Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse #10) By Charlaine Harris Review

SUMMARY

It's all about family ...

Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie's tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton.

In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.


REVIEW

Dead In The Family is the tenth book in the Sookie Stackhouse Series. 

Dead In The Family sees a very subdued Sookie coming to terms with the brutal torture and near death that she faced at the end of Dead and Gone, the previous book in this series. She’s struggling to recover her physical strength but the biggest changes seem to be in her personality. She’s understandably quieter, more nervous and ill at ease. Eventually she regains some of her normal perkiness but when faced with a threat to her and Eric’s happiness her first thoughts are that it would be better if person threatening them just died – and she’s not too bothered about how. After all she reasons, “It’s not that I approve of murder – but some people just beg to be killed, don’t they?”

Eric fans will be delighted by how much page time Eric has in this book. He and Sookie are quite the happy couple until his ancient vampire maker pays him a visit at which point even Eric seems to become well, repressed. 

There’s not too terribly much else to say about the book. Readers of the series might be disappointed by this dull entry . However enough happens to keep some interest up to keep going through with it.

FAV QUOTES

“Can I help you up?”
"No,” she said bitterly. “I prefer to drag myself along the hardwood floor.”
"Bitch,” I said, squatting to help her up.” 


“A year ago,' I said, 'you wouldn’t have asked this of me.'
'A year ago,' he answered, 'you wouldn’t have hesitated to drink.' 
I crossed to the desk and tossed it down.” 


“I would feel the urge to attack people, to bite them; they'd all be walking McBloodburgers to me.” 


“I would've asked him to bring a shovel and come to help me dig a body up. That was what a boyfriend should do, right?"

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1) By Melissa Marr Review

SUMMARY

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty - especially if they learn of her Sight - and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost — regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.

REVIEW

So I've finally started reading the Wicked Lovely Series By Melissa Marr. Its been on my to-read shelf for quite some time now and I guess I wanted something of a totally different theme than the ones I've been reading. The theme of this series is Fey. I havent really read many books on the Fey other then the Sookie Stackhouse books. So I finally decided to give this new theme a read. Other than my decision to read something on faery of all the book out there I specifically picked this series first of all obviously because the summary intrigued me...other than the summary I totally loved the covers of all the books in the series. They are simply gorgeous.

Wicked Lovely is about a girl named Aislinn who can see faeries, only that’s not a good thing. Faeries are mischievous at best, downright dangerous at worst, and if they find out Aislinn can see them, they’ll probably just kill her. So she pretends she can’t see them and ignores them, and tries not to live in constant fear.

It helps that her best friend Seth lives inside two converted train cars that are made of steel, i.e., iron, meaning faeries shall not pass. But this changes when one day, a faerie makes himself visible and asks her out. Its not just an ordinary Faery there people, its the Summer King himself.

I liked Aislinn, definitely adored Seth, and found it very entertaining. There’s no Keenan vs. Seth love triangle; Aislinn is never interested in Keenan and wants him to leave her the hell alone.

Totally loved Donia's character too. Because of the curse, when it turned out she wasn’t the Summer Queen, she was forced to become the Winter Girl and carry Winter’s chill. She can’t touch Keenan because he’s made of summer and sunshine. She still loves him, though she doesn’t want to admit it, and he clearly still cares about her (which only makes things worse.) Donia is pretty awesome and has a pet wolf.

All in all it was a really good book and a great introduction to a new story.

FAV QUOTES

“And he smiled at her, truely smiled- wicked and lovely...” 


“What would I do without you?"
"You'll never find out.” 


“I don't know why certain people shine for others. I don know why you and not someone else” 


“He tipped her head up. "Don't give up. Don't leave me before you're even here.” 



“Can I join you at lunch?" 
She paused. "You have every other day." 
He laughed, a sound as musical as the chiming song of the lupine fey when they ran. "Yes. But you resented it every other day." 
"What makes you think I won't resent it today?" 
"Hope. It's what I live on...” 



“you're @ home?"She could hear him moving around..."I'll let you go then."
"What if I dont want you to?"he said.
She heard the music as he walked toward his room, some sort of jazz.her heart sped up, thinking of him stretched out on his bed too, "Good night, Seth."
"So ur running again, then? One of his boots thudded on the floor."I'm not running."..
"Really?"
"Really.Its just--"She stopped.
"Maybe you should slow down, so i can catch you."He paused, waiting.He seemed to do that more & more lately, make statements that invited her to admit something dangerous to their friendship.When she didnt answer he added, "Sweet dreams, Ash.” 

Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) By Jamie McGuire Review

SUMMARY

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. 

Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

REVIEW

Oh dear fairy godmother turn me into Travis's Abby.

Honestly people the undeniable chemistry, and undying love between Abby and Travis is addicting.

I remember reading Beautiful Disaster and wondering things like “I wonder if Travis is hurting as much” or “why the hell did he do that?”…well now I know! If you thought you couldn’t love Travis more than you already do I am here to tell you that you are wrong! You can and will love him more (he is just too adorable and swoon worthy) but he will also frustrate you and have you wanting to hit him up side the head a few times. :D

I also loved Travis’ relationship with Shepley. You really see so much more of Shep and I loved how they bickered, teased, stood up for each other and then they had their moments of frustration and hurt. Learning more about Shepley is just another layer to this book and shows how much we really didn’t see and know. America is the bestest friend you could ever ask for. I loved her character in BD and even more now in WD.

I absolutely LOVED Walking Disaster as much as I loved Beautiful Disaster. Maybe even more. Travis and Abby's love story is full of angst, chemistry, drama, love and secrets. It is a beautifully written novel, and is easily my favorite book of all time.The ending was bittersweet for me, as I had to say goodbye for now to Travis and Abby, because at least I got to see how everything ended, and can hope that I will see them again when I read all of the Maddox brothers' stories.

All in all a big Thankyou to the author for giving us such an amazing and memorable story.

FAV QUOTES

“One of these days you're going to fall in love, son. Don't settle for just anyone. Choose the girl that doesn't come easy; the one you have to fight for, and then never stop fighting. Never” 


“There's a girl, Dad."
He smiled a bit. "A girl."
"She kinda hates me, and I kinda..."
"Love her?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. I mean...how do you know?"
His smile grew wider. "When you're talking about her with your old dad because you don't know what else to do.” 


“Abby touched her palm to my cheek. "You know what, Mr. Maddox?"

"What, baby?"

Her expression turned serious.

"In another life, I could love you."
I watched her for a moment, staring into her glassed over eyes. She was drunk, but just for a moment it didn't seem wrong to pretend that she meant it.
"I might love you in this one.

“Once she kissed me, my heart slowed, and every muscle in my body relaxed. How much I needed her terrified me.


“The way I feel about you . . . it’s crazy.”
“You got the crazy part right,” she snapped, pulling away from me.
“I practiced this in my head the whole time we were on the bike, so just hear me out.”
“Travis—”
“I know we’re fucked-up, all right? I’m impulsive and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then you need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don’t deserve you . . . but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I’ve loved anyone or anything, ever. When you’re around, I don’t need booze or money or the fighting or the one-night stands . . . all I need is you. You’re all I think about. You’re all I dream about. You’re all I want.” 


“I like her," I said through my teeth.
Shepley held his hand to his ear. "What? I couldn't quite hear you."
"You're an asshole! Did you hear that?"
Shepley crossed his arms. "Say it."
"I like her, okay?"
"Not good enough."
"I have feelings for her. I care about her. A lot. I can't stand it when she's not around. Happy?” 

Guitar Notes By Mary Amato Review

SUMMARY

A heartwarming story about an unlikely friendship forged between a straight-A, classical musician and a bad-boy guitar player told through notes, lyrics, texts, and narration.

REVIEW

Awww such an amazing story. I simply wanted it to go on and on and on. :D

Guitar Notes starts with the beginning of the school year where we meet our lead characters Lyla (Ms.Even) and Tripp (Mr.Odd). These two couldn't be more different but find themselves coming together on the basis of their love for music.

Tripp and Lyla are such well thought out and admirable teen characters. Lyla begins our story laying in bed almost paralyzed with the fear and stress that comes from having to be perfect, and she quite literally begins to blossom as she sets aside that which has been pressed upon her and embraces that which speaks to her soul. And Tripp is a charismatic young man with deep thoughts about life and music, yet he has a fun, snarky, sarcastic wit (It was hilarious how he refers to his mother as The Termite in his head).

Tripp and Lyla develop a slow building, intimate friendship and musical partnership that may or may not eventually develop into something more, and that something more doesn't matter. This is just truly a beautiful friendship and musical partnership. In ways they save each other, but they are also saving themselves by being true to themselves as they learn to be honest with one another through their music. 

Guitar Notes was a refreshing and uplifting read. At the end, I felt satisfied and inspired and just moved. Guitar Notes by Mary Amato gets without a doubt 5 out of 5 stars.

FAV QUOTES

“Her checkbook catches his eye. He takes it and hides it in the back of the freezer, underneath a bag of frozen lima beans. If she can freeze his account, he can freeze hers.” 

“They were lucky to find each other. Nobody could take that away.” 

Bound Together By Eliza Jane Review

SUMMARY

Seventeen-year-old Zoey needs an escape from some personal drama, like her mom’s depression and taking care of her four younger siblings. She finds the perfect distraction in a frenemies-with-benefits arrangement with irritatingly hot football captain, Matt, during their class trip to Paris. There’s no chance of falling for someone whose only ambition in life is to stay in their hick town and one day take over his parent’s tire store. But far from home and personal responsibilities, his cocky grin and easy attitude start to grow on her as they explore the seductive city of Paris together. 

Once they’re back at home, Zoey finds herself texting him for a secret rendezvous whenever she needs an escape. Though she’s been explicitly clear she’s using him for one thing, whenever Matt picks her up, he acts more like it’s a date-date rather than a backseat playdate –making sure she has eaten, or stopping to color with her little sister before they go out. Despite her best efforts at keeping their arrangement physical only, Zoey begins to realize – with fear and disgust – that she’s falling for him. When things fall apart with her mom, letting Matt see her real life takes more courage than she has – but if she’s brave enough to let him, he might be just the one person who can help. 

Bound Together is a 53,000-word YA contemporary romance told in alternating chapters from Zoey and Matt’s points of view.

REVIEW

Zoey is the oldest child in her family. At the age of seventeen, Zoey is supposed to have fun with friends, go to party, and dating. But she couldn't do any of that because she needs to take care of her four younger siblings. Zoey herself already feels like a mother to them. Their parents are still alive but they barely act like one. Her mother has depression and her father works all the time. However, all Zoey needs is a time to herself. And a class trip to Paris will certainly help her to forget her duty even just for a while. Not to mention she's paired with football captain Matt to their assignment. 

Sticking together throughout the trip, they form their own little bubble; just the two of them. They both feel something spending time together, hence the frenemies-with-benefits, but they know everything must return to how it was before Paris when they fly home.

Except things don’t change, minus Zoey trying to ignore Matt when they get back, he slowly worms his way into her life, no matter how much she tries to stop it. She doesn’t want to fall in love with someone who wants to stay in their town, when she wants to get far away.So they make a deal. Secret meetups to hook up and when Zoey wants to stop it, Matt tells her they can have one phone call each then they can stop all contact. Can they really stay away from each other though?

I loved both the characters of Matt and Zoey. They seemed so different yet so in tune with one another. Matt suffers from migraines and Zoey turns into mother mode to help him out whereas Matt is so kind and lovely to her siblings, even going as far to help her mother out.

It was a breath of fresh air to see someone like Matt admitting he doesn’t want the popular status that he has to keep up, trying to be happy when he’s clearly not and it doesn’t feel like him at all.Zoey doesn’t like anyone seeing the real her – someone who keeps the family running – so it takes courage for her to let Matt see that side of her, especially as he witnesses it firsthand. But she accepts his help even though she wants to be the strong one.

They both show their weak sides to one another, Matt with the migraines and telling Zoey about his brother’s death and Zoey with her family. It was really nice to read them help each other out and be tormented over their feelings for one another, finally succumbing to them later on.All in all, a great read to pass the day.

Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) By Charlaine Harris Review

SUMMARY

The vamps have been out for years, and now the weres and shifters have decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world. Sookie Stackhouse already knows about them, of course - her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she's friend to the local were pack, and Sam, her boss at Merlotte's bar, is a shapeshifter.

The great revelation goes well at first - then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found in the parking lot of Merlotte's, and Sookie agrees to use her telepathic talent to track down the murderer. But there is a far greater danger than this killer threatening Bon Temps: a race of unhuman beings, older, more powerful, and far more secretive than the vampires or the werewolves, is preparing for war. And Sookie is an all-too-human pawn in their ages-old battle ...

REVIEW

As with all of the books in the Sookie Stackhouse series a mystery lies at the heart of the story. In Dead and Gone it’s another dead body in the Merlotte’s parking lot. And, as is the case with previous stories, the murder turns out to be just the start of Sookie’s troubles.

Sookie has always managed to survive bad things by being straightforward and pragmatic, and in this book, those qualities are pushed to the limit, perhaps beyond the limit. Indeed, really bad things happen to Sookie in Dead and Gone, things that take the series to a much darker place than ever before. Darker, richer, more powerful than perhaps any of the other books in the series save the first, where Sookie discovered a whole new world practically in her back yard. A devastating book, one in which Sookie faces a number of life changing crossroads. 

Dead and Gone begins with the public revelation of the weres, an event that has the potential to catalyze worldwide violence. It was one thing to accept vampires, the but existence of more than one supernatural being raises many questions about how many more there might be. 
Charlaine Harris pulls her influences from a number a genres and mixes them up to create a genre and writing style that is uniquely her own. The resulting fast paced novel is written with a light touch that encourages readers to speed through the story in one-sitting .The last fifty pages of Dead and Gone make truly compulsive reading as the story reaches its climax.

FAV QUOTES-

“The vampire is not a bad man, and he loves you” 

“He picked some unwise words. Saying, “I’ll enjoy killing you for my lord”, is just not the way to make my acquaintance.” 

The Prince with Amnesia By Emily Evans Review

Summary

Violet’s sure of three things:

• Its senior year and its time to date
• She’ll have to lie to do it
• She wants to date the hot new guy – Kai

Kai’s sure of three things: 

• He has amnesia 
• He’s recuperating in secret in America
• He wants to date Violet

Ever dated a hot guy with amnesia who turns out to be a prince in disguise? 

- Welcome to Violet’s senior year.

REVIEW

The Prince with Amnesia. I think the title already describes what the story is all about..dont you agree? :D

 So now the story is basically about a guy who lost his memories due to an accident in their palace and he forgot who he was, his family and the fact that he is actually a Prince of Halterra, a small country in Europe.
 Due to that ill-fated incident, he was sent in Texas to live a normal life with his mother and that’s where he met the girl whom he fell in love with. But unfortunately, that girl is not allowed to date. SO, how will Kai make his move with Violet? That’s one thing that you need to find out in this story.

 The next thing that you need to find out is what will happen to Kai and Violet when Kai’s memories came back to him? Will he live Violet and go back to his own country and take his position again as the Prince of Halterra? or will he continue his life with Violet and turn his back to his country and forget that he is a Prince? 

I’m always a sucker for forbidden love, and this story certainly made me happy. It’s wonderfully written and is a fun, light read. The only complain that I have about the story is the ending. I think a couple more chapters would have been better. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. 

Other than that totally loved the story, the chemistry between Kai and Violet and I would recommend it if you want an entertaining but  light read. It's romantic, sweet, and heartwarming.