Sharon L

As some other reviews stated, this book is very much like how to lose a guy in 10 days. IMO, it's better. The characters are more fleshed out, the chemistry is more apparent and there is one lovely snarky heroine to love. 

I thought a lot as to how I should do this review and the other in the series. I've come to my decision. Shall we go for a ride?

She, Julie Greene, is on an undercover mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 




Her expertise- firsts; first date, first kiss, first flirt, sometimes even the first sex with a new guy. 

Her mission- Saturday TV nights and a serious relationship. Julie is sent to foreign ground when she is asked to discover what happens once the firsts becomes seconds. How do you cross the line from dating into a relationship and what does it feel like?

The Traget:


This picture fits perfectly because even though Bradley is good looking, he doesn't look that hot here. Just like Micthell first impression on Julie 

He- Mitchell Forbes, a normal civilian in the land of Wall Street and serious dating, newly released from a long service with the wrong girl he hopes to get a vacation ticked to the land of fun. He hopes the blond bombshell will be just what he is searching for (he has no idea he's totally right)

But Mitchell isn't going down without a fight. He heard of Julie, and he hopes she's ready for some casual fun.

The question is who will win in this battle of wills?

We will. Yep, it's a romantic comedy. Which means the ending is predictable, as well as the 'chasing scene' that happens after 'the big fight' in all those romantic comedies. Which means this story needs something to mark it as different or at least worth reading.

We have it hear, Lauren Layne shows us how the attraction between them grows, and since they are both very different she needs to convince us that they fit together. And she does it very well. She shows us Mitchell alpha male attitude- when he cares for Julie and takes command in the bedroom. She shows us Julie's vulnerability, the side of Mitchell that wants to fit into Julie's fun fun fun, and her side that wants to fit into his seriousness. In the end from complete opposites they manage to find their balance and create the relationship the fits them both. 

By the end of the book you had tons of laughter, a few sad moments some damns hot moments and the knowledge that these two are perfect for each other.

A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

For this reveiw and more, visit my blog The Accidental Reader

This is a new adult book. And I love it. I have a confession to make I haven't read many NA books. I think I have under my belt Beautiful Disaster,Walking Disaster and Lick (Stage Dive 1). Out of all of them, I loved only the last.

The Disaster books were exactly as their name implies Disaster with a capital D, yeah. 

That whole singing scene in the cafeteria scared me for life. Not to mention the whole Cavemen attitude is far from sexy. 

But here, oh, here, we have a fantastic NA. Something rare. I also understand why it happened but I'll explain later on. 

This story is about two people in college, the exact opposites, they don't move in the same social circles and now they have to work together on a project for some class.

Their idea is quite simple- like Pretty Woman and My Fair Lady- they are going to do a makeover. It doesn't matter that Ethan actually needs it so his family would leave him alone. Or that it's time for Stephanie to wake up.

So the Stephanie, the Goth, is going through a makeover so she could fit in the Ethan's preppy family setting. So far so good. But as the story progress we learn more about them. About what the Stephanie went through, which is not very out of the ordinary and her response is only human, we see her growing up into her skin. We see Ethan learning to accept the fact that his dreams to take over the family business, though guided by his family, are still his and what he wants.

Furthermore, we see how despite their supposed difference they are very alike, they complete one another. Each teaches the other about the things missing. 

I'm not sure how to explain it so well, but I'll try. You see, the reason why this book is so damn good, in comparison to the genre, is because Lauren Layne is not a New Adult author. She is a chick lit author. Which means from start she is capable of avoiding the most annoying things in the NA genre. 

What do I mean? Great you asked.

Many NA books consist of a tattooed guy that was in prison or is fighting a lot. One who acts like a caveman, a Neanderthal. He's tattooed, he's danger, he has a tragic past, a responsibility to take care of something. He's a man-whore, a player, a fighter, a possessive jerk that treats women with disrespect. Because they are stupid whores who want to get in his pants and that's all they are good for, actually. Well, beside the MC of course. Because the MC is so fucking special that she too needs to deal with a troubled past, something so very dramatic it's a miracle she's still capable of breathing. Most NA books are about stupid meets stupid and they fall in love, thus being even more stupid together.

Chick lit book are, mostly, nothing like that. Why? Because I'm sorry to tell you ladies (those of you that haven't figured it out yet) but a guy who treats you like his property, a guy who is not reliable and emotionally strong, is not a guy that you would want to date on real life. Yes, it's a fantasy, a great one for some, but if a guy approached you on the street, picked you up and slanged you over his shoulder telling you the two of you were meant to be, odds are you'll castrate him and run as fast as you can to the nearest police station.

A girl dreams of dating the bad boy, but she marries the good guy. 


Lauren Layne knows it, which is why Ethan is the good guy. Even if he likes Stephanie he understands she has two feet of her own to stand on, thank you very much. She's capable of making her own choices, and he's not allowed to act like a caveman about it. He respects boundaries. He respects her as a human being. And guess what? That doesn't make him any less of a man. That makes him sexy & hot. 

Because of all this, Isn't She Lovely reads more like a chick lit with the MCs being in college. No slut shaming, no stupidity, no overly tragic past, no "us against the world" [who invented that stupid saying, I wonder?]. the adults might have disappointed you, but guess what? They are human!!

And still, we have the 'growing up' thing, the 'understanding sometimes things don't go the way you wanted them to' thing, the 'coming out of your shell and finding you center' thing. 

I can only tell you that, once I finished this book I checked what other books Lauren Layne wrote. And I read her first book, After the Kiss. 

A review copy was kindly provided by Flirt in exchange for an honest review 

For this review and more, visit my blog The Accidental Reader

Wow, this is a good one- I highlight a lot every page. SO many funny moments but that's not the best part. 

In the previous Addicted book I was let to believe that Rose and Connoe are Asexual to some degree, I think in a way they could teach Lily and Lo a few things. ;)

Their attraction is just dripping off the pages, and it's nice to see how deep Lily & Lo are connected from the outside

As can be seen on : The Accidental Reader

So here is the deal- 

This one is just another romance novella, like many others written before and after. 

Plot-wise, it does not stand as unique. 

Fun-wise, it's good, but once I finished it I moved on without a single though. 

I can say now, 2 months after I read it, that I hardly remember reading it. it did not affect me at any way. 

Maybe I'm harsh. Maybe not. 

I love romance books and novels very much, and I expect them to invoke some sort of feelings from me. Be it 'it was bloody aewful' or 'I freakking loved it'. Here? No such luck. All I can say is that it's okay. 

So why 3 stars? simply because I'm on the fence here. Sometimes I give 3 stars because a book had equally  frustrated me and delighted me. Here it's simply because I felt nothing though the quality is good. 

One thing I loved about this book? The writing. I find it really hard to read a book in the third person. It tends to annoy me. Not here. 

Which actually says alot. 

to summerise: Good writing, Nice sex, Normal story. 

*Review copy was kindly provided by HarperImpulse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Root over :P

As can also be seen on The Accidental Reader

Bonjour Cherie is this cute short story romance that has a bubbly heroine's voice. Beth, with her obsession to all things french and her foolish determination, is hard not to love.

However, that and the guy's niceness are the only thing I liked about this book. 

Yes, it has funny moments but as times it dragged too long (which says a lot for a short story)

Yes, the wrap up was nice and the author didn't go overboard with anything, but....For such a short read it failed somewhere very important to me- characterisation and love. 

All the characters are exactly what they appear to be from start, there's nothing to be explored about them. 

Also the whole thing happens in about 2 weeks, and yes, some people might fall in love in such short a time. But when the story ended with 'I love you's I couldn't help but being suprised. 

They didn't date, they barely talked and all of sudden they said they loved each other. WTF?!

because I didn't  feel  the love. Yes, there was attraction. Yes, they liked each other (So what? I like my neighbour *NOM NOM NOM*), and there was something- something that just might develope to love if given enough time. But it wasn't there yet!

In conclusion- while it was OK, while it was good I can't help thinking there are better. 

*A review copy was provided to my by Escape Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Truthfully, I find novellas and short stories to be a tricky thing. 

the shorter the story, the less mistakes you are allowed to make. 

Want to know the weird thing about this one? Once I finished it, I felt as satisfied as if I read a full lengh regency novel. 

I guess it's because the attraction was apparent, as was the love. 

The characters had enough depth, and the plot was achieved. 

The problem is I'm not sure what to say much about it. it's a short fun read. 20 minutes tops. And once I finished reading it, I knew the author made it as long as it was supposed to be, nothing left to be clarified and it wasn't dragging. 

I'll certainly check more books by Sabrina Darby.

A copy was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 


This review and more can be found on my blog The Accidental Reader

Today was my final and last attempt to read this book. 

I'm giving up. 

*looks at what I just wrote* I hate giving up. really, I do. 
I'm good at negotiations but when I want something it's all or nothing. 

The thing is that this book has all the cards as to why I would WANT to read it. 

a) gorgeous cover- he who judges a book by it's cover is a lucky bastard. and I don't care what others think. As a bookseller I can tell you- this cover is a winner. 

b) the plot- It has the right elements. fantasy, love, arranged marriage and a girl as stubborn as hell. 

Then why doesn't it work? WHY?! 

The writing. I simply can't handle the writing. It has done nothing bad to me, but once in a while I run into a book that I simply can't handle it's writing. What plot? Did I read something? I can't go past the first chapter because I'm blocking the writing. 

Sorry book, it's me. just me and my weird brain. I wish you a happy life...

A copy was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Which is exactly what makes it so hard- I'm DNFing this one. I'm thankful to the publisher for giving me a chance. I am. and I am terribly sorry.

This review is going to me a tough one to write. Why? Because it is so rare for me to have so much to say yet not enough words.

Most times I'm either speechless or you can't shut me up. Right now I'm both. Yes, I'm very well aware of the paradox.
But I don't give a damn.

Anyway, let's start this.

Lately I've given many 5 starts, more than I'm used to, and I consider myself lucky for that. But a 5 stars rating can mean so many different things- it can mean I loved the book, it can mean the book is really well written, and it can be a 4.5 stars rounded up, and it can be my gut telling me that even if I have tons to complain about it is a 5 stars book. 

In Angelbound's case it is because the book is well written and the ARC had only 8 typos (in a book that is more than 300 pages, that's little, almost nothing). But more importantly, it's because this book is perfect for me. 

There aren't so many books that I loved and managed to hold my interest from start to end. If you need an example I'd say- anything written by Ilona Andrews, The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, Binding the Shadows by Jenn Bennett, Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak. 
That's it.
Now I can add to the list Christina Bauer.

Yes, there are many books I loved, but I'm an impatient reader. It's a gurantee somewhere along the ride I'd lose interest. Not here.

As I've already said this book is perfect for me- it has EVERY damned thing I want in a book- interesting world, great world building, realistic and great sidekicks- most characters have some hidden depth and we get to glimpse it, Myla is an amazing character, the love interest is totally swoon worthy, the relationship is mature with no love triangle, the love is building slowly and believably. You know what else? Myla has a true best friend that is a girl- not some stupid "Best" friend. 

Most of the women here are strong willed and reliable just as the men. 

No slut-shaming or stupidity. 

With all this, I think this book is a breath of fresh air. But then I wonder fresh air to what? The answer: to almost every genre you'd like to put it in. New Adult or Young Adult, Fantasy or Urban Fantasy.

This book avoids my most hated tropes in all of them. 

Now, I'll talk on every aspect the best I can:

The World Building: 
Christina Bauer has created a really intriguing world in Angelbound beside the human world there are five realms- 
1. Heaven (with angels, obviously) 
2. Hell (with demons, because we can't avoid it) 
3. The Dark Land (with Ghouls. Most of them are semi hated by me) 
4. Autrum (with Thrax- half human half angels. Because they are cool) 5.Purgatory(with Quasi-Demons because damn are they hot?!)

The roles of the angels and the demons are no mystery, the ghouls keeps order and rules (they also portal people between the realms). While the thrax are hunting demons in the human world the Quasis are in charge of the souls- which go to heaven and which to hell. 

This is where Myla comes in, but I'll get to it in a bit.

Sometimes, the residents of those realms mingle- an angel will mate with a ghoul or some other pairings. 

Our story takes place in Purgatory- where the Quasis live. Purgatory is run by the ghouls and the Quasis are their servants, I'm not going to explain it because you need to read the book for that! 

As I've already mentioned Quasis are the off springs of humans and demons- or at least they were at first, since there are plenty of them in Purgatory the Quasis breeds among themselves (mostly). 
Each Quasi has a tail of some sort of animal- dragon tail (Myla) pig tail, dog tail, really the options are infinite. Also, each and every Quasi has an affinity to one of the seven deadly sins-
Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, Wrath and Pride. 
With each one comes certain skills- Envy can feel when someone's envy them, Lust are seductive and irresistible, Wrath are natural born warriors. 

When a human dies, there's need to decide where his soul would go, thus can be decided by trial or combat. When choosing combat the soul can choose it's opponent from three options- ghoul, demon or Quasi. If the opponent is defeated the soul goes to heaven, if not then hell. Myla(our SUPER KICKASS heroine) is one of the arena's warriors. Fighting evil souls and beat them so they'll never get to heaven is her job, and she does it fantastically. 

the fighting and action scenes in this book are enough to keep anyone happy- quantity and quality wise. The one responsible for transferring the soul to heaven or hell is the Scala- the one creature with human, demon and angel blood. Usually there are two of those- the Scala and the Scala heir. 

I'll stop now, because I see I'm getting carried away. 

The thing is, Christina Bauer has created a well-rounded world with definite rules and what I told you is just the tip of the ice-berg.

Also, the world building is done gradually without over tiring info-dumps. Each information comes exactly when it needed to come- not only in order to move the plot forward but also to allow the reader to understand things while the happen. There are no contradictions in the world building and no dropping of weird terms that will be discovered later once the author needs a way out . 

The world and the book are so well built it is obvious the author paid great attention and thought to them both. 

Before I continue to other aspects of the book, let me just say, even though I don't complain much about world building in other books- for me this aspect is the difference between 4 and 5 stars. So rarely do I really enjoy the world building in a book as much as I enjoyed it here 

The characters: 
beside the really not important characters, those I doubt would appear on the second book, Each and every of the characters is rounded with depth and contradictions. And even as we learn of those, all their actions stay true to their nature 

I'll talk about some of the characters right now.

Cissy- Myla's best friend. Hell, I can't explain how fucking annoying she was at times. I was really tempted to reach into the book, grab her by the shoulders and yell at her "Pay attention to your best friend!!!" she made mistakes, she ignored Myla's feelings at times, she was far from a perfect best friend and yet, she was there for Myla when she needed her most. She understood Myla most times, and she apologized when she fucked up. And that what made her a true friend. In most UF books the heroine does not have a best friend that is that much present in her friend's adventures and life. In NA books the best friend is rarely a real friend and in YA books with paranormal elements most of the times the best friend is just there to show how amazing and extraordinary the MC is. Well, Myla isextraordinary, but so is her friend. Cissy is this gentle girl that saves lost things, she is this girl who had an obsessive crush on someone for years, she's the girl who stands on her own when she wants something and will not be pushed and stomped on. And it's wonderful to see that the author paid attention to her character while writing this book. It's wonderful to know that Myla has such a good best friend, even if annoying at times. 

Zeke- Myla's friend and Cissy's huge crush. Honestly, he's a player and he can't shut his mouth. But he also shows other sides of him later, he takes risks to help Myla, he cares about Cissy. And his playboy acts are just a façade as much as they are real. 
Walker- I wouldn't go so far as to say he is made of contradictions. But he is there for Myla, he's a true friend and he knows more than he lets on. 

Armageddon- The king of hell and the big bad guy. Really, you can't be the king of hell and not being the big bad guy. At least not in this book. But damn, he was terrifying, of the pure evil kind. He's a power hungry sadist, and he's so good at what he does. His level of scheming can compete Verus's. 

Verus- The representative of the angels. Sweet heavens, I simply adore the little minx- while everyone on the board play backgammon she plays chess. You can never take her words of what they are, because even if she can't lie, there are plenty of other things she can do.
Myla's mom- I think she is one of the most complex characters in this book. an overbearing mother, she's a scardy cat, she worries about her daughter constantly, she has depressions and every so often you catch a glimpse of something else- of fire and steel. I can’t talk about her in details as her contradictions are very important to the plot. 

Lincoln's Mother- the Thrax queen. I won't say much about her, but she is a warrior and a fighter in society that is dominated by men. Where women are mainly there to be protected. 

Myla- I've talked about other characters so much, it's time to cut the bullshit. Myla is amazing by every standard possible, in my opinion. She looks good (and she knows it), she fights (damn well), she stands on her own, she's a warrior and she takes shit from no one. Myla is a Quasi furor demon, which means that beside being a natural born warrior she has an affinity to both wrath and lust and she has a dragon tail. When she wants to know something she'd push all the buttons and go to anywhere she needs in order to get the information she sought. Even when she meets Lincoln and is instantly attracted to him physically she acknowledge that he's a jerk, and she doesn't caught him some slack just because he looks good. She demands his respect, and she doesn't respect him until he proves worthy of it. She's also very kind. In my humble opinion Myla balances well between being a total Kickass and being gentle. She cares, she is not a tomboy and she does not mock girls- only irrational and foolish behavior. She cries, she gets injured and hurt, she's not perfect. She's afraid at times, she doesn't always think things through, but she learns from her mistakes. And she stays true to herself and her nature throughout the book. 

It is no secret I'm a fan of Kate Daniels (Seriously, how can you not love that girl?), well, I love Myla just as much. She's just as kickass as kate, just as sharped tongued, almost just as funny, but unlike Kate, Myla is not emotionally detached (yes, Kate is a little detached and she's closed), she doesn't push people away, she's mature and childish in a balanced way. She is fun. If Kate is a bad guy that chose to be good, then Myla is a good humble guy that stays good. 

Lincoln- The Thrax prince, the love interest and a royal pain in the ass…at first. It is not hard to make me swoon over a swoon worthy guy, and it is not hard to make me hate/dislike a jackass. But you know what? I hardly can do both. I know, I know that many women around the world love Mr. Darcy, I'm not one of them. He was a stupid, prideful jackass in the beginning and even as his intentions became clear, even as he was redeemed, even as he apologized, I couldn't help but hold a grudge. He hadn't changed, not entirely. And what made me not like him from start remained there by the end. On the other hand I like Jericho Barrons (even though he doesn't turn my oven on) and I liked Curran even though he was annoying at first, because I understood why both men acted like they did from start. And here we have Lincoln- he starts out like a prejudiced jackass, calling Quasis 'demons', refusing to understand the difference while acting so high and mighty. That pissed me off. I black listed him right away . I really found it impossible to think that I'll like him in the end. That he would end up worthy of Myla . but he did, he so did. And not by doing a sudden change of 180 degrees. No. By slowly unraveling and showing his true nature and good points. Little by little he showed respect for Myla when she proved worthy of it. He showed his gentle side. He showed his fair side- the side that would care for a demon because this demon could not protect itself. He thanks Myla for saving one of his own and stands up for her even when the idiot she saved fails to understand that he is an idiot. And when Myla gets injured he takes care of her. He also apologize once he realizes his mistakes. And the way he supports and loves Myla is so swoon worthy that I call dibs on Lincoln as my book boyfriend and main squeeze 

Other interesting aspects to talk about in this book 

I won't say who, what or when, but let's just say Christina Bauer know how to create totally swoon worthy guys- the kind that is dependable, supportive, cute, nice, manly and totally loved you. 
Also, the relationship between Myla and Lincoln is one of the best I've ever seen. While the attraction between them might be instant, their relationship and love are not. It takes time for the feelings to appear and grow, but once they do- well let's just say it's the mature kind and not the stupidlit obsessive kind. They are synchronized- even when they fight something together. They understand each other perfectly. They support each other. When Myla decides to do something dangerous Lincoln tells her he is not happy with that and that he is worried but he doesn't try to change her mind. He understand her choices and supports her. Myla does the same for him. Considering how many stakes are against them, it's lovely to see that they work as one unit and don't add wood to the fire. They care so much about each other that whenever one of them is insecure the other chases those insecurities away. If Lincoln thinks some guy is interested in Myla and that she may be somewhat interested too, Myla quickly tells him it's not like that, and vice versa. They trust each other. If Lincoln has some bad news and Myla is already aware of them, she lets him know that she's aware of the situation because she doesn't want him to hurt while saying that. He tells her he has a plan and she tells him she trust him. their bond is that deep . 

Myla's tail- that thing can only be described as BEST SIDEKCIK IN THE HISTORY OF TIME. Witched would give up their familiars for such a tail if they knew it existed. Really, that tail is another character and a wonderful one at that. Funny too. I absolutely freaking love it!

The end of the book is somewhat bittersweet, both Lincoln and Myla make some tough choices, both understand and respect those choices. Still, somehow, I know they will be OK.
So, the next book comes out on May 2014, and It is one of my top five most anticipated books of 2014. I would attach myself a tail and take a picture with it if it would help me get an early copy of the book. 
If so far, I haven't been clear as to how much I loved this book I would give you more indication- This is one of the books I REALLY want in print. If it was available in paperback or even hardcover I'd totally buy it! [yep, I loved it that much to the moon and back and round earth 20 M times].

A copy was kindly provided to me by Ink Monster through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read it.


For this Review and more visit my blog The Accidental Reader

Pre Review 
SUPER AWESOME. 

moooore please, I need the second book ASAP. More of Myla and Lincoln, pleeease :D 

anyway, review to come in a few short days. and it's one I'm going to really enjoy writing.

ever had a book break your heart? tear it apart? have you cry so much you hardly see the book and the lines? 

I had a few times, but never like this. I can't explain this level of sadness. 

This book is so realistic, so hunting, such wonderful chatracters each flawed and strong and broken, each different, each so very beautiful. 

The subject is a tough one to deal, yet, the Ritchie sisters does it so well. yes, this book is not your average New Adult book, it deals with real problems. I don't think it's right to compare to other books in the genre. For me it stands on it's own. 

I want to say review to come, but truthfully, I'm not sure I'll be able to review much more than what I wrote here. 

Let's just say, I do not do angsty books because so rarely do I feel while reading them. I've been called ice princess and cold hearted more than once by many people. This one has my emotions all over the place, I feel so many things all at the same time I need time to gather myself.

3 we are off to a good start stars!

First let me say, how gorgeous is that cover, right?

I am not a fan of novellas and short stories, especially when the mark the start of a new series. After all, writing a first book in a series is hard enough. A first book explains the world building and introduces the characters.

What about a novella? That from start is limited in space?

The answer lies before you- Cecilia Robert does a fairly good job in Homecoming but what we are left with I could summarize in one word-  tease 

We get a glimpse to an interesting world- some sort of a parallel universe/planet where shifters are the majority and the minority of humans have some sort of elemental power. BTW, earth was destroyed, the shifters saved us. This new world has steampunk setting mixed with some wild west setting as well. All in all, interesting, but as we get only a glimpse I'd say it's a tease.

The characters are very well portrayed in the short time we have with them- each the sum of her actions, her words and history. Each has contradictions and depths to be explored. 

The sexual tension between Sera and Levian is burning but even so we are left with a tease more than anything else.

As for the fight scene- they ended to fast. The story is written in the third person and the first chapter is annoying as hell, afterwards the pacing is better and fun to read.

I understand what the author tried to do, and she got me interested enough to want to read the sequel. Even so, as a first in a series it was supposed to lay the foundations for the next books and this one does that well. But as for standing on it's own- I don't think it does. This is a tease so you would want to read the next one.  

A copy was provided by the Author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

*Original pre review*
Well Well. I have some troubles with this one, but all in all, I can't wait for the next installment to come out! 

review soon;)

3.5 I really liked it stars

So this one is way better than the other book I read by I. Ronik [Better Luck Next Time]

All the things that bothered me in the first one weren't here (save to one). This book was full if good stuff - Cassie's voice was sure and likable but also a little sarcastic, the chemistry was good, the writing style was better- with both Cassie's and Seth's POVs. 

What I liked about the other book was still very much present here- the rational voice of the heroine, the hot sex, and the fantastic twist on the overwrought plot. 

Then what bothered me? everything is wrapped up fast and neat, and even though I'm a huge supporter of HEA I found it a little disturbing, but maybe that's just wanting more of the story? (*cough* FULL LENGTH NOVEL *cough*).

Also, I want to feel more- feel the love dripping from the pages. I tend to be a cold, disconnected person at times. So I need to be convinced of how deep the feelings really are. And it almost happened here. 


however, I think I. Ronik is an author to watch for her ideas are great! 

A review copy was kindly provided by the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This review also appears on my blog, The Accidental Reader;http://thebkreader.blogspot.co.il/2013/12/what-she-didnt-know-by-i.html

Don't get mad, get even

after catching her husband cheating one too many times, Amber leaves their house (again). But this time is different, the couple has grown apart and Amber is afraid that there is no way back. 

Her weird solution? serve her husband with his own bitter pill, she becomes a high class escort girl. 

Truthfully, I was skeptical about this shortie. The issue of marriage and cheating is never an easy one, and I didn't laugh. 

There is also the fact that the writing style is more on the "tell than show".

Still I would have loved to see a bit more exploring of this book (yeah, this is me saying I'd love a full lengh or at least a longer lengh novel, where there could be more showing). 

but you know what? Amber was a nice enough MC, and I would have loved to see more of Terry and Lucas. The author was sensetive on the intimacy subject, showing how with one person you may feel hollow but with another you may still connect. 

"No matter how you put it. Intimacy is stil intimacy" 

The author had an original solution here, and an interesting idea. all in all I liked it just didn't love it.

Besides, Look at her name- I. Ronik may I say ironic? That shows how cool she is. 

I'll positively read the next novel/novella/shortie/thing she write, she is promising.

A review copy was kindly provided by the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

This review also appears on my blog, The Accidental Reader;http://thebkreader.blogspot.co.il/2013/12/better-luck-next-time-by-i.html

So, apparently, this is a YA contemporary romance.

And as my surprise might indicate, though I read some of those (I suppose) I am not very familiar with the genre.

Still, however I look at it I can only come to a few conclusions-

Objectively this is a good book, a great book even, unbojectively this is a book that leaves awesomeness behind

So yeah, I'm in love with this book. From here now it is my comfort read, a book I can read over and over again, just like listening to favorite song that you'll never get tired off. Have I got your attention yet? If not you shall know that for the first time in my life I feel like screaming off the rooftops and recommend this book to each and every person I know (even those who pass by me on the street and I never saw before nor will I ever see again).

This book is a mythical creature never heard of before…I should probably stop now, before I find myself raving so much that your expectations would be too high (though I think the book can handle that…*facepalm* I just can't stop myself)

If what you read so far didn't clue you, I will warn you now. I love this book so much I want to give it more than five stars, I love this book so much that I am well aware that this is not going to be a review- I will try to control myself the best I can- this is me attempting to review a beloved favorite book, and we all know how hard that is. How almost impossible that is. But I'll try to fangirl in a modest rational way *snicker* because this book deserve the best review I could ever write to it (poor book, really).

So here we go…

Once upon a time I logged into GoodReads and saw my friends raving about this book, and I decided to read it.

And then, I finally read it, and the book and I started out okay-

he looked at me in suspicion and I looked at it skeptically

"you can't be that good," I said. "Cory said you are a unicorn puking a rainbow on the rest of the YA contemporary books, That's not possible!"

The book just snickered at me and introduced me to Sam, who pulled The List of Five Most Awesome Prom Scenes in Movies Ever.

"Okay," I said. "That is a good start, but you didn't win me just yet."

Unfazed the book introduced me to Camilla- a british, cool girl with tattoo of a butterfly and vintage clothing whose dad is a music reviewer. The new girl in school that does what she want, and what she want is to be friends both with the misfits and the most popular kids in school. She just didn't care about social roles!

"That's not going to work," I said.

So the book smiled and patted my head like you do to a stubborn kid.

Then Camilla managed to befriend Sam and his friends ( a bunch of good kids!)

"Still," I said. "This is supposed to be a nerdy book, and even if I was in the nerds' protection program, I'm doubtful I can relate."

The book just handed me a highlighter and said "read! Stop talking just read!"

So I read.

I saw the situation is Sam's house, and plenty of good movies were mentioned, I saw how the friendship between Camilla and Sam developed realistically, I heard Camilla sing and Sam plays guitar, I was with them in the funny moments and the bitter ones and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and I had tears in my eyes. I saw how the situation with Mike got out of control and Sam being heroic, I saw how everyone got along. I swooned in each and every sweet moment between Camilla and Sam, and even when things hurt a little it was never that bad, it was never melodramatic.

Then the story ended in a satisfying tone that left me smiling from ear to ear and I the book came to sit beside me.

"Seems like you loved it," he said.

"No," I answered. "Loving does not begin to describe it. I loved so many parts of the book I highlighted lots of them, more than I ever had before in any book. Thank you, dear book, for allowing me to meet those great people- Sam, Camilla, Andre, Allison, Mike and Noah. Thank you for letting me read their story and be there with them. And thank you for being such a wonderful debut novel that now I can't wait to see what Melissa Keil writes next!"

Thus we parted as best friends for life, but not for long, just till next time, which I suppose will happen in a few weeks  ;)

A copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Getting to read this book I really think I got the better part of the deal. 

*Original Pre-Review*
I'm so in love with this book.

review to come shortly, once I stop fangirling for a long enough time to write it.

*going to read the book again*

Cute cute cute, I'm not sure what else to say beside keep on saying how adorable and cute it is. 

I want to cuddle this book. 

On a second thought- I am not familiar with Pusheen, but I loved her! 
and so many things are true, my cat does them too! 

Copy was kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Since this is a novella (and a short one) I'm going to try to keep this short.

This is a lovely short romance story. The characters have enough depth and chemistry to keep this story believable.

I did find some parts confusing- like they talked about going somewhere in Christmas and all of sudden they were gone for Christmas. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the timing wasn't that clear, and even though the story take place at some skiing resort I didn't feel it that much either, I would have loved to see more ski.

But(!) the way Flora and Zac met was pretty cute, and the whole second chapter is dedicated to a truth, dare or forfeit foreplay game that was kind of hot(*cough* REALLY HOT *cough*). Also, we learn quite fast what happened to Flora with her ex, and then we learn about Zac's family too.

Even though the issue is not addressed as well as I would have liked it be considering that this is a novella it was addressed OK within the time's limits (and it really is hard to address the issue of abuse). It was nice to see how they slowly cared for each other, and how they found comfort and consolation in each other, even though the time spam was really short (but I am in no position to judge that).

All in all I liked it, it is a fun christmas read just that the impression is not ever lasting. 

ARC was kindly provided by HarperImpulse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

So apparently this is the second book in a series, but fear not, you don't need to read the first book in order to enjoy this one. I say that from experience. 

This story begins with a prolog that tells the story of how the island Tortuga came to be abandoned. A princess came to the island of Los Pajaros to marry it's governor, but once she arrived she met a pirate and the two fell in love and ran away together to Tortuga, the governor chased them but when he failed to retrieve his bride he cast a spell on the island, a curse that says that those that come to Tortuga would suffer from misery and a horrible death.

Now, I don't know what about you, but when I hear Pirates, Curse, Romance and the Caribbean my imagination runs wild (The Pirates of the Caribbean wild).

Even so, I'll have to warn you: This is a nowadays romance story, which means that despite it's very original beginning the Curse and the Pirates play little part here.

But you know what? The Caribbean plays big part here, and was it beautiful! But before I start raving and stop to make sense I think I should go to the beginning.

Kenzie Cole is a thirty-something single, beautiful, talented location scout that needs to find some locations to an upcoming film production. Kenzie has been through a lot in life- really, I thought her problem was some relationships with bad boys go wrong. But I didn't expect what actually happened.  

Rik is a thirty-something exiled prince (exiled on his own decision) after living his entire life in a lie- grooming himself and dedicating himself to his country and position as king he learns something that changes his life forever. Now he spends his time in Los Pajaros drinking himself to oblivion, looking like a pirate and a bad boy and mourning his lost life. His secret is not surprising.

The two meet when both drink in a bar, and strike a deal that Rik would help Kenzie with her locations scouting. The electricity between them is high, and the attraction is almost tantalizing. Soon, a Caribbean romance begins. As in every book, they think it would be only for a short while but they find forever. 

The big question is: what makes this book a 4 stars book? First of all the writing. Sommer's writing is light, funny and well done.  Her descriptions of the Caribbean- the weather, the sun, the sunset, the smell, the wine, the trees and the turtles is so rich you can see it in your mind's eye. I haven't though much of the Caribbean as one of the places I must visit before, and now I do!

The sexual tension and the sex scenes are an added bonus. As well as the fact that some of the usual drama is avoided- there is not even once something like "you want me for me money and my title" and it was so very refreshing.

Closer to the end there's a little drama that shows just how much Kenzie had been through, and you know what? Rik didn't flinch, he chased her, he accepted her, he supported her and he loved her. And what a chasing scene that was! I wish for a flash mob and exotic flowers too! Sommer knows how to write her HEAs perfectly.

Also Sommer surprises with Kenzie's best friend Lee, and each chapter has a tweet. Some are really funny: 

"@KEnzieCole101: in most fairy tales the bad boy turns into a prince. Just once I'd like to kiss a prince and have him turn into a steady dependable guy"

Yes, this book is falling to some tropes of the genre- the love interest is rich, there are secrets, and the immediate attraction as well as the fact that they fall in love within a week's time, even the ever so perfect HEA. But it never claimed to be different, it just promised me a good time and a smile and it delivered that promise.

So, as I already said- if you want to read light romance that would keep a silly smile on your face with exotic setting and likeable characters (don't forget the sex) this is your book! it even had it's funny moments (and tweets!)

An ARC was provided by HarperImpulse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Some favourite quotes (because I like to share):

"She was done with men who needed fixing. Besides, her plane ticked was booked for three days from now. That wasn't enough time to fix whatever was broken with Rik My-Name-Doesn't-Matter. Even if she hadn't already had her fill of bad boys"

"Three times she had already got it very, very-wrong, and no one ever said 'fourth time's the charm"

"This morning you said you'd do anything to see me shirtless in public. Your wish is granted."

*Original pre review*

and THIS is how you write a HEA (including a wonderful chasing scene)

full review to come soon, but just so you'll know right now: if you want to read light romance with exotic setting and likeable characters (don't forget the sex) this is your book! it even had it's funny moments (and tweets!)