Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Synopsis:

Get Hooked on a Girl Named Fred...

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Puh-leeze. Why is a girl taking my best friend’s spot on the boys’ varsity golf team?

SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys’ team? Everyone will hate me—especially Ryan Berenger.

HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred’s got to go—especially now that I can’t get her out of my head. So not happening.

SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he’s not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.

But there’s no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile....

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4 out of 5 Stars

There were so many things I liked about this debut novel from Liz Fichera. It really tackles some heavy themes of prejudice, bullying, racism, and peer pressure to name a few, and the book handles these with equal measure of horror and hope.

Fred Oday is a young Native American woman with athletic prowess. She’s honed her golf skills for most of her life, and when she is offered a spot on the boys high school golf team, she decides to take it. She struggles a bit with her decision, knowing it won’t be easy, but she doesn’t let her fear defeat her, even though the rest of the team is upper crust and seemingly perfect. You can’t help but cheer for her as she drags around her old, second hand, ugly golf bag and plays without a decent pair of golf shoes. She loves the game, and that’s what matters.

Ryan Berenger is one of the rich white boys on the team. When his best friend loses his spot on the team to Fred, he’s caught in a situation that has him questioning his own behavior. Should he be loyal to his friend and give Fred a hard time, or does he act on the feelings he starts to develop for this talented athlete from outside of his circle? When Ryan makes his choice, he starts a series of situations that will challenge them both.

And then there is Seth, Ryan’s best friend. When his jealousy, anger a over losing his spot on the team gets the best of him, his racism and hate brings about some very serious and deadly consequences for Ryan and Fred. I can’t tell you when I disliked a character more and yet I also know that there are many people just like Seth in this world and the high school environment.

I loved the Native American aspects in this book and that Fred honored her heritage in many ways, especially as a coping mechanism when things got rough. I loved that she felt self-empowered to join this golf team, in spite of how difficult she knew it would be. I loved that she saw her skills as a means of being the first on the reservation to go to college. I really loved Fred. She wasn’t perfect, but she acted with integrity.

Ryan was a little more complicated. It takes him some time to get things sorted out, and I thought that was very authentic. His path to self-discovery was much more difficult than Fred’s, and by the end of the book I still wasn't convinced he had it together.

The romantic part of the story was believable and engaging. One of my favorite scenes in the book occurs the Monday after Fred and Ryan have their first date. She’s unsure, wondering how what transpired between them would change her life. I don’t want to say how it all turns out, but I thought this scene really captured the high school experience. It’s touching, sweet and very poignant.

So why isn’t this a 5 star review? I did have a problem with the ending. At close to the end of the book, a crisis with Fred’s father sets up some situations that provides convenient means for Fred and Ryan to get over their relationship issues. Ryan’s involvement seems very contrived to me, especially since I don’t recall the contributing details mentioned earlier in the book. Everything gets wrapped up after that point and it just seems abrupt and it took me out of the moment. I would have liked to have more discussion regarding both Seth and Ryan's behavior in regard to bullying and racism. This ending seemed like an easy way around those hard topics.

So overall, I did enjoy the story, apart from the way it ended.

Contains: violence, alcohol use, kissing.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequinn Teen for a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Synopsis: I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

All Josh Bennett wants is to be left alone, and everyone allows it because they all know his story: each person he loved was taken from his life until at seventeen years old there was no one left. When your name is synonymous with death,
people tend to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a new girl in town who won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding--or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

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5 of 5 Stars
Atria Books

Meet Josh and Nastya, two young adults learning to live in the aftermath of their own personal tragedies. They’ve both suffered great loss at a young age. How do they cope with what has happened to them?   The Sea Of Tranquility is their first person journey, unveiled slowly through the use of alternating point of views.  

This book “stuck” with me for quite a few days after reading it, and I’m still having a problem articulating how I feel about it beyond proclaiming The Sea of Tranquility one of my favorite reads of the 2012.

It is clear from the start that Nastya has suffered something. She hasn’t spoken in 452 days  and generally does everything and anything to keep those around her at arms length. It would be easy to caste her behavior as self-indulgent or self-pity.  She doesn’t want you to like her.

Josh Bennett has lost every member of his family. He takes refuge in building furniture. He doesn’t want to get attached to anyone either, but that doesn’t stop what transpires between them.

Their relationship develops slowly, until circumstances and personalities cause everything to fall apart.The writing here is very personal and at times, gut-wrenching. These are not teens dealing with the normal teenage “stuff”.

Quite a few themes weave throughout this book, such as high school politics, the dream of second chances and coping with tragedy.  I thought Josh said it best when he observed that “every normal family is one tragedy away from complete implosion.”  Even though its been many years since I’ve personally experienced high school, these were themes I could relate to.

Josh’s best friend Drew is an awesome supporting character in this story. He’s a more typical teen, but I liked his relationship with both main characters. He’s also dealing with a need for a second chance, and Nastya helps him along that path. She’s drawn to him from the start and their unlikely relationship is a bit of a relief from the heaviness of what Josh and Nastya are dealing with.

The Sea of Tranquility is a very intimate and emotional character study. Katja Millay does an excellent job of taking us inside the mind and heart of these characters. You can’t help but want them to have their second chance. The language, particularly in the final scenes, captures both the hurt and hopefulness perfectly.

“And with every brush of his lips against mine, I know what he’s giving me and what I’m giving him and what it will cost us both. And, for once, I am not afraid.”

“And if my Sea of Tranquility were real, it would be this place, here, with him.”

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for the review copy.

Review: Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey 

4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

In Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey, 50 writers—from romance and erotica authors, to real-world BDSM practitioners, to adult entertainment industry professionals—continue the conversation regarding the impact of the success of the Fifty Shades of Grey series from E.L. James.

I have not read the Fifty Shades of Grey, and I doubt I will. I have been listening to the conversations regarding “mommy porn” and “pull to publish.” When I looked at the list of contributors, I saw quite a few names I recognized and thought it might be interesting to see what they had to say about Fifty Shades of Grey. What would this group of writers have to say?  Was it worth an entire book dedicated to talking more about this series and what it spawned?  

The essays in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey offer insight into the popularity of the series by E.L. James and also talks about the issues of sexuality that have bubbled to the surface as a result. The best essays were those written by those writers having first-hand knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle. I also found the essays discussing what this series exposed regarding our acceptance of sexuality interesting.

Most of the essays had some content of interest, and my favorite was from Susan Wright, titled Fifty Shades of Sexual Freedom.  She struck a chord with me regarding sexual repression. 

She starts out by saying “There is a way to get the amazing sex you want, and it actually involves talking about it.” and wraps up with this. “Anything that gets people talking about sex-- not just sensationalizing it or making fun of it - is a good thing for Americans.” 

The essays are short, quick reads and perfect for reading a few at a time. This is not a book you pick up and read from start to finish, at least I didn’t. I could easily see this as a textbook in a sexuality or writing course. 

There was a nice selection of topics and opinions, although none of the contributors had anything controversial to say. And there was humor too. 

So overall, if you find the topics surrounding the Fifty Shades of Grey popularity interesting (BDSM, erotic romance, sexuality, fanfiction)  and would like to read some well-reasoned, well-written essays on the matter, this book is a great start.  It held my interest through all fifty essays.

Review: Opal by J L Armentrout

Now that my heart palpitations have stopped after reading the final scene in Opal, I feel sufficiently focused to write my review. And its pretty much impossible to write this without spoilers,so you are warned.

At the end of Onyx, the second book in the Lux series by Jennifer L Armentrout, Katy and Daemon dodged a number of proverbial bullets and although it cost them Dee’s boyfriend, it also brought Daemon’s brother home. Opal begins where Onyx left off, with a sad, damaged Dawson obsessed with getting Beth back, Dee going through the stages of grief over Adam, and Katy and Daemon ‘s feelings for each other blossoming into something beautiful and strong. And thank goodness for that, because they are going to need each other...

Everyone’s nerves are on edge at the start, and with good reason. It isn’t long before an old enemy returns with an ultimatum that Katy and Daemon feel they must accept, starting a sequence of events that you know aren’t going to end well.

And in spite of all their trouble, Katy and Daemon are falling in love. They really, really talk to each other in Opal, and even though they don’t always agree, they deal with it instead of running away. They’ve both matured, although there’s still plenty of teasing, flirty comments from Daemon. Ms. Armentrout does a smashing job with the romance between these two. Keeping Katy’s mom’s presence to a minimum really let the reader focus on what was happening in Katy and Daemon’s world as their feelings for each other grow. It all felt very intimate and romantic.

Katy captures so much with these 6 words.

"We kissed. We talked. We lived."

Of course, there is plenty of action too. As with the past books in the series, the pacing had me reading nonstop and the build-up to the final scene had me on the edge of my seat. The final action sequence is simply incredible, melding action and emotion perfectly.

Besides Katy and Daemon, I thought Dee had some noteworthy moments. Her behavior after the events of Onyx really rang true for me and her evolving relationship with Katy was a very satisfying part of Opal.

And what can I say about the ultimate villain, Blake. I almost hate to even type his name. He causes so much heartache. Again. Between his creepiness, his blackmail, and his lie after lie, he's easy to peg as the bad guy. But just how deep is he involved with this? I can’t help but feel there is more to this story. What is Luc's involvement? Is he a villain or a victim? Still so many unanswered questions.

And that's just the way I like it. Tight writing, lots of action, emotion and romance that left me wanting more.

Kudos to Ms Armentrout for a gut-wrenching cliffhanger which will be imprinted on my brain until the release of Origin, the next book in the series, which has an anticipated release date of July 2013.

Review: A Very Naughty Xmas

This rating is based on all stories in this anthology.  

Light me Up by Cherrie Lynn
If I could, I would probably rate this five stars JUST because of my lust for the luscious men of Dermamania and the truly lovely (and smokin hot)  Christmas story from Cherrie Lynn.

Ok, I’ll admit I fell in love with Brian Ross back in Unleashed as Evan’s misunderstood younger brother, and Rock Me firmly cemented my feelings for Brian and Candace, so I knew that any story featuring them at the holidays would be a winner. Cherrie Lynn did not disappoint.

Light Me Up is a sweet story that picks up on a theme started in Leave Me Breathless (released Nov 2012), regarding Brian’s and Candace’s long term plans with each other.  And of course, it wouldn’t be the holidays without family interactions, and in this case it includes Candace’s uppity, meddling mother, a remote controlled toy and some smexy times in Candace’s childhood bedroom.

In spite of the holiday hoopla, the jewel in this piece are the private moments between Brian and Candace.

It was nice to see a more mature Candace, still madly in love with Brian. When she thinks,  Yes, baby, yes. Always her answer to everything where he was concerned, you just know she is still head over heals in love with him.

And Brian?  Well, Brian regained his place in my heart as #1 hottie in Dermamania (sorry Ghost)  with this line--  “In fact, this is how I love you best, I think. PJs, hair up, no makeup... the way only I get to see you.”

Light Me Up was exactly what I want in a holiday story--favorite characters in a sweet and sexy slice of holiday life. Very nice.

I’d buy this anthology for this story alone.

Share Me by Olivia Cunning
I love the guys from Sole Regret and I really like what Olivia Cunning is doing with her “One Night with Sole Regret” series, but Share Me falls a little bit short for me. What I enjoy most about Olivia Cunning’s stories and characters is the way she combines awesome emotional writing with a heaping dose of hot sex.  In this story, there’s little emotional connection between the girls and the band, so if you are looking for sex without any messy entanglements, then you might like this one.

I did like learning more about Owen and Kellen, and not just what they like in the bedroom.
Owen was the only one to project anything remotely like holiday cheer in this story, and that was a saving grace. I absolutely loved what he did for all his band mates to help celebrate.  I wish Santa had really had something in his sack for Kellen though--he could have used a visit from a Christmas angel, that was for sure.
My main problem with Share Me is that I couldn’t connect with the two female groupies, Lindsey and Vanessa. Maybe it was that “crackin a moistie” line..,

So overall, a very erotic story, but it lacked holiday cheer for me.  

Jingle Ball - Cari Quinn   
This office romance puts a bit of a twist on the boss-secretary relationship as what gets started as a menage turns into a happy ending for two of them.  Okay, Des’s arguments for why he holds back on his feelings for Wendy seem a little strange, considering the two partners are fairly permissive about what goes on the workplace, but it’s easy to overlook. Instead, I found myself rooting for Des to get his head out, and for Wendy to get what she wanted for Christmas.  

This holiday story had lots of steamy sex and an HEA wrapped up in a bow.

Christmas is Coming by Raven Morris

An erotic story featuring a happily married polyamorous couple, Jack and Debra,  and the gifts they give each other for the holiday season. There’s lots of hot, hot sex in this one, starting on the very first page.  Kudos for creative gift giving and toy-sharing!

An Indecent Proposition - Stephanie Julian
After Erik is damaged physically in an accident, his sexual escapades with his best friend and business partner Keegan come to a halt,  until a lovely young lady catches Erik’s eye at a party and Keegan seeks to help his friend overcome the emotional scars of his accident with an indecent proposal. But Julianne catches on quickly, and does much more than just help Erik get sexual release.  

I liked this story, even though the holiday theme was sparse. There was plenty of emotion and hot sex, and when I got to the end, I wanted to know where this threesome might be going next.

So overall, a 4 out of 5 rating.

OPAL Arcs up for grabs!

Want to read OPAL from Jennifer L Armentrout early?  

Check out the contest at 

http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/want-to-read-opal/

Thank you! 

Check out Jennifer L. Armentrout on the following sites:
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Official Website

Opal Trailer Release

Opal (The third book in the Lux Series)
Available in both print and digital version on December 18, 2012
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Official Book Trailer

Check out Jennifer L. Armentrout on the following sites:
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Official Website