REVIEW; Carrots, by Colleen Helme

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New Adult, Drama, Thriller

Recommend: Yes

Summary:

Shelby Nichols stops into a convenience store to buy some carrots. Whilst paying, the bank section of the shop is robbed and she fails to duck before being shot by the thief. The bullet grazes by her head but when she awakes she begins answering people's thoughts, before realising she can read minds. Confiding in her husband, he can't help but treat her differently, knowing he has no privacy. When Shelby picks up on thoughts about Kate, his co-worker, she soon turns into investigator to see what's going on between them. 

Meanwhile the bank robber is out to kill Shelby, knowing she's the only eye-witness and Shelby has to keep avoiding his path. Soon, Shelby finds herself working for a mob boss who discovers her mind reading ability and forces her to work for him in exchange for her family being safe.

Working right in the middle of organised crime and battling the mental struggle of being over-powered by so many thoughts, Shelby is soon fighting to merely stay alive. 

My Thoughts:
I had high hopes for this book. It sounded so promising with such a unique idea/take on the mind reading front. However, there were a few aspects of the overall story/execution that killed the whole thing slightly. 

Shelby: I felt she was poorly developed. Her current emotions were always described but with little reasoning. There was no opportunity to learn what influences or motivates Shelby. Her familial relationship was all over the place in that it wasn't properly defined - although Chris' character was well done. His anger/frustration at Shelby reading his mind was so understandable and realistic. It got quite tedious reading about how annoyed Shelby was towards Kate when she could see Chris wasn't interested nor reciprocating. He trusted her not to read his mind but she couldn't trust him to remain faithful. She just felt a little all over the place and mood-swinging. 

Characters: I can usually keep up pretty well with novels that have a lot of characters in them. However, there were too many minor/nameless/faceless characters to keep track of. There were the five business men that remained numbered and then there were other mob names floating around, then the jeweller causing chaos, the policemen, Uncle Joey's men... There were too many introduced with not enough purpose or depth to create an impact and towards the end with the scene in Uncle Joey's office when there's a heavy conversation going on- I just got lost completely. 

Ramos: I liked him- was genuinely upset when he got shot and wanted to give up the book!! He was brutal but Shelby could glimpse his moments of humanity and realise he was doing what he did as it was his job and he did find it difficult at times. His care for Shelby was adorable and it's one of the strong points that makes me really want to read on about where their relationship leads...

Story: The whole story in general was enjoyable and unique. The head injury brought on this new ability and it was refreshing to read about the burdens it caused rather than just the positives. I liked how Shelby had difficulty at the beginning to refrain from answering and how Dimples and Ramos were beginning to catch on to her ability and how she went about hiding it. It added a fun and light-hearted aspect to such an eventful book!

Ending: After the final "main scene" it all closed pretty abruptly. Without giving too much away, all the conversations and follow ups just seemed rushed in an effort to finish the story- after a story that nearly carried on a little too much at points. A longer conclusion would have brought this up to 4 stars for me straight away.


Overall:
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys drama/suspense. It's not too focused on a romantic element but more so a thriller vibe. Apart from being confused about characters at times and the sharp ending, overall it was still a brilliant read. It lulled at parts but I really enjoyed it and it was definitely refreshing and a stand out novel; it's one I'll definitely remember. I also love the name of the book; it's just fun and quirky! 

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REVIEW; Changing Tides (Kill Devil Hills #2), Sarah Darlington

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: New Adult, Drama, Romance

Recommend: Yes

Summary:

This second Kill Devil Hills novel focuses on Ellie Turner, Georgina's older sister. Ellie is a lesbian and a tomboy and has never been, nor wanted to be, with a man. However, when faced with the opportunity on an aeroplane to experiment with the famous alpha-male actor Nate West, Ellie quickly questions everything she believed about herself. 

Nate West has had his share of heartbreak and is a Hollywood badboy to the core. Travelling in disguise to avoid recognition the last thing he wants is a romance. But when tattooed confident Ellie strides through his life in a fleeting moment, Nate is left lost without her. 

Throw in the typical family drama, Ellie returns home left wondering where she stands after her time with Nate. They both confirm their deep connection whilst battling their personal issues and working out if they're truly compatible at all.

My Thoughts:
After reading the first novel recently I was apprehensive as to whether the second installment could follow. It definitely didn't disappoint.

Georgia and Noah, who I loved, still feature so their love is continued through Ellie's story. 

Ellie: Ellie was a character I loved in the first novel so I was so excited to read from her point of view. She has such an effervescent and genuine personality and I admire her morals and spunk. I liked how she was so confident and sure of herself and then suddenly one incident made her doubt everything she'd known. Her reactions to everything that happened seemed so realistic and believable whilst her doubt and confusion was palpable. 

Nate: I loved him for the most part but I think the stereotype got a little in the way. He is a Hollywood bad-boy and has definitely played the field after a heartbreak. But as soon as he got acquainted with Ellie he wanted more than he'd ever had. I think personally I don't enjoy the "instant love" and whilst it wasn't a love at first sight scenario, there was a hint of it being too much too soon. In saying that, how he viewed Ellie was so endearing and sexy to read and he's someone you'd love to meet in real life.

Story: LOVE LOVE LOVE! Full marks for originality with this one. I've never read anything like this and both characters had confusion to battle with. Their connection was so strong and written in a such a beautiful manner that drew the reader in. I quite liked how Ellie was thrown off her feet. It's comforting to read about a character who feels they've everything under control and then they meet someone that makes them question all they knew about themselves. 

There's no silly love triangle or stupid misunderstanding that there tends to be with Hollywood romances; it's all solely based around Nate and Ellie battling their internal issues. Their romance and connection is probably my most envied that I've ever read, even more so than Noah and Georgia. Everything between them, their interactions, sex, humour, it's all raw and candid.

Overall; I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I love Ellie and was rooting for her all the way with whatever she chose. This is such a strong second installment of the series and I look forward to reading more. There is a brilliant dichotomy of suspense with romance and drama and it all balances beautifully. 

Thank you to the author for allowing me advance read & review!

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REVIEW: My Rebellion Checklist, by Susan Soares

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Drama

Recommend: Yes

Summary:

Victoria feels like her life is falling apart, her parents inform her they're getting a divorce as she's recovering from a car accident and her relationship with her boyfriend comes to an end. Constantly living her life to please her parents and stuck in her ways, she decides to break free from routine and set out to change herself. 

Creating a list of changes, including her name being shortened to Tori, getting a tattoo etc, she sets out to find herself and become her own person, regardless of the opinions of everyone else. 

Soon she realises that Finding herself doesn't necessarily mean going to extremes and maybe she didn't have to go too far to discover who she wanted to be.

My Thoughts:
I really loved the idea of this story and how true and focused it remained on Tori’s rebellion. So many novels try to fit in multiple story-lines; however this really kept to the singular plot and was expanded and built upon really well. 

Loved;

Tori’s character was one of the few I’ve read about that I feel I can relate to a lot. She’s stuck in her rigid planned ways and wants to break free of routine. I like how her list went beyond the simple appearance change and enjoyed accompanying her on her journey to just get lost and find herself. Her internal battle with her own mind, especially after her mom kept upsetting her, was quite an emotional rollercoaster but wasn’t exaggerated. One can understand why she turned to Adam after suffering rejection and why she decided to run the red light. 

The plot was focused around such a simple idea- a rebellion list. You wouldn’t think you could centre a novel on such a small choice but the simplicity of the decision was crafted really well to make the novel, e.g. quitting working for her dad which lead her to the Pizza shop, leading her to ultimately completing her list. It all just flowed effortlessly with the subtle connections.

The characters were all extremely real and credible. I think Rebecca really stood out to me as she was clearly Tori’s best friend and had her best interests at heart but the fact she was hurt and affected by Tori’s extremities (like getting a tattoo, running the red light) really emphasised her love for her friend, rather than being the stereotypical best friend that just supported anything and everything. 

The romance element to this was beautiful. Tori and Zack’s instant chemistry was palpable but it wasn’t over-kill. They had a flirty close relationship but Zack came across like a genuine guy and not some “book boyfriend” that seems to perfect to exist. Their relationship wasn’t made a core feature of the novel that took over but was subtle enough that you were willing something to happen between them. 

Overall, I think this was a really great read. The idea was so original and quirky and the whole plot flowed really well. All the characters had their idiosyncrasies and really stood on their own with strength. I really loved the introduction of the novel with Tori being on her way to hospital; it captivated my attention immediately and laid out the foundations of the novel with a solid start. The novel continued on the high level it began which is a definite plus! Will definitely be recommending. 

Thank you to the author for letting me Advance Read & Review this novel! 

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REVIEW; Finding My Prince Charming, by J.S.Cooper

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: New Adult, Drama, Romance

Recommend: No

Summary:

"Can a Playboy Prince ever be tamed?

When Lola Franklin decided to study abroad she never anticipated embarking on a whirlwind weekend romance with a hot guy before classes started.
And she certainly never counted on the hot guy being her new professor. Or a Prince. Or the biggest asshole she had ever met.

Xavier Van Romerius is the playboy Prince of Europe and he loves his life. He doesn’t do relationships, and never wants to get married. But when he see’s Lola Franklin flirting with his little brother Casper, he realizes that maybe he needs to rethink his ideas about love before the wrong Prince gets the girl."

My Thoughts:
I couldn't even write my own summary for this novel as I DNF'd at 59% and it was painful. 

Xavier: He sounded much better in the blurb but he was a total ass. And not the good "book boyfriend ass" that you love to hate but just completely unlikeable. He did not have one redeeming quality and treated Lola terribly for no reason. He calls her all sorts of names and just teases her cruelly. Not. Good.

Lola: One word- weak. I think she was meant to be portrayed as a strong woman who got swept off her feet by Xavier but it failed. She made such a big deal of not sleeping around and then fell so quickly under Xavier's spell and he wasn't even charming. A weekend romance would not blossom between two such people when one is absolutely obnoxious and disrespectful and she was nearly worse for putting up with it.

Characters: The characters in general were all awful. None had a strong backing or depth to them and none of them could be liked. Their personalities weren't defined or consistent in any way and so no attachment could be made. 

Story: What story? This sounded so promising but it felt like a really, really poor first draft fan-fic by someone that had no concept of story building etc. I really don't know how this got published. There needs some major structure work needed and execution of plot. The characters need to be written as the age they are, not as immature children. 

This is one of the first books I "read" that I could find no positive to. It was all just boring and painful and I struggled to get to the 59%. Such a shame as it sounded so much better but, oh well.

REVIEW; Kill Devil Hills, by Sarah Darlington

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: New Adult, Drama, Romance

Recommend: Yes

Summary:

Georgina is 18 years old when she attempts to end her life following the funeral of her brother. Feeling guilty that her last words to him were argumentative, she decides to end her life. 

Noah Clarke is 24 and her older sister's best friend. Drunk and confused, Noah stumbles upon Georgie as she lies bleeding on the bathroom floor and immediately tried to save her. As Georgie is recovering, Noah is haunted every night with a constant yearning for knowing about her well-being. 

Georgie develops feelings for Noah, which she dismisses as just as an attachment after her saved her. Meanwhile Noah can't deny that his want to protect her runs deeper than he believed. After her release, the pair dance around their mutual attraction afraid of what the other thinks. 

After all, can someone who has escaped a life of abuse and mistreatment and finally has their life on track, successfully be with someone extremely unstable and unpredictable?

My Thoughts:
Oh wow wow wow! 

I really loved this book. The initial scene was so powerful and I admired how straight up and strong it was. Suicide is such a current issue and many tip-toe around the subject and reading about Noah's reaction to Georgie's actions were such a powerful opening. 

Ellie is such a lovely character; Georgie's older sister who is a lesbian and Noah's best friend. She had such a lovely caring persona as she was responsible for taking in Noah so he could escape his abusive uncle and she was so supportive of Noah dating her younger sister. 

One can't help but feel for Noah. He witnessed Georgie's suicide attempt and is haunted by that night until her release. He tries to deny his feelings as she is 6 years younger and his best friend's sister, so he believes her to not only be fragile, but also off limits. He respects Georgie enough to give her space but once he realises she reciprocates his feelings and isn't as damaged or naive as he believed, he finally follows his heart for happiness.

Then there's poor feisty Georgie. She comes out of treatment having lost her best friend and boyfriend and has to cope with her family walking on egg-shells around her. Finding solace in Noah, she soon becomes swept up in her fantasies and has to deal with Noah's hot and cold/mixed signal attitude as he works out what the right thing to do is. She is such a strong character after committing an act many perceive as weak. 

The romance development between the two was a gorgeous read. There was an appropriate mix of drama and heartache before the pair united. 

Why 4 Stars?
At times the pace seemed a little wrong and there were some scenes that I didn't feel were realistic. Noah was a bit too much like a lot of book-boyfriends out there - the guy that doesn't do relationships but just falls helplessly in love so quickly and effortlessly. I suppose it's a concept that I just cringe at in novels.

Overall; I loved this and cannot wait to read the next installment. Ultimately it was a beautiful story and I completed it in less than 2 days with a busy schedule. I would definitely recommend to any romance/drama book lover. Definitely up there with the favourites and a great way to (sort of) start off the books of 2015!

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REVIEW; Thief, The Academy (The Scarab Beetle #1), by C.L. Stone

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young Adult, Drama, Mystery

Recommend: Yes

Summary:

Kayli Winchester earns her rent money by pick-pocketing those she believes wouldn't miss the money, in order to take care of her brother and drunken father. However, The Academy have had their eye on Kayli and want to momentarily recruit her as she has proven to have the skills they require. 

Meeting the boys; Marc, Raven, Axel, Corey and Brandon, Kayli is thrown into a world of secrecy and joins them on a dangerous job. They're keeping an eye on one of Charleston's playboys, Blake Coaltar, who they suspect is meddling in the drug business. All Kayli has to do is pickpocket his wallet so the boys can swipe his details, and return it as soon as she can. But Blake takes a shine to Kayli putting her right in the spotlight and in harms way. 

Due to her curiosity Kayli finds herself in deep trouble as she gets too close and the boys nearly risk everything to try and save her. 

My Thoughts:
Hmmmm... 
As a reader/lover of the Ghost Bird series I was quite excited to read the "adult" version, but unfortunately was let down.

Plot: The plot sort of fell apart for me. It was more about Kayli interacting with the different guys and getting to know them over anything else. There was the effort of integrating the investigation about Coaltar but it all seemed a bit rushed and added in. They also didn't have sufficient reason/evidence to have started following Coaltar; it all seemed to rely on some sort of suspicion without reason.
As for the plot-twist ending? Could tell that was coming from the get go. Not much of a surprise. 

Kayli: At first I admired her; she was quirky and such an individual and she did what she could for her family and could clearly stand up for herself. But once she was introduced to the guys she became unbearable. Why did she have to fall for every guy in the book? And why did every guy (especially as adults) all develop an attraction for her? I know she was unique but she was that special that she brought them all to her knees? She had just met them and was flirting and messing around as if she had known them for years. None of it felt real or believable. 

Writing: I generally overlook typos/errors but there were a good few in this. I would've thought by now they'd have been sorted out. There were also some factual errors etc. 

"The warmth drew me in first, followed by the rich aroma of coffee infused with mocha and a spritz of hazelnut."

Minor, but mocha is coffee and chocolate so it should read "coffee infused with chocolate." These little things just jump out at me. 

Ultimately I ended up speed-reading this to get it finished. It didn't have the allure that Ghost Bird series did. Promoted as the adult series I had expected it to be a bit more Adult-themed but it still felt like a YA novel. The drug-sub plot didn't interest me and I skipped a good bit just to get back to interesting parts. 

So why 3 star rating? 
I probably would've enjoyed this more if I had not yet read the Ghost Bird series. I found myself comparing them a lot of the time and I preferred Sang to Kayli and Sang's back story was much more alluring.

Any Good Points?
Regardless of my feelings about GB Series, I need to judge this book in its own right. It started off with 4 stars in my mind but the negatives dropped it down one. The boys were just as captivating and interesting as in GB and all had clear idiosyncrasies and their personalities were so brilliant. Axel was definitely my favourite but I enjoyed the non-romantic element of each of their relationships with Kayli. Kayli also doesn't ever try to play the victim and win them over that way; she makes it clear from the beginning that she can fend for herself and that's a breath of fresh air in novels compared to the over-used helpless heroine. 


Overall, I would recommend this novel but for mature YA over NA. Although it fell down on some aspects for me, this is mostly due to my expectations being high from GB series. It's still a half decent read, I've just read better. 

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