Your Own Enemy

Published: June 5th, 2012

A Midsummer's Nightmare

By: Kody Keplinger

Poppy

ISBN-13: 9780316084222

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Review

     Whitley Johnson is definitely ready to get away from everyone and everything by going to college.  But first she's spending the summer hanging with her Dad, away from her shrewish Mom.  But then everything is ruined when her Dad springs on her the fact that he's engaged!  To a woman (Sylvia) with two kids, and moving out of his condo.  Oh yeah and Sylvia's son, Nathan, is her one night stand from graduation!  Whitley spends the summer partying hard and doing everything she can to let Sylvia and her kids know that she views them as interlopers.  Somewhere along the way she manages to get herself a best friend and a new family that cares about her.  How can Whitley make things right with her Mom and Dad, if they want to pretend the bad things never happened?  Can she decide to be a better person that she ever imagined, by leaving the past behind?  So, I feel like every one of Keplinger's main characters are slutty, loner, damaged girls.  It seems to be a trend in her books.  Maybe I had a hard time relating to Whitley because of casual way she treated sex and how she was always drunk.  And yeah, she had a really bad relationship with her Mom, brother and Dad.  But most people don't use those things as the answers to their problems.  Not to mention the pretty shitty way she treated her soon-to-be step-sister Bailey for almost the whole book.  The romance with Nathan was well-written and believable, but the way he kept liking her even after she treated him like crap and totally crushed him with angry words kind of baffled me.  Before reading this book I never realized just what a nice Midwesterner that I am at heart.  I just don't get this kind of behavior.  I did like Whitley though and was glad that she got her happy ending - nice Midwesterner or not, I definitely know how much parents can screw you up! :)

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.**

She Was Already Ruined

Expected Publication:  February 19th, 2013

The Rake to Ruin Her (Ransleigh Rogues # 1)

By: Julia Justiss

Harlequin

ISBN-13: 9780373297290

Once a rake…

Known as "Magnificent Max," diplomat Max Ransleigh was famed for his lethal charm until a political betrayal left him exiled from government and his reputation in tatters. He seems a very unlikely savior for a well-bred young lady.

Except that Miss Caroline Denby doesn't want to be saved… she wants to be ruined! To Caroline, getting married is tantamount to a death sentence, and meeting the rakish Max at a house party seems the answer to her prayers…. Surely this rogue won't hesitate to put his bad reputation to good use?

Review

     Caroline Denby is mourning the loss of her beloved Father and trying to hold on to the control/ownership of the family's horse-stud business.  But her Stepmama had other ideas and won't rest until Caro is married off to the first gentleman that will have her.  Besides being reluctant to be subservient to a man who may not approve of the business, Caro doesn't want to have children because almost every woman in her family has died in childbirth.  So she propositions Max Ransleigh, a notrious rogue with a ruined political career, in hopes of him making her un-marriageable.  When he declines her offer, but scandal erupts in an entirely unexpected way, Max and Caro end up newlyweds.  But will they be able to make things work?  Can the rogue and the bluestocking fall in love for real?  This book was cute.  That sentence pretty much sums it up for me.  I didn't find any lasting feeling for it when I finished reading and the characters had too many moments of odd two-dimensional personality.  Caro was a bold, honest and beautiful woman who just wanted to keep her freedom.  Max was a little too modern thinking and politically correct to really fit into the time period of the book, but he was a good guy all in all.  The whole Napoleonic War background and Max's struggle to clear his name of diplomatic wrongdoing were just not my cup of tea.  And the amount of time that he and Caro spent in angsty agony over their respective personal issues, really got on my nerves.  To be honest I thought that this book didn't have very good romance in it.  I thought it would have been more interesting if it had picked a direction - it all felt very aimless.  Yeah right!  Like Caro would have gotten away from that situation still in polite society, with her reputation intact.  Overall, a fluffy read that I will probably forget all about by the time it's published.

VERDICT:  3/5  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 February 19th, 2013.*

Love Has A Sell By Date

Published: December 11th, 2012 (first published August 1st, 2010)
Love and Other Perishable Items (Original published as, 'Good Oil')
By: Laura Buzo
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780375970009

Love is awkward, Amelia should know.

From the moment she sets eyes on Chris, she is a goner. Lost. Sunk. Head over heels infatuated with him. It's problematic, since Chris, 21, is a sophisticated university student, while Amelia, is 15.

Amelia isn't stupid. She knows it's not gonna happen. So she plays it cool around Chris—at least, as cool as she can. Working checkout together at the local supermarket, they strike up a friendship: swapping life stories, bantering about everything from classic books to B movies, and cataloging the many injustices of growing up. As time goes on, Amelia's crush doesn't seem so one-sided anymore. But if Chris likes her back, what then? Can two people in such different places in life really be together?

Through a year of befuddling firsts—first love, first job, first party, and first hangover—debut author Laura Buzo shows how the things that break your heart can still crack you up.

Review

     So, I'm just going to dive right into this one, starting with the different covers of this book.  The first one if for the German edition and I think it's beautiful.  It doesn't really represent the book accurately though.  The second cover was the original one from Australia and it annoys me.  That cover model looks NOTHING like the main character of the book!  Nothing at all!  And she also looks like she's a college student and if Amelia was one, there wouldn't be a book most likely.  The third is the American cover, which also has a new title for the book itself.  I like the new title and the cover fits it very well - plus it latches onto the story nicely as the two main characters work in a grocery store.  So for once the American reprint has the better cover in my opinion - how the Hell did that happen?  I went into this one not knowing what to expect exactly.  I am not normally a fan of YA Aussie Lit.  Usually it just doesn't register the same way with me that the U.S. and British YA (and even then only sometimes for the latter, not always) do.  It's probably because I don't get the slang and I am lazy and picky about stuff like that.  The 'romance' between Amelia and Chris was taboo for a reason.  What college student in his right mind would date a fifteen year old?  What could they possibly have in common after all, other than sharing the same job?  Yes, Amelia reminds Chris of his youth and a younger version of himself, but for most of the book he comes across as a very outgoing, friendly, pathetic drunkard who is wasting his life aimlessly.  He goes to university, but obviously only does it because he 'should' and not cause he has any real desire to do so.  Amelia's friend, has it right in the end that she shouldn't wait for him.  

     I liked Amelia a lot as a character.  She was smart, funny and very innocent (but not in the annoying, Mary-Sueish way a  lot of YA heroines are).  But the sticking point on me loving her was her lack of common sense when it came to Chris.  First love or not (debatable), Amelia put herself in some majorly stupid situations to fit in with his friends and be more like a girl he'd want.  The alternating narrative between Chris and Amelia gives extra insight into each of their reasoning for pursuing/not pursuing the other.  I still disliked Chris by the end and found him to be morally lacking, and devoid of swoon.  But maybe a relationship between a fifteen year old and a twenty-two year old just squicks me out.  Overall, a good read and the ending was realistic in a good way.  It was a very well-written and thought out novel.  As a coming of age story, it's definitely a win.   But not one I'd recommend for everyone and it won't be a re-read.

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 was published in the U.S. on December 11th, 2012.*

My Alias Is Yours For the Taking

Expected Publication:  February 26th, 2013

Also Known As

By: Robin Benway

Bloomsbury

ISBN-13: 9780802733900

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad.  Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time.  Having parents with super cool jobs.  Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend.  But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.  Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes.  She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

Review

     Maggie Silver has been safe-cracking since she was three years old and wants nothing more than to be a spy just like her parents.  So when the organization they work for, the Collective, gives Maggie a solo assignment she's super excited.  Then she finds out that her assignment is basically to be a normal teenager - go to high school, make friends and infiltrate the life of Jesse Oliver so she can steal his Dad's info on the Collective.  Maggie only has a small time frame before Mr. Oliver publishes what he knows and ruins her parent's lives (and her own).  Or so she's been told.  But with the help of family friend Angelo, her new BFF Roux and Jesse himself, can Maggie find out the truth before it costs her something far more valuable than she ever expected?  Also, what can you do when you fall in love with your assignment?  I have been a fan of Robin Benway since reading her debut novel, Audrey Wait!, which was one of my favorite books to be published while I was a teen.  She has a great sense of humor and the characterizations she manages are amazing.  I was laughing at and gasping with Maggie from the very first page of the novel.  Probably because I was a majorly over-dramatic teenager myself and can totally relate to her.  The idea of a teenage spy isn't very appealing to me normally, but the focus on character versus spy/thriller action inclusions kept me involved a lot better than I would have been.  The relationship with her parents was both hilarious and touchingly realistic.  I am a rare girl who does not happen to like Ally Carter's novels about the teen spy school.  Just not my thing.  But by placing Maggie in an everyday environment, Benway really impressed me.  Jesse was a cute romantic interest for the heroine and their chemistry was at turns sweet and hot both.  Roux was freaking HILARIOUS!  I loved her so much, but her crappy home life made me want to cry.  The whole mystery did seem quite downplayed and ignored for most of the book, which was a little disappointing to me as a reader.  The ending seemed perfect to me though and I really enjoyed this book overall.  I thought it was well-written, had a great sense of humor and some lasting value.  I highly recommend it for fans of character driven narratives, with lots of humor/drama.  But I forewarn those looking for an in-depth spy novel, this IS NOT IT.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  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 February 26th, 2013.*

Let Down Your Hair...

Expected Publication: February 12th, 2013

Rapunzel Untangled

By: Cindy C. Bennett

Cedar Fort, Inc.

ISBN-13: 9781462111565

Rapunzel is not your average teenager. 

For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is. 

Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.

*SPOILER ALERT!*

Review

     Rapunzel is just a normal teenage girl.  If you ignore the fact that she's never left her house, lives locked in a tower, has hair fifteen feet long and her Mother thinks she will save the world someday.  But Gothel has also told Rapunzel that she has SCID - Severe Combined Immunodeficiency disorder which means that she will probably die if she goes outside the house.  Only supposed to use the computer for schoolwork, Rapunzel follows the rules to the letter until one day she stumbles onto Facebook and befriends a boy from the local high school.  When Fane begins to communicate with her, Rapunzel starts to realize just how much she's really been missing from the world outside.  As she questions the real reasons for why she's locked up and what the truth about her family is, Rapunzel gathers strength in realizing that she can have everything she's ever  wanted - if she can only break free!   Will Rapunzel be able to survive when the chilling truth is revealed?  This was an interesting concept - a modern retelling of Rapunzel, using Facebook as the outlet into the real world that introduces her to her 'prince' and liberates her.  I really enjoyed the fact that Rapunzel is not written as a stupid character, in an attempt to portray innocence.  The author showcases instead the naivness that her isolation has ingrained into her whole personality.  Fane was a fun, class clown type of guy and I was glad that he and Rapunzel's relationship was done so sweetly.  If he had been the least bit 'mature' about the situation in the typical ways, it would have turned creepy pretty fast.  Romantic moments between them were innocent, which was a a refreshing change, with how fast a lot of the YA book romances move nowadays.  The idea that Gothel is a deranged occultist was definitely not something I'd ever seen before (the immortality obsession in Tangled probably comes the closest).  The eventual showdown between Rapnuzel, Gothel and the cult leader felt more than a little over-dramatic and bordering on fantasy (which was a stark, obvious change from the rest of the book's realism).  Other than that hiccup in the inherent genre and pacing of the book, it was extremely well written.  My only other complaint would be the complete lack of resolution over the kidnapping with Rapunzel's real parents.  I was smiling almost the entire time I was reading and it was finished in almost one sitting.  I couldn't put it down.  Overall, this book was worth reading and fresh in the re-telling side of the fairy tale genre that keeps getting beaten like a dead horse.  At least this corpse was a horse of a different color.  I would recommend it to people like me who are huge fairy tale fans, but don't mind the modern age colliding with the classic tales.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  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 February 12th, 2013.*

It's a Crewel World for a Woman or a Girl

 

Published: October 16th, 2012

Crewel (Crewel World # 1)

By: Gennifer Albin

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

ISBN-13: 9780374316419

 

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

 

Review

 

     Adelice Lewys has just turned sixteen years old and taken the test that will decide her future.  Because of her hidden talents Adelice is in demand by the branch of the government that recruits Spinsters - women who weave the fabric of reality.  But because of her parent's training her to hide her abilities and trying to run away with her when they came to retrieve Adelice, her entire family is ripped away.  Her Mom and Dad are dead and her little sister is re-woven into another life - and another family.  Adelice will do anything to protect Amie, even if it means playing along and pretending that she's given in.  But when it's revealed just how much power Adelice really does have over her future, she's in a race against time to break free of the trap she's been caught in.  But will it mean death and destruction for her new friends, her sister and their entire world?  I had never thought of the possiblity that someone could weave the fabric of space and time, to keep reality running smoothly.  It's a very original idea and the execution was beautifully done.  I did feel that Adelice was a bit bland as a heroine, but the novel was character driven in a way that a lot of dystopians (even sci-fi oriented ones) are not.  I LOVE a character driven novel.  It sucks me in and gets me involved, making me care what happens.  In the novel, women are second-class citizens and oppressed beyond belief.  They really only have two viable choices - marriage or to become a Spinster.  I loved that Adelice didn't just give in to their demands and bribes after they'd destroyed her life and left her with nothing.  The relationships with Jost and Erik were very different and it was easy to tell which was the more real of the two.  I can definitely say I was NOT expecting the revelation at the end of the book about how they were connected to each other.  Cormac the villain seemed a little too 'muhahaha' for my taste, which is saying something.  Maybe I'm just tired of villains whose only motive is power.  It just seems weak to me as a reader.  The other revelation about Arras and Earth was interesting, but more than a little confusing.  I guess I'll just have to read the next one to find out more!  Overall, an enjoyable sci-fi, dystopian YA debut novel with a fresh idea and good execution.  Not anything above and beyond the norm though.  I wasn't 'wowed' by it's awesomeness.

 

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.**

Wild For You

Expected Publication: February 5th, 2013

Wild for the Sheriff (The Sisters of Bell River Ranch # 1)

By: Kathleen O'Brien

Harlequin

ISBN-13: 9780373607549

Sheriff Dallas Garwood has followed the straight and narrow all his life. The one exception? When he tangled with Rowena Wright. The experience had lasting consequences he'd rather not repeat.

That may be easier said than done. Rowena is back, set on restoring her family's ranch to sell it. Is this Colorado town big enough for the two of them? Not the way his nine-year-old son keeps sneaking onto her land, forcing Dallas into her company. Every one of those encounters sparks an urge in him to tangle with her again. This time he'll call the shots—and be the one to leave. But he doesn't expect all these powerful emotions… and he's not sure he can walk away.

Review

     Rowena Wright is back in her small hometown, somewhere that she never thought she'd be again.  But now fifteen years after she left, Rowena is back to fix up the family ranch and sell it for good this time.  It might not be as easy as that, with her old flame Dallas Garwood as the Sheriff and still just as tempting as ever.  Determined to resist him, Rowena pulls away at every opportunity.  But when she comes across a discovery that could take away any claim she has to Bell River, will all the secret dreams she has of turning it into a dude ranch go up in smoke?  And with Dallas, his son Alec and a mysterious girl named Bonnie all finding a way into her heart, will she be able to leave when the time comes, or will Rowena finally stay in one place - home?  This was very well written for a Harlequin romance!  I usually go in expecting light fluff, but this was definitely not under that heading AT ALL.  Rowena hasn't been back home in fifteen years, since her Father murdered her Mother and she & her sisters were sent to live with relatives.  Also, the last time she saw Dallas her Father caught them having sex in a pickup and shot him!  Rowena had serious trust issues and real reasons for having them.  But I adored her feisty personality and self-reliant nature.  Dallas was a good love interest, who had his own share of past heartbreak.  Alec's Mom had left him for another man, started a new family and effectively ditched Alec while she was at it.  Dallas describes his son as being like Huck Finn, and he is right.  Alec is adorable and mischievous to the max, which adds something extra to the book.  And the whole storyline where he thinks he has to get Dallas dating again before he can go live with his Mom (and THAT'S why she won't take him yet) is so sad, but definitely how an elementary aged kid would rationalize.  The strained relationship between Rowena and her sisters Penny & Bree is painful but truthful.  The resolution and beginnings of true sisterhood near the end of the book was a great touch.  The romance itself was swoony, but the angst was a little too thick for my taste.  Overall, loved this book more than I thought I would.  I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series.

VERDICT:  4/5  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 February 5th, 2013.*