A Reader's Adventure

I received a copy of the fourth book in The Sullivan's Series from ALA and fell in love (review coming soon.) Because of this I knew I had to go back to the beginning and read the rest of them. Each story in the Sullivan's series is the story of one of the eight Sullivan kids The Look of Love is Chase's story. I knew what happened to him and Chloe because I read I Only Have Eyes For You but I was still super excited to see how their relationship grew and came to be. With each one of these books I read I fall more in love with the Sullivan family. Yes they have rocky relationships but they all care so much for each other and want the best for them even if that person may not agree. Chase and Chloe really only come into contact with Marcus, the oldest Sullivan and the subject of the second book. I loved seeing how open Marcus was with Chloe even though it would be completely weird to have your brother bring some random girl to your house. Most of The Look of Love takes place in Marcus' vineyard. It was so gorgeous sounding and Bella Andre made me want to be there. It was also the perfect place for a romance novel to be set. Chase was shooting at the vineyard and I loved watching Chloe become more comfortable with both Chase and his team. I don't think I could be as brave as Chloe was, I mean getting into a car with a perfect stranger in the middle of the night. Not that she really had many more options. I really felt for Chloe, she had gone though so much that I could completely understand her trepidation. The Look of Love like all of Bella Andre's books is very sexy, but I love how all of the Sullivan men care about their women. It makes it seem like less of an overtaking and domineering relationship. Especially since that is what Chloe needed.Basically you should read this series so we can squee about them together! And even if you have only read historical romance like I had you will still like it!

I originally bought this book because Ally Carter is coming to the Austin Teen Book Festival and it sounded really good, I am so glad I did. This is an adult book, but I think older teen fans of Ally's work would really like it as well. I certainly did! Julia is awesome, she is what I want to be like if I stay single for that long. She is strong and independent and when she is with Lance their chemistry flies off the page. Yes this is a "chick-lit: novel and it is awesome. I was feeling down the day that I picked it up and it made me happy inside. I felt really invested in what was happening to Julia's career, I found myself caring as if she was my friend, this just solidifies what a great writer Ally is. I definitely recommend you pick up this book especially if you need something light but good!

I don't know about you but when I think of romantic time periods I don't usually think about the Revolutionary War; but maybe that's just me... After reading Less than a Gentleman that opinion has been changed because the Revolutionary War can be romantic and action packed.Caroline is not to be trifled with. She is a strong-willed and courageous woman who does what she has to do keep her family safe. Even lying about being someone else to get shelter. I mean a girl has gotta do what a girl has gotta do. Granted she does feel terrible about it.Speaking of lying there is quite a bit of lying in Less Than a Gentleman. Most of it is well founded and understandable. But at one point I was yelling at a character to just tell the truth already. Of course they didn't listen to me, not that I honestly thought they would.The romantic scenes were HOT, obviously because this is a romance novel. But they were not too over the top so if you are not into the explicit this book is for you.One thing that I was really surprised about was how much action there was in Less Than a Gentleman. This is not a romance that takes place in drawing rooms and stately mansions. Though there are drawing rooms and a plantation this book mostly takes place in mills, secret passageways, swamps, and docks. And don't you think for a moment that Caroline is going to let the boys have all the fun. She can hold her own against the British.Even though I enjoyed the whole book my favorite part was the secondary characters. From Dottie and Becky to Charlotte and Jacob all the characters added so much to this story and really fleshed it out. There are no characters that are gratuitous, and they will make you fall in love with them.Basically if you are a fan of historical romance or romance in general you should read Less Than a Gentleman.

4.5 stars

This was another great book by Kristin Cashore! The visualization was wonderful and the characters were so different than anything I had ever read about before! I really think that Kristin grew a lot from when she wrote Graceling! Fire was a different character, she was unlike any character I have ever come across before. She was tormented by her father and his death, and we learn so much about her, and her torments through flashbacks, which normally I don't like but in Fire it was necessary. I like how Kristin kept us in suspense for most of the novel about Fire's past.The plot flowed beautifully and was beautifully written. I enjoyed the level of political intrigue in this book. And Immiker drove me nuts, but I believe that it is important to read Graceling before you read Fire becasue if you don't the ending of Graceling will be ruined.Even though Graceling is still my favorite of the two I have a new literary crush in Brigan! Po and him are very close, and I love both of them! I cannot wait for Kristin's next installment in this series Bitterblue! This is definitely a series you need to read. And an author you need to keep your eyes on!

I really liked Shadow and Bone. So I was very excited to read the second book in the trilogy Siege and Storm; though I was a little worried about there being a slump in this second book like there are in many other series. But I could not have been more wrong. Siege and Storm was even better than Shadow and Bone and was one of the best books I have read this year so far.Siege and Storm starts off not to long after the ending of Shadow and Bone. And while I thought that we would have peace for a little while in the beginning I was wrong. The action starts pretty quickly after the beginning of the book and does not stop till the end.There are some new characters introduced in Siege and Storm and I loved all of them! Especially Sturmhond. LET ME LOVE YOU. He was so snarky and awesome I adore him.Mal kind of bugged me in Siege and Storm. He was very needy and was not very nice and supportive of Alina which was lame. Yes, Alina changes a lot from the beginning of Shadow and Bone and not all for the better but he still needed to support her and not be an ass.The Darkling was barely in the book, but he is a shadow over the story. So if you are a big fan of the Darkling he is not in it as much but he is still a force to be reckoned with!Basically I LOVED this book and cannot wait for the next one. You should totally read this series!!!

After the ending of the first book Of Poseidon I was dying to read this next installment. And Anna Banks did not let me down.Of Triton takes place not too much later and immediately jumps into the action Even though it had been a year since I read Of Poseidon I was quickly caught up. I was super excited to fall back into the story. Emma's mom and Grom were in Of Triton a lot more than in the first book and I liked getting to know them. Even though they were rather annoying at times. I was glued to this book. I was supposed to be studying for my finals and I was trying to read one chapter at a time in between studying but I kept on reading all the way through. Of Triton is funny, heartbreaking, and tense. I really liked reading more about the Syrena kingdom and how it works as well as getting to know a few more characters. With that being said I liked reading more about the existing characters. Especially Reyna and Rachel. Overall this is a great series with awesome characters and plenty of laughs.

I had heard amazing things about Seraphina and was totally psyched to read it. I mean high fantasy and dragons? Sign me up! Luckily Seraphina did not disappoint!I really, really liked this book. I mean the first line is "I remember my birth." Seriously? That line screams how good this book is going to be. Seraphina is part dragon part human and so she is thought of as an abomination. This secret while not controlling the whole plot, is integral to the story. I loved Princess Glisselda and Seraphina's relationship. It was a fun friendship and I liked seeing the barrier between royalty and commoner be broken down a little. Though honestly the real breaking down of positions was between Seraphina and Prince Lucian Kiggs, but I'll leave you to find that out... Also Kiggs is so cute and is now on my list of book boy crushes.Another relationship that I really liked was the one between Seraphina and her teacher Orma. Since her dad is a a** it was great for her to have a father figure. Also there is a great scene between Seraphina and Prince Lucian in regard to Orma.If you know me you know I love reading about the politics and mythology of fantasy worlds and Rachel Hartman does a great job of bringing the back story to life in an interesting way. Also the world building is so well done. I am a sucker for description and Seraphina contained just enough to keep me happy but not so much that it would turn off anyone who does not like it.Another thing that I really liked is how Seraphina's visions were important. A lot of times if a character has issues with that sort of thing it is just there to make the character weak or be convenient to the plot. But Hartman really used them in an interesting and different way. I was surprised by the reveal toward the end which is always nice. Thinking back it makes sense though so it was not completely out of left field.Overall I really liked Seraphina. It was spellbinding and just complex enough. The fact that music was incorporated though it all made me really happy (as a person who plays three instruments I really appreciated it.) And I cannot wait for Dracomania!

I really liked the premise of Going Vintage. I mean who doesn't want to give up technology for a few days? Especially after a big breakup? But Mallory takes it to the next step, she decides to live like she lives in the 60's.I personally thought Mallory took it too far to the extreme. She put herself at risk a couple of times and I felt she should have made exceptions at those times. But overall I really liked Going Vintage.Mallory grew a lot throughout the course of the book. She learned about the past and how things are not all ways as they seem. She also learned a lot about herself. I think many of us would benefit from taking a break from technology just maybe not as drastic a break as Mallory.The secondary characters and their story lines make this book. Mallory's sister pushes Mallory to commit fully which I could totally see a little sister doing. And her grandmother and mother have some secrets of their own that really play into the family dynamic.At times Going Vintage was a little slow but other than that it was a great read!

I love historical novels so when I heard that Strands of Bronze and Gold was both a historical novel and a retelling I knew I had to read it!I had never read the story of Bluebeard before reading this book so when I started reading it all I knew was that Bernard was creepy as all get out. I could see how Sophia could find him alluring but I was screaming at her to get away, from the first couple chapters.I think the pre-civil war setting really fit the story. It made Bernard's actions not seem so erratic and more normal for that time. I also adored all the detail that was in the descriptions of the abbey and the grounds. It made me feel as if I was there, which honestly was not always a good thing.In the beginning I found Sophia to be very vain and silly, but as the novel progressed I came to understand her better and even to admire her for what she had to go through. I also really liked how she felt the needs of others even before her own. I think that showed a lot of growth and courage to do what she did.I am happy with how the story ended though I am unsure how there would be more books. I will definitely be picking them up though!Strands of Bronze and Gold is a must read for fans of the classic Bluebeard story and those who like a little creepy with their historical novels.

This was my favorite Georgetown Academy book! It had the exact same style as the first tow with the story and then an interactive part where you follow one girl's story. But the story for this installment was really good! By the third book the characters have really come to life and I feel like they blossomed in this third book. They were standing up for themselves and making slightly better choices not only for them but about their friends. I also liked the introduction of some new characters into the fray because it added to the story.The new setting was also a nice change of pace. Yes there was still all that DC politics drama but in a much prettier setting.I think all of the characters (with the exception of one new one) grew a lot in this book. Especially Brinley, I know it is lame to say of a fictional character but I am really proud of how much she grew over the last three books, she went from being my least favorite character to being one of my favorites. It was a worthy addition to the series.

This was my favorite Georgetown Academy book! It had the exact same style as the first tow with the story and then an interactive part where you follow one girl's story. But the story for this installment was really good! By the third book the characters have really come to life and I feel like they blossomed in this third book. They were standing up for themselves and making slightly better choices not only for them but about their friends. I also liked the introduction of some new characters into the fray because it added to the story.The new setting was also a nice change of pace. Yes there was still all that DC politics drama but in a much prettier setting.I think all of the characters (with the exception of one new one) grew a lot in this book. Especially Brinley, I know it is lame to say of a fictional character but I am really proud of how much she grew over the last three books, she went from being my least favorite character to being one of my favorites. It was a worthy addition to the series.

I HATED the beginning of this book but loved it by the end. Review to come.

I have yet to read Megan Miranda's first book but I had heard good things about it so I was excited to read Hysteria. Now I am a big wimp. I don't watch horror movies or read books that are marketed as horror so I was nervous about how scary Hysteria was going to be and I am happy to say it was not too scary. Yes I was freaked out but not too much that I could not enjoy the book.That being said Hysteria is not really a horror book. It is more of a thriller and thrilling it was. I mean the main character KILLED her boyfriend. This is not one of those books where the main character might have killed someone. We know from the very beginning that she did it. But we have to learn along with Mallory why she did it.The new prep school is so creepy. You could not pay me to go there. And it gets even worse when some kid shows up dead. Of course everyone thinks it was Mallory, but Mallory is not sure. Everyone is creepy and I did not know who Mallory should trust.Overall Hysteria is a great psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what on earth is going on. And if you are like me you will be surprised by the ending.

I actually read this book a few months ago and am kicking my self for A) not reading it sooner and B) not getting the review up until now.I don't read too much middle grade and I really need to because there are some great things happening in that corner of the bookstore that I just cannot ignore. When I do read MG I tend to lean towards Fantasy, and so when I heard about Keeper of the Lost Cities I was in. And boy am I glad I picked it up!! I fell in love with both the plot and the characters.Sophie is a great main character, she is both strong but she has just enough insecurity to be relatable. She also reacts to things in a similar way that I would think I would. Even though she is a lot stronger than I would be in her situation. All the secondary characters help bring this world to life.The world that Shannon Messenger has created is so original and beautiful, if I could visit I totally would. And I hate to say this but the whole book had a very Harry Potter vibe. It is completely different but the magic was there like when I read Harry Potter.This is a long book but younger readers should not be afraid because it just flies by, and by the end I was clamoring for the next book!

If you have not read Cinder you need to go do that. If the words sci-fi Cinderella retelling don't make you want to read it maybe my review will. Either way if you have not read Cinder I am warning you that this review will contain spoilers for Cinder, not for Scarlet just Cinder. Scarlet was just as good as Cinder. A lot of the time second books tend to drag and not be nearly as good as the first book. But Scarlet does not fall into that trap. Maybe it is the introduction of a new POV or maybe it is the added cast of characters, but Scarlet manages to stay fresh where others fail. In case you could not figure it out, Scarlet is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. A retelling that will blow your mind with how different it is from the source material. It takes place in the same world as Cinder just in a different country. Scarlet is just as sassy as Cinder but they are different she is less insecure and even more kick-ass if you can believe it. If you fell in love with Cinder then you will like Scarlet. She is sassy and I swear I want her red hoodie. There are also some other new characters such as Wolf who is not all he seems, and Thorne who I thought was going to be annoying but I really liked getting to know. And don't fret, there are still some of your favorite characters from Cinder such as Iko, Queen Levana (though if you like her *side eye*) and of course Kai. The two stories of Scarlet and Wolf looking for her grandmother and Cinder trying to escape Queen Levana may seem like they would not come together but they fall in place perfectly and are told through alternating chapters interspersed with chapters about Kai. Basically if you liked Cinder get ready for even more fun in Scarlet. Also while some questions are answered you will be joined with me in wanting Cress which does not come out till next year.