there's no place like home for the holidays—and these dazzling vampires can't wait for an invitation.

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
Okay. I have to say that I'm probably not the right person to read short stories. There's usually not enough time for the character development or to concentrate on the plot. And that's pretty much why I didn't like so much about this book. I just wish there had been more to the plot, so I really wasn't left satisfied. No matter how much "action" in the book. That's why I'm having trouble with writing a review, because these stories left me kind of empty. So I will be writing only about the first story.

Enchanted by Blood by Laurie London (SweetBlood #2.5)

There's basically two main characters, Trace and Charlotte. They were involved, but Trace wiped Charlotte's memory, because he's about to start his job in a vampire council. And because his dad told him not to do people.
Then they meet again, and they get involved, again.

That's about everything there happened. I actually did like the beginning, when Trace saved Charlotte from the trouble, but after that it was just.. white noise. Nothing really happened. As I said, this whole book left me kind of empty, so.. there's nothing really to say. Which is sad, 'cause I really liked the idea of vampires mixing with Christmas, but it didn't work out so well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for this book!