Review: Kiss Kill Love Him Still by Jamie Blair and Dawn Rae Miller

Title: Kiss Kill Love Him Still 

Author:  Jamie Blair and Dawn Rae Miller
Publisher: Jamie Blair LLC
Publishing Date: November 10 2015

Pages: 183
Genre: New Adult Mystery 

Series: yes but not sure of title.
Source:  Kindle

 

Jackson Landis kept secrets. It's how he got girls into bed, the grades he wanted, and a reputation for being the life of the party.

But now he's dead, and no one knows how or why. Especially not the four girls whose secrets he protected. Secrets so scandalous they could cause each girl to lose something valuable. Secrets so dark, someone may have killed for them.

The four girls - a campus drug dealer, an overweight bookworm, a closeted lesbian, and a spoiled princess have one thing in common – they’re terrified the things Jackson knew may not have died with him. As Reggie, Haddie, Val, and Livie try to piece together her own role in Jackson’s death, each girl realizes Jackson had some not-so-pretty skeletons of his own.

Which makes a girl wonder, who really wanted Jackson Landis dead?

I am not sure how I came across this book or why it caught my attention but it did. I was happy to see it was a short read and a mystery. I felt it would be a satisfying, short, sweet indulgence kind of read. It was, enough to keep me reading. It was lacking a bit in areas I wish had been better developed, but in the long run... I enjoyed the read. 

Jackson Landis was a jerk to the tenth degree... however everyone loved him. Especially 4 girls... well were involved enough with him to have some kind of affection for him and allowing him to run their lives. Well Jackson ends up dead and its foul play. The four girls go through their days after the funeral with secrets unleashed and a determination to find out who killed Jackson and how they will now keep their secrets well secrets. 

I will try to keep this simple because it was a fast and a short read. 

What I liked... 

The mystery. I think the mystery was well done and although I would love to say I feel I know who did it. I don't. I wish I could say its one of the four girls featured in the story,  but I can't. I really feel it could be someone so unexpected and maybe someone the book hasn't even introduced fully yet. Maybe even a guy. It was really well done and I have no clue who did it. I thought many times through out the story that I may have an inkling but then my mind would be changed in just a couple of short chapters. So the mystery aspect was good. 

The secrets and the drama. That was well done too. Wow so much bad in this book. So may secrets. Tons of betrayals and lies. Yes every now and again I just want bad and shameful and twisted... This book was exactly that. 

The fast pace. It was very fast paced. Very easy read and I was happy to keep my little fingers swiping the pages over. I had no need to put the book down and I didn't I read it in one sitting. 

What I didn't like...

The character development. Like I said I like the bad, shameful, and twisted but I felt the characters were a little under developed... which can happen in a fast short read.... and I feel they weren't likable. There needed to be a bit more depth for feel this story was at all believable in the way that these girls could be played so easily. 

Jackson was a big douche and yet they all loved him. He held there darkest deepest secrets and they didn't care. He used them and all he gave them was sex. I am not sure that the sex could really  have been that good. I just couldn't understand for the life of me why these girls put up with it. 

I also didn't feel attached and I just couldn't relate to any of these characters. So yes a little more character development would have made the read much better for me. 

This is a series... really .... I mean I guess all things come out as series now and I should have figured with it being so short but I really really really wanted to know who did it in the end... now I have to wait. I really hope it doesn't go on forever. 


So that's it. More likes than dislikes and the dislikes did not take away from me liking the read. Just if the dislikes had been likes... it would have been a wow read for me.

It was good for twisted mystery and just a few hours of bad. Very enjoyable.

Jamie Blair
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Jamie Blair, lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, their two kids, five pound Morkie, and a cat that broke into their house and refused to leave. She won a young author's contest in third grade, but it probably shouldn't count since her mom wrote most of her entry. She promises her mom doesn't write one word of her books anymore! Visit Jamie at www.jamiemblairauthor.com.



Dawn Rae Miller 
Dawn is a Twitter and fashion addict whose favorite things in life are her family, gorgeous dresses, tea leaf salad, and French macarons. She splits her time between San Francisco and Northern Virginia, and is always up for a trip to Paris. https://www.goodreads.com/dawnraemiller

Review: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

Title:  Lost Stars

Author:  Claudia Gray
Publisher: Disney LucasFilm Press

Publishing Date: September 4th 2015

Pages: 551
Genre: YA/NA Sci Fi Fantasy/ Space Opera

Series:  Stand Alone? 
Source:  Audio

 

Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet in this epic YA novel that follows two best friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the war between the Empire and the Rebellion.

This thrilling YA novel gives readers a macro view of some of the most important events in the Star Wars universe: from the purge of the Jedi in Episode III, to the beginnings of the rebellion in Star Wars Rebels, and through the fall of the Empire in Episodes IV-IV. Readers will experience these major moments through the eyes of two best friends who grow up in these troubling times, and find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

As with other Journey to Episode VII titles, hints about the upcoming film will be included in the narrative, as well a original, post-Episode VI content that sets up the new film.

DUAL NARRATIVE: Chapters alternate perspectives between our two protagonists – one a Rebel pilot, the other an Imperial officer. By exploring these two different worlds, readers will experience many of the major moments in the original Star Wars trilogy – from the destruction of the Death Star to the battle of Hoth – through these two characters' eyes.

I don't think this book was highly advertised and I am not sure why. I was so super excited when I found this book and literally counted down til I could read the book. I am a huge Star Wars fan but have never read any of the books from the Star Wars world. I decided this would be my first and I really enjoyed it.It was fun and it was different but yet still Star Wars. 

This book takes place after the Empire takes over - about 8 years. The main characters are the same sage as the Empire (or that age of Luke and Leia) The story is about Ciena and Thane. Two kids who grow up wanting to be pilots in the Empire. We see them grow up together through age 8 all the way through their early twenties. Jest of it is.... One is on the rebel side and one is in the Empire. It's their love story and we get to see what Star Wars looks like from the outside.

What I loved about the book. It takes  place through all the major events and battles in Star Wars. We hear quotes from Star Wars... all through out the book. I loved it. We see events or hear about the events of Leia being captured. The Death Star being destroyed. The Battle of Hoth. We hear from minor characters from Star Wars. It was fun. Very very fun. Oh and the famous quote "I have a really bad feeling about this" is in the book. How AWESOME. 

I liked the characters. I liked Ciena enough. I liked her in the beginning, got mad at her in the middle, hated her at one point, then loved her in the end and hated her in the end. She was loyal, too loyal and it gave her beer goggles. I really wanted to slap her but had to remember.... I know how this story ends... she doesn't yet. 

I liked Thane. He was a bit on the stubborn side. Thought rules were meant to be broken. Was also loyal. Spoke up even when he shouldn't. He was the smarter out of the two when it came to street smart where as Ciena was smarter in strategy. 

The romance was sweet. It was very slow and as a a reader I could see it building for a very long time when the characters were pretty stupid about it. Started at a very young age... friends and slowly became more as they aged. 

The book was romance... I wouldn't call it Romeo and Juliet... but it was forbidden love. It was a nice part of the book but the parts that I enjoyed were the struggles. Where does the loyalty land and when should the loyalty end. Where should one's loyalty really lie... with country, with family, with friendship.... When is too much sacrifice of innocent lives too much. How does one know what is right or wrong and it is clear  cut. Lots of struggles in the book, inner turmoil, life changing decisions. I liked it. 

It very much had the entire Star Wars feel down and I loved that. I actually listened to the audio and all the great Star Wars music and sound effects were present. That added to the fun for sure. 

My only complaint... there were some slow parts. Not many but they were present.

I loved it and I think if you are a star wars fan grab and read it. If not a fan.. well just try it. 

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.
I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.

Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Title:  A Little Something Different 

Author: Sandy Hall
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publishing Date: August 26th 2014
Pages: 272
Genre: YA/NA Contemporary Romance
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audio

  

The distinctive new crowdsourced publishing imprint Swoon Reads proudly presents its first published novel—an irresistibly sweet romance between two college students told from 14 different viewpoints.

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.

But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship. 

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

I was super excited to read this book. I loved the title and the cover and something just drew me towards the book. It sounded so amazing. I enjoyed the read but unfortunately it fell a little short for me. I just couldn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. Normally this would really kill the book for me but the writing was creative and felt so original, I just wanted to continue to read the book. I loved all the different POVs, that was my favorite part of the book. The story was cute but also lacked a bit for me too. So it was cute but it didn't wow me like I was hoping it would. 

This book is about two very awkward shy introverted people and their love story. The love story is told by them and everyone around them that witnessed the love story. The two love birds are attracted to each other almost instantly but circumstances, shyness, and miscommunication are keeping them from getting together. 

I thought the idea for this story was very cute and had tons of potential. It was an enjoyable read but there were some minor issues that made the book fall short of my expectations. It just didn't seem like the idea was executed to it's best.

The best thing about this book was the multiple POVs. That was fun. I loved hearing from everyone including the park bench and especially the squirrel. There were tons of fun characters. In fact I enjoyed more of the background characters than I did the main characters. 

The issue I had with the main characters, Lea and Gabe were their voices. It seemed that they were very whiny. I didn't care for this and it prevented me from connecting to them. At times I just wanted to slap them. Now I am not sure if this was intentional on the author's part or some of it was the audio narration, but I just couldn't get past it. It seemed like Lea and Gabe just couldn't use any common sense. Instead of just biting the bullet and talk to the other one they complained and made excuses and nothing was getting resolved. This was what led me to the issue with the pacing. 

The pacing lagged. It seemed that the story was taking forever to get anywhere. I didn't get bored. I enjoyed listening to the stories but I still couldn't get past the point of nothing happening. This led me to the issue of lack of romance. With nothing happening there was no romance. I don't read many romances but when I do, I like to have romance. 

Now with all that said. The writing style was unique and it was, in the end, a very cute story. It felt a bit more like a story my grandmother would have told, the meeting of her and my grandfather, more than a romance book, but I applauded when Lea and Gabe finally found each other. 

I really feel that if it wasn't for the bench, the waitress, the friends, the classmates, and the squirrel. I would have given up. This book was really hard for me to review and to rate. I enjoyed it to the point I finished it, I wanted to know how it all would end, but my curiosity and the few laughs that the multiple POVs gave me are saved the read. 

It had some cuteness and some laughs, but it just didn't happen for me. 

About Sandy Hall
I'm a teen librarian from New Jersey where I was born and raised. I have a BA in Communication and a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. When I'm not writing, or teen librarian-ing, I enjoy reading, slot machines, marathoning TV shows, and long scrolls through Tumblr. A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT is my first novel.

Review: Lovely Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara

Title: Lovely Dark and Deep 

Author: Amy McNamara

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster 
Publishing Date: October 6th 2012

Pages: 342
Genre:  New Adult Realistic Fiction

Series: Stand Alone
Source: HArdcover

  

A resonant debut novel about retreating from the world after losing everything—and the connections that force you to rejoin it.

Since the night of the crash, Wren Wells has been running away. Though she lived through the accident that killed her boyfriend Patrick, the girl she used to be didn’t survive. Instead of heading off to college as planned, Wren retreats to her father’s studio in the far-north woods of Maine. Somewhere she can be alone.

Then she meets Cal Owen. Dealing with his own troubles, Cal’s hiding out too. When the chemistry between them threatens to pull Wren from her hard-won isolation, Wren has to choose: risk opening her broken heart to the world again, or join the ghosts who haunt her.

Another book that has been on my TBR list for a very long time and forgotten about. I can't believe it took me so long to get to this wonderful book. The title says it all. The story is dark, deep, and lovely. Heartbreaking and filled with hope. An endearing read from start to finish. Loved it. 

Wren has recently moved in with her father to get away from a terrible even from her past, a memory, a tragedy she can't get over. She has fallen into a bit of depression and has lost all hope of ever finding her way again. Then she meets Cal. A boy just a bit older than herself.  How they meet, he runs into her with his car while she is riding her bike. Cal knows a bit about tragedy and loss of hope. Now that their lives have collided, they find its one another they need the most to find hope again. 

What a heart wrenching tear jerking read. I laughed, I cried, I lived. It was a well written story about loss, love, and hope. The author made it exceptionally easy to fall into Wren's world. The darkness of her thoughts, the hopeless feelings, and the broken pieces of her heart. She lived in a very gloomy world and I really didn't know if she would make it through. 

Wren was a very difficult character to like but an she was easy to relate too. Her life, her feelings, her thoughts, they were real. She was flawed the way someone her age with her past would be. I found it hard to always like her because she was a very realistic character. Seeing  her life from the outside of course I wanted to slap to her and tell her there are plenty of people out there that still loved her and wanted her to a part of their world not on the outside looking in. I could understand her but I could also see hope when she couldn't so yes it was hard to like her at times but it was very easy to feel for her. I wanted to love her, hug her, tell her its OK. Very well developed character. 

I absolutely adored Cal, and yes I wanted to slap him at times too. Since the story is told from Wren's point of view, I wasn't in Cal's mind but I am sure he had his moments of a pity party for one. But truth be told he had a very good outlook on life most of the time. It was hard for him, but he found a way. I think Wren helped a bunch in this area but he did give it all he had most of the time. He was loving, sweet, and sometimes plain out dumb. Very adorable and likable.

The story was filled with tragedy,loss, healing, love, hope, and real life. I think it had to be on my must read list for realistic fictions. After a very emotional read, I felt good at the end. It wasn't all put together with a bow in the end but it was a good ending. It was a very well paced and written story that will turn your heart inside out and back again. 

A very entertaining and tearful read. 

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title:  Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press 
Publishing Date: September 10th 2013

Pages: 433
Genre:  New Adult Chic Lit

Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audio

  

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

I wanted to read this book from the moment it found a home on my TBR list. I absolutely adored Eleanor & Park and was hoping for another winner. This book did not disappoint. I loved the characters, the story, the writing, and everything else in between.

Cath just graduated high school and has looked forward to her college years being spent with her twin sister Wren. All that changes when Wren decides to find her own way. Cath now needs to find her place among strangers, figure out how to survive college, and finish her very popular fan fiction. 

This book was just wonderful. I really love Rainbow Rowell's writing style, her characters, and how she just brings everything to life. The story, the characters, the setting. It was all just a warm and cuddly place to hang out for me. I felt right at home among all Cath and her friends. All the characters were do unique and they worked so well together. I really do feel like I walked away from this book with some new best friends.

All the characters have a bit of nerd about them and I loved that, but they also had some other great characters that made them so individual. I also loved the fact none of the characters were perfect, they all had some things to work on. I loved Cath. She had her issues with social interactions and she was pretty broken in the beginning. Everything she felt I understood in depth. I lived it with her and I always felt that I understood her. Cath grew so much throughout the book and it was a wonderful journey watching her come into herself. It was very hard for Cath to find herself without her sister but she managed and made it through like a champ. Cath had so many issues going on too, she dealt amazingly with her home life and her school life, even if she did have some bumps in the road. 

Wren wasn't as steady as Cath and she had a harder time dealing than Cath. To Cath, Wren had it together and didn't need her anymore... the truth... Wren needed Cath more than ever. The friendship between the two really touched me. I found this to be the major tear jerker of the story. The story was about Cath but more so the story of Cath and Wren. It really made me want a twin sister. 

The other major characters in the story were Reagan the room-mate and Levi the cute boy. I can go on and on about both of them. I thought I wouldn't like Reagan at the beginning but I really fell in love with her. She was hard on the outside but a softy on the inside and she really took Cath in under her wing. She was more of an older sister to Cath and Cath lost Wren. Levi was just yummy, sweet, fun, and very loving. The hero of the story. He owned my heart all the way.

The story had an amazing cast of characters and I do believe they would have made any story great but they didn't have to work so hard in this story. The issues that made their appearance in this story were ranged from friendship to family... addiction, growing up, love, mental stability... it was all there and I felt connected to each and every one of them. In the end I was able to feel complete after living these issues through characters. I learned, I loved, I lived. 

So Awesome... I loved it! It Rocked! Can't possibly give it the amount of love it deserves.