Review: Wedding Night

Wedding Night
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: April 23, 2013
368 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London’s fanciest restaurants. But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she’s completely crushed. So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. No formal dates—just a quick march to the altar and a honeymoon on Ikonos, the sun-drenched Greek island where they first met years ago.
 
Their family and friends are horrified. Fliss, Lottie’s older sister, knows that Lottie can be impulsive—but surely this is her worst decision yet. And Ben’s colleague Lorcan fears that this hasty marriage will ruin his friend’s career. To keep Lottie and Ben from making a terrible mistake, Fliss concocts an elaborate scheme to sabotage their wedding night. As she and Lorcan jet off to Ikonos in pursuit, Lottie and Ben are in for a honeymoon to remember, for better . . . or worse.

I'm going to start this off by saying that Kinsella is one of my top authors. Ever since reading Confessions of a Shopaholic many many years ago, I've picked up and enjoyed all her books since then. I anticipate her books, waiting to see what other funny, charming characters she'll come up with. Yes, her females all have a lot in common, but they are witty and fun and the story lines will always make me smile. So when I'm looking for a nice, light read that I know will put me in a good mood, Kinsella is my number one choice.

I read a review on Goodreads that described her books perfectly. There are two types of Kinsella books: the ones you absolutely love and the ones you like. None of her books are bad, but there are those that stand out among the rest. I only have a few in my 'like' list, including Twenties Girl and Shopaholic and Sister, and now Wedding Night. The premise was good, the dialogue was funny, but something was missing. I still loved it, as I have all her books, but it's not among my favourites of hers.

After not getting the proposal she thought she'd get, Lottie dumps her boyfriend and ends up in a whirl wind engagement to her summer boyfriend from 15 years ago. Her sister, Fliss, tries to stop Lottie from making a mistake, having just gotten divorced, but can't stop her sister from getting married in city hall and flying off to Greece for a honeymoon. Eager to find a way to save her sister, Fliss realizes that if they don't consummate their marriage, it can be annulled. So she decides to fly to Greece and do whatever she can to stop them from making love. What ensues are shenanigans of epic proportions, a lot of close calls for Lottie and her new husband, Ben, and enough foreplay to leave anyone flushed and rearing to go.

Lottie's situation is realistic enough. She thought she had the perfect boyfriend, but when that went down the gutter, she found the first guy that made her heart flutter. We've all be in that situation after a breakup, but hopefully we don't all get married. I wanted Lottie to be happy and I also wanted her to get it on with Ben. The amount of times they almost did it even left me sort of flustered! When they got to Greece and Fliss's minions started to stop them, I had to burst out laughing. Everything that happened during their honeymoon was hilarious and I certainly enjoyed the ridiculousness of the situation. There's no way this would happen in real life, but it certainly made for a great read! Fliss probably didn't go about it the right way, but at no point did I want her to stop. She only had good intentions, she just didn't use them properly. 

Of course, this book played out exactly how I expected it would. It was very predictable, though not from the start, but about halfway through. I still enjoyed it as I love Kinsella's writing. She gives all her characters such different backgrounds that even if they sound the same, they are all so different. I've seen how her writing has improved since Shopaholic and I'm eager to see what she has in store next. I wouldn't mind another series from her with a character as loveable as Becky Bloomwood. These are chick-lit to a tee and her books could be adapted to film with a snap of your fingers. She is the queen of her genre and I love that she took a risk with this book, even if it didn't stand out among her rest, I still enjoy her writing and will continue to read whatever she's willing to write! 

“Youth is still where you left it, and that's where it should stay. Anything that was worth taking on life's journey, you'll already have taken with you.” 

Review: Oath Bound

Oath Bound

Author: Rachel Vincent

Published: April 30, 2013

432 pages

5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage–including a rare Skill–and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt. Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get.... But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is....

There are some adult series that make you step away from YA because they need to be read right away. The Unbound series by Rachel Vincent is definitely one of those. I've been a fan of Vincent's since I first picked up My Soul to Take and it's been a great journey since then. Though I still need to sink my teeth into her Shifters series, I've thoroughly enjoyed her new adult series about a world where crime families rule and those with Skills (special abilities) must do whatever they can to survive. The first book, Blood Bound, followed two characters from opposite sides beating the odds and coming out alive (and in love). Shadow Bound follows a Tower syndicate member falling for the guy she's supposed to be bringing in and thus both escaping. Now, in the final chapter of the series, we find Sera, the illegitimate daughter of Jake Tower trying to figure out her loyalties after being "kidnapped" by Kris, a man part of a group trying to take down the syndicates. 

What I loved about this book was that we got to see our old favourite characters helping out Sera and Kris. Blissfully happy (thank God) and ready to see the fall of some empires, the group joins together with Sera to see the end once and for all. The usual formula works like magic: Sera hates Kris at first, thinking he'd kidnapped her, but gradually realizes that he's a good person. Told from alternating perspectives, the tension is high and I just couldn't wait for them to get together. Vincent knows exactly how to get you excited about characters and anticipating the next chapter. If I didn't have to sleep and work, and well, live, I'd have read this book in one sitting. From the first page of this series, I've been drawn in, and I certainly wasn't ready to say goodbye.

The world building in these books is spectacular. Right away, we're thrown into this city atmosphere, futuristic yet vintage, where the mob rules and one can be free. Careful to clean up all your spilled blood. Careful not to tell anyone your full name. Trust no one and try not to get yourself into an oath you're not willing to live through. The relationships are twisted, entwined and realistic. People are brutalized, killed, forced into oaths they do not want in order to save those they love. Relationships are tested, found, lost, and found again. Each book sits on its own, but as a whole the story is compelling and doesn't let you go until the last page. Even then, I gripped the book and prayed for pages to pop up out of nowhere so that I could see our group of misfits get all the revenge they deserve.

From the outside, this may seem like a confusing series to start. A lot of perspectives, a lot of characters, and a lot of back story. But it sucks you in and before you know it, these characters are real, they are your friends, and you're rooting for them the whole way. Each book shows a new set of crazy characters to fall in love with (and watch as they fall in love with each other) and trust me when I say this, but you will not want to let them go when it's over. Vincent writes characters, relationships and friendships that will stay with you and leave you eager for more. I know I want to see more of these guys, but knowing that I won't, I can't wait to read Shifters (sitting on my bookshelf too long) and her new series to come. She is still one of my top authors, and I'm forever impressed with her words and stories. 

“I liked that about her. I liked how laid back she was, when she wasn’t trying to stab me.” 

Review: The Program

The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Published: April 30, 2013
408 pages
3 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Parts of this novel make complete sense and make me think that a suicide epidemic could be something we face in the future, but most of it seemed unrealistic. It is the complete opposite of Delirium, where teenagers are not allowed to be sad, or cry, or show any emotion that could lead to suicide. If they do, they will be sent to the Program, where their memories of things that depressed them will be washed away and they will be sent back into the world anew. This part made sense to me, the brainwashing and memory loss to have control over the teenagers in the city, but there was a lot that didn't.

Sloane's older brother committed suicide and her and her boyfriend, James, have been trying to heal without getting put into the Program. They protect each other and comfort each other in private, and right from the start, you knew they were doomed. When their other friend kills himself, the handlers pay much closer attention to them, and there may be no escaping the Program this time. 

I don't want to say much about the plot because to me it was unpredictable, at least until later on into the book. This is ultimately a love story trying to survive in a world where teenage love can lead to depression. Well, that's in any world, but in this world it's monitored. The emotions feel real and anyone who has lost someone to suicide would know how hard it is to put yourself back together after that happens. And it's not any better when they end up coming back without their memories of you and you're alone either way. The teens know better than to want to go to the Program because they know what happens to the returners, but the adults just see it as a way to cure their children and therefore they call the Program if they think their kids are suicidal. The premise is interesting but at the same time, there is such a fine line between suicide being a disease and this novel making light of a serious situation. Thankfully I've never had any feelings of suicide, nor do I know anyone who's killed themselves, so I can take this book as fiction and leave it at that, but I know those who have experienced this first hand may have different opinions. 

It's a unique dystopian that will stand out from the rest with a world we have not seen before, but I don't think it's strong enough to become a series, though what books aren't series now a days? Sloane and James are meant to be together and they prove that nothing can stop them, even the Program and I like that theme because true love is stronger than those who wish to tear it apart. Though I think this book would work better as a contemporary, focusing solely on their relationship. Having a more thought provoking plot and treating suicide like the mental health issue it is, would make a much bigger impact. It's too bad that the suicide comes off as more of a gimmicky plot to create a new dystopian world. I'm not sure if I'll be picking up anymore in this series, we'll see when the time comes. 

“...some things are better left in the past. And true things are destined to repeat themselves.” 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Book Covers

top ten favourite covers of books i've read

This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is all about pretty covers. Covers that catch your eye and make you pick up a book. In no particular order, this are some of the ones that I love looking at on my shelf. 

1. A Great and Terrible Beauty
Such a beautiful cover. It sets the scene and leaves so much to the imagination. Like, you have no idea what this book is going to be about, I love that. Plus, I'm a sucker for corsets.

2. Born Wicked
My copy has the revamped cover, but I love this one so much more. Just the way Cate's lying there sends shivers   up my spine, especially since I know the kind of power she holds.

3. Wither 
What I love most about this cover is that it encompassing different themes from the novel all over the place. It was a lot of fun trying to figure out what meant what.

4. This is Not a Test
This cover is just so haunting that you know this book is going to be brutal. The blood splatter is the icing on the cake. This says zombies so quickly, it's easy to miss.

5. Sisters Red
Two sisters and a wolf. Best graphic cover I've ever seen. There's no doubting what this book is about and I could look at this cover all day.


6. Beauty Queens


I always come back to this book, but there's a good reason for that. I mean this cover is fantastic and it goes with the theme so well. She has lipstick instead of bullets. Genius.


7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Beautiful and haunting, just like the book. This series has the best covers and they go together so perfectly, it's hard to not want them on display as art. This was definitely a selling point when I saw this book.

8. The Dark and Hollow Places
Another haunting book to go along with a haunting theme. The whole Forest of Hands and Teeth series has great covers, this is just my fave.

9. If I Die
The Soul Screamers series has beautiful covers, gorgeous dresses and great fonts, but this is my fave because of what it gives to the story. Kaylee will forever be my fave heroine.

 10. Masque of the Red Death
Everything about this cover is perfection. It's so dark and dreary, but gorgeous at the same time, just the world that's been painted in this book.

 Let me know what you think! Do we share any faves?

Review: Bright Young Things

Bright Young Things
Author: Anna Godbersen
Published: October 12, 2010
389 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: Flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star....

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined — and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for...and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is ­Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the ­illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall — together and apart.

After watching The Great Gatsby, I was in a 1920s mood that just didn't want to go away. So I picked up my copy of Bright Young Things that I had grabbed at Value Village a week before, and dove right back into the roaring 20s, filled with prohibition. bootleggers and girls in pretty dresses who just want to have a good time. Thankfully there is less murder and the theme is not nearly as destructive as Gatsby is. I got sucked into the New York social scene just as quickly as Cordelia and Letty were, and I loved their journey along the way.

Each girl is unique and has her own secrets that she's running from. Cordelia, recently married, finally decides she's ready to run away from the small town in Ohio she's grown up in. She wants to move to New York and find her long lost father, a famous bootlegger running the scene. Letty follows her swiftly, eager to be in New York to become an actress. She is ready to do whatever needs to be done in order to be famous, she just doesn't realize what that implies. And Astrid, living in New York with her mother who remarries more often than not, is a bored flapper who may not be happy with the man she's with. She wants adventure, all the girls do, but adventure can be dangerous.

As soon as the girls hit New York, things change. The plot is fast and fluid, the girls having problems as soon as they arrive. Cordelia and Letty quickly take two paths, their goals so drastically different. Cordelia falls for the wrong boy. Letty realizes becoming famous is not an easy task. And Astrid explores other options. Some points were predictable, but I liked that I could guess what would happen with the girls, that is until the end, which surprised the hell out of me. Everything that happens leads up to the end and there is still so much that these girls are going to go through. Their journey in New York has only begun and I'm eager to see what else is at stake for them.

Now I know period pieces can be hard to read. The language is normally different and descriptions seem to play a large part. The only problem I had with this one was the fact that there was way more description than dialogue. I know there's a need to set the scene, such as telling us what the girls are wearing or how their hair looks, but I would rather have had more dialogue instead of just being told what they were thinking or feeling. This did not ruin the book and I enjoyed it just the same, but it would have made more of an impact on me if there was more talking. 

The problems these girls face may not be problems now, but in the 20s, times were much different. At the same time, some of it still rings true today. The obstacles Letty has to overcome to be famous very well still occur today, and there are still rules when you fall for someone your family does not approve of. These girls are young, but they are quickly realizing how hard it is to live on their own in the big city. Here's hoping they all survive.

“It is easy to forget now, how effervescent and free we all felt that summer.” 

Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty

A Great and Terrible Beauty
Author: Libba Bray
Published: December 9, 2003
403 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. 

Blending corsets, boarding school, and magic gave this book a uniqueness that I've never read before. Gemma Doyle is one of a kind. Living in India with her parents, all she wants is to be back in England and the way she thinks she'll get there is by constantly bringing it up to her mom. But after a terrible and sudden accident, she is shipped back to England with a dead mother and thrust into a boarding school to make her a proper lady. But Gemma is everything but proper. She is more concerned with being happy and sticking up for her friends, which is what gets her involved with Felicity and Pippa in the first place and leads to them having secret meetings in a cave at night and fooling around with magic. Before she knows it, Gemma learns that she can cross over in the realms, a secret place that only certain girls can find. While it is all fun and games at first, her dead mother warns her of the power of the realms and a mysterious diary that she's found leads her to believe there is more than meets the eye. Add in the secretive man, Kartik, who has followed her from India to warn her, and you've got the makings of a dramatic, historical, magical romp.

Period pieces can be hard for me to get into. The language is always different and there can be too much description that leads away from the plot. Bray knows how to write historical fiction. There was  just enough description to tell me where the book was taking place and what sort of clothes the girls were wearing, but she did not ramble about their outfits for paragraphs on end. The writing was easy to follow and captivated me quickly, letting me know that even though it was going to be historical, that was not the main focus of the novel. The magical element brings a whole other air to the story, making it stand out from most other books. The Order, a secret organization that we still know little about, promises to give Gemma some things to worry about in the future of this series.

The minor characters played such pivotal points to this story that it's hard to call them minor. Felicity is one of a kind, a lovely girl who knows how to get what she wants. Pippa just wants to marry a man she can love, not the older man her parents want her to be with. And Ann, Gemma's orphan roommate who is destined to be a handmaiden, shows her strength when alone with the other girls and she may prove to be more powerful than any of them could imagine. Each girl grows drastically throughout the book. When they get these powers, we see their true character, and I'm curious to see how each one will develop throughout the rest of the series. Kartik is as mysterious at the end as he was at the beginning and I know it'll be fun to get to know him further.

This is an series but I think it's as important today as it was when it came out. It's as important now as it would have been in the 1800s. Women are powerful, in more ways than one, and it's the way we use that power that makes us who we are meant to be. I'm excited to pick up Rebel Angels.

“I run after her, not really giving chase. I’m running because I can, because I must. Because I want to see how far I can go before I have to stop.” 

Top Ten Tuesday: Light & Fun

Sometimes you just need a nice, light read that you can finish in a day that makes you laugh, smile and fill you up inside. This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the lovely girls at The Broke and the Bookish, is all about those kind of fun books. So here are my Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

1. Confessions of a Shopaholic: Pretty much anything by Sophie Kinsella leaves me feeling good at the end. Still need to pick up Wedding Night

2. Beauty Queens: Libba Bray's satire about pageant girls stranded on an island made me laugh the entire time. 

3. Alice in Wonderland: A go-to for me when I want to escape the world for a bit.

4. Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow: This fairy tale retelling is so wonderful that I read it in a day. Fairy tales are always a good way to make me smile.

5. Can You Keep a Secret?: Like I said, Kinsella is awesome.

6. The Undomestic Goddess: My top Kinsella book about a woman who quits her job and decides to be a housekeeper, with no idea how to do any of the chores. Great read.

7. Supernaturally: Though there are some serious things happening in this book, Efie is just a breath of fresh air when it comes to heroines. She is hilarious!

8. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: Great music, good friends, strange and funny times!

9. Cloaked: Alex Flinn does remarkable fairy tale retellings and this one is perfection. She takes many different tales and creates a whole new one.

10. Will Grayson, Will Grayson: A light hearted read with funny characters and a feel good ending.