Review of Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format Read: PDF
Source: from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  The Book Depository

Blurb:

  Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons. 

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Then he shows up.  

Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right? 

Wrong. 

Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

Bea's Thoughts:

When I read the blurb for this book, it immediately reminded me of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Since I loved that series, I decided to give this a try, even though I really don't read very much YA. While it does have similarities to Vampire Academy, it's not as well-written.

Let me start with what I liked: "Monkeycrud" may be my new favorite swear phrase :D; Amelie, often called Ami, is smart-mouthed and fast with the quips; there are some good descriptions; and while the book is overly long, it held my interest most of the time. This description particularly caught my eye:

"By the time Smalley wrapped up, the vibe for most folks had returned to a tense little corner of normal. For me, however, normal was at least three buses and a cab ride away."

Things I didn't like: the pacing was uneven; "twists" were telegraphed in advance, sometimes with a flashing neon sign; the characters were not fully developed nor was the world; some things were not adequately explained (I am still confused about how bloodlines work in this world).

Initially I liked Ami's attitude; sassy, independent and gung ho, but it grated after a while. For example:

"I picked up my pace as the door swung closed behind him. If I could just catch him, maybe I could make him understand I wasn’t the child he thought I was. Maybe he’d see that I could help him."

"You’re dangerous. Not to mention impulsive, immature, and too selfish to understand that people get hurt when you’re around."

Ami was behaving childishly and impulsively and by the end of the book, she still was. There was little growth on her part during the book, or on Jackson's part. In fact, Jackson is inconsistent all through out the book. Some of it is explained later but some of it is not and he blows hot and cold. I had a hard time believing in their romance; on Ami's part, it read and felt more like a teenage crush and for Jackson's part, well he alternately shoved her away and kissed the stuffing out of her but we never really saw what attracted them to each other or why they mattered to each other. Oh, we're told that they feel a bond but I never felt it. Jackson was, at different times, an experienced warrior, a hunk with attitude, a jerk, a charmer, etc and it often felt disjointed.


About halfway through the book, the flashing neon sign goes off announcing/trumpeting/yelling a "twist" and I was rolling my eyes and muttering at it's obviousness. The fact that Ami didn't see it until much, much later had me rolling my eyes and muttering again. It annoyed me, particularly that the author as so ham-handed about it.

Looking at what I've written, it sounds as I didn't enjoy the book. I did, but it's flawed, and I didn't love it. There were some laugh out loud moments, and I'd love to see more of the werewolves and vampires, both of whom made late appearances in the story. They belatedly become important to the plot, leaving me scratching my head. Despite that, I was intrigued by what we saw of them. White does have a way with words; once she gets the hang of world building and character development, and finding and fixing plot holes, she could be a very good writer.

Some favorite quotes:

That was the plan, anyway. Unfortunately, plans and vampires go together about as well as Kleenex and hot tubs.

As soon as we’d stepped to the curb, the vampire’s car squealed away, leaving two lines of black rubber against the pavement. As first introductions to a species went, it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Sure, he was arrogant and stunning and rude, but so are male models…and they pass for human all the time.

This from the girl who arranged for six tons of personal lubricant to magically appear on the volleyball court during gym class last year? 

The vamp-mobile had vanished at some point during the wee hours, replaced by a huge pickup truck I could only assume belonged to a werewolf. Or a Republican from north Louisiana—hard to tell the difference.

ETA: Apparently Entangled changed the cover so here's the new cover, which I like better - 

Blog Tour: Giveaway & Review of Girls & Monsters by Anne Michaud

Publisher: DarkFuse
Format Read: eARC
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Buying Links:  Not available for pre-order; publisher's site; goodreads

Blurb from goodreads:

This dark but uplifting collection of five Young Adult novellas includes:

Death Song: Liz is in love with Joe, but the monster of the lake has other plans for them.

Black Dog: Scarlet is engaged in a struggle for her sanity, but according to the voice in her head, she may be too late.

A Blue Story: When Katherine's beloved dog goes missing, she fears her strange new neighbor might be involved.

Dust Bunnies: Christiane faces her childhood arachnophobia and ends up confronting even greater fears in this test of sisterhood.

We Left at Night: Brooke and her family must abandon their home and their lives to make it out of a disease-plagued town overrun by zombies.

Girls & Monsters is for everyone who has ever been brave enough to confront their childhood fears...and lived to tell about it.

Bea's Thoughts:

 I still love this cover so much. Back in February, I did a cover reveal and excerpt for "Girls & Monsters" and today I have a review. 

The stories have some commonalities: teenage girl leads, animals or pets (except for "Death Song"), dysfunctional families or families in crisis, and leaving home. Some of the stories end on a hopeful note while others, not so much. There were run-on sentences and misplaced punctuation, which always irritates me. Michaud's descriptive ability waxed and waned; at times it was choppy and at times, just a few words could call up an image. The story quality is mixed but overall it's an enjoyable read.


My favorite of the collection was "A Blue Story". It's an original update on the Captain Bluebeard story with a twist. Katherine loves animals, plans on being a veterinarian, and is happy to get a job at a pet supply store for the summer. Neighborhood animals are going missing at an alarmingly high rate and when Katherine's dog goes missing, she'll do anything to get her back. The story is spooky and nicely evocative.

"We Left At Night" was my least favorite of the collection. There's a plague, humans are mutating into zombie-type beings, but it hasn't affected all of the US. Martial law has been declared and Brooke and her family are trying to get away. I never connected with Brooke or feel the urgency of the situation. A little more background, a stronger look at the outside world would have given more depth. I also couldn't relate to Brooke or her family.

"Death Song" had potential, it had a few good twists and turns, but it was rough. The world building was minimal, descriptions were choppy, and, stupid as this sounds, I kept expecting Jo, a boy, to be a girl, because of the spelling. I also had trouble taking Limnade seriously because the name sounds like a drink. :D I did like that Michaud used a lesser known being from Greek mythology, despite its name. The basic idea was good but could have been better developed and both Jo and Liz could have been fleshed out more. Despite that, I enjoyed it.

 If you're scared of spiders (I'm looking at you Kate!), don't read "Dust Bunnies". Feuding sisters, bereavement, a science experiment that took a turn, first love and a genuine monster under the bed all are mixed together to create a sometimes sad, sometimes hopeful, quirky story. It was confusing at times as to why Chris's older sister didn't trust her but Michaud beautifully shows us the fractures in their relationship. The monster under the bed starts out terrifying then changes during the story. I didn't completely buy into the change but the ending is cute.

"Black Dog" was disturbing to read. Scarlet is troubled and self-destructive; Michaud conveys her pain, her erratic thinking and the voices in her head clearly and sympathetically. I thought I knew where she was going with the black dog in the story but I was only partially right. The story has several twists and at one point, it seems as if Scarlet might find her way out of the darkness. This was the most emotional, and disturbing, story.

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There's a tour wide giveaway for a softcover copy of the book and The Monster Collection Skellies, 5 pieces handcrafted by the author: GIRLS & MONSTERS Giveaway. The winner will be announced during a LIVE CHAT on release day, April 30th at 9PM EST http://www.darkfuse.com/events.html

Review of Loose Ends by Lucy Felthouse

Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Format Read: PDF
Release Date: January 2013 (This is an edited and revised version of a previously released title.)
Buying Links:  Barnes & Noble  Resplendence Publishing

Blurb from publisher:

When Jonathan and Lauren met at University, it should have been the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, and Jonathan became ‘the one that got away.’ Years later, at a University reunion, Jonathan shows up unexpectedly throwing Lauren into turmoil. The pair start talking, and soon all the old feelings come back. But will this time be different, or will their mutual affection continue to be unrequited?

**Publisher's Note** This is an extensively edited and revised version of a previously released title.

 WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT

Bea's Thoughts:

Well, this was super short. The PDF was only 20 pages so I expected short but that 20 pages includes the cover, the credits page, about the author, etc. so that the story itself was only 11.5 pages. In those 11.5 pages we get a college reunion, a lost love, a second chance with the lost love, friends to lovers,  and a sexy love scene.

Jonathan seems like a decent enough guy but I wish we'd been given more of a reason for Lauren's crush and enduring interest in him. In the flashback scene where Lauren meets him, we're told about his physical attributes but we're not given insight into what else may be appealing about him other than a reference to his sense of humor. When we meet him, he's polite, friendly and funny but again, I didn't see why Lauren was so attracted to him. Still, Jonathan comes across as a good guy, Lauren is likable and when they both realize that they are single at the same time, they grab their second chance, and eight plus years of longing comes to an end. The ending is a Happy For Now. 

Felthouse's style is sharp, with just enough attention to detail, and fast paced. I liked that she didn't try to tie up all the loose ends but left the ending open; a definitive happy ending would have weakened the story. "Loose Ends" is short, sweet and fun to read.

I received a PDF from the author for review.

March's Reading Challenges Wrap Up

I'll put up a wrap up post every month or early the next month for all of my 2013 reading challenges. Some books, I posted reviews on the blog, some are on goodreads, there may be one or two without reviews, especially books I edit or that are put out by my publisher.

I had mixed success in March with my challenges. In addition to my regular challenges for the year, I participated in Kimba the Caffeinated's Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge. I focused on books for that challenge during March. For the results of that challenge, see here.

Book Chick City's 100 Books in 2013

For this challenge, I am not counting any children's books, unless it's YA, nor am I counting books that I edit. I am also doing goodreads' reading challenge and I'm counting everything for that one, but not tracking here on the blog. :D

1. The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page
2. Blood and Fire by Shannon McKenna
3. Written in Stone by Ellery Adams
4. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
5. Holiday Buzz by Cleo Coyle
6. Drop Dead on Recall by Sheila Webster Boneham
7. Clan Rathskeller by Kevin Hearne
8. Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack
9. A Test of Mettle by Kevin Hearne
10. Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Total to date: 28

Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 13 or more 

1. The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page 
2. Written in Stone by Ellery Adams
3. Holiday Buzz by Cleo Coyle
4. Drop Dead on Recall by Sheila Webster Boneham
5. Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack

Total to date: 9

2013 Ebook Challenge - Goal 25 


1. Clan Rathskeller by Kevin Hearne
2. Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack
3. A Test of Mettle by Kevin Hearne
4. Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Total to date: 14

Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 1 A Month 

1. Clan Rathskeller by Kevin Hearne

Total to date: 3

Not too shabby, I'm chugging along and getting books read. I'm currently 7 books behind on my goodreads reading challenge but I have time to make those up.

Excerpt & ARC Review of Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Camelot #2
Format Read: eARC
Release Date: March 11, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble 

Book Blurb:

Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble.

An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.

Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand? 

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: How to Misbehave, Flirting with Disaster, and About Last Night.

Bea's thoughts:

This book made me laugh almost as much as "How to Misbehave" did. I have decided that it simply isn't a good idea to read Knox's books while in the naproom at school. The woman makes me laugh so hard I cough up a lung. That's tolerable, the darn things are diseased and defective anyway, but heaven help me if I wake up the kids. :P Now, it's not that "Along Came Trouble" is a comedy, it's definitely not. But Knox doesn't forget to use humor in her stories and her characters have a sense of humor. It's a quality I appreciate, adding depth and interest to her stories.

The action in this story takes place in a fairly short time frame, about a week or so, and that gave me pause. Caleb and Ellen jumped in the sack and fell in love very quickly, it just seemed unlikely, especially given Ellen's problems with her ex. Caleb was the first man she was involved with since the divorce and while she squawked a lot about what she did and didn't want, her follow through was minimal. Ellen's ex, Richard, is very much a stereotype, which was disappointing. Caleb struck me as overly pushy at first, and he was pushy, but as we got more inside his head, I didn't mind as much. I could understand his perspective even when I disagreed. Both Caleb and Ellen were stubborn, with Caleb the more flexible of the two. Ellen was ferociously protective of her independence and her home; she's downright territorial about her home and its importance, something Caleb never quite understood, but it and her independence drove many of her actions:

She'd built herself a fortress on Burgess Street in Camelot, Ohio, and stalked around the battlements, proud and independent. Nobody was going to help her, because she'd finally figured out how to be sufficient all by herself.

After a lifetime of depending on people, it had felt so good to be enough that she'd turned it into a vice. Independent Ellen didn't believe in love. She didn't need romance. And she didn't recognize the best thing that had ever happened to her until she'd driven him away.

There are actually two love stories interwoven in the book: the predominant love story with Caleb and Ellen, and then Ellen's brother Jamie and her next door neighbor Carly. I was rooting for both couples, enjoyed both their stories. Carly and Jamie's nicknames for Carly's unborn baby, Wombat and Shrimp, made me laugh. I really liked Carly's Nana; she is a hoot and a strong character in her own right.

Despite my niggles with the book, I enjoyed the characters and cared what happened. Plus there are Johnny Cash references. :) Knox spins a story that keeps you hooked. The story kept me interested, and up late reading, and I need to get my hands on the next book. If you haven't started this series, go get them now. Although this is the second book, you can easily read it as a stand alone.

I received an e-galley from the publisher for review.

***************************************************************************** 

Thanks to Ruthie, I have an excerpt for you today. Grab a drink, get comfy and read on!

I’m here today to talk about Along Came Trouble, my latest novel (and longest so far). Out next week from Loveswept (Random House), it’s the second story in my Camelot series. Bea said of the first story in the series, the novella How ToMisbehave, “I loved this, BUY IT!” Here’s hoping this one meets with as much enthusiasm!

I suppose I have to admit right up front that Along Came Trouble is a bodyguard book. But I think of it as a book that’s really about what happens when a woman meets the right man at the wrong time and has to decide how much of herself to give him when she doesn’t feel like she’s got any self to spare. And most of all it’s about how hard it is to find a balance between dependence, independence, and interdependence—and how love can lift our burdens and help us become better versions of ourselves, if we are brave enough to let it.

In this little snippet, the heroine, Ellen, is talking to her brother, Jamie. He’s a pop star (think Justin Timberlake), and on his most recent visits to sleepy Camelot, Ohio, where Ellen lives, he’s gotten involved with her neighbor, Carly. This ended badly, as anyone but Jamie might have predicted it would. Just moments before, Ellen met her own romantic interest—bodyguard Caleb—and promptly fired him.

“So I’m guessing a guy showed up, and you sent him packing?” Jamie asked.

Was that the best way to summarize the morning’s events? It left out Weasel Face, the assault-by-tea, Caleb’s arrival, Caleb’s smile, Caleb’s biceps . . . “More or less. There was another photographer out there.”

His eyebrows drew together. “Sorry, Ellen.”

“Not your fault.”

It was, but she had a hard time holding the press against Jamie for more than a couple of minutes at a time. He’d only ever wanted to sing. The rest of this had come to him accidentally, all part of the celebrity package.

Plus, he couldn’t help it that somebody local had sold a cell-phone shot of him and Carly to the tabloids. He’d been far more upset about that than Ellen had. After the picture hit the Internet, he’d picked a pointless fight with Carly that ended in their breakup and his retreat to California. A few hours after his plane lifted off, the first photographer had landed on Ellen’s lawn.

“Anyway,” she said, “this security guy showed up and ran off the photographer, and he talked me into letting him put a car out on the cul-de-sac. So you got your wish.”

“Good. I thought for sure you’d fire him on the spot.”

I tried that. But it hadn’t worked, and she still wasn’t quite sure why. The whoa thing had distracted her. That, and the appeal of not having to worry about keeping one eye out the window at all times. “I still could.”

“Don’t, okay? It’s bad enough that I can’t be there. I feel better knowing somebody’s watching out for you guys and Carly.”

“I’m not letting him within ten feet of my house.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just work with him as much as you can stand to. And be nice, huh? It’s not his fault you’re insanely touchy about that house.”

“I’m not—”

Jamie raised an eyebrow, and she gave it up without even finishing the sentence. She was insanely touchy about her house. But it wasn’t as though she hadn’t earned the right to be.

This house was the prize she’d rescued from the wreckage of her marriage. It was where she’d learned independence, where she raised her son, and she refused to cower behind her own doors, locked down for fear of a few lowlifes with cameras. She couldn’t stand the idea of bodyguards and alarm codes, gates and barricades messing with her peace. Not when it had taken her so long to find it.

“‘Insane’ is a strong word,” she said. “And I’m almost always nice.”

“You’re always nice to me and Henry, but you’re basically a bitch for a living.”

“That’s different. That’s professional bitchiness, and I get paid good money for it.”

 

Read more about Along Came Trouble on Ruthie’s website

View the Random House page for Along Came Trouble

Shelve or find out more on Goodreads

Buy the book from Amazon (US) | Barnes & Noble | iTunes Bookstore | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (Canada) | Other buy links via Random House

About Ruthie

Ruthie Knox graduated from Grinnell College as an English and history double major and went on to earn a Ph.D. in modern British history that she’s put to remarkably little use. She debuted as a romance novelist with Ride with Me—probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story yet to be penned—and followed it up with About Last Night, which features a sizzling British banker hero with the unlikely name of Neville. Other publications include Room at the Inn (a Christmas novella) and How To Misbehave, book 1 in the Camelot series. She moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia.

February's Reading Challenges Wrap Up

I'll put up a wrap up post every month or early the next month for all of my 2013 reading challenges. Some books, I posted reviews on the blog, some are on goodreads, there may be one or two without reviews, especially books I edit or that are put out by my publisher.

I didn't do as well this month; my jobs and the shorter month interfered with my reading and my reviewing. This month, March, I'm participating in Kimba the Caffeinated's Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge so next's month wrap up will include that also. I will be focusing my reading not on review books but my personal books. There will still be a few promised reviews but most of the reviews will be of books that I own and read for pleasure first, review second.

Book Chick City's 100 Books in 2013

For this challenge, I am not counting any children's books, unless it's YA, nor am I counting books that I edit. I am also doing goodreads' reading challenge and I'm counting everything for that one, but not tracking here on the blog. :D

 1. Darkness Hunts by Keri Arthur
 2. Dark Whispers by Krista D. Ball
 3. Stranger Delight by Tabitha Levin
 4. Easter Bunny Murder by Leslie Meier
 5. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
 6. Rally 'Round the Corpse by Hy Conrad
 7. Harry Potter: The Prequel by J. K. Rowling
 8. A Very Lusty Christmas by Cara Covington
 9. Frozen by Kate Watterson

Total to date: 18

Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 13 or more 

1. Easter Bunny Murder by Leslie Meier
2. Rally 'Round the Corpse by Hy Conrad

Total to date: 4

2013 Ebook Challenge - Goal 25 

1. Dark Whispers by Krista D. Ball
2. Stranger Delight by Tabitha Levin
3. Harry Potter: The Prequel by J. K. Rowling
4. A Very Lusty Christmas by Cara Covington

Total to date: 10

Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 1 A Month 

I forgot to put this in my January Wrap Up Post so this has both January and February.

January - Painless Grammar (Barron's Painless Series) by Rebecca Elliott, 3rd edition (yes, I read this for fun. :D I enjoyed it quite a bit.)
 
February - A Very Lusty Christmas  by Cara Covington

Total to date: 2

I actually did better this month than I thought. I'm on track for all of my goals so far. :)

Review of Dark Whispers by Krista D Ball

Publisher: Krista D Ball
Series: Spirit Caller #2
Format Read: ebook
Release Date: February 25, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon    Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

A rash of teen suicides shakes the remote Newfoundland village that Rachel Mills calls home. As Rachel helps the school investigate, painful memories from her past – events she’s worked very hard to forget – resurface and won’t go back into the grave where they belong.

As if she didn’t have enough problems with her personal life! Her beloved 93-year-old neighbor falls ill. The man Rachel’s in love with moves into her house–along with his girlfriend, the most perfect woman in creation. And a strung-out wreck of a woman claiming to be Rachel’s biological mother shows up on her doorstep.

But it isn’t until a local boy with a talent for spellwork is attacked by a mysterious stranger that Rachel asks the question she’s avoided her whole life: how powerful can a Spirit Caller like herself become?

Bea's Thoughts:

Look at that cover! The colors are gorgeous and the overall atmosphere is spooky and the image is a good representation of what happens in the book. I wish this were available in print so I could just look at the cover; as is, I have to turn on my laptop and open my book covers folder, open the book in Adobe Editions or open up goodreads or Krista's site. And I'm just not that obsessed. :D Yeah I have it in Kindle also but I have the e-reader and not the Fire so no color, just boring black and white.

Okay, enough rambling about the cover. I read the first book when it came out in January 2012 but didn't get a chance to re-read it before "Dark Whispers" came out. Happily that wasn't a problem. I recalled enough to understand references and Ball also worked in little bits of info here and there so that even if you haven't read the first book, you shouldn't have a problem. 

This book is a little longer, about 100 pages and it packs a lot in. It starts out humorously and becomes darker though still with some humorous bits. I was laughing and laughing the first 10 or so pages, and Ball's summary of the typical paranormal romance cracked me up:

It was a dark and stormy night. A good paranormal romance could never have a better opening. You know how it goes. Girl meets boy. Boy is a vampire. Girl gives in to carnal temptation. Tab A inserts into Slot B. Someone shoves an assault rifle up a demon's ass. Everyone lives happy ever after.

When the book starts, Rachel could use some romance in her life. She is in love with a local Mountie, Jeremy, but instead they are just friends. He has a steady girlfriend and both of them are staying at Rachel's house while repair work is done at Jeremy's apartment after it was flooded. Yep, Rachel's a glutton for punishment. It doesn't help that Donna is practically perfect in every way. Add in Rachel's distress over the recent teen suicides and her neighbor's failing health, and she's an emotional mess.  So naturally, that's when Rachel's biological mother shows up on her door step.

The book zooms along from there, with Rachel dealing with both her biological mother and adoptive mother, more teen suicides and attempted suicides, a neighbor who is convinced she's in league with Satan due to to her ability to communicate with spirits and call them to her, more teen suicides, unhappy memories of her teen years, an assassin, her new and unwanted, quite bossy, spirit sidekick, her love life and her neighbor who is also her best friend. That sounds like a lot for a hundred pages but it never felt rushed or crammed, and several times I was in tears. It's a heck of an emotional ride and along the way Rachel comes to several realizations about herself. One thing about the neighbor who believes Rachel is evil - at one point, he comes over to talk to Rachel about his son and it's a wonderful scene. It's poignant, well-written, had me in tears and shows off Ball's writing skills. She could have taken the easy way out and portrayed David as one dimensional or Rachel as the know-it-all but saintly victim. Instead, we get nuances and depth.

There are unanswered questions and we still have so much to learn about Rachel's background and her abilities, as does Rachel herself. Despite Rachel's abilities and the VERY small town setting, Rachel feels in many ways like someone the reader would know. She's imperfect, she has flaws but they're ordinary, everyday flaws: her eating habits need improvement, she's shy, hates to ask for help, etc. Although she discovers new aspects to her powers in this book, she isn't some ninja, ass-kicking, every-man-has-to-have her urban fantasy heroine that many UF books have. I like that. She holds down a job, has bills to pay, is loyal, has family problems but loves her family, she's sarcastic, kind, and in many respects is just a normal woman. Who can see and talk to ghosts. 

There's enough detail so that you can visual people and places but you aren't drowning in detail, the story is the thing. The characters are rich and real and the plotting is tight. I liked book one but I love this one. There are several more books planned and I am very much looking forward to them, and seeing what happens next.

If the review intrigues you , both this book and the first book are on sale for 99 cents, but the sale ends today. The regular price is $2.99.

The author gifted me an ePub copy and I own a Kindle copy. 

January's Reading Challenges Wrap Up

I'll put up a wrap up post every month (or in this case, early the next month :D) for all of my 2013 reading challenges. Some books, I posted reviews on the blog, some are on goodreads, there may be one or two without reviews.

Book Chick City's 100 Books in 2013

For this challenge, I am not counting any children's books, unless it's YA, nor am I counting books that I edit. I am also doing goodreads' reading challenge and I'm counting everything for that one, but not tracking here on the blog. :D

1) Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford
2) Anything for You by Jessica Scott
3) Pandora's Temple by Jon Land
4) Darkness Devours by Keri Arthur
5) Serpent Queen by J.A. Campbell
6) How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox
7) Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz
8) Killer Librarian by Mary Lou Kirwin
9) Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong (no review yet, link is just to Goodreads page)

Total to date: 9

Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 13 or more

1)  Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford
2) Killer Librarian by Mary Lou Kirwin

Total to date: 2

2013 Ebook Challenge - Goal 25

1) How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox
2)  Serpent Queen by J.A. Campbell
3)  Pandora's Temple by Jon Land
4)  Anything for You by Jessica Scott
5) Time to Get Ready, Bunny! by Brenda Ponnay
6) Splat! Splat! Rata-tat-tat! ABC Book: Learning ABCs & Sounds Using Onomatopoeia by Lynn R. Davis


 Total to date: 6

ARC Review of Anything for You by Jessica Scott

Publisher: Jessica Scott
Series: Coming Home #2.5
Format Read: PDF
Release Date: February 4, 2013


Book Blurb:

From the author of Because of You comes an all new Coming Home short story.

Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison has spent a year recovering from his combat injuries. A year spent in the arms of the woman of his dreams. But loving Jen comes with a price: every time he touches her, he faces the uncertain fear that loving her might mean losing her forever.
 

Jen is a breast cancer survivor and with Shane, she’s found a man who loves her despite her scars. But her scars may be too much for their love to survive.
As their love grows, so does the risk to Jen’s life. And Shane must make the toughest decision any man can make to save the woman he loves.

Bea's Thoughts:  SPOILER ALERT