Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1)

Published:  June 21st, 2011

Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1)

By: Melissa De La Cruz

Disney-Hyperion

ISBN-13:  9781401323905

The three Beauchamp women -- Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid -- live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island.  Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences.  But they are harboring a mighty secret -- they are powerful witches banned from using their magic.  Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries.  Ingrid, her bookish daughter, had the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity.  And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities.  But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret.  Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer hide their true selves.  They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople.  It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town.  When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

Review

       I was never intitally interested in reading this series when it first came out, especially since I quit Melissa's Blue Bloods series by book #4.  Her writing in the past had never impressed me and I didn't even care to try.  Then I checked out Season One of the Lifetime TV show, based on these books, from my library.  I got addicted to the show within just one episode (and took my younger brother right along with me :p) and decided that I should stop being ass-backwards and just give the book a shot already!  This being the first in the series, I wasn't expecting much beyond the normal fluff, world-building and character introductions.  Maybe I enjoyed it as much as I did because I was picturing the wonderfult characters from the TV show.  But I was suprised by just how much I did happen to enjoy this particular bit of fluff!

       We get to see each chapter from a different Beauchamp woman's perspective.  Therefore we get insights into the minds of Freya, Ingrid, and their mother, Joanna.  All of them are immortal witches who have been banned by a council from using their powers, after an incident in Puritan-era Salem.  We aren't told exactly what happened, but are able to gather that it was verging on catastrophic.  The ladies are happy in North Hampton, with Ingrid working at the library and having a possible romance on the horizon with the handsome police detective, Matt Noble, and Freya on the cusp of marriage to wealthy Bran Gardiner.  But something is always missing from their lives.  The pull of magic becomes too strong to resist and they start using again,  Freya starts mixing magical drinks at the bar where she works.  Ingrid starts weaving knots to help people with their problems, doing an open hour at the library when people can come to her.  And Joanna is just using magic to amuse their housekeeper's little boy, who reminds her of her own lost son, Frederick.  

     A lot of people complain that nothing really happens in this book and it is a slow burn, I will admit.  Especially since there is seemingly nothing for them to discover.  Unlike on the TV show, Ingrid and Freya are not continuously reborn/reincarnated and they know about their powers.  It's very much about the daily monotony of life and the choices the women make for their lives.  But a chain of events is set off when Freya sleeps with Bran's brother, Killian, at their engagement party.  Another chain starts when the girls start using their powers.  It all culminates in a girl's disappearance and the start of a witch hunt by people who had previously revered the Beauchamp's recently revealed powers.  The book ends in an answer to the mystery, but opens more questions with a startling mythological revelation.  Let's just say that the witches aren't necessarily witches, but something far more ancient and powerful.  I will not say anything else so as not to spoil, but while I do think the TV show is surprisingly better done, this was a quick and fun, fluffy read.  I'd recommend to those who like a bit of candy-floss now and then.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Dissonance and TSTL Syndrome

Published:  July 22nd, 2014
Dissonance (Dissonance #1)
By: Erica O'Rourke
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13:  9781442460249

Delancey Sullivan has always known there's more to reality than what people see.  Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one.  Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left or right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed - all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision.  As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del's job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency each world emits as clear as a bell.  But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council.  But Del's not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds.  Something strange is connecting them and it's not just her random encounters with with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.

But Del's decisions have unimaginable consequences, and as she begins to fall for the
Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide - a secret that threatens the fate of the entire mutliverse.

Review

     Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a nut for anything involving alternate universes or time travel.  Basically, anything that lets us explore the greatest mysteries in the universe, all beginning with the words: "What if?"  But I felt like that potential was wasted in this particular book.  I seem to be in the minority, with so many glowing reviews on this one floating around.  But I honestly found the world-building, mythology and technical terms to be really convoluted.  I may not be the most scientific person ever, but generally I can follow along in these types of books.  The way things were explained about the Walkers, the dissonance, the alternate worlds, etc. was kind of a mess.  I felt like at the end of the book I still didn't get exactly why Del was able to "cleave" worlds, or why the Council was after her and what all Simon had to do with it.  The connections were not clear between any of the key points of the conflict.  

     As for the characters, Del was an arrogant brat.  Yeah, her parents were pretty absent and her sister was a bitch.  But Del acts without thinking, has no thought for consequences and basically trys to elbow around them when they happen.  She's always pouting and sneaking out, walking through other worlds even when she's not supposed to.  Her crush on Simon seemed more like an obsession, as she uses more and more of her walks to find and hook up with alternate versions of Simon, under false pretenses.  There were a lot of filler scenes that seemed to lead nowhere, and really weren't necessary in the grand scheme of things.  I found myself flipping through pages and skipping a lot, mostly out of sheer boredom.  This book was about two-hundred pages too long, and those pages did nothing for the plot.  They gave no clarity, development or resolution.  It needed a lot more editing, that unfortunately it didn't receive.  

     The love triangle between Del, Simon and Del's friend Eliot was disgusting to me.  She's totally leading on Eliot and using him the entire book, until he calls her on it, all under the excuse that she "didn't know" he had feelings for her.  If that's true, Del's even stupider than I thought she was (better than cruel, I guess).  The outright lack of reasoning capability on the part of the protagonist and the lack of direction in the plot (which led up to a big reveal that made even LESS sense to me personally), leaves this one as a do-not-recommend for me.  Not a fan, and I feel like I wasted my time.  It only gets the rating it does because I got through it and it had potential, even if it was unrealized.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's was published on July 22nd, 2014.**

Sweet as a Magnolia Blossom

Published:  August 5th, 2014
Magnolia 
By: Kristi Cook
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-13:  9781442485358

In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, the Cafferty and Marsden families are southern royalty.  Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbeques, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage.  So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.

Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents' wishes.  They're only seventeen, for goodness' sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other!  Jemma can't stand Ryder's nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing more than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn't exist.

But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma's and Ryder's true feelings for each other as the two discover the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.

Review

     Jemma Cafferty is pretty much the perfect daughter for her parents: obedient, sweet, cheerleading and straight A student.  But she's beginning to want more for her life than they do, starting with film school in far away New York City.  Ryder Marsden is the local high school's football hero, the golden boy-next-door and he used to be Jemma's childhood friend.  Their families have been tied together for generations, since the Civil War when one of her ancestors saved one of his from death.  The Caffertys and the Marsdens have been wanting to unite by marriage but there's never been an eligible boy/girl pair - until now.  Too bad Jemma and Ryder had a falling out in eighth grade, and have hated each other's guts ever since!  But with a family emergency throwing Jemma's household for a loop and sending her parents away right before a hurricane blows in, can Jemma work with Ryder to secure the house and the animals through the raging storm?  And will they finally clear up an old misunderstanding, that's been keeping them separated for far too long?

     I loved the growth and development we see on the part of both Emma and Ryder.  They start out in blinded dislike, and the storm causes them to look at each other in completely different ways.  The ways Emma is a less-than fragile southern girl, full of etiquette but also able to outshoot any man in town and with a gun that she's given a name.  Ryder is dealing with the pressure of being his parents' only child and therefore the only one to shoulder all their hopes and dreams of the future.  Basically, Ryder and Jemma are star-crossed because they are both stubborn, and so contrary that they refuse to give one another a chance, solely because of their parents' expectations.  The romance is a slow-build and it is pretty swoon-worthy!  Even though it takes time for them to come around, once they do it is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!  The family dynamics in this one are also something that is wonderful.  With the crisis going on in Jemma's family, we get to see the relationships between her, her sister, their mom and their dad, as they cope with something they have no control over.  Plus, nothing like a natural disaster to bring people together!  Overall, a sweet fluffy, contemporary YA romance that has a cute beginning, middle and a fitting ending.  I'd definitely recommend it unless you need your books to be conflict-heavy and don't like fluff!

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is August 5th, 2015.*

A Plague On Both Your Houses

Published:  February 4th, 2014

Prince Of Shadows

By: Rachel Caine

NAL

ISBN-13:  9780451414410

In the Houses of Montague and Capulet, there is only one goal: power.  The boys are born to fight and die for honor and -- if they survive -- marry for influence and money, not love.  The girls are assets, to be spent wisely.  Their wishes are of no import.  Their fates are written on the day they are born.

Benvolio Montague, cousin to Romeo, knows all this.  He expects to die for his cousin, for his house, but a spark of rebellion still lives in him.  At night, he is the Prince of Shadows, the greatest thief in Verona -- and he risks all as he steals from House Capulet.  In doing so, he sets eyes on convent-bound Rosaline, and a terrible curse begins that will claim the lives of many in Verona...

...And will rewrite all their fates, forever.

Review

     Retellings are something that I love to try, because I hate to see a good story end.  As a younger person I was NOT a fan of Romeo + Juliet, thinking that they were beyond stupid and I couldn't understand why people romanticized their story.  But as an adult I look at them and think, "Those poor, stupid teenagers.  That's not what love is and they never had a chance to figure that out."  I was intrigued when I learned that Rachel Caine, whose Morganville Vampire series I happen to love, was writing a R&J retelling from Benvolio's point of view I was excited.  I am definitely happy that I gave it a chance!  In this book, set months before the events of the infamous Shakespeare play, Benvolio is chafing at the bit of family responsibility.  His rebellion is to be the greatest thief Verona has ever known, the Prince of Shadows, and humilate all of his enemies.  One night, he decides to attempt a truly deadly theft and steal from Tybalt Capulet.  While in the Capulet household, Benvolio is seen by Rosaline and the interaction between the two promises that things will never again be the same.  Then Benvolio's domineering Grandmother orders him to retrieve Romeo's love letters to Rosaline, and stop his infatuation.  All this while Benvolio is trying to hide Mercutio's love affair with another man from everyone, for fear of his friend being put to death.  When everything comes crashing down around them, will both Montagues and Capulets be cursed beyond redemption?  Or will Benvolio and Rosaline be able to bring themselves out of destruction and start over again?

     The majority of this book was set before the events of the original play, which in and of itself was different than the majority of retellings.  Most of them seem to be set during and in the aftermath.  But this book chose to give readers a backstory and some reasoning for the whole disastrous sequence of events.  I love Benvolio as a narrator!  It was wonderful to get his side of the story, since in the play he's basically just Romeo's right-hand man.  I also liked seeing Rosaline as more than just a mere mention and learning a bit more of who she actually was.  In this version, she is strong, feisty and makes up her own mind.  But she is also a practical realist.  Rosaline just wants to go to the convent and be away from the whole mess between the Capulets and Montagues - and away from her brother Tybalt's rage and heavy hand.  Probably my absolute favorite thing about this retelling though, was the focus on Mercutio, his story and the reasons for his behavior, etc.  I loved the relationship between him, Romeo and Benvolio (both of whom are keeping Mercutio's secrets).  They has some great quips and banter going on, and the scenes with Romeo and Mercutio creating drunken diversions for Benvolio's thieving were hilarious.  

     I think the only thing that seemed abrupt and out of place were the random inclusions of Shakespeare's dialogue, sometimes slightly butchered, and the inclusion of witchcraft and curses.  The book has a decidedly modern feel to it, and though witchcraft was often in Shakespeare's plays and it was a plausible explanation for the whole mess, it still felt kind of odd and out of place in this particular book.  Overall though, this was definitely a great read for fans of R&J, but not necessarily the actual characters of Romeo and Juliet.  They are both shown to be what they were in this book: thoughtless, dreamy children with a penchant for leaping before they looked.  I would recommend this one though.  It was definitely worth my time.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Teen Movie Review #1: Valley Girl (1983)

     Hey guys!  Since it's Friday and i feel like I haven't been updating this blog nearly enough, I decided to throw in a movie review.  I still haven't watched Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters or Jack The Giant Slayer (even though both are sitting on my shelf waiting).  So I'm going back to a favorite of mine, which is what we YA nerds like to call a 'teen' movie! :)  I'm coming up with the criteria for this review kind of on the fly so please bear with me!  Plus it's really early in the morning and almost bedtime for me.  Cause as my friends and family will tell you, I stay up about three or four hours past everyone else's normal bedtimes.  Without Further adieu, here is one of the five (maybe six) Nic Cage movies I can stand at all: Valley Girl.

Title: Valley Girl (1983)

Availability:  DVD, YouTube, Netflix

Reason:  To See Yet Another Star-Crossed Couple Find Love (Old Friends or New Ones)

The Low Down According to IMDB:  

Julie, a girl from the Valley, meets Randy, a punk from the city.  They are from different worlds and find love.  Somehow they need to stay together in spite of her trendy, shallow friends.

My Take On Things: 

Randy and Julie are two teens from different worlds - or at least their zip codes make it seem like that's how it is.  But when they meet its instant attraction.  Can they overcome her snobby friends and expectations of how things are 'supposed to be' or are they doomed from the start?  Also, Julie's hippie parents and douchebag, wannabe ex-boyfriend provide some serious entertainment value along the way.  Plus there is a skeevy subplot about one of Julie's friends, Suzi, competing for the romantic attentions of her friend Skip with her young stepmother.  All in all, about what you'd expect from an 80's film - especially one mostly cribbed off of Romeo and Juliet! 

The Cast:

Nicolas Cage as Randy

This has the distinction of being the only movie in which I ever though Nic Cage was hot.  The chemistry between him and Deborah Foreman is OFF THE CHARTS.  He makes a very convincing punk and yet has an underlying sweetness that lets you know he's just a big ball of fluff inside - even with the leather and crazy hair.  Plus, bonus is that he has hair in this - with no signs of balding.  Ahhh, for the days of youth! :)

Deborah Foreman as Julie

I don't know what happened to her acting career over the years after this movie, but maybe staying out of the spotlight isn't such a bad thing if being in it means you make horrendous movies like some of the ones Cage has been in!  She has such a sweet spark in this movie and her smile is absolutely GORGEOUS.  Yes, the feathered hair is questionable and she does go to the prom with Tommy instead of Randy (which is seriously insane people!).  But Julie also happens to be a teenager and for her age she does a decent job of being true to herself and I wouldn't mind go shopping for an afternoon with her.  Plus, there is always the adorableness of this:

I REST MY CASE.

Michael Bowen as Tommy

His clothing alone and it's preppiness makes it obvious that he's a) A complete douchebag, and b) The enemy in every way.  He's no Hardy Jenns but he plays a good enough sleazebag that you want to punch him in the face.  Plus, apparently someone thinks he's a pretty good actor cause IMDB informs me that he was in Beverly Hills Cop III, seven episodes of LOST, some really random one episode parts on lots of TV shows, and most recently (and notably) was in an episode of Breaking Bad, along with a small role in Django Unchained.  

Elizabeth Daily as Loryn

The most gullible of Julie's friends and is known as the group slut.  Immediately falls into Tommy's web of bullshit after Julie dumps him and allows him to go almost all the way, only stopping short of the one last event.  Watching the movie you can't help but feel bad for her, cause it's obvious that all she wants is desperately to be liked.  The outfits are atrocious and the actions are worse, but the heart's in the right place.  And she went on to be Dottie in Pee Wee's Big Adventure.  After that it was all voice work, most famously Tommy on Rugrats and Buttercup on Powerpuff Girls.  I know, right? :)

Frederic Forrest as Steve Richman (Julie's Dad)

He is absolutely hilarious as one half of a hippie relationship, whose parenting style towards Julie is so out of touch with the times.  The health food store scene when she's 'working' is a really great example of this.  But he's just uncool because he's a Dad.  He still loves her though and is definitely one of the less cookie cutter teen movie parents in existence.  In the picture above he's supposed to be getting the camera for Prom pictures...he's smoking weed instead.  IT beats shining a shotgun I guess!

*I did not spotlight Julie's friend Stacy or Randy's friend Fred, mainly because Fred is somewhat of a clueless creep (even if he is somewhat funny) and Stacey spends all her screen time complaining (and not in a humorous way either).  Neither of them are very interesting characters in my opinion when up against the others in the movie.

Romance Rating Scale:  5/10 (Sweet, with an edge)

There is too much dithering and wishy washy behavior on Julie's behalf while trying to follow the pack for this to be truly swoonworthy.  There are a couple hot makeout sessions, but mostly its just beautiful smiles and angst (the best way to mirror R&J, anyways).

The Soundtrack:  

Not really sure how to grade this, other than on personal enjoyment.  Martha Coolidge definitely has an ear for music and the stuff that's played for Julie and her freinds fits them to a tee.  It's the same for when they're cruising Hollywood on Randy's side of things.  My favorite usage of a song in this though would be Modern English "I Melt With You" being played during the Julie/Randy montage and then the end credits.  It fits the spirit of the movie and the whirlwind, consuming romance that the two become involved in.  Also liked Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer?" and The Plimsouls "A Million Miles Away."  The whole soundtrack is killer though and deserves a listen.

Recommended Viewing:

If you're in the mood for a sweet romance, some smiles and tears involved, this would be the one for you.  With punk-boy Cage, a pint of your favorite ice cream and comfy pair of PJs this is great Saturday night viewing for a relaxed night in.

Crash Into Someone Else Please, You Creep Me Out!

Expected Publication:  January 8th, 2013
Crash (Visions # 1)
By: Lisa McMann
Simon Pulse
ISBN-13:  9781442403918


If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

Review

 

     Jules doesn't mind driving the food truck to school most of the time - even with the meatballs on top.  Sure, it doesn't increase her popularity but that's not what she cares about.  The only thing that really bothers her is being ignored by Sawyer Andretti, her ex-friend and son of her family's greatest rivals.  Sawyer's family stole her Grandpa's family recipe and caused him to kill himself.  Their success has only damaged her family even more, with her Dad stuck in a crippling depression (although there is more to that story than what Jules knows) and addiction to hoarding. When Jules begins to see visions of a fiery explosion at the Andretti family restaurant in all the reflective surfaces around her.  The truly scary part happens to be the nine body bags in the snow, one of which holds Sawyer.  Pretty sure she's going crazy, Jules enlists the help of her siblings anyway and begins to try and prevent the accident from happening.  But with the Andrettis unwilling to listen to her, even Sawyer, what can Jules do that will keep people from dying and maybe even cause the feud to simmer down a little bit?  Will she succeed, or will one of the body bags hold Jules herself?  So, my major problem with this book was the problem I've had with most of Lisa McMann's YA stuff so far - not much character development beyond the superficial.  The only book where I really connected and looked past this was Cryer's Cross.  Even before her visions, Jules is sort of annoying and selfish, only thinking of her own feelings when it comes to her obsession with Sawyer.  I can see why he was creeped out when he began to figure out she was following him.  And I never really bought their sudden romance near the end of the book.  I did like the revelations to do with why her Dad was so depressed and stuck inside of himself.  Her brother and sister were amusing, but with how alone Jules normally is, they were kind of superfluous to me without any real chance to shine.  By the time it ended (rather predictable and disappointingly, for me anyways) I still hadn't connected.  When the cliffhanged came, I just didn't care one way or the other.  So I probably won't be reading the next one.  Overall, a very mediocre read that I'd recommend skipping.  But then again, not everyone is as picky about character development as I am.

 

VERDICT:  2.75/5  Stars

 

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on January 8th, 2013.**

Somewhere In Time...

Published:  October 30th, 2012

Midnight In Your Arms

By: Morgan Kelly

Avon Impulse

ISBN-13:  9780062242600

When psychic Laura Dearborn inherits Stonecross Hall in 1926, she has no idea she's inheriting a love story too - one that she's lived again and again. But as Alaric Storm III, the handsome owner of the mansion from sixty years earlier, starts to haunt her waking dreams, Laura discovers her heart's true home has always been within Stonecross's walls.

Tormented by memories of war, Alaric Storm III is used to spirits-just not ones from the future. Set on fire by Laura's ghostly affections, Alaric is forced to choose: follow his heart and grasp Laura's hand through time, or surrender to the call of duty and live without love.

As All Hallows' Eve draws near, Alaric and Laura must find a way to hold on to each other forever-or risk repeating their tragic romance until the end of time.

Review

     Laura Dearborn has been without a true home for most of her life, since her parents died when she was a child.  Then her brother died fighting in the Great War and she had no one left to call family.  Then out of the blue in 1926, on her 28th birthday, a lawyer comes knocking on her door and informs her that she has inherited a house called Stonecross Manor.  It was left to her in the will of the last owner, Alaric Storm III - ten years before she was even born.  Knowing it's the house that has haunted her dreams for years, Laura shuts up her flat and goes on a trip to Stonecross to try and solve the mystery.  What she doesn't expect is that she will be able to make contact with a still living Alaric, who is in 1866, through a rip in time.  With All Hallow's Eve approaching the time is coming for Laura and Alaric, now deeply in love, to decide if they will defy time to be with one another or let each other go.  And if so, will she stay in his time or will he stay in hers?  I was creeped out by the beginning of this book.  I didn't even realize it was an Avon romance at first and for the most part the quality stayed consistent throughout the novel.  It was my Halloween read this year, with spirits, psychic visions and time travel.  At first I thought the house was possessed, with the way it was described.  But really it was just a rip in time that gave the effect.  It still made me freaked out and had me imagining that Stephen King story Rose Red!  It was lighter than I expected, but I did like that he was a war veteran.  It gave Alaric an extra depth that I don't believe he otherwise would have had.  I felt like Laura was extremely blase about the whole time/inter-dimensional travel thing, but then again she was also a psychic and had been her entire life just about.  I can imagine that would be somewhat desensitizing.  Alaric on the other hand, also accepted it far too easily for a man of 'reason.'  I felt like he pretended resistance at first, but really didn't put up a fight to the idea at all.  The romance was sweet, Tess the kitchen maid's involvement was amusing and touching alternately.  It had all the right ingredients for a good, fluffy read.  I liked the ending, as it did surprise me what time period they ended up staying in; it was entirely unexpected.  Overall, a fun read that fit in with the season and it filled my longing for semi-decent time travel fiction.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published October 30th, 2012.*

Sparks Fly, When I'm Kissing You

Expected Publication: August 14th, 2012

Kissing Shakespeare

By: Pamela Mingle

Random House Children's Books

ISBN-13: 9780385741965

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide. 

Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she'd like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he's a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16th century England—the world Stephen's really from. He wants Miranda use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lost its greatest playwright. 

Miranda isn't convinced she's the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help, knowing that it's her only chance of getting back to the present and her "real" life. What Miranda doesn't bargain for is finding true love . . . with no acting required.

Review

   Miranda's parents are famous Shakespearean actors and she has always aspired to be an actor someday as well.  But she has always felt like she is inferior and talent-less compared to them.  After what she thinks is a disastrous performance  as Kate in 'Taming of the Shrew', Miranda is hiding backstage.  Then her fellow castmate Stephen Langford finds her and all Hell breaks loose.  It turns out that Stephen is not from this century and he takes Miranda back to the 16th century with him - so she can save Shakespeare. Or so Stephen says.  It turns out that to save him Stephen seems to think that Miranda needs to seduce him.  Apparently Shakespeare is considering joining the Jesuit priesthood, a dangerous occupation during Elizabeth I's reign.  It is a possible death sentence, which would deprive the world of Shakespeare's genius.  Therefore it's Miranda's job to tempt him out of that choice.  Can she manage to save Shakespeare, even if it means sacrificing herself?  Also, Miranda's heart is in danger of being captured, but not by the famous playwright...  This book has two of the things that I love the most - Shakespeare and time travel!  I loved smarmy time traveler, Stephen Langford who confuses Miranda as a girl of loose morals after watching too much 'Gossip Girl.'  Which leads him to think she's perfect for seducing Shakespeare.  It is interesting to see Elizabethan life portrayed including the Jesuit plight, because it's something I've personally never encountered and never expected to in a YA novel!  The description of the book makes it sound lighthearted and at times it is.  But there is a lot of underlying depth, including Stephen's tragic romantic past.  My main complaint would be Miranda's lack of individual thought.  She went along with Stephen's plans for her, even if it was with quite a fight.  Not to mention, she was a majorly spoiled brat.  If your biggest problem in life as a rich teenager is not being a great Shakespearean actor like Mommy and Daddy...well boo freaking hoo!  Also, her blase attitude about losing her virginity was truly annoying.  But by the end of the novel Miranda really showed some major character development and the conclusion to her romance with Stephen left me crying.  It was an enjoyable read, I love any book with time travel that is fairly well done and this one fits the bill.  I recommend to Shakespeare, romance and time travel fans who like a little humor mixed into their books.

VERDICT:  3.75/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is August 14th, 2012.*