Book Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Daughter

Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: The Iron Fey #2

ISBN: 978-0373210138

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pub. Date: 2010

Source: Library

Genre: Romance/Paranormal/ Young Adult/ Fantasy

Pages: 304
Rating: 4 Kisses
Author's Website


Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.  Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My Reveries and Ramblings: The Iron Daughter was a reread for me. I wanted to finish the series but couldn’t remember what happened after The Iron King (Book 1). If I’m being completely honest, I did not like this book the first time I read it. I remember it felt like a filler in the series. But after reading it again, I have to say that I really really liked it! It had all the elements I crave most in a book: romance, adventure, action, suspense, magic, death, fantasy, etc. 

      In The Iron Daughter, Meghan, Ash, and Puck end up searching for The Scepter, which has been stolen by the false Iron King.
      So, I am completely 100% all about Ash. I like Puck, but Ash! Tall, dark and handsome Ash. There’s just no competition. Meghan and Ash have to overcome so many obstacles. Aside from the fact that their love is forbidden, to keep them alive Ash has to convince the Winter court that he could care less whether she lives or dies. (OF COURSE Megan doesn’t realize this, even though he warned her -___-, and she takes it seriously!) I mean, it was hard reading those parts, but still, she needs to realize he was trying to protect them both. There’s also being chased by Iron Fey and Winter Fey who want them dead. Then there’s one part in the book where it gets really dramatic. Like tears-dramatic. Like remember that scene in Sailor Moon?
      It’s dramatic/sad/horrifying like that(click at your own risk. It’s spoilery): https://33.media.tumblr.com/fe6722801a04c1707e7cbf1618384ef1/tumblr_min6hnbo3o1s3p5vao5_250.gif

      At one point, Ash leaves to go on his own mini-adventure, leaving Meghan and Puck to fend for themselves. I felt bad for Puck. Unrequited love sucks. BUT I will give him props. He made sure he was a friend first. I want him to find love so bad. Maybe in book 4?
      Anyway, poor Meghan is spread pretty thin in this book. She barely has time to process one thing, when BAM another curveball that has her running or fighting for her life. By the end of the book, where there’s a few big climactic scenes, you truly feel for Meghan. It’s like ENOUGH!
      The books ends on a bittersweet note. I’ve read the 3rd book already (will be rereading though) so I know there’s more. But MAN, if this book just came out, I would’ve been like “WHAT?! That’s it?!” Basically I love this series. If you haven’t read The Iron King, then I highly HIGHLY recommend you do. Then go and read the rest of the series!

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Book Review: To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning

Title: To Tame a Highland Warrior

Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander #2

ISBN: 978-0440234814

Publisher: Dell

Pub. Date: 1999

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/Paranormal/ Historical/ Fantasy/Adult

Pages: 400
Rating: 3 Kisses
Author's Website


Synopsis (from Goodreads):
A Woman's Tender Touch
He was born to a clan of warriors of supernatural strength, but Gavrael McIllioch abandoned his name and his Highland castle, determined to escape the dark fate of his ancestors. Hiding his identity from the relentless rival clan that hunted him, he called himself Grimm to protect the people he cared for, vowing never to acknowledge his love for ravishing Jillian St. Clair. Yet even from afar he watched over her, and when her father sent an urgent summons, "Come for Jillian," he raced to her side—into a competition to win her hand in marriage.

A Warrior's Steely Heart

Why had he run from her so many years before? And why return now to see her offered as a prize in her father's manipulative game? Furious, Jillian vowed never to wed. But Grimm was the man she loved, the one who urged her to marry another. He tried to pretend indifference as she tempted him, but he could not deny the fierce desires that compelled him to abduct her from the altar. She was the only woman who could tame the beast that raged within him—even as deadly enemies plotted to destroy them both....

My Reveries and Ramblings: To Tame A Highland Warrior is the second book in Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series.  Click here to read my review of the first book, Beyond the Highland Mist.  This installment focuses on Grimm's story.  

In this book, Jillian's father wants to marry his daughter.  He calls for the three best suitors to come and woo her; Grimm, her childhood friend, being one of them.  He has a secret, however, that keeps him from ever wanting to pursue his feelings for her, even though he does...really really love her.  The secret is quite epic too! This novel kind of plays out like a season of the bachelorette (hahaha).  Which I found hilarious.  So.....if you like those kind of tv shows, you'd like this!

To Tame A Highland Warrior made me super conflicted.  I loved Grimm, the male protagonist! I loved his back story, how he changed from beginning to end, his tortured hero-ness, and pretty much everything else about him.  What I didn't like was that all the depth in Grimm's character was basically absent in Jillian's character. She was a bit of a bore.  If you asked me to describe her, all I could tell you is that she is beautiful and is obsessed with Grimm.  Characters are constantly talking about how selfless and kind and innocent she is....yet....we never see it.  Aside from the lack of depth in Jillian's character, I really liked everything else.

Quick side note: really wish Quinn, one of the other guys asked to court Jillian, had his own story.  Like I REALY REALLY REALLY wish he did.  

Price: Currently $5.98 on the Kindle

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Book Review: Her Mad Hatter by Marie Hall

Title: Her Mad Hatter

Author: Marie Hall
Series: Kingdom #1

ASIN: B008IL48BK

Publisher: Marie Hall (Self-Published)

Pub. Date: 2013

Source: Kindle

Genre: Novella/ Fantasy/ Paranormal/Romance/Fairy Tales/ Retelling

Pages: 129
Rating: 3 Kisses
Author's Website

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch. The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

My Reveries and Ramblings: Her Mad Hatter was such a cute story. I love retellings of Alice in Wonderland! That and the fact that it was free on Amazon Kindle was why I picked it up. The story immediately sets itself up for a series in the first few chapters. (The other books are about the other "bad guy" characters from popular fairy tales/stories). Hatter is insane. He quotes Poe and rambles nonsense all the time. Although he has few brief moments of clairty. He reminds me of a spoiled child. I guess due to his insanity, he's all about instant gratification. Alice has always been obsessed with the Mad Hatter from the Alice in Wonderland book. They've met once before when she was a young girl. Alice never forgot. Hatter needs to find his Alice (his mate according to prophecy) however he's been sent so many Alices over time that he no longer trusts in love or if any Alice is the right Alice. If he doesn't find his true Alice, then Wonderland will die. Her Mad Hatter is a novella (the whole series is?), therefore, it's quite short. It wasn't until I was almost finished that II realized how short it was. I kind of felt cheated. I wanted more. There was so much potential for it to be huge and epic. It felt very rushed. There wasn’t much plot and the stakes weren’t high enough. Now to be fair, as a novella it was fantastic! I just wish it was a full length novel. (<<<Pretty much why it felt rushed and why there wasn't that much plot) Now onto what I really liked about this book. Hatter was adorable and so so hot! I really liked how Wonderland and the Hatter were connected. Wonderland was basically the Hatter. What happens to one, happens to the other. What The Hatter thought/felt would be manifested in the Wonderland world. Another thing I liked was how both Alice and the Hatter referenced/quoted a lot of profound people which was cool. The romance was also pretty hot! Seriously….HOT! Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I just wish there was more, more of everything. I just never wanted it to end! Her Mad Hatter is a super quick read that will leave you grasping for the rest of the series.

Side Notes: AHH! That cover! *Swoon*.....Also, THIS BOOK IS FREE ON AMAZON AND B&N....sooo no excuses ;)

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Book Review: A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

Title: A Dirty Job

Author: Christopher Moore

ISBN: 978-0060590284

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pub. Date: 2007

Source: Borrowed

Genre: Humor/ Fantasy/ Paranormal

Pages: 405
Rating: 3 Kisses
Author's Website

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy. A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, sort of a hypochondriac. He's what's known as a Beta Male: the kind of fellow who makes his way through life by being careful and constant -- you know, the one who's always there to pick up the pieces when the girl gets dumped by the bigger/taller/stronger Alpha Male. But Charlie's been lucky. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a secondhand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He's married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay for a Beta. That is, until the day his daughter, Sophie, is born. Just as Charlie -- exhausted from the birth -- turns to go home, he sees a strange man in mint-green golf wear at Rachel's hospital bedside, a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird. . . . People start dropping dead around him, giant ravens perch on his building, and it seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yup, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death. It's a dirty job. But hey, somebody's gotta do it. Christopher Moore, the man whose Lamb served up Jesus' "missing years" (with the funny parts left in), and whose Fluke found the deep humor in whale researchers' lives, now shines his comic light on the undiscovered country we all eventually explore -- death and dying -- and the results are hilarious, heartwarming, and a hell of a lot of fun.

My Reveries and Ramblings: A Dirty Job was so funny. Weird. But hilarious. My thoughts pretty much cycled through this: "This is really really weird.....OMG HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....huh???What's going on???......HAHAHAHAHA.....OH SHIT!!! OMG!!! OMGOMGOMG!!!!" and would just continue like that through the whole book. Kind of like how Charlie felt during the book. 
     Besides the writing (which was phenomenal!), my favorite aspect of the book was the characters. They were all so quirky and interesting. Even the obscure characters were intriguing, and so much fun to read. My top three, aside from the zombie-frankenstein-animals, were Charlie, Minty Fresh, and Sophie. Sophie was adorable! I just wanted to pick her up and squeeze her the entire book. Minty Fresh was hilarious! Everything he said pretty much made me laugh. And Charlie, Charlie was so funny and cute. There were quite a few times when Charlie reminded me of my boyfriend (who actually recommended the book to me). Oh, and the ending? Epic. Epic and OMG-what-just-happened worthy.
     I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good laugh and a strange yet exciting story.  

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Playlist:

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Book Review: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Title: Of Beast and Beauty

Author: Stacey Jay

ISBN: 978-0385743204

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pub. Date: 2013

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction/ Fairy Tale/ Retelling

Pages: 400
Rating: 5 Kisses
Author's Website

Synopsis (from Goodreads): In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds. Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe. As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

My Reveries and Ramblings:
     What a unique book!  I have never read anything like this.  It’s a fairy tale-science fiction-fantasy-myth-romance story.  Of Beast and Beauty starts out like a myth or an old legend.  The prologue is the history of this planet spoken by The Pure Heart (the good side of the planet).  The condensed version:  He explains to the readers what happened after the ships, filled with humans, arrived on his planet.  How he introduced magic to them and how they split themselves up into two groups: the Smooth-skins, people without magic and the Monstrous, people who started to mutate because of the magic.  The Smooth Skins locked themselves up in domes offering a sacrifice to The Dark Heart, the evil side of the planet, in return for an abundance of resources and safety.  So long as they kept giving a sacrifice, nothing bad would happen.  The Dark Heart placed roses in the city’s walls as a reminder of the deal.  Meanwhile, the Monstrous were banished to the desert and began to go hungry and cold.  After trying to convince the people to stop hating and killing, The Pure Heart used it’s magic to place a curse on all the people.  The Smooth Skins would be born either with some of the mutations of the Monstrous or they would be born with missing body parts.  The Monstrous could never shed tears.  The only way to undo this curse is: 

“If even one Smooth Skin and one Monstrous can learn to love the other more than anything else- more than safety or prejudice, more than privilege or revenge, more even than their own selves-then the curse that division has brought upon our world will be broken and the planet made whole.” -p.5

     Isra the current (blind) queen of Yuan, one of the remaining domed cities.  She is to be the next sacrifice as soon as their resources start to deplete. She lives each day knowing that she could be asked to die the next day.  Because her death is the city’s only way to survive, she is smothered by her protectors on a daily basis.  Isra wants nothing more than to feel the wind outside Yuan’s walls.  
     Gem is a Monstrous warrior.  He sneaks into Yuan to steal their magic roses to help save his people from suffering and dying.  He gets captured and is imprisoned.  Isra forces him to help her make a garden to help heal the people who were given monstrous traits at birth.  
      Gem is so large and masculine.  (I pictured a werewolf in human form….there are no werewolves in this story, though).  He wants to save his people, but instead is being forced to play gardener by Isra.  He hates her.  He hates her so much.  But he also pities her.  These two contrasting feelings frustrate him.  As he spends more and more time with Isra, however, he starts caring for her.  
      Now, onto why I really liked this book.  For starters, Ms. Jay created a heroine, who in every way should not have been one.  Here’s the thing, though, Isra knew that.  She had every card stacked against her.  Isra did what she believed was right.  She follows her gut instinct.  So what if she was blind.  So what if she was threatened with being locked in a tower.  Even blind, she figures out a way to help her people.  She’s stubborn. Even though her advisors treat her like a child and humor her, she does everything she can to help her people.  I admired her so much because of this.  She knew who she was and what her circumstances were.  She never let any of that get her down.  She was also very caring and wanted to prove that she can not only help her people, but lead them.
     Okay, so.... the romance….so perfect! Ms. Jay has Gem and Isra HATING each other in the beginning.  And that just sounds like a boy-and-girl-hate-each-other-then-fall-madly-in-love kinda YA book but it was different.  It wasn’t as superficial as one would think.  There so much at stake for both sides.  They have people they want to protect and help and no matter how much he/she likes the other person, they must hold true to their individual end-goals.  But after a while, Gem becomes protective over Isra, and becomes disgusted at how she’s treated by those around her.  Isra, in turn, wants to help him in his plight to save his people.  They grow to care for each other over a very long time.  The romance was really well developed.  Not cliched at all.  There is a love triangle.  It’s okay though! It’s VERY obvious which guy we want to win.   
     I hated the other guy, Bo.  UGH Bo! Bo and his father, Junjie, are conniving, manipulative, and just plain bad.  I wouldn’t go as far as saying Bo is evil.  But he’s definitely very very selfish.  Ugh, the last time I felt this way about the bad guy was with Prof. Umbridge *shivers*.   
     The final thing I loved about this book was the world-building.  It’s not an epic read, however Ms. Jay fleshed out a very detailed world.  The Smooth Skins and the Monstrous had their own ways of life, their own cultures and language, as well as physical appearances and characteristics, stories, etc.  Ms. Jay also gave the planet a voice.  Literally.  The spirit of the planet was the one who placed the curse over the people.  It was the one who wanted to make people stop hating and start loving.  I would love to dive back into this world.  I was very sad when I finished the book.  Of Beast and Beauty is a stand alone book.  So...no sequel :( 
     Of Beast and Beauty felt like a cross between Beauty and the Beast and the anime Romeo x Juliet (which if you haven’t seen, I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND it...it’s a beautiful, EPIC, and very unique re-telling of the classic Shakespeare play).  Of Beast and Beauty had an EPIC ending!  Loved every minute of this book.  It had the perfect blend of sci-fi, romance, and fantasy with a dash of political intrigue.  I would highly recommend you read it this beautiful and one-of-a-kind re-telling...and then tell your friends to read it! 

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Playlist:

(Click Here if you want to listen to it on Grooveshark--if you don't have spotify)
Had so much fun making this playlist. A lot of these songs I actually listened to while reading the book and they fit perfectly with certain scenes. Like "Oblivion" played during the epic climax scene at the end. Hope you enjoy this playlist :)

Book Review: Whisper of Light by Jennifer DeLucy

Title: Whisper of Light

Author: Jennifer DeLucy

Series: Light #2

ISBN: 978-1936305414

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Pub. Date: 2010

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance

Pages: 272
Rating: 5 Kisses
Author's Website

Synopsis (from Goodreads): The saying goes that all men are created equal... but Nicole Abbot knows better. Lacking the supernatural gifts of the Sentients she has known all her life, Nicole has lived with her nose pressed to the glass, withering beneath the guilt of her own inadequacies and the disapproving glare of her father. It's easy to believe that the universe has forgotten all about her, but things are not always as they seem. With the arrival of Christian Wright, a handsome but complex Combatant with a troubled history, Nicole is forced to question everything she has ever believed about herself, proving that sometimes, our most flawed perceptions are those reflected in a mirror. Jennifer DeLucy again plunges us into the world of lingering spirits, dark apparitions, and malicious vampires. But this time she takes us to the California coast where we get to know a new ensemble of gifted souls that are just as vibrant and endearing as the Sentients we came to love in Seers of Light. In Whisper of Light, DeLucy delivers exciting supernatural encounters as well as very human interactions that will both break your heart and make it soar.


My Reveries and Ramblings:
I love this book.  I love this series. The. End.   Seriously, though, Ms. DeLucy has delivered an amazing book.  I’ve read this book probably 3 or 4 times now.  Every time it’s just as amazing as the first.  I even have the same reactions: OMG! AWWWWWWWWWWW! NONONO!
I actually skimmed through the book again before writing this review and had the urge to read the first book (Seers of Light) so I did (that was probably the 5th or so time I’ve read that one).  What I love about Whisper of Light as well as the whole series is that Ms. DeLucy fleshes out her characters so well.  I relate to her heroines and all the secondary characters remind me of people I know.  They all have talents, likes, dislikes, quirks, flaws, motivations and insecurities.  No one is completely evil or completely good.  Everyone is gray. Even Duncan.   Ugh. He was horrible.  You find out why he treats his daughter the way he does...but still...no excuse!  But that is a driving force in why Nicole is the way she is.  Just like with the first book, with Lily, I felt like I really related to Nicole.  Nicole was never weak.  She was always strong, just hidden and scared.  Scared to forgive herself. 
This causes her to sacrifice things in her life to hopefully gain approval from her father or to make up for her what happened to her mother.  Cue Christian.  Christian is hot, British, and kind.  On his own self-forgiving journey, he sees Nicole’s strength and challenges her to be brave and start thinking about herself (not in a self-absorbed way, just in a stop putting yourself last kind of way).  I will admit, I was skeptical about having Christian be the love interest in this book.  I found him so annoying in Seers of Light.  But I found I really really liked him! 
Part of the way through the book, we get to see William and Lily for a little bit.  (OMGOMGOMG) It’s very brief, but left me very happy.  What’s great about these few scenes is that we get to see their relationship through an outsider’s eyes.  Let me tell you, there’s so much love, it made me tear up.  (I swear I could be an empath :P) 
Finally, my favorite thing about this book and this series is Ms. DeLucy’s story and writing.   Jennifer DeLucy’s writing flows so well.  Her ability to write  non-cliched dialogue and story at the same time as making her characters speak like normal people makes her one of my favorite authors.  This book wasn’t that plot driven.  However the characters were so interesting and the dialogue was so real and at times funny that I barely noticed.  This book is more about relationships, what it means to be a family, and what it means to love (not only others but oneself).  I like the spiritual aspect of the books, as well.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not religious! These books have soul.  

I HIGHLY recommend this book and this series.  There’s tons of paranormal stuff, romance, drama, and even even some humor.  
(Hey, guess what?? This book is currently $2.99 on kindle and Nook!)

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Book Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Series: The Host #1

ISBN: 978-0316218504

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Pub. Date: 2008

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction/Paranormal Romance

Pages: 619
Rating: 4 Kisses

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.  As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love. Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

My Reveries and Ramblings: 
• What I really loved about this book was how Stephenie Meyer dove into human nature and really explored it.  When one small mistake can mean life, death, or even worse, capture, people turn to their most fundamental survival instincts (eat, sleep, kill, run, etc.)  That’s the world that Wanda gets sucked into by Melanie.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  

• Wanda was a really interesting character.  She was just as “human” as the real humans.  However, each side thought of the other as the monster. 

• Wanda has such an awesome outlook on life.  She saw so much beauty in Earth.  

• The Love Story:  There’s a love square going on.  It’s awesome and very complicated.  Love is very prominent in the book, but it’s every type of love: family, romantic, etc. 

• Stephenie Meyer was not afraid of killing characters, or having her characters experience real pain.  Which made this book so much better.  There was a threat to the happy ending which I so desperately wanted (both when watching the movie and reading the book).  

• Epic read!  It is definitely a long book, but not one scene was wasted.  Everything was put there for a reason.  Not much plot, but the characters were very strong (all character driven).  I felt like Wanda most of the time, torn between Ian and Jared.  One moment I was all TEAM IAN…and the next totally TEAM JARED. :P 

• Saw the movie first, because I was a bit skeptical about reading a book about aliens (which are slowly growing on me).  AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT!!!! Ummm, Hello Ian <3 so I HAD to read the book afterwards.  


If you liked Twilight, you’ll enjoy this book.  If you didn’t like Twilight, I still recommend you try this book…It’s nothing like Stephenie Meyer’s previous series, The Twilight Saga.  Also, this is an adult science fiction book…not YA.  So pick it up and enjoy ☺ 

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Playlist:

(Click Here to see Stephenie Meyer's Official Playlist for The Host)

(Click here to listen on Spotify)

Film Trailer: (SUPER EPIC!)

Book Review: Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Title: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Author: Rae Carson

Series: Fire and Thorns #1

ISBN: 978-0062026507

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pub. Date: August 2012

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Historical Romance/Paranormal Romance/ YA

Pages: 448
Rating: 5 Kisses

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.  Most of the chosen do.

My Reveries and Ramblings: Sooooo…..I REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!  Before reading this, I went on a romance novel binge.  I probably read at least six romance novels.  (I was at the beach…don’t judge :P) After that, I was craving to read a book with a strong kick-ass heroine.  I was so tired of reading about damsel-in-distress-I’m-so-weak women.  So picked this from my goodreads TBR list….and read….and read….and didn’t stop.

Elisa, the protagonist, is a princess who carries the godstone, a gift from God to the people of Earth to defend them against dark magic.  Elisa’s possessing of the godstone has put her in constant danger since she was a little girl.  Of course, she never knew about the danger; her family kept her sheltered.  When her father marries her off to a King from a far away land, everything changes.  

Elisa is a fantastic character.  She starts off incredibly insecure, fat, and depressed.  She is fat because she eats when upset or stressed.  This is partly why she is very insecure.  She is, however, incredibly smart.  Over the course of the book, Elisa changes.  Some of these changes come at a great cost to her.  But she perseveres.  She starts out weak, and by the end of the book, she’s so much stronger.  What I liked most about Elisa was that she was so relatable.  She was nowhere near perfect, but was a character that many teenaged girls can look up to.  Hell, I’d like to be like her.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is really hard to review without giving spoilers.  This book does have romance in it, although you’ll be in for lots of surprises.  Every time I started to predict what would happen next or how the book would end, Ms. Carson would go “Yeaaaah no” and throw in a huge twist.  The Girl of Fire and Thorns was nothing short of gripping and epic.  It did involve religion, but it didn’t feel overwhelming.  

If you like epic stories with a strong, relatable, kick-ass heroine than you will LOVE this awesome historical fantasy book! 

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Book Review: My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

Title: My Name is Memory

Author: Ann Brashares

Series: My Name is Memory #1

ISBN: 978-1594485183

Publisher: Riverhead Trade

Pub. Date: June 2010

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Historical Romance/Paranormal Romance/ Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352
Rating: 5 Kisses

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  The latest from Ann Brashares, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a magical story of reincarnation and a love that lasts more than a lifetime Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. For all the times that he and Sophia have been connected throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. But just when Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally awakens to the secret of their shared past, the mysterious force that has always separated them reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

My Reveries and Ramblings: My Name is Memory is one of those books where you read the first page, and you immediately know that it will be amazing. There is so much I have to say about this book, so bear with me as I try and collect my thoughts and communicate them to you. 
          I have a not-so-small obsession with stories that involve reincarnation and romance. Something about soulmates and love lasting lifetimes just warms my heart and makes me smile. There is a drawback, however, to reading so many stories like this; they tend to all start to mesh together because most of the time they are all too similar. This book is not like that at all! The story was so original. It was so grounded in reality! It barely felt like a paranormal romance. In fact, by the end I felt like it could totally be possible. 
          The book switches between Lucy and Daniel’s POV; It also alternates between lives. There are many chapters dedicated to Daniel telling the story of his past lives and how he came to meet Sophia (Lucy) in all the other lives. He can recognize her soul even though her body changes with each life. Her soul becomes a beacon throughout his lives. However, they usually are far apart in age and it almost always ends in tragedy. It was painful to watch Daniel in his past lives try so hard to be with her, make her happy, make her know, and to apologize for what he did to her in that first life they met, only to fail again and again.
          Daniel and Lucy in the present spend most of book apart. We see Daniel falling in love with Lucy through the stories of his past life. When Daniel transfers to Lucy’s school, she immediately becomes obsessed with him and that scares her. It’s the insta-love syndrome, but the heroine isn’t giving in to it (like in almost every other book), instead she seriously questions her sanity. When he approaches her after two years at the end of senior year, she remembers some of a past life with him. That is what causes her to run. She leaves him, heartbroken, because she is scared she has finally gone insane. The rest of the book takes place in the six years following the incident. She uses this time to flesh out her thoughts and feelings and find out the mystery surrounding Daniel. But neither of them realize that a danger from the past has been following them and wants revenge. This danger could tear them apart once again. 
          I feel so bad for Lucy. She is a very realistic person. The fact that she is being haunted by memories that knows didn’t occur in her lifetime very nearly convinces her she belongs in an institution. She spends a lot of the book trying to come up with an explanation for her love for a man that she’s barely spoken a word to, and the strange visions and memories. 
          There was only one teeny tiny thing about this book I didn’t really like that much. The pacing was inconsistent. The beginning was good and super interesting. Then the entire middle was long and ever so slightly tedious. The end picked up, though. But the information presented in the middle is extremely important for the series. It sets up the story and the history; plus the reader gets to see Lucy and Daniel fall in love. So it was still enjoyable. 
          What I really loved about this book (other than the reincarnation romance part), was that Ann Brashares explored the consequences of having memory as a special power. Daniel’s character changes throughout his lives. He learns and grows like most people do, but in many lifetimes, carrying those experiences over from life to life. His love and dedication to being with Lucy strengthens with each lifetime. 
          Ann Brashares has written a beautiful novel that touched my soul. While reading this book, I realized one of the reasons why I love reading about love is because it IS so beautiful. Words can caress the heart, bring tears to your eyes, pull at your heartstrings, make you stop breathing, make you laugh until your side hurts, and so much more. There were moments where I felt like crying. Their love was so beautiful it tore at my heart. 
          This book is not stand alone. It’s the beginning of an epic love story. The only sad thing is that now I have to wait for the sequel (THANK GOD it is a series), which from what I’ve heard, may or may not happen. Let me just say, IT BETTER! I’m serious, I will write a letter to the publisher if i have to! 
         So my recommendation, is that you stop reading whatever it is that you are reading right now, AND READ THIS!!!!

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