Review: Storming the Castle by Eloisa James

Book: Storming the Castle by Eloisa James
Published: December 21, 2010 (HarperCollins)
Format: Audiobook from the library
Summary: What Miss Phillipa Damson needs is a good, old fashioned knight in shining armor. What she has is a fiancé she never wanted and a compelling urge to run away. But if she manages to escape, will she find her happily ever after?

My Review: As I'm not generally the biggest fan of Cinderella retellings, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James when I read it last year. During the reading, there was one secondary character who stood out: Wick, the major domo/butler who had some additional relationship to the prince that was quite the mystery for a while. I unfailingly loved him in every scene in which he appeared. When I later saw that he had his own story, I jumped at the chance to read (well, listen to) it.

May I reiterate, just in case you missed it: A love story where the hero is a butler! How awesome is that?

Forced to run away from home or face a marriage to a horrid man, Phillipa chose the former. When she heard that the prince and princess had a need of someone to help their sick baby, Phillipa jumped at the chance. She had previous experience with children and medicine, so the position was perfect for her. She felt an immediate attraction to Wick, and the feeling was reciprocated, although neither disclosed it at first. Yet there were bigger problems than her deception separating them: As Phillipa was not actually a servant, their stations were not compatible with the prospect of a future together. Phillipa was far above Wick in station, and Wick was a stickler for living according to rules and protocol. How could the two ever have a future together?

One thing I can definitely say about Phillipa and Wick is that they had magnificent chemistry, and it culminated in a couple scenes that had steam rising from my dashboard. As Storming the Castle was a novella and there was not room for the development of a full-length novel, their relationship felt rushed, especially since my preference generally runs toward the drag-it-out-as-long-as-possible end of the spectrum. In addition, the progression of their relationship toward the beginning was a little strange and awkward. Overall, though, their story was cute and ultimately satisfying, and it made for a very enjoyable few hours.


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Author Interview: Gwendolyn Heasley & Review: A Long Way from You

Q. Welcome to Fictionally Inclined! We'll go ahead and dive right into the questions. First of all, how (and how much) does A Long Way from You connect to Where I Belong?

❝WHERE I BELONG and A LONG WAY FROM YOU are companion novels. WHERE I BELONG is narrated by Corrinne Corcoran and takes place mostly in Texas. A LONG WAY FROM YOU is narrated by Kitsy Kidd (Corrinne’s Texan friend from WHERE I BELONG). A LONG WAY FROM YOU is primarily set in New York. And while Corrinne appears in the second novel, it’s truly Kitsy’s book.❞

Q. How do you name your characters?

❝Each character is different.

I have a good friend Corrinne (who goes by Corrie) and I love that name, so I put it in a book although the character is nothing like my friend.

While researching rodeos, I saw the name Kitsy on a list of rodeo queens. I fell in love with it. I’m almost sad I used it in a book because I would love to name a daughter Kitsy. But I can't imagine my character as anyone but Kitsy, so I'm glad that's my character's name.

For other characters, I just picked the names out of mind and for other ones I looked through baby name websites. All the names in my books are fairly unique and I think that’s because I have a unique name too!❞

Q. What is your writing process like?

❝I try to outline first and then I write a first sloppy draft. Then I have to do a LOT of work editing because the first draft was sloppy…but for me, I have to let the story tell itself first before I get micro on it❞

Q. What do you do when you're not writing?

❝I also teach college at Kean University and I’m earning a MFA through Vermont College of Fine Arts. And I’m a planning a wedding, so I keep pretty busy.❞

Q. Favorite childhood book?

❝The Baby-Sitters Club. Love those books. I could talk BSC for hours.❞

Q. Favorite recent reading discovery?

❝Sara Pennypacker’s middle grade novel, Summer of the Gyspy Moths. It’s a great story of self-discovery and friendship…and it’s set in Cape Cod. It’s a must read for summer. I don’t want to give a lot away, but I loved it.❞

Q. Do you have anything currently in the works?

❝I’m writing my third novel for HarperTeen. It won’t be related to the first two and I’m excited for a challenge.❞

Q. Is there anything you would like to share with your readers and fans?

❝Thank you for reading…. By the way, I love hearing from my readers. Please email me or visit my website and share your opinions, both the good and the bad. I learn a lot from my readers feedback, so I read every review that I find online. I think it's helpful to know what your readers did and did not like. ❞

My Review

Title: A Long Way from You
Author: Gwendolyn Heasley
Published: June, 2012 (HarperTeen)
Disclosure: Received for review from Little Bird Publicity.
Summary: For too long, Kitsy has had to satisfy her dreams of becoming a real artist by giving her friends makeovers before prom. So when her best friend Corrinne's family offers to sponsor her for a summer art course in New York City, Kitsy bids a temporary good-bye to Texas to say hello to the West Village. Between navigating the subway and the New Yorkers—namely, the Art Boy who has a nice trick of getting under her skin—Kitsy knows that this summer is going to be about a lot more than figure drawing.

My Review: I was very excited to read A Long Way from You after reading Heasley's debut and this book's companion novel, Where I Belong. Kitsy was my favorite character in that book, so I could not wait to hear her story! A Long Way from You was a very good book that I definitely enjoyed reading.

One of the best things about A Long Way from You was the emphasis on family. Kitsy loved her little brother, Kiki, fiercely, and it showed. The relationship between the two was so very touching; I often smiled and was occasionally moved to the brink of tears. Kitsy's family dynamic was messed up because her father was out of the picture, and her mother had a drinking problem. Kitsy had practically been acting as Kiki's mother for years. However, over the course of the book, the dynamic shifted in some ways, and it was interesting to see this progression.

This story was about Kitsy and her coming-of-age, getting-to-know-herself journey. Kitsy, a teenager from small town Texas, had no idea how New York City worked. In finding her way through this new adventure, Kitsy truly got to know herself for what was perhaps the first time. I really loved watching her develop through her interactions with others and her journey through her art. Kitsy's view of and passion for art was thought-provoking and moving.

Again, there were two boys in the picture in A Long Way from You. One was Kitsy's long-time boyfriend, Hands, and the other was a musician from New York, Tad, whom Kitsy met early on in the story. They were both good guys, but there were also negatives to both of them, as well. For the longest time, I was not sure which of the two I wanted Kitsy to wind up with at the end! I won't give it away, obviously, but I was satisfied with how it ended. One thing I loved was that we got to see Corrinne again! I really loved her friendship with Kitsy in Where I Belong, so it was nice to see a continuation of that. I was not a huge fan of Corrinne's story in this book, but now I am just crossing my fingers for another Heasley novel that will give me even more!

Also, as an endnote, because at the end of the day, I'll admit to being totally shallow when it comes to covers: May I address the fact that the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous? Again! If all of Heasley's books continue to have covers like this, I don't think I'll ever be able to resist one. So lovely.

❝He’s like inspiration in a can.❞

❝You can feel naked in a lot of different ways. With each line of my pencil, I feel as if I too am disrobing.❞

❝Who you are depends on where you are.❞

❝I realize why everybody falls in love with New York City as I approach Union Square. On one block alone, there’s a cupcake and two Mister Softee ice cream trucks.❞

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Review: Because You're Mine by Lisa Kleypas

Title: Because You're Mine (Capitol Theatre #2)
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Published: September 1997 (Avon)
Summary: Lady Madeline Matthews would rather shame herself than sacrifice her freedom—which is why, to avoid a marriage to an aging, lecherous lord, she seeks out the company of Logan Scott. A torrid affair with the notorious womanizer would surely condemn her in the eyes of good society. Though a legend in the bedchamber, Logan is, in truth, an intensely private man tormented by past betrayals. Now a forward little minx is disrupting his life with her vibrant charm and unspoiled beauty, a high-spirited enchantress completely at sea in London’s sophisticated whirl. But when what begins with a kiss threatens to blossom into something more rapturous and real, will Logan and Madeline have the courage to drop the masks they hide behind in the name of love?

My Review: Because You're Mine by Lisa Kleypas and I had a rather tumultuous relationship. There were things I loved about it, and there were things about which I was not particularly fond.

First of all, the book is split up into two sections, both by setting and situation, and the split happens around the halfway mark. The first half of the book or so was fantastic! I absolutely adored the Capitol Theatre setting. The secondary characters that inhabited the theatre were fun and creative, and I truly felt like I was in a theatre in the 1800's. I loved the whole experience of it, every single second. I also enjoyed that Maddy was the one actively pursuing Logan; it made for a nice change of pace. I feel like I haven't read a lot of those.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the narrator. My consumption of this book was split up around 1/3 audiobook, 2/3 reading. I'm very picky about my narrators, but the narrator, Rosalyn Landor, was great! It makes me super happy that she has recorded several other Kleypas books, and I will probably be checking those out in the future, once I go back to school and listen to more audiobooks again.

Although some people apparently seem to disagree, I really liked Maddy. She had a genuinely sweet and caring nature, but not the type that made me want to gag uncontrollably. And Logan. One thing I particularly adored about this book was the whole "Hero doesn't want to want the heroine (but totally does anyway)" trope. LOVE, LOVE, SO MUCH LOVE. I have such a weakness for these stories. They tend to go along with super-duper explosive chemistry in the build-up, which is one of my favorite elements in romances.

There were a few little things I wasn't particularly crazy about. If I read one more "Save him, God, and I'll ________," plot, I will chuck the book across the room. I've never liked that, and it seems to be appearing everywhere lately. I don't appreciate it. However, my main problem was with this next scene.

WARNING: SPOILERS AND EXPLICIT CONTENT AHEAD.

Review: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Title: Where I Belong
Author: Gwendolyn Heasley
Published: February 2011 (HarperTeen)
Summary: Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the glamorous life she’s supposed to be living. But as she grudgingly adjusts—making new friends and finding romance along the way—this city girl begins to realize that life without credit cards and shopping sprees may not be as bad as it seems...

My Review: When I saw the cover of Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley, I wanted to read it immediately. I mean, just look at it! It is the epitome of cuteness. Also, I want her dress. And hair. And shoes. Cuteness of the cover aside, it sounded like it could be a fun read. Spoiled, rich city girl is sent off to live with her less-than-wealthy relatives in small-town Texas, and she begins to see the error(s) of her ways. That's exactly what it was.

I had a complicated relationship with this book. Honestly, I was not all that crazy about it at first. It had some funny lines, but the Spoiled Rich Girl, Corrinne, was just too spoiled. Think Blair Waldorf, but without the awesomeness. For the first third of the book or so, I was very annoyed with her as a narrator. One example of why: She referred to a size 4 as fat. Seriously? Um, no. After a while, though, I got to know her better and could begin to understand why she was the way she was. The annoyance lessened, and I could appreciate her even if I could not relate to her. As the story progressed, it was great to watch Corrinne come to terms with her situation and grow and learn from it.

The setting of the small town was just perfect. The characters were colorful and completely fitting for the atmosphere. I loved Corrinne's grandparents, her brother, and the new friends she made in Texas. Kitsy Kidd, one of Corrinne's new friends, was my favorite character in the whole book by far. Loved her! I can't wait to read her story in Heasley's companion book, A Long Way from You. I really loved Bubby, the local football hero, too, even though I have issues with his name. There was also Rider, Corrinne's super sexy, musical barn buddy. Another interesting facet to this book was Corrinne's relationship with her best friend from back in New York, Waverly. I won't say a lot so as to avoid spoilers, but I liked the way their story was handled.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. The last two thirds definitely redeemed the first third. I also liked that while Corrinne most definitely did make a lot of progress as a character, it felt completely realistic. She did not turn into some crazily unselfish let's-save-trees-and-volunteer-at-nursing-homes-and-kiss-babies do-gooder. She simply began to see life and her actions from a different perspective. Where I Belong was a very cute read. I'm super excited about Kitsy's book! Look for a review of A Long Way from You, as well as an interview with Gwendolyn Heasley, on the blog June 5.

❝There are times to diet, and then there are times for ice cream.❞

❝No one told me that I would need a translator in Texas. Maybe there’s an iPhone app on how to speak Texan.❞

❝My parents will have to pay for my hypnosis; I can’t live life with these memories.❞

❝Of course, this isn’t how I imagined meeting my soul mate. I definitely didn’t think I’d be wearing denim and cowboy boots.❞

❝Even though I’ve never been to a séance or a human sacrifice, I am pretty sure this would be the type of music that’d be played.❞

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Review: The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

Title: The Story of Us
Author: Deb Caletti
Published: April 2012 (Simon Pulse)
Summary: Cricket has a very long week ahead of her - her entire family has come together for her mom's wedding, and it's supposed to be a time for celebration. But for Cricket, the timing couldn't be worse. For years Cricket's been half of the perfect couple, destined to be together forever. Now, because of what she's done - something she would give anything to take back - Janssen has walked away. Maybe for good. Cricket has always panicked in the face of change. now she is forced to face her fears and decide once and for all what she wants, and how she's going to get it. Over the course of the week, secrets will be revealed, bonds will be tested, and Cricket's confusion - and her desires - may very well send her spiraling down a path she never thought she'd take...with no idea where it will lead her.

My Review: I impatiently awaited The Story of Us by Deb Caletti for quite a while. I discovered the awesomeness that is Deb Caletti last year when I read The Six Rules of Maybe and Stay. I fell in love with her writing and her characters, and I vowed to read all of her books. Although I have yet to accomplish this, it is still a goal I want to attain at some point. I had high expectations for this book, and while it did not quite meet them, it was still an enjoyable read.

I'm just going to put this out there. I'm not a dog person. I don't like dogs, or pets in general, really. I know, I know. I don't have a heart. I'll be awaiting the people with pitchforks banging down my door any moment now. Say what you will, I just don't like them. Therefore, a lot of times, I have a hard time connecting to the areas of a book where an animal is so significant to the main character or story. There are some exceptions. For example, most Kristan Higgins books, the aforementioned Six Rules of Maybe, and Island of the Blue Dolphins, among others. However, this did not happen in The Story of Us. Jupiter, Cricket's dog, was extremely significant. The letters from Cricket to her boyfriend-on-a-break, Janssen, were mostly centered around dog facts and stories. Jupiter and the other family's dog both got significant mentions. If you are a dog person, you will probably like this book a lot more than I did.

However, it's not all about the dogs. The story was interesting. I had never read anything quite like it. It was very much about Cricket, yet the other characters played large parts, too, both for their own stories and for Cricket's. I love Caletti's flair for writing secondary characters. There were quite a few of them in this book, so it was difficult to keep them all straight at times. But they were definitely all original and fun. Not one was cookie-cutter. They were all very multi-faceted for being secondary. Caletti also does a great job of capturing family dynamics, no matter how the family itself is assembled.

I really felt for Cricket with a lot of her issues. I don't like change, either. She was dealing with a lot of new possibilities in her life, and Janssen had been a part of her for so long, she was not quite sure how to cope with her situation. There were some things I wish she'd have been a little quicker to realize, and I did not always understand her logic. But seeing her grow and come to terms with some things was a great experience.

I loved Ash. Like, I really, really loved him. I truly wish that he would have been around for more scenes. The book focused more on Cricket, as it is really her story more than a romance. As for Janssen, I didn't expect to like him. After all, she was supposed to be moving on. Right? From the summary, that's what it sounds like. Yet Janssen was an amazing guy, too. And her older brother's best friend! Not going to lie - that's one of my favorite tropes. I won't give away the ending, but both guys were great in completely different ways.

One definite positive of this book is that I'm still thoroughly in love with Caletti's writing. I saved probably twice as many quotes as I'm posting here. Her ability to capture concepts with the written word will never fail to astound me.

❝What’s to love about uncertainty? Nothing. It’s scary – a big black hole of possible outcomes. Change requires bravery, and I don’t even like to walk into creepy basements alone. Sometimes I’ve even wished there was a human pause button, where you could choose some point in your life where you could stay always.❞

❝I think my heart must have escaped my chest. At least, it felt like it was pounding madly enough to leap out, rebelling, becoming the sort of heart it had never been before, a sorority girl heart, say, set loose in Daytona Beach during spring break.❞

❝My mother always said that our own stories were where we made sense of things, but I think all stories have that power. You could put your confusion and upset and worries into whatever book you were reading. You could sort of set them down in there, and you could come out with your head on a little straighter. I don’t know why stories worked that way, but they did. They’re an actual place where confusing things order themselves.❞

❝Every family is crazy. If it’s not crazy, that’s crazy.❞

❝She would bring you some great book because she was a book matchmaker, because she loved books the way other girls loved clothes.❞

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Review: The Fine Art of Truth Or Dare by Melissa Jensen

Title: The Fine Art of Truth Or Dare
Author: Melissa Jensen
Published: February 2012 (Speak)
Summary: Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is her French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before.

My Review: I was looking forward to The Fine Art of Truth or Dare for several months before it came out. I loved the title, cover, and summary, and I was super excited for it to come out. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it.

This book had perhaps the most original prologue I've ever read. It seemed all normal and ordinary until the very last line, which made me do a double take and read the whole thing over again, giggling the whole time. BRILLIANT. Unfortunately, the rest of the book did not quite live up to the hilarity and awesomeness of the first few pages, but it was still pretty good.

I found Ella to be a very relatable heroine for the most part, particularly regarding her awkwardness. She had some serious scarring from an accident as a child, and she had some insecurity issues because of it. It was nice watching her grow into herself and her identity without always thinking about her scar. I could also definitely see why Ella liked Alex. He was a nice, funny, smart guy who also happened to be super hot and filthy rich. AKA, Out of Ella's League. But no worries. In the world of fictional romance, this is never a problem.

My biggest pet peeve with this book is spoilery, so skip this next section if you don't want to know. But THEIR FIRST KISS HAPPENS IN A FADE-OUT. As in, it's about to happen, but then suddenly, it's like two weeks later. WHAT. As well-written, swoon-worthy kiss scenes (particularly first kiss scenes) are pretty much my favorite thing in books ever, I was rather peeved at this.

The pace was a little odd at times, and I didn't really like Ella's friends all that much. Although they did have their moments, and I enjoyed their constant games of Truth or Dare. It kind of reminded me of The Truth About Forever (which is my favorite YA book of all time, ergo definitely a good thing). I did like the humor of the book, though. It was consistently amusing but never over the top. But don't take my word for it. I will end with some quotes, and you can see for yourself!

❝Since “Hi, I’m Ella. You look like someone I’d like to spend the rest of my life with,” would have been totally insane, I opted for sitting quietly and staring.❞

❝I couldn’t think of any possible universe where wrapping myself around his knees to keep him in place would be construed as anything other than psychotic.❞

❝The silence went on just long enough to make it uncomfortable. But I wasn’t going to help him with his small talk. I’m not very good at it in the best of circumstances. Sitting almost thigh to thigh with a guy who turned me into a mental pretzel was nowhere near a good circumstance.❞

Purchase this book at: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || The Book Depository

Review: The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Title: The Queen of Kentucky
Author: Alecia Whitaker
Published: January 2012 (Little, Brown)
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo." Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular.


I first saw Queen of Kentucky when Jen over at Makeshift Bookmark reviewed it. While I didn't feel the need to run out and buy it, I was immediately taken in by the adorable cover. The book lives up to the promise of the cover: it is cute and sweet. It wasn't amazing, but it was an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The details were fantastic. I live in the country in the Midwest, not a farm in the South. However, Whitaker was able to make me believe I was there, feeling everything Ricki Jo felt and seeing everything she saw. The details of the farming seemed very authentic. I loved Luke! He was so flipping cute! I wanted to hit Ricki Jo over the head sometimes for not noticing him. And for various other reasons, most of which she finally comes to realize, thankfully. Ricki Jo was hard for me to understand or sympathize with, but I still enjoyed reading about her journey. Whitaker did a great job of crafting a 14-year-old's voice.

On the other hand, there were some things that bothered me a little. The absolute foremost one was the ending. It was super abrupt! Everything just suddenly stopped, was summarized in like two pages, and it was done. I would have loved another ten pages or so. Also, I'm going to get on my soapbox here for a moment, but authors seriously need to at least do a little research related to domestic violence if they are going to include or reference it.

Let's talk guys for a minute. Luke was Ricki Jo's best friend, and their friendship was fifteen kinds of adorable. I smiled so much because of them. However, Wolf, the popular guy Ricki Jo liked, was ridiculous. I had absolutely no idea why she liked him. So he was cute. Who cares? He was a huge jerk. And he never hid it, ever. Sure, there were a few moments when we saw him behave decently, but I was utterly clueless as to how Ricki Jo could develop a crush in the first place, much less continue to like him after interacting with him.

Only one quote today, but it was a good (and all too true) one.

❝Obsessing over a boy makes the time fly.❞

Despite some things that weren't so great, The Queen of Kentucky was worth reading. It had the super cute sweetness of first love, which is always good. It flew by, despite being almost 400 pages. It was also a great coming of age story. And let's not forget the cover. It's definitely going to make my Best Covers of 2012 list. So cute! At the end of the day, that word really sums up both the cover and the book: cute.

Purchase this book at: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || The Book Depository

Review: Roses for Mama by Janette Oke

Title: Roses for Mama
Author: Janette Oke
Published: May 1990 (Bethany House Publishers)
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: She's cared for her siblings as best she could . . . but is it enough? Instead of the new life she and her family expected to forge out west, seventeen-year-old Angela is thrust into the role of caring for her three younger siblings after the death of their parents. With the help of her older brother, and trust in God, Angela is determined to raise the children as her mother would have wanted. As the youngsters grow, the questions and challenges intensify. Angela feels trapped and overwhelmed. Surely no man will ever want a woman who comes with three children in tow. Is this the plan God has for her life? Will she ever find a way to balance her own dreams with the promises she made to her mama?

My Review: I probably never would have picked this book up on my own. For one, the copy at our library is so mangled and tape-covered that it just makes me sad. For another, I did not think I was in a Christian historical romance mood. Lucky for me, my friend Lynne is absolutely crazy about Thane, the older-brother's-best-friend-turned-love-interest in this book. She reminded me that I should read it. So I picked it up. I'm so glad I did! I adore Oke's Love Comes Softly series to death; I grew up with my mom reading them to the family, and I just re-read them all last year. In a weekend. Oke tends to read rather quickly. Roses for Mama was no different. It seemed to fly by in an instant! However, in that instant, I grew attached to the characters, laughed and teared up with Angela, and fell head over heels for the amazing Thane.

Where do I start on Thane? He seems to just be this nice, normal boy next door. But there is this quality about him that makes you smile any time he is near. He is funny and sweet and sensitive and wonderful and good with children. He definitely made it onto my list of fictional crushes!

On the other side of the coin, we had the horrible guy who was in competition for Angela's affections. Carter. Uggh. That really about covers it. He was horrible, and I really wish we would have had fewer scenes with him and more with Thane. He calls her a "the most sincerely selfless little creature" he has ever met. Condescending, much? Excuse me while I hurl.

I enjoy Janette Oke's writing. She doesn't get bogged down with unnecessary details. If she wants to skip over two months in a sentence, she will go ahead and do it. This approach has positives and negatives, but she pulls it off. The book got a little preachy at times, but as it's Christian fiction, I can let it slide.

Just one quote today, but it's a great one:

❝She had seen a number of young women from town watching Thomas. Some were quite bold in their nods and smiles. Angela felt sure that her mama would not have approved of such forwardness.❞

I know this is period and genre-appropriate, but I almost doubled over laughing. Fabulous.

Also, since this is one of Lynne's favorite books as well as being a Christian book, I am going to pretend there were no incredibly blatant incestuous themes. Except that there totally were. Or maybe it's just me. It was a very similar situation to that in Forbidden, so I was probably influenced by that. Whoops.

All in all, this was a quick, touching, cute read! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical Christian romance.

Review: The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

Title: The One That I Want
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published: December 2011 (Simon Pulse)
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?

My Review: This is my first time doing a review where I actually took notes - beyond a random word here or there scribbled on a Post It - during the reading! It was quite fun; I think I'll be making a habit of it. I always try making mental notes, but that tends to fail me miserably. But then again, I can't make a note of every single thing that strikes my fancy while reading. I'm going to need to find a sort of balance. I think it should become fairly easy with a little practice, though.

Let me preface the review by saying this: I feel like I'm committing YA sacrilege or something, but I don't love Jennifer Echols. I like her books; I really, really do. But try as I might, I just can't love them. All three of her books I've read so far are good, but they consistently fall short of my expectations. This was the case again with The One That I Want. It was cute, and I love how her main characters are always so unique. She has great quotes and a fantastic way of getting inside the characters' heads and really letting us feel their issues. They have all the right elements, but for some reason or another, her books just don't quite do it for me. Regardless, though, The One That I Want was a good read. Let's talk specifics (also: I get to break out some quotes! *dances*).

Gemma (the MC). Gemma was an interesting character, though a little dramatic and overly sensitive. But I really felt for her a lot of the time with numerous issues because I had dealt with the exact same thing. The weight loss thing specifically. Gemma lost 48 pounds in the course of her weight loss journey, not all of which is cataloged in the book. I could relate a lot to her with things she discussed regarding her weight loss: her problems, the weirdness of people addressing it, etc. But also there were things like this:

❝The problem with pretending to be extroverted was that once I started, there was no telling what would come out of my mouth.❞

Review: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Pretties (Uglies, #2)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Published: November 2005 (Simon Pulse)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Summary: Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

My Review: I truly am loving these books! However, it is difficult to review books in a series separately. A lot of what I said about Uglies still applies here. The originality of the world is perfect, and the different vocabulary choices work really well with the characters and atmosphere. Westerfeld portrayed the vapid, confused mind of a Pretty in a way that lets the reader understand it and still connect with the person while simultaneously being frustrated because they see how flawed it really is.

I enjoyed the new people we met in this book. Parts of it were a little darker than before, but the focus wasn't on that too much. [spoiler]Shay has never been my favorite character, and what happened to her, while sad, was not a surprise.[/spoiler] I find Tally a unique and likable heroine, and her survival skills never cease to amaze me. As for other characters, I love Zane! He is fascinating and definitely a good addition to the cast of characters. I found Andrew intriguing, and I am hoping he shows up again in the future. I am looking forward to when that storyline gets addressed.

I loved how Westerfeld used the same basic premise of a dream to symbolize everything that was going on in the world around Tally. They were always accurate, and it was a good portrayal of how Tally subconsciously felt about and viewed circumstances without sticking everything into informative dialogue or unnecessary thought processes. As the books are written in third person, not first, too much internal monologue would be out of place. The way they are written works well with the characters and the story.

The end of the book! It left me in chills, and I can't wait to see what happens. I will definitely be reading it soon (probably after I drag myself out of bed and go get some breakfast).

Review: Last Night's Scandal by Loretta Chase

Title: Last Night's Scandal
Author: Loretta Chase
Published: July 2010 (Avon)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Summary: After surviving the perils of Egypt, Peregrine Dalmay, Earl of Lisle, is back in London, facing the most dire threat of all: his irrational family . . . and Miss Olivia Wingate-Carsington. A descendant of notorious—but very aristocratic—swindlers, the delectable redhead has the ability to completely unhinge him and a long history of dragging him into her scandalous schemes.

Olivia may be Society's darling, but she's aware a respectable future looms menacingly. And so when Lisle is forced to go on a family mission, she sees this as the perfect chance for one last adventure—even if it is with the one man in the world she can't wrap around her finger. But really, she only wants to help . . .

Which is why Lisle and Olivia find themselves in a gloomy Scottish castle inhabited by spiteful ghosts and craven murderers . . . and a shocking secret: the greatest peril of all may be burning within their own stubborn hearts.

My Review: Lisle and Olivia first appear as children in Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase, which I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed. When I discovered that these two had their own book, I obviously needed to read it immediately. Which I did, through car rides, bad concerts (well, only one concert, really), and numerous distractions, courtesy of my much beloved little sister. How did I like the book? Well, it didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it didn't disappoint, either. I really liked it.

First of all, I would like to talk about the characters. While you do not by any means have to read Lord Perfect first, I would recommend it. I loved getting a look at their personalities there because it made me appreciate them in this book so much more. They stayed true to the personalities established in the first book, while still developing over the decade that passed between the two. Olivia was such an original, quirky, and lovable character. I have seen such characters attempted before, but she is the only one that actually seemed natural and genuine, as if she were a person I could have run into at the supermarket rather than a figment of an author's imagination. As for Lisle, he was slightly less original, I suppose, but no less wonderful. I always adore the logical hero, and Lisle was, nearly to a fault. But it worked for him. It was endearing, really, and it balanced with Olivia's wild and impulsive personality perfectly. Oh, and a review of this book would not be complete without mentioning their chaperons. The two older women were bawdy and inappropriate and altogether hilarious; I always laughed when there was a scene with them.

Review: Ulysses by James Joyce

Backlog review. Originally read/reviewed August 2011.


Title: Ulysses
Author: James Joyce
Published: October 1997 (Everyman's Library) (Originally published 1922)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary:  The most famous day in literature is June 16, 1904, when a certain Mr. Leopold Bloom of Dublin eats a kidney for breakfast, attends a funeral, admires a girl on the beach, contemplates his wife’s imminent adultery, and, late at night, befriends a drunken young poet in the city’s red-light district.

An earthy story, a virtuoso technical display, and a literary revolution all rolled into one, James Joyce’s Ulysses is a touchstone of our modernity and one of the towering achievements of the human mind.


My Review: (Yes, I am reviewing one of the "Greatest Novels of All Time" while watching the Lizzie McGuire movie. I am that awesome.)

I have rarely had such a difficult time rating a book as I did with this one. I was conflicted, to say the least.

I was first introduced to Ulysses in my British Lit class last semester. We studied a 30-ish page segment, and I was intrigued. It was difficult going, although I understood it a lot better than most of my classmates; I enjoyed it a lot. It made me want to read the book, particularly when my professor read the last page or so aloud (despite my obvious wishes that he wouldn't, as I'm a huge spoiler-phobe and had already decided I wanted to read it), and I fell in love.