Saturday 1 December 2018

"Rules of Magic" Book Review








My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

I loved this book. 

Despite not having seen or read Practical Magic, which is the sequel to Rules of Magic, I was very interested in Rules of Magic when I first saw it on NetGalley. I am an Alice Hoffman fan even though I have not read all of her works. 

The premise of Rules of Magic reeled me in and it delivered. I’ve never read a book which made me cry so much. I fell in love with the characters and their love interests and I felt their joys and pains as if they were my own. 

To date, Alice Hoffman is the only author who can pull such a level of emotion out of me. She is an amazing story-teller through and through but its her writing style that throws me into an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. 

In a nutshell, Rules of Magic was a well-written, entertaining read which in my opinion deserves 5 stars. 

Digital copy received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Wednesday 12 September 2018

"Intricate Deceptions" Book Review





My Rating :★★☆☆☆2 Stars

Digital copy received from author in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When I began reading this book I became confused as to the time period in which the events were taking place. At the end of the book, I was even more confused - expensive cars, pirates, ships, carriages pulled by horses etc. This was pretty much the typical feel throughout the book - confusion. 

Gaia wakes up in a cell, unaware of how she got there and devoid of her memories. She shares a cell with a young girl who she befriends - Emily, and learns that they are victims of human trafficking. 

On the positive side, this book had the potential to be 5-star worthy...except, it didn't quite deliver. Here's why: First of all, if your premise mentions key topics/themes, a reader tends to expect in-depth exploration of the theme as well as character development (to a certain extent tied to that theme); however, the author simply brushed the surface of topics/themes throughout the entirety of the book. 

I did not feel like any part of the book, even the important bits and the revelations, were explored fully in order to have a solid plot with fleshed out characters. 

For example, the plot makes mention of the friend who Gaia made during her captivity. First off, I do not know how long Gaia was in captivity with this Emily girl. Or how long were they friends before she was rescued by Raoul. I did not know or feel the extent of their friendship. 

Secondly, she vowed to rescue Emily; however, there was hardly any mention of Emily after Gaia was rescued which should have been an important theme in the book. 

The romance was unnecessary and misplaced throughout the book and was easily forgotten. 

Maybe there were too many heavy themes to fully explore within less than 300 pages but brushing the surface of something as serious as human trafficking and powerful drug lords while romanticizing the plot is an indication (to me) that the author chose the wrong plot to write. 

Friday 31 August 2018

"The First Kiss Hypothesis" Review

My Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 Stars

Nora Reid loves science and she has a hypothesis. She believes in it, she lives by it and she's determined to prove it "for each person in the world, there is exactly one other person, and at first kiss, they'll experience an immediate and intense reaction".

Nora's grandmother married her soulmate just two weeks after their earth-moving first kiss and she believes they experienced a happily ever after, once in a lifetime, storybook romance. Nora wants that. In search for her one true soul-mate, Nora hosts charity kissing booths and goes on lots of first dates.

But after 4 years of  zero-reaction kisses, Nora thinks that maybe, just maybe her hot best friend might be affecting the results and she needs to get rid of him, and fast.


Enter: Eli Costas. He is the smoking-hot best friend from next door who is determined to disprove Nora's hypothesis and make
her fall for him.
               

Here's the thing: 

First off, how did Nora not realize that Eli liked/loved her? I liked the characters. I think Nora and Eli were cute together. They shared a love for pie which they thought was the cure for everything.. What's not to love?

Although the plot was pretty much predictable, the ride was fun. What drove me mad though was Nora's determination to prove her hypothesis. It blinded her even though she had feelings for Eli. They shared a kiss years ago but there was no earth-moving reaction therefore she thinks he isn't her soul-mate.



She spent the entirety of the book (or almost the entirety) thinking of Eli in a not-so-platonic kind of way and I wanted her to just shout it at the top of her lungs "ELI I (think I) LOVE YOU!!".. But she didn't.

There was a lot of chemistry between the two, a lot of tension as well that had me fully immersed in the story and simply had me rooting for them (even though they were both pretty dumb).

It's not a Pulitzer prize winner but it was well written and fun.

It was such an easy read. If you're looking for something to transport you to a world of plush butterflies (is there such a thing?), bunnies and all things fluffy then look no further! I loved how it helped me beat my reading slump and just helped me forget reality even for a short while. I absolutely adore books that are able to help readers to forget about real-life.




Thursday 9 August 2018

"Timmy on the Toilet" Book Review





My Rating ★★★★☆ 4.5 Stars 




Short, Sweet & Delightful 

Timmy on the toilet was another fun read by the author. I admire the pictures, the use of vibrant colors and most of all the story delivered in rhymes.

Be careful what you wish for!

Digital copy received from author in exchange for my honest and unbiased review






Monday 2 April 2018

"Rules of Rebellion" Blog Tour & Review




About The Rules of Rebellion:
1. Skinny dip (her idea)
2. Prank someone (his idea)
3. Stargaze (her idea)
4. Kiss someone (his idea)

Leo Zimmerman has had a crush on his curvy best friend Kylie Jenkins since forever, so When he discovers the girl with a flair for baking has a newfound plan to rebel against her overbearing parents, he’s determined to be the one to help her carry it out. Who better than a self-proclaimed rebel like himself to show her the ropes of letting loose?

Sure, taking her to her first high school party, helping her sneak out of the house, or watching a sunset together isn’t exactly a hardship, but much harder is masking his feelings the more time they spend together. And when he suggests adding “kiss a boy” to Kylie’s plan and she accepts…suddenly all his dreams seem to be coming true.

But Leo’s got a secret that could change everything between them, and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to the surface.

Buylinks: https://entangledpublishing.com/the-rules-of-rebellion.html


Excerpt from The Rules of Rebellion:
Her dimples popped into place, her smile so bright it about knocked me senseless. She bounced a bit on her tiptoes, and for one hopeful second I thought she’d maybe hug me. Unfortunately, she reined in her enthusiasm.
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she said. “I’ve got to run. My sister is probably pacing in front of my car by now. See you later.”
She scurried off, and I was disappointed the conversation had ended so quickly. I didn’t mind watching her walk away, though. I loved how the girl filled out a pair of jeans. She had more bounce in her step than most of the cheerleaders. Kylie was just plain…perky. She always seemed to be happy and smiling. I’d suspected Kylie was one of those rare people who was always fun to be around. Spending time with her these past few months had proven I wasn’t wrong.
She finally rounded the corner, slipping from my view. As I twisted back around, something crinkled beneath my foot. On the floor, directly where we’d been talking, was a pink slip of paper. It looked suspiciously similar to the one that had been sticking out of Kylie’s notebook earlier today.
I swiped it off the floor as I cast another glance down the hallway. It was too late to call after her. I’d have to give it back to her later. I reflexively glanced at the page, assuming it was a recipe, but wanting to be sure it wasn’t something important. Something she might need immediately.
Senior Checklist.
I glanced down the hallway again, confirming that she was out of sight and that she hadn’t realized she dropped the paper and was coming back. The hallway was clearing out, most of us anxious to get out of here at the end of the day.
With no sign of Kylie, I leaned against my locker and glanced at the sheet in my hand again. I was expecting to see items like Choose date and time for graduation party. Or Tour college campus.
I did not expect to see the items that were actually listed.

Senior Checklist
1.       Skinny dip (sort of)
2.      Sneak out (but don’t get caught)
3.      Prank someone (nothing destructive)
4.      Go to a party (no drinking)
5.      Kiss a boy (finally!)
6.      Watch a sunset (so romantic)

If I’d had any idea her list was going to be so private, I wouldn’t have read it. But once I’d seen it, I couldn’t exactly un-see it.
So I read it again. 




About Amity Hope: 

Amity lives in beautiful northern Minnesota with her two sons, two cats and their Rottweiler.
She has a degree in elementary education and worked in that field for ten years before deciding to self-publish.
Her first self-published novel, Twisted, was listed by Amazon as a Top 100 Kids & Teens Kindle Book of 2012. It hit Amazon's Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance Best Sellers List in several countries. Truths and Dares held the #1 position on Amazon's Best Sellers in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance eBooks in the UK.
If she's not writing or spending time with her boys, she's most likely reading.

 Author Links:



My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 Stars

This was a really short, fun read with a likable main character. 
The rules of rebellion is one of those go-to, quick-read books to instantly put a smile on your face. 

The writing style was clear which I loved about it!

Digital copy received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Monday 26 March 2018

"Adam & Evie" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 Stars 

Digital copy received in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

 Adam & Evie was one of that cute, high-school, I-have-a-crush-on-my-best-friend kind of feel-good book.

Evie Chase is the quiet, nerdy but cute girl who is in love with her best friend Adam Fields. The mean girl (because let’s face it, there’s always a mean girl) humiliates Evie in front of the entire student body. Evie not only loses what little confidence she holds dear, but she loses trust in her best friend and ultimately the friendship ends.

Fast forward to 3 years, and Evie & the rest of the Chase family are living it up in LA. Evie is a famous pop star and older sister is an actress. But now Evie has to return to her hometown where she will face Adam once again, as well as the mean girl who took Adam from her. The only twist is – Evie is returning in disguise to finish up her senior year at Roosevelt High.

I am always, and I truly mean ALWAYS fascinated when famous people (albeit movie characters) take on a disguise to mask their true identity and no one figures out who they really are - Batman, Superman, Supergirl.

Come on! You couldn’t possibly be that dumb/oblivious right?

Overall, it was a good book. It was not an original plot, but find me an original plot in this day and age out of the millions/billions of published books.

I found the book having way too much drama at times as well as unnecessary teenage angst.
Pretty early on in the book Evie’s identity was revealed and I appreciated that. We got to know the real Evie, more or less. It felt like the book was plot-driven with a lot of fillers, rather than being character driven, which is not necessarily a bad thing, its just that I didn’t get to really know the characters.
There wasn’t much of a character arc for Evie & Adam; however, one particular character displayed some noticeable character development toward the end.

I would recommend this to teenagers who fall within the 13-16 year old range.



Monday 19 March 2018

"Little Monsters" Book Review


My Rating:  ★★★★☆ 4 Stars

It’s the cover. Something about that darn cover reeled me in; I can’t put my finger on it because it’s such a simple piece of art! But reeled me in it did and I am glad that (sometimes) I judge a book by its cover.

Kacey is the new girl who has recently moved to Broken Falls – to a charming life with her father’s family; one that has proven to be much different from the one she had led up to that point. 

Broken Falls is the kind of town where everyone is nice and welcoming. To her surprise, Kacey is inducted into a petite circle of two – meet Bailey and Jude.
The duo makes Kacey feel included in everything that they do – sneaking out at night, parties etc. however, Kacey is left out of one of the biggest parties of the year, causing her to feel completely left out. She wants answers, she wants to know why they are all so suddenly acting strangely distant toward her but Kacey will never be able to ask Bailey why because Bailey doesn’t return home that night. 

Awesome premise. Equally awesome delivery.

Little Monsters was a deliciously, mystery-laden book you can’t help but love because of the page-turner plot. The plot and execution was inherently satisfying due to its puzzle feel. I wouldn’t refer to this little gem as compelling, but it was sure gripping! 

I could feel the near-splitting tension, the back and forth speculation of whether Kacey played a part in the disappearance of Bailey. Whether Bailey was truly missing or just seeking attention. Whether Andrew was the killer. Whether Whether Whether.

No matter how many conclusions I came to, I did not arrive at the conclusion that the author presented. I did not foresee the twist until the author began the big reveal. 

And THAT, is what I love about books – the unpredictability, the guessing, the rollercoaster ride, the complexity of twists to the point where you give up guessing. 
I found myself speed reading to get to the end of many scenes; I haven’t speed-read in a while! 

A note those out there: Be careful who you call your friends.

Digital copy received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Friday 2 March 2018

"Restart" Book Review



My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4Stars


Really exciting premise which delivered! The writing style was clear and crisp with a perfect selection of words and metaphors. The choice of alternating views was the best approach and the author was able to tell this story in detail with distinctive character voices and personalities.
I loved how the book preaches that someone can really change, albeit the main character had to get amnesia to actually change, but still, I loved the lesson and some of the themes. What I did not like, and that’s something I never like, is bullying. I do not condone bullying, I do not like to read books or watch movies in which humans are so wicked and unfair. No matter what goes on in your life, there is NO excuse for bullying.

Thursday 1 March 2018

"The Fed-Up Cow" Book Review


My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

What a delightful read! 

This little treasure here, and yes, it is a treasure, was written in fun rhymes that any child could easily read.

It was well-illustrated with such bright colors bursting out on each page.

The fed-up cow, in my opinion, is easily relatable to both children and adults, because at some point in time, we all think things could be better if we could simply become someone else; however, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

I absolutely adored that this book could be read by children and that the lesson is plain as day – just be who you are, stop trying to be someone/something that you are not.

I highly recommend to parents and teachers of toddlers.

Digital copy received from Author in exchange for an unbiased review. 

"The Unhappiness Syndrome" Book Review



My Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star

I really enjoyed this book in the beginning. I had high expectations being that it was a self-help piece speaking about habits that may potentially make us unhappy. 

I delved in expecting to discover some solutions for fixing habits which are possibly inviting unhappiness into my life. What I got though, was a beginning with potential then a few remaining chapters of unrelatable advice and scenarios. 

The relatable/Good:

“Ultimately, happiness is determined by your mental landscape” Ok, I can agree. 

Let’s see the next ↓

“First, accept that your feelings of envy are indications that show where your interests lie. Second, understand that the people you envy are not your enemies or rivals, but your ideals”. Yup, I can totally understand and remember this piece of advice whenever I feel envious of someone else. Thank you for helping me understand my envious tendencies. 

The fact that I found it unrelatable in the section in which religion was introduced could have been attributed to my difference in belief; however, I am usually unbiased and can choose to learn from other religious teachings and advice. This time I could not connect.

The section which spoke of bad habits in marriage left me angry at the author for condoning sexism:

• “Play the role of a delightful and attractive wife”. This statement right here had me reeling. Not once did the author mention that the husband is possibly frustrating the wife or ill-treating the wife or that the wife is exhausted. Or the fact that laundry is piling and the sink is filled with dirty dishes is because he depresses her, or some external factor is upsetting her and causing her to shut down, or that she just wants a BREAK to relax. 

• And why can’t the husband genuinely ask his wife what’s going on and get to the root of the problem when he sees dishes being piled before feeling entitled to a clean house and perfect wife.

• She DOES NOT NEED to put on makeup to make her husband want her. Why can’t her husband want her in her natural state? Why does she have to put on a mask? 

Look, I understand that sometimes it’s good to make a little effort, but since when is taking care of your husband, the kids and the house not enough for him. Have we gone back a few decades/centuries to days of slavery? 

DO NOT put the blame on women for the fact that their husbands cannot maintain their feelings of love and affection.

And women, DO NOT ever feel the need to play Cinderella or Snow White just so your husband can feel a slither of love for you. Because chances are, if he feels something just because you play this role, it isn’t love.

And DO NOT ever feel that it’s enough for your husband to simply be the breadwinner. That can’t be his only role. Oh, I get that it’s a tough role to play, believe me, but it’s not enough. And he shouldn’t be worshiped just for that while you are being drained.


Another issue I had was that this author speaks of some women who have too-high expectations and that they should “feel grateful for any offer that may come”. I do not believe in this piece of advice. It could be the culture difference but I believe this to be unhealthy and the only outcome is unhappiness – the very same thing this book is trying to steer us away from. 

Look here, as a human with emotional ups and downs and external stimuli and triggers and mental issues and I could go on and on – Happiness isn’t as simple as it is portrayed in the book. We are complex beings. Yes, we do have habits which birth unhappiness, but these strings of advice are unhelpful. No one is happy all the time. No one can even attempt to be happy all the time because that in itself conjures unhappiness lest you fail. 

Digital copy received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.