Paranormal

The Sweetest Dark | Shana Abe | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

There are quite a few elements that I absolutely love to read about: dragons, historical fiction, boarding schools, and romance. The Sweetest Dark by romance writer Shana Abe contains these elements, yet it did not entirely deliver on it’s interesting premise. I felt that this young adult book was bogged down by very cheesy writing, thus not living up to it’s potential.

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe | Good Books And Good Wine

Lora, an orphan, is found mysteriously wandering around London at the age of 10 with no memory of her previous life. She is sent to live in an orphanage. While at the orphanage, a mysterious voice tells her to jump out the window, which then lands Lora in a mental asylum. Meanwhile World War I is raging on. As London is not safe, Lora luckily wins a scholarship to the elite Iverson boarding school on the coast of London. Unfortunately, her wealthy classmates do not take a liking to her. However, Lora catches the eyes of groundskeeper Jesse and the aristocrat Armand. A love triangle plays out in this boarding school setting while Lora tries to unravel her Drakon heritage.

Lora is actually a pretty interesting heroine. She has gumption and does not take mistreatment lying down. She is also quite intellectually curious, given her awful upbringing in the orphanage. I quite liked reading about Lora discovering her Drakon heritage and coming into her powers — which also involve a bit of a sacrifice. She’s someone I can respect in that she keeps her head held high and her pride in tact despite the taunts of her classmates. Lora was not at all a weak heroine, except when it came to the romance bits of The Sweetest Dark.

Unfortunately, where The Sweetest Dark lost me was with the love triangle. Lora has intense connections with both Jesse and Armand for different reasons, that I won’t reveal because I don’t want to spoil you. Unfortunately, I didn’t really care for either of her love interests. One was a total protector and super sappy — and I felt that he made Lora seem a bit weak. The other love interest was a jerk to Lora and haughty and insulting toward her.

I, personally, was not a huge fan of the writing style. To me, it felt a bit like purple prose – meaning the writing was overly flowery. The descriptions within The Sweetest Dark are over the top ornate and I would have liked it more, had it been dialed back a bit. Typically I love romance and kissing scenes, but those bits within this book made me roll my eyes.

If you are into interesting heroines, don’t mind love triangles and can get past cheesy writing, then you should definitely check out The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe if it appeals to you. The plotting is pretty good. However, if you’re really just interested in the dragon-people aspect, then I would recommend you read Firelight by Sophie Jordan instead as it is more well-written. Unfortunately, The Sweetest Dark was a bit of a disappointment to me, but I wouldn’t tell you do not read this book. If it sounds up your alley, I say go for but don’t walk in expecting the writing to be similar to Libba Bray, as mentioned in the official publisher blurb.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe:

A Reader Of Fictions – “It definitely falls into the category of really weird books.”
Candace’s Book Blog – “This was so much perfection within it’s pages that I nearly cried at the beauty”
Read Breathe Relax – “Abe’s writing is filled with so much emotion.”

The Madness Underneath | Maureen Johnson | Audiobook Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Note: This review will contain spoilers for The Name Of The Star. If you don’t want to be spoiled, I would suggest clicking here and reading my review for The Name Of The Star instead.

You know how sometimes you really hype up a sequel in your head because OMG BOOK ONE WAS SO AMAZING? Yes? Well, you guys I totally hyped up The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson in my head because I totally LOVED The Name Of The Star. I loved how creepy and scary it was. I loved the characterization of Rory, the southern belle in England (not that she’s a southern belle, but you know she’s from Louisiana). Unfortunately, I didn’t quite gel as much with The Madness Underneath as I did with The Name Of The Star.

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson | Good Books And Good Wine

The Madness Underneath starts with a mysterious prologue — there’s a pub and the owner goes to the basement to check out a new crack in the floor. The owner does not come back up. AND BOOM we move back into Rory’s perspective. After surviving being slashed by a ghost, Rory is dealing with a bit of PTSD. She is no longer at Wexford Academy and is in therapy. Unfortunately, Rory is unable to talk about what happened to her because hello, no one would believe that she was attacked by a ghost. Eventually, Rory returns to Wexford, but everything has changed. Also? There’s a new string of mysterious murders and WHOA there are no more termini, except, hmmm, Rory has this new, mysterious power. What follows is a race against the clock to find out who or what the murderer is and, yay, a reemergence of the Shades (the ghost-police)!

I will say, I actually still like Rory as a character – her mopey-ness isn’t the reason for my not loving The Madness Underneath. I thought her PTSD was well-done. Like, I didn’t expect her to be her chipper and cheerful self in this book because obviously she went through something totally awful at the end of the first book. I also found her need to talk about what happened to her, but being unable to do so (as she wasn’t to contact the ghost police and signed the secret clause) to be kind of realistic – I mean, it was believable to me. I think that her suffering was well-drawn. However, I won’t lie and pretend that I didn’t miss her spark – I totally did. Yet, that was not my quibble with this sequel.

Rather, my quibbles lie with characterization of the secondary characters and with the ending. I wish that we had gotten more of Boo and Jazza with this book, but unfortunately they are so much on the periphery. A lot of the book is Rory doing internal thinking – which is fine, but I just really missed the other characters. I wasn’t satisfied with how things played out with Jerome, nor with the other male characters – namely Stephen and Callum (note I read the audiobook, so my spelling of character names might be off). I just thought those characters came across as really under utilized and under developed. I also really hated the ending. I know, I know. I will not spoil it for you, except to say that it kind of comes out of left field and was awful.

Despite my misgivings, I did really like the audiobook production of The Madness Underneath. Nicola Barber reprises her role narrating Maureen Johnson’s latest and she does an excellent job. Barber continues with the various accents and character voices. The production quality is super – there’s no weird mouth noises or outside sounds. Plus – the audiobook is super short – it’s only 7 hours and 53 minutes long. Also? The audiobook is produced by Brilliance Audio, which in my mind is synonymous with quality. If you do want to continue the Shades Of London series, I totally recommend going the audiobook route.

Disclosure: I received a Netgalley copy for review but ended up purchasing and listening to the audiobook instead.

Other reviews of The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson:

Coffee And Wizards – “Maureen Johnson’s novels are a force of their own that must be experienced to be believed.”
The Book Smugglers – “it suffers from a disconnected plot and Middle Book Syndrome.”
Bunbury In The Stacks – “I’m afraid the Shades of London and I are at an impasse.”

Invisible World | Suzanne Weyn | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Straight up, witches are cool. And for real? Who did not sit right up and pay attention during the Salem witch trials in history class? This girl was on that like white on rice. When I saw Invisible World by Suzanne Weyn up for grabs at a book signing, I chose it because I thought it would be a cool read — also I LOVE historical fiction and feel like there isn’t enough of it in YA to sate my appetite. Unfortunately, Invisible World turned out to be a disappointing read where I was left unsatisfied.

Invisible World Suzanne Weyn Book Cover

Elsabeth James has magical powers — she’s a mind reader AND also? She can like see things from other people’s perspectives quite literally. Elsabeth and her family — father, sister and governess decide to sail to America because there’s opportunities for her dad to do science things. Unfortunately, the ship they are on sinks and well, Elsabeth washes up on the shore of a Gullah Island (Which FYI I can’t say without thinking of the TV show). There on the island, she ends up falling for this guy whose name I forget because I am writing this review a few months after I finished the book. Anyways, she also learns voodoo magic too, while on the island and begins to heal. UNFORTUNATELY! Elsabeth ends up sold as an indentured servant to these people in Salem, Massachusetts, and obviously you can guess where the story is going.

Gullah Gullah Island GIF

So, because Elsabeth has powers you would think she’d be kind of a badass right? Unfortunately she’s more of a wet blanket. She spends a lot of the book being all mopey and such, and I was like come on let’s get to the magic. Maybe she’s a product of her time? But I don’t know, I was just hoping for a character that would knock my socks off and unfortunately that did not happen at all.

I do like, however, that Invisible World included a Gullah island, as that’s a piece of history that we don’t often hear about. I also liked that people of color got to be the heroes for once, instead of there being a white savior. However, once we get to Salem, the book takes a turn for the worse, as the witchcraft/bad guy is kind of hilarious, unintentionally. I know I probably thought the suspense stuff was funny because I am older than the intended audience, and you know, some books just don’t cross the generational divide.

Also? The romance within didn’t feel all that believable to me. I didn’t swoon or highlight pages or anything. I was like, oh that’s nice she has a beau now. It was pleasant, but nothing I really rooted or cheered for, ya know? Also, the romance happens like SUPER fast, like bam out of nowhere she’s in love with this slave. Which okay, yeah that adds in drama – the whole interracial thing. And I would have loved it if that was the book’s focus. Unfortunately, to me, I personally felt like the book suffered from lack of a strong focus and trying to do too much with too few pages. Perhaps budding history buffs will love this book, but I’ve read better (Witch of Blackbird Pond FTW).

Disclosure: Picked up at an Oblong Books event.

Other reviews of Invisible World by Suzanne Weyn:

In (Parent)thesis – “Yep. I am reeling by the badness.”
Bibliophile Support Group – “I read it quick, it flew by, and wasn’t boring”

The Wrap-Up List | Steven Arntson | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Perhaps I am morbid, but I really enjoy reading books that take on the subject matter of death. I especially like it when young adult books talk about that subject matter, as for many young people, death does seem outside the realm of possibility when you have your whole life ahead of you. Thus, The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson caught my attention with it’s gritty topics, yet Arntson handles death with a light touch and writes a story that is both touching and funny.

The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson | Good Books And Good Wine

Gabriela lives in a world where 1% of the population are tapped by grim reapers called Deaths to depart. A person receives a letter saying they’ve been chosen for departure and is assigned a specific death. The person tapped must then respond with a wrap-up list — or things they wish to accomplish before heading into the great beyond. Typically the person also asks for a pardon – meaning the Death must give them a clue about it’s noble weakness. It’s then up to the person to figure out their Death’s noble weakness and commit the deed in order to receive the pardon. Gabriela comes home from school one day to one of the red envelopes — she’s been tapped. And so, The Wrap-Up List is essentially about Gabriela trying to accomplish the items on her list and find out her Death – Hercule’s noble weakness so she can live the rest of her life.

Gabriela is a thinker and a very intelligent young lady. She’s the sort of girl who keeps her priest on his toes, as she argues theology with him. I found her to be an interesting protagonist – in that she’s well rounded and not all hung up on some guy even though her list centers on first kisses for all her friends — and her. Gabriela is close with her family, but there’s still some tension and dysfunction there. Her parents are not the Cleavers. She also is best friends with Iris, Raahi, and Sarena – a diverse set of teens. I also found that I liked how Arntson wove religion into The Wrap-Up List but made it so it wasn’t preachy, just a facet of Gabriela’s life.

For a slim book, The Wrap-Up List excels in creating a believable world. The way Arntson weaves in the Deaths and their 1% ‘tax’ comes across as effortless. I realize when it comes to fantasy, paranormal and speculative fiction there has to be a suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader – however, it’s up to the writer to make the reader want to suspend their disbelief. Arntson does a wonderful job of doing this. He makes the Deaths unique and interesting — with rules they must follow and no deus ex machinas in sight. I really thought the world of The Wrap-Up List was fascinating.

If you’re looking for a book that hooks you within the first few pages - The Wrap-Up List is that book. It is engaging because you want to find out more about Gabriela, her family, her friends. Will she get her first kiss? With the boy she likes? And question of all questions for this book — will she get her pardon? I flew through the pages of this book and found myself intrigued by each new reveal.The reveals did feel totally organic and natural to the story, instead of tacked on to fulfill a checklist.

I really enjoyed my time reading Arntson’s work. I loved the concept behind The Wrap-Up List and the execution as well. Gabriela is a wonderful choice for a protagonist and one I found myself rooting for. If you are down for a book with an interesting take on death, you should definitely pick up a copy of The Wrap-Up List.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson:

Alexa Loves Books – “The premise of this story is really a very interesting one”
Bookworm1858 – “a fun fast read with a lot to think about”
Gabby Reads – “this tale was very unique”

Unleashed | Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Reader friends, I actually still really like paranormal books even though the trend is over. While I tend more toward vampires than werewolves, I still love reading books about paranormal creatures that live right under our noses. I came into Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié with a few expectations — namely that it would be an absorbing, darkly romantic sort of read. Unfortunately, Unleashed failed to deliver on that front, which is unfortunate because I really liked the previous book I had read by this author duo, Crusade.

Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie | Good Books And Good Wine

Katelyn McBride’s mother dies during an earthquake. Katelyn is then uprooted from everything she knows in LA and sent to live with her grandfather in Wolf Springs, Arkansas, right by the Ozark Mountains. It’s kind of culture shock for her. However, Wolf Springs isn’t quite so bad and isolated as it seems. She even manages to make friends with this Russian guy who goes by Trick and a girl named Cordelia, who also has a lot on her plate. Yet, there’s something strange about Katelyn’s new digs. She’s not even allowed to go outside when it’s dark out. Turns out, Wolf Springs is a town of many secrets. Chances are that you as the reader can easily guess the secrets as it shows you right on the cover and also you can infer it from the name of the town. While the plot summary of Unleashed is interesting, it’s a rather long and drawn out book that upon closing left me feeling as though nothing had really happened.

Unfortunately Katelyn is not a very compelling heroine. When the book opens, she’s actually quite interesting, so much so that it seems like her potential was squandered. At the beginning of Unleashed, Katelyn is a gymnast and she’s very dedicated to her sport and to excelling. I was excited by the prospect of a character with a hobby. Yet, when she goes to Wolf Springs, we do not hear another word about Katelyn’s sport. Instead, she mopes about living with her grandfather in the middle of nowhere which is understandable. Then she spends an awful lot of time trying to figure out why she can’t go out at night. Also, Katelyn ends up in a love triangle of course. Rather than being swoon worthy, it’s all kind of boring. It felt like ground that’s already been tread with nothing new or interesting added. As a reader, I was not invested or engaged by Katelyn as a character.

As one would expect, Wolf Springs is a lupine obsessed town. The school’s mascot is the wolf. In fact, in the school there are actually stained glass windows that depict wolves, which is kind of interesting. Further, some of the town folklore focuses on this creature called a Hellhound. Yet, whenever Katelyn tries to get more information on the Hellhound, she ends up getting the brush off. I liked how the lore was woven into the store, but I wish that it was less shallow. It is done in a pretty superficial way and it seems like we never really get to explore Wolf Springs’ deep dark secrets aside from the various girl being eaten by wolves (this happens twice in Unleashed).

On the upside, I was unable to tell where Nancy Holder’s writing ended and Debbie Viguié’s began and vice versa. That is probably the only positive thing I can say about the writing style. The dialogue in Unleashed comes across as very stilted. I thought the interactions between Cordelia and Katelyn were painful to read, even though the two are friends. The pacing of the book really drags. This young adult book took me forever to read and usually I am the type who happily gobbles up paranormal reads. I just feel that the interesting elements were muddled in a story that basically went nowhere.

If I am being honest, I probably would not recommend Unleashed. It’s not very exciting. The romance is boring. The characters are uninteresting. There are definitely better paranormal young adult books out there.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié:

Feeling Fictional – “I did feel that it was a little slow getting to the supernatural part of the story”

Xpresso Reads – “I didn’t feel any sort of chemistry between the characters”

Reading Teen – “Ok. I loved this book.”

The Indigo Spell | Richelle Mead | Audiobook Review

by April (Books&Wine)

You probably should NOT read beyond the first paragraph if you don’t want to be spoiled for Bloodlines or The Golden Lily, just an FYI.

I am one of those people who is compulsive about the form I encounter a book or series in. For example, I’ve been reading Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series strictly in print and had no plans to change that. HOWEVER, when I was offered an advance audiobook copy of The Indigo Spell I was on the fence. Do I change up my routine and try to encounter Sydney and Adrian in different form — or do I wait for an agonizing amount of time for the print version? You guys, it’s a lot to consider — you know a poorly done audio can ruin the experience of a much anticipated book. I ended up quite lucky though — the audiobook of The Indigo Spell is very, very good.

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead | Good Books And Good Wine

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Allison: Mind Games | Kiersten White | Book Review

by Allison L

Mind Games is the perfect title for this book by Kiersten White because honestly that is what this book does to you. It plays so many games with your mind! Everything is part of the puzzle, and every little detail is important to the puzzle. Even if you think it might not be important in the end it could be the one detail that really matters. It’s kinda crazy in a way.

There are two main characters in Mind Games. The first Fia was born with flawless instincts and has learned to trust her gut instinct as it is usually right. Her sister Annie is blind to the world around her – except that she has the ability to have strange visions of the future. Together, they have an unusual and complex bond doing whatever they can to save the other in a world filled with secrets and lies. Even if it means risking themselves in the process.

Mind Games is written in a duel narrative which gives the reader the ability to see where each sister is coming from in terms of their decisions. It also shows how devoted they are to each other, and how much they are willing to sacrifice for the other. The flip flopping of the points of view also created the tension that was needed for the puzzle of the story. Like I said, every little detail mattered, including the flashbacks into the past. It might not have seemed like it when the detail was first revealed but once things started coming full circle, it all started making sense. Except at the same time, it didn’t … and that actually made it more intense to read.

I didn’t necessarily fully connect with either one of the sisters. They both had their strengths and their flaws but I was so drawn into the plot execution of the story that the character’s actually kind of fell to the wayside in a way. This is odd for me to think about but honestly that is the way that it happened. I was so sucked into the strength of the plot, and the implementation of it that I wasn’t focused on the characters. It was something of a different pace for me which was nice. Of course, it was a little easy to get sucked into the story when there is spying, espionage, assassinations, secrets, and lies involved!

Overall, I enjoyed Mind Games, and I look forward to the sequel which I believe doesn’t come out till 2014 (of course). I’m hoping that the second book in the series will answer my still unanswered questions, and fill in the necessary gaps which I feel as still within the story. These gaps didn’t necessarily disappoint me but at the same time I still want to know more. More spying, espionage, assassinations, secrets, and lies please!

Disclosure: Received advanced copy from Oblong Books after attending a signing event.

Other Reviews of Mind Games by Kiersten White:
The Book Belles: “This book will keep you up reading…”

Mostly YA Lit: “I would totally recommend this to anyone who needs a fast, action-y read…”

Mundie Moms: “Mind Games is a thrilling, fun, and incredibly fast read…“

Velveteen by Daniel Marks Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

It’s unfortunate that Daniel Marks’ YA debut Velveteen didn’t get quite the attention it deserved when it first came out. Velveteen takes a walk on the macabre side and feels quite unprecedented in the YA market. It mashes up horror with paranormal, as the machinations of the residents of Purgatory are explored in this novel. While I am not usually one who LOVES weird books, I have to say that I was totally won over by Marks’ world building and prickly characterization. I definitely would like more people to read this, especially because it’s one of those books that could use a sequel.

Velveteen by Daniel Marks | Good Books And Good Wine

Velveteen opens with the sixteen year old main character, also named Velveteen but Velvet for short, haunting this super creepy guy. Turns out the creepy guy is Bonesaw, a serial killer who brutally murdered her. Now, Bonesaw has another girl. As Velvet is a ghost she can’t really do much except mess with Bonesaw’s things. I have to come right out and state that the opening chapter is one of the most exciting openings for YA in a long time. Yet, the book takes on a whole new direction in the chapters to come. Velvet is currently trapped in Purgatory, which is this run down sort of parallel universe where people go if they have unfinished business. Residents of Purgatory do not get a free ride though, each person must perform a function or a job. Velvet serves as part of the salvage team, which basically means she is a member of the elite. Yet, all is not entirely sunny, you see, there’s a faction of revolutionaries known as Depaturists who want to change the way Purgatory is run, among other things. Finally there’s a new guy in Purgatory, Nick, whom Velvet is undeniably attracted to. As you can see, homegirl has A LOT going on.

If you like prickly characters who are kind of guarded, chances are you will love Velvet. She’s very compelling. When we meet her, she’s hellbent on extracting vengeance and fortunately this does not change for much of the novel. She’s consistent and I liked that. Velvet is the kind of girl who seems to hate everyone except her very close friends. She also does not let guys get very close to her. ALSO. She is the leader of her salvage crew, so she’s actually quite competent and capable and far from the simpering too stupid to live sort of paranormal heroine. Further, Velvet has a healthy dose of teenage angst. When all of these elements combine, it’s like the ideal main character for me to read about is created. Not everyone will love Velvet, but I absolutely did.

Daniel Marks definitely is a great wordsmith. I really liked the images he conjectured of Purgatory. It’s a world where paper is extremely valuable and used to craft birds. People enter via train/subway. Residents live in these really weird looking dormitories constructed of whatever the collectors could obtain from the living world. The station masters are the ones who are in charge. It’s actually an intricately constructed world, and one that I definitely would not mind revisiting. Further, while Velveteen is very long, it’s actually quite the page turner. I found myself utterly engaged by the two plot threads — that where Velvet hopes to extract revenge on Bonesaw, and that where Purgatory is besieged by revolutionaries. It’s very dark and creepy and wholly fascinating.

The romance adds a bit of a nice light touch to Velveteen. I liked that Nick the love interest has a bit of a devil may care debonair sort of attitude, although he is also a teenager like Velvet. He’s incredibly confident and maybe comes off as a little arrogant, but it strikes a nice balance with Velvet. She’s the sort of character where it would only make sense that she engage in a relationship with someone who is just as headstrong as she is. I thought their mutual attraction totally made sense and did not come off as contrived or forced. Plus, their kissing scenes are totally adorable and do add a bit of swoon to this dark young adult book.

After finishing Velveteen, I actually hopped onto goodreads to see if there was going to be a sequel. As of now, it doesn’t look like there is, but my fingers are crossed. If you are looking for a book that leaves you wanting more of it’s strange, fascinating world then you absolutely should read Velveteen by Danny Marks. Velvet, Nick, and the rest of the salvage team are definitely worth meeting and spending almost 450 pages worth of time in their company.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine.

Other reviews of Velveteen by Daniel Marks:

A Reader Of Fictions – “the whole of the story was so delightfully fresh and funny”

Alice Marvels – “Atmospheric and superbly written”

Hobbitsies – “something different and weird and original and creepy.”

Allison reviews Firelight by Kristen Callihan

by Allison L

Set in 1880’s London, Firelight by Kristen Callihan paints a picture of dismal darkness surrounded by a ray of hope and light. The vivid setting is very gothic in feel. None of the grittiness of the time period has been left out. There are cut throat men and thieves, fathers who view their daughters as worthless and who are willing to sell them for a simple price, and cunning devious (and sometimes sexy) men who are willing to risk everything, including love, to save their own souls. It is intense, and dramatic, and has some jaw dropping sensuality to it as well.

The theme of Firelight is very Beauty and the Beast like with a hint of Phantom of the Opera as well as a dash of Satanic evil. It really is one hell of a story (pun entirely intended). In this story, the main character Lord Benjamin Archer has kept his identity and disfigurement hidden from the world for many years behind a dark mask. On one dark night, clocked in the shadows, he spies the beautiful Miranda Ellis defending herself from would-be attackers in a darkened alleyway. He instantly finds himself enthralled by this woman, and in time he arranges a marriage with her, and takes her away to his remote castle.

After they arrive at the castle together as husband and wife, Benjamin continues to keep Miranda at arms length. He is afraid of getting too close to her because he is afraid of her seeing the real him and being disgusted. Yet he keeps finding it harder and harder to resist the desire that he feels for her, especially after his friends start getting murdered, and he is the most likely of suspects. Suddenly all that matters is Miranda’s safety, and finally finding a cure for this ‘illness’ that has plagued him for so long.

The pacing of Firelight is so good! I absolutely loved the darker, Gothic historical feel of this story. You can literally feel the tone of the setting as you reading which to me was a very awesome feeling. It was very interesting how all the details of the plot were revealed. It was as if everything was a part of one big mystery, and you were being given one little detail at a time, just enough to wet your appetite. Very suspenseful and so very much worth it in the end! There is also this wonderful balance of genres in the story as well. You’ve got historical, paranormal, romance and a strong hint of mystery as I mentioned before. All of these genres are so important to the plot and the characters.

Speaking of the characters, I loved both of the main ones. The relationship between Benjamin and Miranda is not an easy one by far. They are both equally attracted to each other but they are both equally scarred for different reasons. Benjamin is terrified to reveal his true self to someone, and Miranda has some secrets of her own that she is afraid to reveal. They are both strong independent people who have tortured souls and it takes a lot for each of them to break down the walls and admit that they need each other. The relationship building between the characters is wonderful. The walls have no reign on the chemistry between the characters though. HOLY SMOKE! These two characters have so much chemistry. It is insane – an off the charts level of chemistry! But that is not the only reason I love them … their love is so deep and it is very real … and is so worth reading about!

Firelight is the first book in a series by Kristen Callihan called the Darkest London series, and if this book is any indication how the rest of the series will play out, I will most definitely be checking it out. This book took hold of me, and refused to let me go. I really cannot say enough about the setting, the plot, and the characters. It really does have something for everyone, and I highly recommend that you check it out!

Disclosure: Purchased copy

Other reviews of Firelight by Kristen Callihan:

The Broke and the Bookish: “If you like masked men tropes, damaged hero, “fiery” heroines and mild suspense, this is for you…”

Smexybooks: “I loved every second of this book…”

The Allure of Books: “I cannot recommend it highly enough to fans of historical fiction and/or paranormals and/or urban fantasy and/or romance of any kind…“

Paper Valentine | Brenna Yovanoff | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

It’s hard for me to find the precise, exact words to convince you to read Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff. Like, how do I write the best argument possible without going all flailing arms and neon signs on you? You guys, I liked The Replacement, but I utterly LOVED Paper Valentine. I found myself highlighting passages on my Kindle, and hopping onto g-chat to hash out theories and OMGs (Thanks Christina at Reader Of Fictions, you are THE BEST EVER). Friends, I loved every single element of Yovanoff’s latest and am happy to report that she’s one of those authors who has grown over time.

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff | Good Books & Good Wine

It is freakin’ hot in the city of Ludlow, but heat isn’t exactly the only unfortunate thing. You see, there’s been a rash of murders of pretty, young innocent girls. To make matters worse, main character Hannah is haunted by the ghost of her best friend Lillian, who died of anorexia six months ago. Although Hannah is not a girl detective in any way, shape or form, she feels compelled by the murders and finds herself obsessed with the girls and finding out who killed them. Lillian tries to help, but she’s not exactly omnipotent. On top of that, Hannah is kind of a popular girl but she’s becoming attracted to Finny Boone, a boy who is very big, kind of scary and lumbering and also not exactly in the smart classes. He’s legit a wrong side of the tracks sort of person.

While I am likely making all the elements of the plot and story of Paper Valentine sound convoluted, have no fear, the story actually flows WAY better than I am able to describe it. Like, the thing that I LOVED about Paper Valentine was that it was dark without being weird and unrelateable. I didn’t feel at a distance from Hannah because she dresses differently or anything. Instead, I found Hannah to be quite likable, despite her faults. I mean, she’s the sort of character who lets other people railroad her and walk all over her, but as this is a coming of age book, she does grow and start to own her voice and feelings. And quite frankly, I love books where characters start off kind of quiet but then learn to speak up for themselves. It’s kind of the best as far as payoff goes. ALSO! Hannah is actually a good person, she’s kind and genuine, but she often is overshadowed by her more flashy friends.

I’d totally be the worst reviewer ever if I didn’t mention Hannah’s family. Clearly authors must be listening to our complaints, because Hannah’s family is VERY present. She lives with her mom, tattooed stepfather, and little sister Ariel. Her stepfather is legit the best, sure he comes off as scary but Hannah and Ariel see him as a father and he makes them pancakes and listens to them and proves appearances can be deceiving. Hannah’s mom is the worrywort sort which makes sense, because hello if some psycho is running around killing kids OF COURSE THE PARENTS SHOULD WORRY. Thank goodness logic applies to this book. THEN. There is Ariel. Who is super annoying and super adorable. She’s constantly talking and never ever shuts up, but the thing is even though her and Hannah fight sometimes, deep down there’s that sisterly bond there and it’s heartwarming.

OH OH OH and you guys of course there is swooning involved. I will say that I didn’t quite have the sense of Finny that I do with other male leads, because he’s not the main focus of Paper Valentine. While Yovanoff does a great job developing Finny’s character and again showing us appearances can be deceiving, the main focus is on Hannah and her development which is not catalyzed by a boy. So yes, there are swoons and some kisses, but this is NOT a kissing book.

Instead, it’s fairly suspenseful and scary. Like, omg, when I found out who the killer was, I almost put my Kindle Fire in the freezer a la Joey Tribbiani. Of course, I decided against that and hashed my feelings out over g-chat. Still, I legit could not believe who the bad guy was but then was like IT IS ALWAYS THAT GUY. And I realize I’m being super cryptic, but that is kind of the point. Anyways, if you are captain oblivious like I am, you’ll be surprised.

Finally, Brenna Yovanoff has so much talent. Y’all, I honest to goodness highlighted things in Paper Valentine because I loved the style of writing, not to snark on later like with other books. Seriously, maybe because she is critique partners with Maggie Stiefvater and Tessa Gratton, but I felt that, like those authors Yovanoff has this way with words that gets right to the heart of meaning. Like, Paper Valentine does not use 100 words when ten will do, but at the same time it doesn’t feel too sparse. It’s the sort of book where if you were to read it out loud the words will just roll off your tongue. Frankly, if words, characterization and coming of age do it for you, I think you ought to get yourself a copy of Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff:

Charlotte’s Library – “I was rather pleased with how much I enjoyed it.”

Cuddlebuggery – “To me it felt like Hannah’s life was tucked away from the conflict separately and safely, so it was hard to get invested in the climax.”

Pure Imagination – “Recommend it if you’re looking for something with mystery and vivid writing.”

Books by Brenna Yovanoff:

The Replacement
The Curiosities