Book Review: Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram
Kindle Edition
Amazon // Goodreads 

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 
… 
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

In the words of my Instagram post (with slight revisions due to grammar): Its all sobs and swoons and hurt and healing. Its romance and finding yourself and letting other people in and keeping other people out. Its forgiving. Its loving. Its soul mates and nerds and destiny. Its movie stars and hot guys and sweet guys and bullies and standing up to bullies. Its falling and crawling and hoping and dear lord its breathing. And if none of that convinces you then its also politics and heartbreak and overcoming obstacles. Just read it.

How many ways are there to say 'I love you?' Honest to God. This book is my favorite book of the year. If anything tops this in the next 6 months then hell has officially frozen over. CINDER & ELLA is inspirational. Holy cheese on a cracker jack Ella is strong. And holy cheese on a cracker jack is that girl broken.

After a car accident on her birthday kills her mother, Ella's father (who I hate with a  my heart, yet somehow had a shred of sympathy for by the last word of this book) comes and demands that he live with him and his replacement family in California. Moving her from the only world she has ever known, and in the processes throwing out all her book (she's a blogger too, y'all!) and all her memories of her mother. Okay, so not all of them, but Ella put up with some shiz-niz that more than makes up for it. The only person who Ella wants contact with after her 8 month (yes) coma is her online friend Cinder. Who happens to be our Mr. Hollywood: Brian. Their love over all things nerdy is what makes this book so dang hope-filled. 

Through everything, Cinder honest to God cares about Ella for who she is. He doesn't know about what the accident did to her body, and he doesn't ask because she knows that she has no desire to tell. He wants to make her laugh because he doesn't want her to cry.

He is her best friend. (though she does gain an awesome wing girl who's dads are flipping fantastic!)

Even after making those friends, and standing up to those bullies (yes, I cried. big, old, fat crocodile tears. if this book doesn't make you leak from your eyes multiple times then you have no heart)

 getting broken and hurt and betrayed over and over and over again, she tries to remain strong. This book is so honest and Lordy the emotions are so, so raw. Have I mentioned I weeped? That is freaking monumental. I don't cry. 

Her dad's family pretty much sucks with the exception of one person. And it isn't her sperm donator. I despise him. I might have sympathy for him, but what he did, what he freaking continued to do-- there's no flipping excuse for it. 

God, y'all. Read this book and fall in love with it with me. If you've seen my twitter, I've recommended it more than once since I finished it. 

Gah! That last sentence! I squealed and giggled and was very, very tempted to kiss my phone screen. I decided against it. Mostly due to the fact I was in public and that could be seen as less than adequate decorum. 

The Goddess Test (Review)

Paperback, 293 pages

Published April 19th 2011 by Harlequin Teen 

Source: Bought

Summary:

 Every girl who had taken the test has died.

  Now it's Kate's turn.
 
It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

If she fails...

 Anger. My friend read the summary of the last book to me before I even read this one. Anger. Steam coming out of ears. Bad Emma. Dragons. Flames. Poof. And before y'all say 'maybe she was kidding' nope, she wasn't. I read it on GoodReads to verify. Steam. Dragons. Anger.

Okay now that that's out of the way. I met Aimee Carter. Did you read that post? Oh, fine here's a picture.

And I got Goddess Interrupted signed. Tee Hee Hee. Be very jealous. 

 “I care," he said in a trembling voice. "I care so much that I do not know how to tell you without it seeming inconsequential compared to how I feel. Even if I am distant at times and seem as if I do not want to be with you, it is only because this scares me, too.”

I read this entire book on a car ride to the beach. It was that good. I was grinning and laughing and in utter shock. I totally didn't see who was the killer coming. Shock. Goodess. Crazy much?  I was sooooo good. 

I love Henry. He's Hades by the way.  The Hades/ Persephone is one of my all time favorite Greek Myths. It has this 'I'll do anything (even kidnap you) to be with you flair. 

The myth was artfully woven in the book. 

“Do you think he's cute?"
I rolled my eyes. "He's a god, Mom. Of course he's cute.”

The book was well constructed, thought out and very well executed. I do wish some of the characters were more in depth. That's pretty much the only complaint I have. Oh, and the test were the Seven Deadly Sins. I thought that was a bit strange since that's a Christian thing.

Also, Aimee is awesome. She said my best friend looked like Calliope which made her day.

 

  Jackie  

Review: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot (and Interview with Anne!)

Paperback, First Edition, 446 pages

Published October 17th 2012 by Butterfly Books, LLC

ISBN: 193781503X (ISBN13: 9781937815035)

Reaction: *sputter* Did that-awhh-what?-YOU ARE JOKING-OMH howww cute

Rating: 4.8 Stars

Summary:  After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--jaded pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is…Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s stunning transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist.
And that’s when things get out of control…

First love. Sweet, teen romance. 

 

This was all kinds of heart clenching adorkable-ness. I laughed out loud so many times in the middle of class, I'm sure my peers question my sanity even more than they already did. Totally worth it.
Vere: First of all love the name. I understand the buns. The baggy clothes, girl, those gotta go. She is super shy and all too sweet. The Incident shaped her life. Her entire life. She is obsessed with the boy that The Incident occurred with, Curtis. She cannot confront the male aspect of our community in any way, shape, form or fashion. She goes red. Like redder than a tomato red and stutters like crazy. Especially in front of Curtis. (By the way, Curtis is an ass and his soul deserves to be stomped on by small dinosaurs, other-wise known as chickens.) She thinks (THINKS) she's in love with Curtis. Oh, and she has the best friend in the entire world. She's small but feisty and fiercely protective of Vere.
Hunter Kennedy (Dustin): *fans self, swoons* (hey, I'm a romantic and I love the word swoon) I just wanted to hug him. He seems so sad and then with Vere, he feels important, loved and happy. For the first time in a really long time, he's happy. Hunter is a rock star who has adoring fans, girls who throw themselves at him and a mother who just wants him to disappear. (or does she?) He came to Vere's town to live with his aunt because she was involved in some....dangerous....activities. BUT HE'S SWEET AND AMAZING AND (well not perfect) BUT THAT'S WHY I LOVE HIM! He came expecting to be bored to death, attacked by wolves but, he never expected to fall in love.
I love that this wasn't insta-love. This was the swoon worth "oh-crap-this-can't-be-happening-but-it-is-and-I-think-I-like-it" Falling In Love. Did I mention I'm a romantic. And this book was all about the good stuff. 

“You’re the luckiest person in the whole world to have already figured out what you love. And you’ll be, quite possibly, the stupidest person in the world—if you don’t hold on to it.” 

Charlie: I cannot decide if I like him. He was protective of his sister, but in a slightly destructive way. Okay-REALLY DESTRUCTIVE WAY.
Curtis: I hate him

___

Okay, Ms. Eliot, you had me really, really, really, really worried near the end of the book. And oh damn, that KISS. I was like 0.0 then I was like O.o then I was like *.* and then I wanted Hunter (not Dustin) to kiss me. This book was all about figuring out who you are and what impact you want to make on the world. It was all about the importance of friends, family and love. It had sad scenes, happy scenes and scenes where I wanted to make sure some guys couldn't have kids. This book, is seriously one of a kind. It's official rating from me is 4.8. Why? I know this is a stupid reason, but I hate Curtis. No don't change him. I don't want to like him. I just don't wanna give something HE'S in 5 stars. But, hey, everything else is 5 stars! Especially Hunter and Vere!!! They're just too cute. And the Press Speech? My heart turned into a puddle of goo. I mean, seriously, why can't guys like that exist outside outside of books?

 

I've been a little interview crazy lately. Oops. They're just so fun. And addictive. It's like mind reading without having hundreds of whiny voices in your head!! YAY! NO WHINY VOICES! Why aren't you celebrating. I throw my hands up in the air sometimes...no? Okay. On with the chat with Ms. Eliot. 

Me:What was the hardest part about writing Unmaking Hunter Kennedy ?

Anne: The hardest part about writing Unmaking Hunter Kennedy was doing the research on teen depression and self harm. Although Hunter's case was not severe, it was dangerous enough to get him into a very dark place. Doing the research made me realize just how many sad teens and adults are in the world and how we all go though bouts of depression, self hate and darkness. Two people I know shared their own stories of teen and adult depression and another shared her journals from when she was sixteen when she'd self harmed as a teen. These were beautiful journals full of poetry, insights and a sadness so great and so profound that I was humbled that she'd shared with me. 

Knowing this woman as an adult today as a friend and as a mom is a gift. 

She's created two of the most beautiful children that I've ever known who both adore her and who will bring the world so much light (children that would not exist, had she taken her self harm and depression to a place of no return as many do). I can't imagine the world without her and I hope and am dedicated to the cause of helping or simply listening to kids with teen depression and I hope Unmaking Hunter Kennedy will somehow reach out and touch a teen even a little to think about the people they have not yet met in their lives, the children they will one day have and I hope they too, like my friend hold out for better days because they will come.

Me: Do you have a favorite place to write?

Anne: I LOVE to write in Panera Bread with my headphones on. Our local Panera bakery is always crowded and the hum of people around me really helps me for some reason. (As do the baked goods!) :) 

Me: What advice you you have for beginner authors?

Anne:My advice is find a local writer's conference and go. And then go the next year and the next. If you want to write romance, join Romance Writer's of America and if you are old enough, get yourself to the national conference. You can learn writing in school or on your own with books (The ones from Writer's Digest are best, I think). But at these conferences you will learn craft, you will meet people who never give up, you will hear editors and agents and readers and writers speak and inspire you, and you will leave with writer friends whom you will need to lean on and cry on and smile with as you go through finishing that first manuscript. Second advice, finish the first manuscript and then start the second. 

Butt in chair. Hands on keyboard. A few pages a day and you will have something to work with.

Me: What do you think is the best cure for writers block?

Anne:The best cure is to not listen to the voices in your head and to keep your dreams and your writing close to your heart for awhile. Sometimes writers share too much too soon, and get feedback from people, then take that one opinion or one bit of advice and re-write. You end up trying to do what that person wants, and when you read back over it you are blocked because you aren't writing your heart. 

Sadly, writer's are really good at beating themselves up and writing paragraphs that make them sigh, only to look at the work the next day and trash it all while wondering who wrote that junk? Don't delete stuff...write forward...write from your heart and don't look back at it for a couple of days and then you'll see...you aren't blocked. You are writing, and if you are using your heart and your voice no one else's (even if that voice is loud and shocking and your Mom says it's too extreme) that is how you get out of being blocked. Or...do what I do. Cry it out, lie on the carpet, have tantrums when your family can't see you doing it, then vow to quit, quit for a few days and then because writer's usually can't quit, stop your sniveling and get back to work! :) 

Me: How did you come up with the title for Unmaking Hunter Kennedy ?

Anne:Well, in high school I had a huge crush on a boy I can't name but who's last name was Kennedy. Later on, I fell in love with the name Hunter and so I stuck them together. -Is there any music that helped you write Unmaking Hunter Kennedy ?

Oh yes. So much music. Usually for writing first drafts I use classical in my headphones, and for editing I chose songs that match the scene or the emotions in my head and in the voice of the character's head and blast it while I edit.

Me: How did you come up with the idea for Unmaking Hunter Kennedy ?

Anne: I'm addicted to MTV's programming and I always have been. MTV, for a long while, ran this show called MADE where they had a coach show up in a small town and MAKE kids over in six weeks from a nerd to a cheer leader, or a shy girl into a pageant queen, or a quiet girl into a rapper, etc. At the same time, a lot of teen stars were in trouble in the media as they often are. I wondered if a star like one of the Disney Channel kids, who grew up on TV, then launched a music career (as we know there are many of those who've done that and they are and were amazing) I wondered what if one of those kids wold be like if they didn't like the job...or had been brought up with no other choices...or got depressed and didn't have a way out. Could he/she be UNMADE? How far would a parent go to save their kid even if it meant trashing a career? Could the pop star like one of the One Direction kids ever hide out for awhile and rest in a small town somewhere for a little while?

That idea just kept plaguing me until I wrote the story. Plus...who doesn't love the story of a prince or a pop star falling in love with the girl next door?

  -Jackie 

 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Hardcover, 294 pages

Published September 18th 2012 by Balzer + Bray

ISBN: 0062118781 (ISBN13: 9780062118783)

Rating: 4 Stars

 

Summary:

 

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

 

Rant:

 

Ok. Um. Wow.
Nice job. This is a seriously unique book that is based off of another book. That you Ms. Librarian-best-friend for informing me of its based-off-another-bookness. But no seriously guise I was not expecting to like this. And yes. TJ was the only character I actually liked in this book but hey now, he was so worth it.
And the diary dude.  All mysterious and such.
My one complain is that I thought this book would be scarier. And it wasn't. At least not by my standards.

It was strange how everyone's death made everyone dig deeper into themselves. And dude they all had a dark side. It's like a monsters in all of them. Creeepyyyy.

And I will not be partying on an island accessible only by ferry without my parents knowing and no cell service anytime soon. No siree. Nope. Not my cup a tea.

And I'm sorry, but I really hate Minnie. She annoyed the crap out of me. 

Oh and did anyone see the movie Warm Bodies? No? You need to see it. It will make you appreciate inner dialogue.

Wow that was random.  

Say Yes to the

Book

-Jackie

 Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Paperback, 308 pages

Published August 30th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published May 4th 2004)

ISBN: 0689864744 (ISBN13: 9780689864742)

edition language: English

original title: Honey, Baby, Sweetheart

 Rating: 2 Stars

Summary:

"Right away I got that Something About To Happen feeling. Right away I knew he was bad, and that it didn't matter."

It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Falls, and sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen, ordinarily dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds she is risking more and more when she's with him.

In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby's mother Ann drags Ruby to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group''s own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading, Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long-ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip....

Rant:

Let's just start with this: I hate Travis.
His ego is bigger than the sun and he has no regard for the people around him. He sees people as accessories with no feelings what so ever. Travis sees the world as his play ground and the people of it his for the choosing. It drives me insane. When he finally meets his match he sees some one he can do everything with. And I mean everything. And anything. But, Travis, he's critically insane. Riding a motorcycle 100+ MPH? Holding some one underwater when they can't breathe? Jumping in front on trains? Oh, and did I mention Stealing?
"You fall in love and you think you're finding yourself. But too often you're looking inside of him for you, and that's a fact."
So what does Ruby see in him?
She sees and escape. The whole time she thinks shes falling for Travis. She thinks shes falling in love with some one who puts her life at risk on daily basis.
What amazes me is her ability to go along with it. To go along with everything shes doing wrong, that she knows is wrong. She has a need for speed. She needs to feel the rush. And Travis's motorcycle does that for her.
Shes not falling in love with Travis.
Shes falling in love with Travis's motorcycle.  
I thought it was ironic. Ruby and her mother are so alike its laughable. They both want an escape. They need to be loved but they both fall in love with something replaceable. For her mom, its Ruby's Dad's guitar. In the end, they're both on the mend.
In all I thought the books characters were all a bit shallow and annoying. If I had the choice I would not read this again.

-Jackie

 Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)
by Leigh Bardugo

Hardcover, 358 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (first published May 17th 2012)

ISBN:  0805094598 (ISBN13: 9780805094596)

 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

 

Let us tell the tale.....

 

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

 

  

 

Some ranting of my own.....


 “I'm sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”

 Let me start off with this book is nothing like what I expected.
I expected a poorly executed novel of female heroism with some romance in for a fair twist. I expected names that I don't usually see like 'Mal' and 'Alina' to be annoying and take away from the book. But, no, no ,no, no...It set the scene perfectly and made the book seem so real. I could feel the attacks and blows that she took. I could see The Darkling stealing her heart....and I could see Mal stealing it back.
“I'm not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way you did. I never really belonged anywhere."
"You belonged with me.” And I loved it.
So much.
I thought Mal and Alina's past as cute: the whole best friends since abandoned in an orphanage it different.
I'm still in awe I guess. It's like nothing I've ever read. Yeah I love it. I guess y'all are wondering why I gave it four stars instead of five. And.....I don't know. It just doesn't feel like a five star book. *shrugs*  
“Mal,"I whispered into the night.
"What?"
"Thanks for finding me."
"Always.”
I thought the Stag was a nice thing to throw in...and the whole sacrificial love is pretty amazing.
 And when Alina is taken by the Grisha....dude that scene is intense and my heart was pounding. And Mal just stood there. Good thing he felt guilty for it later or I would have had to slap it. Hard. More than once. Upside his hard, hard head.
And, and----no wait I can't say that. That would be revealing too much. So sorry guys.

Hehehe

The Darkling

 

 “I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I'd catch myself just walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I've risked my life for you. I've walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I'd do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don't tell me why we don't belong together," he said fiercely.”
And I think being a Tailor is amazing. But what she did in the end...what David did in the end. Sorry but even though Alina forgives them, I don't. Nope. No. Nada.
 It would do you well to read this book. Your life would improve. Drastically.
Buuuut.....what's The Darkling's real name. You know, the one his mama gave him?

Another thing that rather annoyed my (besides the whole The Darkling has no actual name thing) was that  ..... awh crap. I don't remember. That's what I get for listening to music, reading and typing a post.-_- grr

Hahahahaha

Well I have two more pictures then I'll show you the author's website and leave y'all alone.

Keep Calm and Join the Grisha

Fine, make me your villain- The Darkling

This is the brilliant woman responsible for my insanity....or at least some of it.

Say Yes to the

Book

-Jackie

 

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (Book 2)

Hardcover, 496 pages

Published September 25th 2012 by Del Rey

ISBN: 0345523342 (ISBN13: 9780345523341)

 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

 

Summary

 

 Can the living coexist with the living dead?

That’s the question that has New Victorian society fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as “The Laz” hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, hungry for human flesh, others can still think, speak, reason, and control their ravenous new appetites.

Just ask Nora Dearly, the young lady of means who was nearly kidnapped by a band of sinister zombies but valiantly rescued by a dashing young man . . . of the dead variety.

Nora and her savior, the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. But others feel only fear and loathing for the reanimated dead. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. And though Bram is no longer in the New Victorian army, he and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. That means taking a dangerous stand between The Changed, a radical group of sentient zombies fighting for survival, and The Murder, a masked squad of urban guerrillas hellbent on destroying the living dead. But zombies aren’t the only ones in danger: Their living allies are also in The Murder’s crosshairs, and for one vengeful zealot, Nora Dearly is the number one target.

 

My Splurge:

 

Zombies in a modern Renaissance Era? Yes, please!
I had amazingly high hopes for this book since the first one exceeded what I thought it would be. Sadly, this book did not meet them. I thought the book was told from way too many perspectives. I would have liked to have just Bram and Nora's perspective. I though having Laura, Mink and Micheal's POVs were unnecessary.

“Nora was the only thing that made sense. She was the only unchanging thing in my universe. She was my lodestar. No matter which way my emotions and circumstances and the impulses of my dead, dying, trying body pulled me, no matter how many mistakes I made, she was always true north. Sometimes I’d side with the dead, sometimes with the living, but always with her.” 

 

Also, I wish we saw Bram and Nora together a bit more. (LOVE the ending by the way) GIRL POWER!!!!
I love Smoke! He's this destructive creature that is tamed by Nora, or as he calls her 'Book Girl.' Hehe, I like that title.
I was very disappointed in Coalhouse. It made me sad. Honestly, I really liked him in Book One and in this one he just kind of fell apart. It was like he no longer see the value in, well, him. And I thought Laura was a bit cruel.

“I’m here for every bit of your life. The bad parts, the scary parts. And I vow to do all you ask of me that is fair … even at the end.” I knew I didn’t have to elaborate; I could see that he’d gotten it, and that it moved him. "

 

 

I adore Bram. I like how he thinks of Nora as utterly adorable but as tough as nails. He's just so cautious around her. It was super cute how he didn't tell her he loved her because he didn't want to scare her off. Even if that did annoy the crap out of me.....

So like 3.5/5 stars for me.

 

Find Lia Habel at http://liahabel.com/

Try This:

-Jackie

 

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Paperback, 383 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 037321054X (ISBN13: 9780373210541)

He's Amish. She's not. Being together should be impossible.

Summary:

Your heart misleads you.
That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.
And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadow view, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms.

It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish.
And I'm not. 

Rating: 4  Stars

What I think:

 Characters: I thought overall they were really well developed. Noah: he's 18 and has his whole life basically already made for him. Ranging from who he'll be, his job, his religion and the way he'll live his life. Then he meets Rose. Rose is the average girl. She's a 16 year- old girl with big dreams. She's a passionate dancer with two brothers, one older and one younger, and caring father. But they all just lost both a mother and a wife. That's why Rose's father changed from a hectic life to a some-what less crazy one. They meet each other and it's like the stars align. But there's a huge milestone. Noah Amish and Rose is not. I loved how they met-through their common love of horses they were able to really connect. They were both extremely naive to the ways to the other's world to a point to where I found it amusing. I found it really interesting how the author's portrayed both of the father's. They were both fiercely protective in their own way but they always held their families best interest at heart.

 “I'd never reacted to a girl this way before. My body was on fire when I was around Rose, and when I wasn't with her, all I did was think about her. Today had been the longest day of my life, dragging on forever until it was finally time to go meet her in the field.”- Noah

Setting: I like how the setting was out of the way. It was during summer-or at least I assume since school was only mentioned once in passing. The Amish community as a whole was really kind and accepting to their new 'English' neighbors. I though it was sweet. But, of course, there is always gonna be some one I just wanna smack up side the head. Over all I thought the author portrayed it nicely. 

Romance: Well done. I applaud you. It was realistic. How often do author's make a book like this with true ideals set out. Both of them (Noah and Rose) had never been kissed so they were each other's firsts which I found kinda adorable. No more details. Oh and I liked how they weren't trampy.

 “It was strange how in that moment of tragedy, it had seemed so unreal, like an old-fashioned movie reel playing on a screen for my eyes only. The pain and broken heart were blocked off for a little while, leaving me numb with disbelief. Shock is what Dad called it. But after a while, the cruel reality started to seep into my tissues, and my body became a sponge, just sucking it all up until, finally, there was so much grief inside, I couldn't help feeling it.
That's how it happened for me. First, the numbness right after she died, next the agonising pain and then the place I was at now—the land of perpetual depression.”- Rose

Just My Thoughts: Okay so if I was told I had to make the choice of leaving my family, my life everything I knew and loved, my friends, my possessions, everything to be with the guy I was head over heels in love with or stay with my family and have everything I knew and loved but not the guy..... I just don't think I could do it. I don't think I would go. I mean......I would move on eventually....right? But....okay let's just say hypothetically I was 16 and the guy was 18, like Rose and Noah, I would still be living next to him. I would still see him everyday. I would not be able to have contact with him. I would see him and his wife everyday until I moved out.....I don't know. I think I would be able to live without the guy but I don't think I would be able to live without my friends and family. I just don't think I could. But that's just me.

 End Points:

4/5

 

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-Jackie