Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under
by Gwen Hayes

Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal Romance

In her dreams he's irresistible—seductive, charming, and undoubtedly dangerous. But when he appears to her when she's awake—and captivates her just the same—she's not sure which way is up and which is down.

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, not allowed the same freedoms as the rest of the teenagers in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, she feels every urge she's ever denied burning through her at the slightest glance from Haden Black. Theia knows she's seen Haden before—not around town, but in her dreams.
Theia doesn't understand how she dreamed of Haden before they ever met, but every night has them joined in a haunting world of eerie fantasy. And as the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her forward one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And as she slowly discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Theia is a talented musician that is dedicated to school and her friends but lacking in a father/daughter relationship. One night, she dreams about a mysterious stranger and the next school day meets Haden, the same boy from her dreams/nightmares. As the two become closer and closer through her dark dreams, Theia eventually learns about the more sinister motives behind Haden's visits but is too far in love to let it stop her. Yet, someone even more deadly and devilish is on the hunt for Theia to take her "Under" for good.

** SPOILERS **

This was a "Meh!" read for me. I was intrigued about the grim parallel universe concept and how disturbing the ghoulish characters were in those eerie dreams/nightmares, but essentially the story's plot was drab, tiresome, and doleful overall. It took me over a week to finish, something that proves my distaste of Falling Under; especially near the end when I was skipping ahead full pages at a time to just finish and move on to a more entertaining book.

One would think Hayden, the main male lead, could add a lot of enchantment and masculine charm to keep the story alive, but he really didn't add enough interest for me to fully grasp that he was capable of a "loving" relationship to begin with. Theia's two best friends, Donny & Amelia, really kept the story going since Theia, herself, easily came off as lifeless, dull, and very tedious. Both of the friends really shared the book, in my opinion, with their own little love adventures going on throughout and I would have much rather followed Donny & Gabe's romantic tension than some of Theia's battles. All in all, this book bored me, was very dragged out and lacked that delightful spark that would peak my curiosity into reading more, but if you had another opinion than mine and wish to read more -- Dreaming Awake seems to be a similar story, if not continuation, of Falling Under and will be released early January 2012.

Likes: The mythological comparisons were easy to make within this book (Hayden=Hades & Theia=Persephone and yet, Theia's name seems a play off of "Lethe" since, in Greek mythology, Lethe was one of the five rivers of Hades), but what I liked best, since I'm a big fan of creepy characters, were the dancing faceless ghouls and stitched up hand-maids and all those other deliciously spooky creatures that made up "Under". . . fascinating!

Dislikes: I'm not sure if Varnie, the psychic, was to be there for comical relief, but he was just too daffy for me to enjoy.

Rating:

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Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Jekel Loves Hyde
by Beth Fantaskey

Genre: Young Adult | Supernatural Thriller | Romance

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, this good girl is tempted to peek inside, because the contents just might be key to winning a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. As things heat up in the lab though, Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and will compel her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

Jill, a brilliant student, tragically lost her father and after learning some dark truths about him, must now win scholarship money to keep alive any hope of attending college. Tristen, an accomplished musician, is a British heart-throb, but deep down inside contains a dangerous monster just waiting to get out. Thus, both teenage descendants of the legendary Dr. Jekyll ( Jill Jekel ) and Mr. Hyde ( Tristen Hyde ) team up to recreate tricky experiments with the aid of an old box holding “original documents detailing the actual experiments that inspired the novel”. They both enter into their chemist partnership for different reasons, but soon realize things could never really turn out as they hope!

I had high hopes for this book since I thoroughly enjoyed Fantaskey's first book, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, but this book just kept getting worse and worse. I don't mind a dark tale as long as it is a good tale, but this one was just too morbidly unsatisfactory for my taste. Rape, abuse, murder, depression . . . those are just a few of the grim subjects touched throughout the story. Also, I couldn't say I liked the main characters: Jill was either way too timid or too brassy & Tristen came off as too vigilant and intent on only doing what he wanted. I could go into a lot of detail here as well on how the writing style conflicted much of the plot, how unbelievable their romantic relationship developed and the unsatisfying ending, but won't since I'll just say I was sorely disappointed and begrudgingly finished the book even though I knew it would get a low rating.

Likes: Can't think of much since there was just too much sadness and self-pity going on throughout.

Dislikes: Lots, but mostly . . . contains really heavy topics . . . so don't expect a cheery or delightful read.

Rating:

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Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney

Awaken the Highland Warrior
by Anita Clenney

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Time-Travel

A MAN FROM ANOTHER TIME . . . Faelan is from an ancient clan of Scottish Highland warriors, charged with shielding humanity from demonic forces. Betrayed and locked in a time vault, he has been sleeping for nearly two centuries when spunky historian Bree Kirkland inadvertently wakes him. She's more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him, and if he's not careful, she'll uncover the secrets his clan has bleed and died to protect . . .

COULD BE THE TREASURE SHE'S BEEN SEEKING ALL HER LIFE . . . When Bree inherits an old treasure map, she discovers a warrior buried in her backyard. but the warrior isn't dead. Bree shocks Faelan with her modern dress and her boldness, and he infuriates Bree every time he tried to protect her.

With demons suddenly on the move, Bree discovers that Faelan's duty as protects is in his blood, and that her part in this fight was destined before she was born. But nothing is ever what it seems . . .

He's had centuries to dream of her...Mis-adventurous historian Bree Kirkland discovers a one hundred fifty year old warrior buried in a crypt behind her house. But Faelan, the warrior, isn’t dead. When this chauvinistic Scottish Warrior awakes, he has no choice but accept the help of this modern-day woman who’s rescued him, but she’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him. If he’s not careful, she’ll uncover every secret his clan has bled and died to protect.

You would think I would have only high praise for this book, b/c it has highlanders, time-traveling, and paranormal twists (Yayy!), but NO . . . sadly Awaken the Highlander Warrior was lacking for me. It mostly lacked that certain something I highly enjoy in highlander books - a good detailed character development from a confident Scottish lead, but Faelen was just too uncertain in his actions and doubtful about his modern-day life that he didn't really appeal to me much throughout the tale. Couldn't say I was enthusiastic about the other lead as well since Bree was actually ALL OVER THE PLACE with the obsessive demons, family history, and her crazy ex-boyfriend that I couldn't really grasp her overall trajectory in the story before she was on her next harebrained adventure. Sometimes that whole careless erratic manner works for certain characters, but not for Faelan and Bree. All in all, the romance was okay, but nothing truly exciting. On a side note: I feel like I've been reading some bombs lately and that I need to pick up something that pops soon to re-spark my reading taste before I go into a dry spell . . . ek!!

Likes: There were some spooky graveyard parts that did create a nice dark creepy mood for the reader and I wish there was more of that.

Dislikes: The cover just cracks me up!
I mean . . . how much more RANDOM detailing could one book have:

1. Buff Highlander in Kilt
2. Tribal Tattoo on Chest
3. Tartan Armband with Tassel
4. Sword & Glowing Talisman
5. Full Moon in a Purple Sky
6. Crackling Lighting
7. Misty Graveyard with Mausoleum & Crows
8. Stone Archway
9. Gaslight Post
10. Some Lady's Eyes
11. Two-story House
12. Another misty Graveyard with Tombstones

Rating:

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Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins
by Tera Lynn Childs

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Young Adult

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Lily came to the main land to experience life as a "Terraped" (aka 'Human' to Mermaids) and get close to the memory of her long-lost human Mother; who died shortly after she was born. Living at her Aunt's house, she goes to school as a normal teenager and becomes involved with the swim team and yearbook club. Her royal mermaid destiny claims she has to find her mer-mate before her eighteenth birthday, thus she's on a mission to kiss her long-time crush, Brody, and bring him back to her under water kingdom. Unfortunately, her annoying neighbor, Quince, always seems to get in the way of all her romantic attempts and when one finial Brody slip up occurs, Lily has to return to her home in the sea to set things straight, with Quince in tow.

I've been on a mermaid genre reading spree lately, but found this book sadly underwhelming and quite callow overall. Lily can come off sometimes are endearing but mostly she's frivolous & indecisive -- almost annoyingly so! Quince is easy to understand, but quite a push-over when it comes to Lily. Though it's nice that he can push Lily's buttons and add some much needed playfulness to the story. The side characters were all very bland, stale, and didn't really excite me that much; except for the Father/King -- he created an emotional bond that really added to Lily's family history. All in all, if you are looking for an easy juvenile paranormal read ( with silly characters doing foolish things! ) you may enjoy this book more than myself (esp. with Book #2 coming out shortly)

Likes: Lily has quite a collection of ocean-related potty-mouth slang she uses throughout the whole story. (ex: "Son of a Shark", "Carp","Holy Crab Cakes", etc.)

Dislikes: The story's plot was very underdeveloped and Lily's naivety put a damper on the tale as well.

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A Highlander of Her Own by Melissa Mayhue

A Highlander of Her Own
(Daughters of the Glen Series Book #4)
by Melissa Mayhue

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Time-Travel | Historic

TEXAS, PRESENT DAY. ELLIE DENTON's world has spiraled out of control. A strange new birthmark, animals talking to her, and her mother's ex-husband laying claim to the family ranch have her thinking life can't get more complicated. But Ellie doesn't know the birthmark's connection to her Faerie ancestors. Complicated takes on a whole new meaning with her innocent wish to find her true love.

SCOTLAND, 1304. CADEN MACALISTER has more trouble than he can handle. With his brother held for ransom
and the laird missing, the last thing he needs is another problem. But the Fae have other plans.

A mysterious woman shows up in his stables, sent by Faerie Magic to find her true love. Fighting his attraction, Caden insists she's meant for one of his brothers. With his history, he has no desire for a woman in his life—especially a woman sent by the Fae.

Only the magic of the Fae can determine whether Ellie will find a Highlander of her own...

Ellie has had to deal with a lot of shocking things recently: her Mother passed away, she's getting a new birthmark medically tested, her ranch is in danger of falling into the wrong hands, and suddenly she's communicating with animals. On top of all that, she even finds herself stuck in another place and time that isn't exactly Texas. She soon learns 'words' are a lot more powerful than one thinks and sets herself on a mission to discover her future soul-mate by accepting the past.

I love time-travel romances (plus adding faeries and highlanders makes it even more exciting) and on my trip to Texas for Easter . . . I thought reading about Texas would be enjoyable, but I found this tale almost too silly. Personally, I'm just beginning Mayhue's Daughter of the Glen series and while some books have really held my attention, this one just feel flat and was rather boring throughout. The characters of Caden and Ellie's were to drastically different that it was hard for me to really get evolved in their romance and to become absorbed in their story.

I felt the book skipped a lot of character development and because of that I really missed out on feeling emotions toward the leads in the story. Ellie was just too accepting of her situation that it was just so unbelievable and Caden too stubborn of his future that they just didn't mesh well together. Plus, I am NOT a fan of dogs in story (sorry dog lovers!) so I would skip ahead many of the parts that included Ellie's Missy & Baby. Ugh! There were a few interesting parts of A Highlander of Her Own that I liked, (the bath house scenes-being one) but all in all - it was a bore (love scenes included!)

Likes: The side-character, Dair Maxwell, added some much needed entertainment to the tale.

Dislikes: I wanted more of a well-rounded ending for Ellie and for her to personally get revenge on Ray back in present-time Texas, but how it was written out was just not what I liked. I could have imagined many other/betters endings.

Ratings:

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Realm of Shadows by Shannon Drake

Realm of Shadows
(Vampire Saga Book #4)
by Shannon Drake (aka Heather Graham)

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Every Nightmare Has Its Beginning

In an ancient churchyard just outside Paris, archeologists uncover an ancient tomb certain they have stumbled onto the find of the century. But something goes very wrong as the tomb is opened. Something too frightening to imagine...and too terrible to utter.
For American visitor Tara Mason, the romantic city of her dreams has suddenly turned sinister. For she has heard the blood-curdling screams in the churchyard and knows that she must run away--from the powerful stranger chasing after her...and from a nightmare she can't be sure is real or imagined.
At the country estate where she has sought refuge, the shadowy man reappears. He calls himself a guardian, sworn to protect the innocent from an evil most never see. And Tara will have to trust him, because that evil has seen her...and won't stop until it claims her. body and soul.

Tara is moving to France for a bit to take care of her ailing Grandpapa, Jacques DeVant, with her cousin, Ann. Yet, on the first day, her Grandpapa talks her into investigating an archeological dig going on within a local church in the village. Her visit turns out tragically when what is inside the discovered coffin of Louisa de Montcrasset disappears and one of the diggers ends up brutally murdered. Now Tara must, begrudgingly, keep her visit to the dig secret from the police but also the public due to the tough advice from a mysterious friend of her Grandpapa, Brent Malone. He's dark, insanely handsome, oddly knows more about all the strange activity going on in the village around Tara's family chateau than anyone else and she cannot stop her attraction to him upon his ever visit. Can Tara accept the truth of what exactly is causing these shadows to emerge throughout her Grandpapa's village while believing in this mythical "Alliance" that began during WWII?

I had high hopes for this book since the back description sounded intriguing, but sadly it lagged to much and I couldn't finish it in full (not just yet!) I got bored quite easy while reading this and had to skip on to something new to spice up my reading habit before I got into a lull. I did get to page 296 out of a 414 page story, so not too shabby. The story wasn't too bad, but it did skip around to a lot of places with too many new characters brought up too infrequently that it made the story flow unsmoothly and just felt choppy overall.

The relationship between Tara & Brent wasn't anything special as well. I didn't feel sparks between them and had hoped their romantic scenes would have added some spice to the story, but nope! Usually Heather Graham's (aka Shannon Drake's) stories don't have too much heat going on in the bedroom department, but this one seemed to lack even less (except for the murdering parts). Plus, I'm not a fan of books involving Police characters (or any other correctional institutional figures) so Inspector Javet didn't really fascinate me at all and he actually took away some of my interest from the tale during his crude interactions with Tara or Brent.

Likes: The historical flashbacks to WWII were interesting!

Dislikes: It just felt like parts of the story were dragged out way past what they were meant to be and that turned me off.

Rating:

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Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Everlasting
by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Genre: Historical Romance

Once Abrielle was a proud, exceptional lady coveted for her bearing, her breeding, her wit, and her beauty. But when her stepfather is denied his rightful title and the wealth that accompanies it, Abrielle finds herself suddenly disgraced. Only one would still have her, the oafish and grotesque Desmond de Marlé. Yet no one else can rescue her once-proud family's honor, so she is left with no choice but to accept the cruel and hateful de Marlé's offer of marriage . . . even as she yearns for another lover.

Dashing, handsome, tall, and kind, Raven Seabern is quite unlike any man Abrielle has ever encountered. From the very first moment their eyes meet, he intrigues and mesmerizes her—and dancing in his arms at a royal banquet leaves her weak with the desire to surrender. But their love can never be, for Abrielle is betrothed to a monster. And the well-being of everyone she cares for demands that she honor her promise.

Still, the fire lit that night will not be doused. Raven knows he has found the true one and must never let her go—though secrets, deceptions, dishonor, and unimaginable peril will surely be their fate if they follow the dictates of their hearts.

I was so hoping for another great Woodiwiss read similar to The Wolf & The Dove, but sadly I was let (way!) down. I couldn't warm up to any of the characters, they just came off as too distant to me. Much of the story didn't really need to be there as well and it seemed like a lot of fluff was added in to make a higher page count. The two protagonists also really didn't click for me and them finally being together didn't really add any excitement to the story. Abrielle, to me, wasn't a very likable character since she came off a too stubborn/fickle/prudish throughout much of the story and upon owning up to actually loving her husband; it was page 294 in a 326 page story.

Mostly, the whole book dragged horrendously for me and I kept forcing myself to continue reading when all I really wanted to do was finish the story permanently. The writing style bothered me as well since each paragraph was devoted to a different character POV instead of chapters - thus I was lost with whom was speaking/thinking when. This random paragraph phrasing also happened with time lapses throughout the tale, which was very annoying since I found myself skipping some paragraphs due to a boring tale! I wouldn't have said I was happy to have finished overall, but I had "hope" that it would get better . . . silly me, since in the end I wasn't satisfied! Fellow readers: Don't Bother!

Likes: Nothing much stood out to me and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs & pages at a time; because of that no character/chapter/event became very memorable or likable in the end.

Dislikes: The whole romantic attraction/nuptials between young Cordelia & Cedric (an "elder more than twice" her age) really grossed me out!

Words of Wisdom: "Twould now be a goodly jaunt to reach your home, but what is that distance between close friends?" (pg. 150)

Rating:

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Undead and Unfinished by Mary Janice Davidson

Undead and Unfinished
(The Undead Book #9)
by Mary Janice Davidson

Genre: Paranormal Romance

In Undead and Unfinished, the ninth novel featuring the adventures of Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor, Betsy strikes up a deal with the devil. Now, Betsy has the ability to read the Book of the Dead without going insane and she finally gets the chance to discover all the dark mysteries it holds. When a visit to Hell turns into a time traveling journey filled with risky encounters, Betsy gets more than she bargained for. As she interacts firsthand with her past generations, Betsy’s meddling will impact the future in ways she does not yet understand.

Vamp Queen Betsy Taylor's at it again and no matter what goes down in Minneapolis, whenever Betsy's involved, it's usually not good. Her sister Laura or as Betsy's refers to her (numerous times!) throughout the book, Antichrist, gets involved in a scheme to visit her true mother, the Devil, in Hell.  Wanting to tag along (reluctantly!) to make sure everything is A-okay, Betsy follows Laura to have a personal tour down-under, witness the hellish treatment of Ted Bundy and Henry VIII, and travel in time.  Yes, that's right - I said travel in time since Laura needs to practice that skill if she's to take over her Mother's position upon retirement.   Something neither are willing to do, but it's not like you have much choice in Hell.  

This use to be such a cute series and who couldn't enjoy Betsy Taylor—former model, newly unemployed secretary, 30, and still single—who wakes up after being flattened by a small SUV in a tacky coffin wearing cheap knock-off shoes and is now the Queen of the vampires?  Come on . . . that was a hilarious plot!  But the last few books in the series have been major major bombs!!!  I couldn't even finish the last one and, sadly, I've stopped buying the ridiculous hardback copies of this series.  Thanks to my library though, I can safely test the waters again with the next addition, Undead and Unfinished.  I'm not offering praise or anything, but Davidson is at least is taking steps in the right direction with Book #9.  I struggled at times to continue (Could Betsy just SHUT UP for once and stop making senseless chatter?), but at least I finished this story and the ending was surprisingly shocking to me . . . didn't see that coming at all!  I did enjoy the Devil's description of being the "giver of knowledge" since "knowledge is like a hammer . . . it's neither good nor evil.  What matters is how you apply it." (pg 125) I think that was probably the deepest thought throughout this whole book.  If you've been a fan from the beginning, you'll more than like be tempted to check this one out and honestly it's not as bad as the last two (those were just SAD excuses for books) but it's nothing great to brag about it either.  Pure Fluff!

Likes: The references to The Body Shop's Strawberry bath gel . . . OMG I love that stuff, too!

Dislikes: I use to think Betsy's obsession with shoes was quirky, but now it's just ridiculous!

Rating:

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Lion's Heat by Lora Leigh

Lion's Heat
(The Breeds Book #21)
by Lora Leigh

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Urban Fantasy

Bad boy Jonas Wyatt knows it is fate that Rachel becomes his mate. He can sense it. He can also sense her reluctance. But she has little power over the mating heat of the Breeds. It is Jonas's destiny to claim her. And nothing will stop him from having his way.

Jonas Wyatt, the Director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs (aka The Bogeyman of the Breeds), meets his mate, Rachel Broen, who also happens to be his new personal assistant. Unfortunately, Rachel is also pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child, but that does nothing to affect Jonas' love. Jump forward several months, and Brandenmore, a geneticist (aka evil scientist) who has tortured and experimented on Breeds, threatens Amber, Rachel's daughter.

If you read the series, you know the spill . . . the Breeds are half-human, half-animal experiments who escaped captivity and are now building a world they can live & work in all while finding mates. Yet, upon mating, the pairs become partially immortal with extended life spans. With more government/secret agencies discovering that fact, the Breeds suffer from prejudices, death threats, and more. The series contains a complicated storyline and the time-line seems to grow generations as each book is released and more Breed members are introduced. Most readers are prepared for the 'been-there-done-that' romantic plot, but they still come back for more since they are HOT reads. This was another so-so tale, but it passed the time and was somewhat enjoyable . . . if not predictable.

Likes: Jonas wasn't really my favorite character out of the series, but it was nice to catch up with other pairs throughout Lion's Heat and see the families growing.

Dislikes: The negative attitude always given toward mates who shy away from mating, gets rather boring!

Rating:

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The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

The Silver Kiss
by Annette Curtis Klause

Genre: Dark Fantasy / Paranormal Romance / Young Adult

Zoe is 16 and facing bereavement: her mother is dying of cancer, and her father seems to be excluding her from her mother's hospital bedside. No one dares speak to Zoe about the family tragedy, and she is isolated by grief, anger and fear. Then she meets the alluring, enigmatic Simon, who has an uncanny ability to recognize her feelings. After a series of nocturnal meetings, Zoe learns that Simon is a vampire kept alive by his thirst to avenge the death of his own mother three centuries ago. Drawn to him by an empathy charged with both longing and fear, Zoe agrees to participate in a dangerous scheme to trap Simon's mother's supernatural killer. The two emerge from their encounter able to mourn and acknowledge their losses.

Zoe is struggling and trying to cope with her mother's illness. Her father (consumed with his own grief) doesn't want Zoe disturbing or stressing out her mother in the hospital, so she's often alone at home falling deeper and deeper into an isolated depression/anger. Then she meets Simon one night in the park. He's the first person who relates to her dark & numbing feelings and together, throughout the book, they begin to share each others company. On the flip side, throughout Zoe's town, young women are being brutally murdered and Zoe begins to realize Simon's true intent of being there as well.

It's odd thinking this book is a good 20 years old, written back in the day (1990) before the 'vampire craze' took over. Yet, there were definitely some creepy/gory parts throughout The Silver Kiss and sadly some down right predictable ones. For example, I guessed the killer right from the beginning! It's a quick emotional read and you flip back and forth between the characters, but overall I felt the tale was weak. Nothing really stood out, the villain was under developed, it's got a sad climax, and when I finished . . . I was hoping for a better read overall.

Likes: It's a quick vampy read, if you don't have very high standards.

Dislikes: The whole story carries such a dark heavy tone of death, that it's hard to get past it.

Rating:

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The Clearing by Heather Davis

The Clearing
by Heather Davis

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy / Young Adult

In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever.

Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae's place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school. Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist--Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she's starting to fall for him. But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it's still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy's crossing over to Henry's side brings him more happiness than he's ever known--but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence.

A new Town, a new School, new Friends, and a new Life. Amy's story begins with her moving in with her Aunt into the country; away from the busy hustle of the city and her old self. Adjusting to this new lifestyle is changeling until she meets Henry. Of course she thinks everything is normal and he'll be her first friend, but she doesn't see him at school and her Aunt doesn't know who he is. Then their visits become odder and odder, until Amy realizes what is really happening. Henry, on the other hand, shares this book with Amy. His story begins with a life that is separated by the thick fog that surrounds his home/family and the sad reality beyond. Despite their differences, the two begin a courtship that is very bittersweet.

It was a cute read! I adore time travel tales and this was very easy to get caught up in. Henry's point of view was very realistic (but a little odd in how it began) and very heartbreaking and lonesome at times. Amy's character starts off as a girl who is "running" away from her past problems and remaining almost weak in how she handles situations, but it was nice to see her develop into a stronger person by the end. Overall, it's a book to curl up with and enjoy. It's emotionally cheesy (I cried at the end) and yet, a beautifully unique love story.

Likes: The simple way of life during WWII.

Dislikes: Amy's attitude at times toward her past abusive relationship.

Rating:

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Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall

by Rachel Hawkins


Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy / Young Adult

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

When a love-spell goes wrong, Sophie Mercer is sentenced to a disciplinary school (Hecate Hall in Georgia, known as Hex Hall) for paranormal students until 18 years old. Having a mortal mother and a warlock father, who she has never met; Sophie is torn from her "normal" existence and thrown into a society of only witches, werewolves, fairies, and vampires. Not familiar with the history of the school or even the student's own survival skills from those (The Eye of God) who hunt down magical beings, Sophie has to quickly learn to adapt in a new world with all new rules.

It's a interesting supernatural mystery, full of teenage angst, usual school crushes, and beautiful bullies which is definitely written for the younger side. Even though it's a quick read and Sophie's attitude toward her new environment is funny at times (I like a protagonist with a little sass), sadly I wasn't all that impressed. I highly anticipated reading this book, was on a long wait list at my library for it, and even thought it was okay at times, but for some reason, it just didn't catch my attention as I had hoped. Yet, I'm not one to give up on a series. I felt this way beginning the Blue Blood books by Melissa de la Cruz and once the second of the series came out, I was hooked. So here's hoping Rachel Hawkins can capture my attention better the next time around.

Likes: Sophie's smart remarks like "I had an incredibly nasty retort ready that involved his mother and the U.S. Navy . . ."

Dislikes: I found it silly to make the famous poet, Lord Byran, into the school's Vamp teacher. It just struck me as odd and didn't really add much to the story. Plus, the whole witches on broomsticks - some originality please!

Ratings:

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