The Morning After

The Morning After by Sally Clements



One photo changes everything...

A mortifying incident in her youth has shaken sense into Cara Byrne. No more bad-boys. No more getting arrested. Instead, hard work and good behaviour has earned her a job teaching at the local Boys Secondary School, and a proposal from a worthy man. So what if he doesn't exactly light her fire - surely passion is overrated? 

When her friend since childhood, Ethan Quinn, storms back into the small Irish village he left to pursue a career as a Hollywood action hero, she's stunned to discover she's as susceptible to his lethal charm as every woman in the world. And when a compromising photograph floods the media of them in a clinch, her almost fiancé reveals his true colours, CarEthan starts trending on twitter, and she loses her job, could anyone blame her if she accepts his invitation to hide out at his Malibu beach house? 

Ethan loves women, but never lets his girlfriends into his heart. He's failed at being there in the past, and won't put his heart on the line for anyone, ever again. But Cara's a different matter - and when passionate attraction is added to his friendship with the one person he's always confided in, he's thrown for a loop. Cara's lost everything, and like it or not, he's responsible. There's no fighting the attraction that blazes between them - but when the month long affair is over, will he ever be able to let her go?


The Morning After is definitely suitable for a Lifetime movie. It has that will they, won’t they drama that’s patented on Lifetime. This is one of the few romance novels that take its cue firmly in the present day.

This novella definitely takes place in the present day. I recently joined twitter. Ethan and Cara trending and having their own hashtag added to the appeal of this novel. But in ten years will that aspect make this novel dated.

This isn’t one of those all-consuming romantic love stories. It’s a love story, about two lifelong friends developing into something more. Where people are consumed with that epic Romeo and Juliet it’s nice to read about the simple love story Sally Clements has crafted in this novella.

I’ve read more romance novel this year. The things they all have had in common are their description. They made me want to read them. ‘One photo changes everything...’ it drew me in from the start.

It’s a short read that can be finished in one sitting. It surprised me at how quickly I finished. Actually I would consider it a novella more than a novel.


I give The Morning After 3 out 5.

Double Trouble (The Coxwells 2)

Double Trouble (The Coxwells) by Claire Cross

Two sisters. One disaster.

First things first: I’m the bad twin. While my sister, Marcia, has the perfect family in the perfect suburb, I’ve been making my living as an Internet advice columnist and designing Web sites in my downtown loft. I always thought I had the right answer - and hair color - for any occasion. That is, until Marcia ran up loads of debt and ran out on her husband and kids, and I was left helping to pick up the pieces. Her husband, James, is a lawyer who I hate on principle alone.

But for a guy who’s just lost his job, his marriage, and his expensive toys, he’s keeping it together - and making me rethink my feelings toward him. It’s not that he’s traded in his conservative suits for sexy jeans. It’s that he’s not giving up what’s important to him, and oh baby, I’m a sucker for a guy who hangs tough.

That doesn’t mean I’m ready to step into Marcia’s designer shoes now that she’s gone AWOL.

And it doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for James’s easy charm...not again, anyhow. Besides, I’ve had a lifelong policy of not being mistaken for my twin and I’m not backing down on that one now - no matter how convenient it might be for a certain sexy (and persuasive) man...

Double Trouble (The Coxwells 2) is number two in The Coxwells Series, which I didn’t know when I read it. I don’t if it hurt or help me when I was reading. The reason I noticed it was the title, then the blurb. One of my friends is a twin and I always find twin stories fascinating.

Marica and Mary Elizabeth, better known as Maryals, are the O’Reilly twins. For the majority of the read you are made to believe that Maryals is the bad twin. Maybe because my dad did the same thing as Marcia, Maryals was always the more sympathetic character. When Marcia’s family started to rely on Maryals I felt it was a natural transition.

Then the revelations come out. I was totally justified. Honestly it wasn’t a surprise that Marcia was the bad twin in my opinion. It was the magnitude of the betrayal, how far she took it, and for how long. These are the things that surprised me.

I can’t say that it made me interested in reading the novel before, Third Time Lucky (The Coxwells) or the novel after, One More Time (Cowells Family). I can say that Claire Cross created an okay standalone novel. The subplot of the story with Marcia’s family works to counter point Maryals own life. At thirty-eight she’s more together than she gives herself. It was nice for her to final see that in herself.

I give Double Trouble (The Coxwells) 3 out 5.

Past Forward -- A Serial Novel: Episode 4

Past Forward -- A Serial Novel: Episode 4 by Chautona Havig



Past Forward is a serial novel released weekly on Kindle.

Alone without friends or family to comfort her after the death of her mother, Willow Finley’s idyllic life is over—and just beginning.

When Willow Finley awakes on a hot summer morning, she is unprepared for the grief that awaits her. Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother still in her bed, never to awaken again in this life.

From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can't avoid.

Follow as Willow's story unfolds past forward.




Past Forward -- A Serial Novel: Episode 4 this is just as amusing as any television show. I’ve trying to figure out what’s going to happen next. Just enjoy the revelation of the story.

Episode 4 is a welcomed returned to form. I was apathetic to last week’s episode. This week’s had parts that made me laugh, not so much as they were funny but I made erroneous assumptions. This is what makes it such a joy to read. It makes you see the world differently.

Willow is the driving force behind the novel. But our journey is really with Chad. The episode more than any of the previous ones you see the noticeable changes happening to the character.

Even after four episodes, it still amazes me Chautona Havig shows us how much we take for grant. The one also highlights the differences between country and city life. It’s a question posed to Chad and something he’s going to have to deal with in the future.



I give Past Forward -- A Serial Novel: Episode 4 4 out 5.

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (Grimm Diaries Prequel 4)

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (Grimm Diaries Prequel 4) by Cameron Jace



What if all you knew about fairytales was wrong?

Book Description:

Little Red Riding Hood's untold and true story. Why she was wearing a Red hood. Who her Grandma really was. What the wolf actually wanted. Where she fits in the Dreamworld. And what Ladle Rat Rotten Hut means.

List of the available Grimm Diaries Prequels:

1 Snow White Blood Red narrated by The Snow White Queen

2 Ashes to Ashes and Cinder to Cinder narrated by Alice Grimm

3 Beauty Never Dies narrated by Peter Pan

4 Ladle Rotten Rat Hut narrated by Little Red Riding Hood available on 07/25/2012

5 Blood Apples narrated by Prince Charming



Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (Grimm Diaries Prequel 4) continues Cameron Jace's tradition of twisting the Grimm tales on themselves. If you have read his previous prequel then you are familiar if not fully understand of the world you’re about to inhabit. This diary entry is told from the point of view of Little Red Riding Hood.

There are several things that I liked about this novella. First was the unexpected treat of the Anguish Language. Second is this one relies on the stories told in the previous entries. Ladle Rat Rotten Hut like an inside joke to the Grimm Diaries’ devoted readers.

If you haven’t read the previous novellas a lot of the seemingly insignificant but actual significant moments will be lost on you. The mystery of Little Red Riding Hood’s true identity is perfectly played. Yet it still doesn’t top Sleeping Beauty’s identity.

Knowledge of the original Grimm Tales isn’t necessary but it’s a definite plus. It’s easier to understand when Cameron Jace throws the tale on its head. It’s those twists and reshaped reality that makes these prequels and, I’m hoping, the actual series a funny read.



I give Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (Grimm Diaries Prequel 4) 5 out 5.

Past Forward – A Serial Novel: Episode 3

Past Forward – A Serial Novel: Episode 3 by Chautona Havig



Past Forward is a serial novel released weekly on Kindle.

Alone without friends or family to comfort her after the death of her mother, Willow Finley’s idyllic life is over—and just beginning.

When Willow Finley awakes on a hot summer morning, she is unprepared for the grief that awaits her. Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother still in her bed, never to awaken again in this life.

From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can't avoid.

Follow as Willow's story unfolds past forward.



Past Forward – A Serial Novel: Episode 3 is the first one in the series that I felt ambivalent about. I realize why because I’m scared for Willow. Her mother was raped and she has three me showering her with attention that she may not understand.

Although she’s an adult she lacks that social interaction between the sexes. I don’t think she recognizes that Bill and Chuck are infatuated with her. Not to mention Chad who does realize it himself. It leaves me scared for her.

I don’t know what to expect from Chautona Havig in this story. I don’t think she would harm Willow but you can never know. It would be the sort of thing that could be used to galvanize other characters. It’s because she is such an innocent character.

Okay. So I’m going to stop trying to anticipate this story. Just let it unfold. May the chips fall as they will. From the very first paragraph Past Forward drew me in, even with my ambivalent to this episode; I can’t wait to read the next one. .

I give Past Forward – A Serial Novel: Episode 3 3 out 5.

Heroes 'Til Curfew (Talent Chronicles 2)

Heroes ‘Til Curfew (Talent Chronicles 2) by Susan Bischoff



In the world of the Talent Chronicles, kids with supernatural abilities, Talents, are taken away to government-run research facilities from which they do not return. In this sequel to HUSH MONEY, all Joss wants is to be left alone—with Dylan. But as more Talents are imprisoned by the government, everyone’s looking for a leader. Some look to Joss, some to her worst enemy, Marco, whose new criminal plan threatens Joss’s family and friends. Joss wants to stand up to Marco, but Dylan’s protective instincts are putting him in harm’s way. As the stakes get higher, can Joss find a way to embrace both the boy and her hero within?

Heroes 'Til Curfew contains strong language, violence, and some sensuality. It is definitely recommended for mature teen readers and up.



Heroes ‘Til Curfew (Talent Chronicles 2) is just as good as its predecessor. I don’t remember and strong language. If the child has watched an action film in the last decade then they can handle the violence in this novel. The perfect example is that it’s no more violent than Hunger Games and everyone has either read or watched that movie.

This time the stakes are raised. Marco is continuing his path to darkness and villainy. New players enter the field of play called The Syndicate. NIAC steps up their investigation of Fairview. The constant shifting of perspective helps this novel. You’re never with one character for too long.

Marco is the catalyst of the drama and madness that breaks out in this novel. Most of the drama surrounds him like a tornado. His vengeance and quest for power is constantly at odds and hindered by our heroes. I think the best part of this entire novel is that there is a NIAC mole. I’m not sure if Susan Bischoff meant to leave the mole identity as ambiguous as she did.

For the most part, these are typical teenagers facing extraordinarily adult problems with teenage naiveté. Which is enjoy and frustrating at the same time; you want them to grow up. I want to shake some sense into them. “With great power comes great responsibility.” these characters will be ready, to face NIAC and the government, when they figure that out.



I give Heroes ‘Til Curfew (Talent Chronicles 2) 3 out 5.

Hush Money (Talent Chronicles 1)

Hush Money (Talent Chronicles) by Susan Bischoff



They call their abilities Talents, and that’s what they call themselves as well. Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. They do not return.

And so the Talents try, as best they can, to keep their abilities secret–some more successfully than others. For some, keeping that secret begins to define who they are. That’s where Hush Money begins…

Be normal, invisible. Don’t get close to anyone. Those are the rules to live by for seventeen-year-old Joss. She spent years as an outsider, hoping to hide what she is, until the new girl, Kat, decides she’s friend material. Kat doesn’t realize her mistake when she stands up for Joss against Marco, a guy who’s been giving Joss a hard time since freshman year. Joss is horrified when these heroics lead to the reveal of Kat’s Talent. Now she has an unasked-for best friend, who is the victim of an extortion plot by the school bully, who used to like Joss. And if all that weren’t complicated enough, Dylan, Joss’s long-time crush, is finally starting to talk to her. But as Marco’s best friend, can Dylan be trusted at all? Can Joss keep her secret and still save her friend? And what’s more important, staying safe or doing what’s right?










Hush Money is totally different than the prequel that I read. But the characters in Impulse Control (Talent Chronicles .0.5) have greater significance. The contrast in setting made me realize the differences and similarities each group of characters are facing.

It reminds me of a teen drama with superpowers. Joss is another good example of the post Buffy feminist renaissance. She’s strong, capable, and in short badass. Yet she still shows her vulnerability. She’s not a born leader but leadership has been thrust upon her.

The constant shifting of perspective is the one thing I didn’t like about the novel. I had to put it down several times, even though I didn’t want to. When I came back the first person voice became confusing, if I didn’t go back for the reminders of the POV.





I give Hush Money (Talent Chronicles 1) 3 out 5.

Impulse Control (Talented Chronicles 0.5)

Impulse Control (Talent Chronicles 0.5) by Susan Bischoff



In the world of the Talent Chronicles, kids born with supernatural powers are taken from their families and forced into government research facilities called State Schools. At one such school, a dangerous experiment has killed two young inmates and threatens others. Ethan, a shape-shifter, is reluctantly recruited by his best friend Karen, a telepath, and Elle, the unique Talent he has a crush on, to thwart the faculty's plans. If they’re caught they face Detention, and Detention at a State School has a whole different meaning.

"Impulse Control" is a SHORT STORY of approximately 12,000 words and contains some strong language.




Impulse Control (Talent Chronicles 0.5) this is an interesting starting to a series that has really piqued my interest. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the future adventures of Karen, Elle, Ethan and the other inmates of the State Schools.

Novels about superheroes are a new market to me. I haven’t found many books on the subject that aren’t graphic novels. Everything about this novel has the perfect ingredients to be an amazing novel.

Ethan’s power is the most interesting. It’s affected by his emotion something I never thought of when thinking about shape shifters. The darker component to his shifting ability makes him the most interesting.

The government policing people with abilities reminds me of the Ultimate Comics X-Men. Don’t start. I know the Ultimate Comics is a reinterpretation of an older storyline from the main Marvel universe. The Ultimate Universe has been accessible to me without all the previous history that comes with reading the main universe.

Even in this prequel I can’t wait for what Susan Bischoff has in store. Because for all the good the government says they are doing it’s always about control, power, and fear.



I give Impulse Control (Talent Chronicles 0.5) 4 out 5.

Alternate Ending: A Novel

 Alternate Ending: A Novel by Aaron Niz



Seventeen-year-old Josh Miller lives in a world of almosts. He's just friends with Hannah Taylor, the girl he's secretly in love with. He sits at the cool table but mostly gets made fun of, and he's number fifteen on a list of fourteen guys who are going to make varsity tennis.

He's pretty much about to throw in the towel on his pathetic life.

That is, until the day a tree-hugging physics professor tells Josh's class about string theory – the belief that with every decision we make, another version of us breaks free and starts its own reality.

Everyone else thinks the teacher's just a nut, but Josh treats the professor's half-baked ideas as gospel. He acquires a special tool needed to bounce from one world into the next.

Suddenly, Josh is thrust into an alternate universe in which he's the best junior tennis player in the United States and poised on the brink of superstardom. Hannah Taylor finally starts to notice him and he wins the adoration of the same kids in school who used to ridicule him. Josh's world of almosts turns into a world of everything and anything he's dreamed of.

It all seems perfect until Josh's old problems start to creep in and infect his new universe. Blowing tennis matches, losing friends, a little brother getting into trouble with drugs. Pretty soon his dreamworld has started to look more like a nightmare and even things with Hannah are falling apart along with his budding tennis career.

Will Josh end up trapped in a world that's even worse than the one he just escaped from, or can he finally write the alternate ending that fixes things before it's too late?

Alternate Ending is a kindle paranormal in the tradition of Pittacus Lore, I Am Number Four and James Patterson, The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1).



Alternate Ending: A Novel is an amazing novel. Josh Miller is an archetype slacker that finds his confidence and hollow success in an alternate reality. Its science fiction concepts aren’t solid. It left me with questions that were left unanswered.

From the moment Josh “crosses” over you know how the story the lessons that he has to learn. But the writing made me want to take this journey. I didn’t want to put it down. The changes between the reality were interesting, especially the physics teacher.

The backdrop for this alternate world is tennis. Aaron Niz incorporates fictional versions of real tennis professionals, with me having various levels of recognition. I googled the ones I didn’t know making the novel all the more interesting.

Even with the weird science it’s still a pretty good science fiction fix. I finished it in one sitting. Anyone with a passing interest in science fiction and tennis will love this novel.



I give Alternate Ending: A Novel 4 out 5.

Secret Lives

Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain


Actress Eden Riley's decision to make a film about her mother plunges her into a shattering confrontation with her own past, irrevocably altering her life and the lives of those she loves. Her mother, Katherine Swift, was a renowned children's author who died when Eden was very young. Now Eden, recovering from a divorce and disillusioned with her glamorous life, returns to the childhood home of the mother she barely knew. She moves in with her uncle, archaeologist Kyle Swift and his wife, Louise.

Eden gets more than she bargained for when Kyle gives her the journal her mother had kept from the age of thirteen until her death. Eden is spellbound by the powerfully written, intimate diary that chronicles a life of hardship, madness and tragedy. But her fascination turns to horror when she discovers the shocking truth about her mother's life.

Eden turns for comfort to Ben Alexander, Kyle's colleague, not knowing that Ben has a secret of his own that could ruin Eden and her career. Now Eden must make a heartbreaking decision as she struggles to lay the ghosts of the past to rest and come to terms with her own future.

Shifting gracefully between Eden's world and Katherine's, Secret Lives seduces with the power of its images and the lyricism of its prose.


Secret Lives is a pleasant change from the previous cluster of books that I have read. I can’t remember where I found this book but it was its description that made me want to read it. As the story unfolds it’s apparent where the story is going to go but that doesn’t detract from it. This book is truly about the journey instead of the destination.

I really enjoyed this novel once I finally found the time to read it. I connected on a personal level to the character of Eden Riley. It made me re-evaluate the secrets of the people around me especially my mother and grandfather. I know my mother loves me but I can’t help the nagging thought that she’s keeping a secret just as paramount as the ones in this story.
I like the present story but I found myself relating with the Katherine story more. I do think this story is better crafted than the description gives it credit. I took this journey with Katherine, a woman struggling in her battle with agoraphobia, I absolutely loved this part. The journal entries are what give this novel its depth. I took my time with the journal entries, which far and few in between, slowed me down considerably. I was constantly getting lost in questions of my own life.

Diane Chamberlain has crafted a must read for familial secrets. I personally believe we are responsible for the information that we keep. I’m always reticent about what I let people tell me about family gossip. This book has me reconsidering that stance. Knowledge can lead to understanding and it’s put a new perspective on old family issues I stay out of.

Just like Eden I didn’t think there were major secrets that my mother kept until I queued into my mother’s affectionate title for me... “her first born.” It’s always been this title for as long as I can remember. I rarely remember her saying... “her first child.” I asked her about it years ago but she’s always evasive, so I let it go. It’s been years since it has even been a major thought in my head. But unlike Eden I hope my mother isn’t waiting until her death to drop her revelation or takes it with her to her grave.

I would be far more angered than Eden if it came out after her death. There are family secrets that my grandmother and grandfather have kept that are only coming out two years after his death. Some have already open cracks in the façade of this family. Even now I think if left to fester might rip this family apart, like Ben Alexander’s did.



I give Secret Lives 4 out 5.

Sprite (Annabelle’s Story: Part One)

Sprite (Annabelle’s Story: Part One) by Leigh Michael



Annabelle Walsh thought she had it all. She was the star of her swim team, had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and to top it off, she’d be starting at UCLA in the fall. One day, she’d be referred to as Dr. Annabelle Walsh.

She was living every girl’s dream – until her life was turned upside down. All starting with finding out that she's not just a human, but also a water spirit. Half-human, half-sprite to be exact. Although not just any sprite, Annabelle is prophesied to be the only one who can save both the sprites and mankind.

With a mix of current events, anecdotes from Greek mythology, tidbits of folklore, and Leigh’s own imagination, we join Annabelle in her journey to restore order beneath the sea. Each step of the way her mind, body, and soul are pushed to the limit begging the question, how much can one half-human, half-sprite take?



This is a typical hero’s origin story. This time the hero in Sprite (Annabelle’s Story: Part One) is the afore mentioned Annabelle. I liked this book. The fact that this hero is female, a trend that’s starting to dominate the book market, made it interesting. The mythos created is grounded in a mix of fantasy and Greek mythology.

Anyone that likes mythology will like this book, especially young girls. I think Annabelle is a character that is constantly questioning this amazingly new facet of her life. Annabelle is an unconvinced and consciously reluctant hero. For the majority of this novel her emotion revel between the fascination with her new abilities, resentence of her hero’s quest, and the family she left behind. I like reading how women writers decide to test their heroines.

I found this novel an interesting read, although a lot of elements were patented. One example is Blake. He came under my suspension the moment he left his girlfriend when she just told him about a creepy man near her car. I don’t even like my sister walking to her car by herself.

The sides of good and evil were defined but I still don’t trust the Queen of Tritonis. Maybe I’m just suspicious because of how evasive they’re with Annabelle. Leigh Michael’s story left me with a lot of unanswered questions that I hope will be answered in Kin (Annabelle’s Story: Part Two). It’s scheduled for released August 2012.



I give Sprite (Annabelle’s Story: Part One) 3 out 5.

Safe Haven

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks



When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. 

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.


Safe Haven is only the second of Nicholas Sparks books that I have read. I’m more of his movie watcher than his book reader. A lot of them I didn’t even realize that they were his books.

When Hollywood puts out movies based on books I instantly want to read that book before the movie comes out. Hollywood rarely does a book justice and they claim it’s because things that happen in a book don’t translate well on the screen. I think it’s just lazy on Hollywood’s part. If my brain can imagine it then it can be translated into film.

I’m back from my Hollywood rant. I discovered Safe Haven was being made into a movie from the On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel are starring in the movie adaptation. I researched the movie people were critical of the casting.

After reading it, most of the comments on imdb were overly critical if not downright comical. Having only read and watched The Lucky One, Safe Haven reads in the same general tone. I knew something was off with Jo but I never saw that twist coming, which is the role Cobie Smulders is playing which is also the tipping point that made me want to read it.

Nicholas Sparks definitely captured the North Carolina state of mind, in one quote. I read it to my mother, a North Carolina native, and it even made her laugh. It has the same general flow as The Lucky One. It’s an easy uncomplicated if not overly simplified read.

Based on the movies and the two books, I do think Sparks has a formula that works for him. I knew what to expect and got what I expected. You quickly know who’s good and who’s bad. I would just one like to see what would happen if the story didn’t always have a happy ending; the choose your own adventure version (You really don’t see them anymore).



I give Safe Haven 3 out 5.

Past Forward - A Serial Novel: Episode 2

Past Forward – A Serial Novel: Episode 2 by Chautona Havig



Past Forward is a serial novel released weekly on Kindle.

Alone without friends or family to comfort her after the death of her mother, Willow Finley’s idyllic life is over—and just beginning.

When Willow Finley awakes on a hot summer morning, she is unprepared for the grief that awaits her. Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother still in her bed, never to awaken again in this life. From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can't avoid.

Follow as Willow's story unfolds past forward.

Released weekly (and FREE for a limited time) as a serial novel.



Released on 8 Jul 2012, I thought Past Forward- A serial Novel: Part 1 was amazing but Past Forward– A Serial Novel: Episode 2 expounded and created another amazing snippet. It’s a story that continues to question the modern conveniences that inundated our modern lives. Willow is am independently strong woman that is unsuspectingly weave a magically spell of love on two suitors. This episode introduces the start of a conflict that I think will permeate that rest of the chapter, the growing infatuations of Chad and Bill. Chad Tresdall, the deputy on duty when Willow informed the police of her mother’s death, started visiting because he felt she was all alone. Bill Franklin, is her financial advisor, has continued in her life under the guise of helping her acclimate into modern society. Both men are agitated when they find that Willow has plans with the other man. I think both men are subconsciously falling for her which will be more interesting in the future.

I think what makes this part interesting is that we have more insight into Kari Finley. We also are given more clues as to why Kari Finley essentially withdrew from society. We have a concrete name.

The novel ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger because during his visit Chad read something in Kari’s journal that left him visible and emotional upset. For those waiting for the finish book, I think it’s more interesting to read it in these snippets. A quick thirty minutes and you’re done.

Chautona Havig releasing it as a serial leaves you wanting with anticipation for next week’s installment. This is the first serial novel I have ever read. It’s like reading a television show.



I give Past Forward – Serial Novel: Episode 2 4 out 5.

Pandora's Box (Immortalis Vampire Series 3)

Pandora’s Box (immortalis Vampire Series 3) by Katie Salidas



Book 3 in the Immortalis Vampire Series.

After a few months as a vampire, Alyssa thought she'd learned all she needed to know about the supernatural world. But her confidence is shattered by the delivery of a mysterious package - a Pandora's Box.

Seemingly innocuous, the box is in reality an ancient prison, generated by a magic more powerful than anyone in her clan has ever known. But what manner of evil could need such force to contain it?

When the box is opened, the sinister creature within is released, and only supernatural blood will satiate its thirst. The clan soon learns how it feels when the hunter becomes the hunted.

Powerless against the ancient evil, the clan flees Las Vegas for Boston, with only a slim hope for salvation. Could Lysander's old journals hold the key? And what if they don't?

And how welcome will they be in a city run by a whole different kind of supernatural being?

Werewolves...



Pandora’s Box (Immortalis Vampire Series 3) is the first time in the series that I felt the drama surrounding the conflict was warranted. From the moment of the first death, I felt that these vampires were in real peril. At the end the losses to Lysander’s coven was a definitely felt.

The introduction of werewolves changes the dynamic of this world. I don’t fully understand how the werewolves fit into this world. From there introduction they seem to take traits more from dogs more than wolves. This is one of the things I hope will be explain in Soulstone (Immortalis 4) and further entries in this series.

I like Katie Salidas’s take on Pandora’s Box. This isn’t PANDORA’s box but it functions in the same matter. Having more than one opens the series in a number of ways; anywhere in the world someone could be drawn to open one and unleash some untold and forgotten evil on the world. It’s an evil that someone feared enough to lock away in a Pandora’s Box, the evil that could be hidden around the world.

This is the best entry in the series. To have the in depth understanding of the characters’ motivations, which are highlighted in the book, the previous titles should be read. I think the change in scenery leaves Alyssa having to adapt to another substantial change in her life including the loss of her mate. These changes will keep the series from prematurely desiccating.



I give Pandora’s Box (Immortalis Vampire Series 3) 4 out 5.

Almost Kings

Almost Kings by Max Doty



With their father lost in anger and self-loathing, James "Truck" Wheeler has raised his younger brother Ted as best as he could, considering he's just a teenager himself. In return, Ted idolizes his brother. 

 Now, during their one year of high school together, Ted will realize there are troubling aspects to Truck and his friends, The Kings. When the boys assign numbers to each girl at school and begin a dark contest, Ted will be caught playing a game that targets his best friends, including the girl he loves: Kallea Whitney. 

The original novel that inspired the award-winning film, Almost Kings is a gritty, powerful story of the choices that bring two brothers together and tear them apart.



I can’t remember if I found Almost Kings the movie or the book first. The interesting thing was that I was able to read and watch the movie at basically the same time, yes I did have to stop the movie a few times for me to catch up in the book.

For the most part the movie plays exactly like the book. It could definitely be used as a cheat. It really doesn’t make a difference, an extra forty minutes give or take and you could have read the book. Plus the movie doesn’t have the epilogue that the book does.

Max Doty tells this coming of age drama set in the Midwest plays better as a book. Not that I’m knocking the acting but there are motives to the characters that aren’t explained in the movie. Where the movie ends with the final numbered chapter the epilogue explains the fates of the character and it definitely puts this into perspective.


I give Almost Kings 2 out 5. NOTE: After seeing a few reviews I might have to reread this novel. I read this novel after reading the numbingly heartbreaking Room. So my review may be skewed because of that book but I don’t think so.

Room: A Novel

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue


To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child.


Room: A Novel was recommended to me by a friend, so thank you Hannah. I had no idea what I was about to read, she asked me to read it so I read it. This is the most tragic and heartbreaking tale that I just couldn’t put down. It’s told from the perspective of a five year old and at first it was hard to adjust to that way his narrative is written.

The first couple of chapters were hard to read but as I started to understand his perspective the shocking comprehension start coming in quick succession, almost forcing me to put it down. But I shoulder on feeling waves of emotion anger being my predominate one for first 45% of this novel.

From this point on my anger transformed into relief, that only lasted until about 60% of the novel. Jack and his mother were out of the frying pan, but the stove was just as dangerous. Then the tragedy of their situation came into play. Empathy and Heartbreak set in and it’s the lasting impression of the novel.

Emma Donoghue perfectly capture the voice of a five year old. It draws out all of my sympathies to this fiction family. Their situation could be happening anywhere in American. The reality is that the conclusion of this novel could have been drastically more harrowing and darker; making me grieves for the untold tales that did.

This tale is too heartbreaking for me to give a five because I don’t think I could read this novel again. Yet it’s definitely seared into my brain which I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad think. I do think it’s a modern classic that high school aged should be made to read. I think it shows how limited the perspective of our world can truly be.


I give Room: A Novel 4 out 5.

Past Foward - Serial Novel (Part One)

Past Forward by Chautona Havig



Alone without friends or family to comfort her after the death of her mother, Willow Finley’s idyllic life is over—and just beginning. 

When Willow Finley awakes on a hot summer morning, she is unprepared for the grief that awaits her. Jerked from a life of isolation with her mother, Willow learns what alone really means when she finds her mother still in her bed, never to awaken again in this life. 

From the moment Willow arrives in the police station with her startling announcement, Chad Tesdall fights the friendship he knows he can't avoid. 

Follow as Willow's story unfolds past forward.>



Release on 3 Jul 2012, Past Forward is a poignant and compelling. At 58 pages it can be read rather quickly. It written as a serial, so there is definitely more to come. Because it ends with a cliffhanger, that’s begging to be explored.

I instantly felt a connection with this character Willow. Although she’s socially awkward, she is extremely intelligence and observe; even more so than the people around her. She was so self-sufficient. It made me question the wasteful time we as a society spends on modern conveniences.

It’s more of a short story rather than a novel. I think it can be enjoyed by people 12 and up. For younger kids it could be used to explain dead and how people move on from it. The only thing that may be objectionable to some if discussion in a family setting is Willow’s conception she is the product of rape. Every Thursday, the next installment will be released.


I give Past Forward 4 out 5.

Hunter & Prey (Immortalis Vampire Series 2)

Hunter & Prey (Immortalis 2) by Katie Salidas


Hunters & Prey, Book #2 in the Immortalis Vampire Series.
The exciting sequel to Immortalis Carpe Noctem.
Rule number one: humans and vampires don't co-exist. One is the hunter and one is the prey. Simple, right? Not for newly-turned vampire Alyssa.

A surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum's most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the human friend she's missed more than anything. Now she has some explaining to do. However, that will have to wait. With the Acta Sanctorum hot on their heels, staying alive is more important than educating a human on the finer points of bloodlust.


Hunters & Prey (Immortalis 2) in this book Alyssa is more comfortable with being a vampire. I actually like that drama of this story. Everything was black and white but it wasn’t. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. This was the underlining truth of this novel.

Katie Salidas found her voice and the story seemed to flow better than in the last one. We the introduction of a character that only had a brief appearance in the first novel, it allows Alyssa to take stock of her life as a vampire. It added a new challenge that I was glad she had to face. Something that I think is glossed over. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the narrative of later books.

The Acta Sanctorum, this sect of vampire condoned by the Roman Catholic Church always rubbed me the wrong way from there the very moment Lysander made mention of them. Any group that doesn’t what they do has essentially lost their way. It was glad to see how power corrupts when they aren’t any checks and balance.

Although I liked it there’s still something that keeps it from push itself into that next level for me to give it a four. I never truly felt that the characters were in real danger. Maybe it’s because they are vampire. Maybe it’s because I’m jaded. Hopefully the next one in the series, Pandora’s Box (Immortalis 3), will meet that missing something.



I give Hunters & Prey (Immortalis 2) 3 out 5.

Immortalis Carpe Noctem (Immortalis Vampire Series 1)

Immortalis Carpe Noctem by Katie Salidas


Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition...that's the hard part. 

 Rescued from a brutal mugging on the college campus of UNLV, 25 year old Alyssa is initiated into a frightening, eternally dark world she never knew existed. The world of the vampire. 

Stricken with cravings of blood, and forced leave behind all she knew, Alyssa struggles with the change. And Lysander, her sexy but aloof sire, is the only one who can help guide her. 

There's no turning back now. It's either, Carpe Noctem, or final death.



Although the character of Alyssa is twenty-five, this story reads like a season of some overly-wrought teen melodrama. It has all the classic elements of a vampire story... thirst, ruling bodies, misunderstanding newborn, the doe-eyed betrayer and the human hunters.

Alyssa is a character that I wanted to like. For me she clings to her humanity for too long. Her relationship with Lysander feels ambiguous at best. Even with the story in first person point of view, I’m not sure if it’s her feels or if they are a byproduct of her connection to Lysander. Hopefully I will understand her motives better in the next book, Hunters & Prey.

The thing I did like a lot about the novel was it took place in Las Vegas. If Los Angeles is the City of Angels, Las Vegas is the perfect setting for the City of Devils. The glamour and glitzes is the perfect cover for vampire killings. I’m sure the desert is holding more than a few bodies.

I also like how Katie Salidas created her own vampire mythos from various sources. I hope in the coming books that she expounds more on this constructed mythology.



I give Immortalis Carpe Noctem (Immortalis Vampire Series 1) 3 out 5.

Fairest (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 2)

Fairest (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 2) by Chanda Hahn


Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, Who is the Fairest of them all?

In the sequel to UnEnchanted, Mina Grime discovers that all is not fair when it comes to the Fae and their tales, especially when they don’t all play by the rules. Barely surviving the Story’s first fairy tale quest, Mina still has hundreds to go before she can end the curse on her family. But a new player arises to challenge Mina while new rules revamp the game she has just barely begun to understand.

All the while, people are mysteriously disappearing, including Jared, whom Mina must finally determine to be friend or foe. And with the loss of her greatest weapon, Mina must try to outwit a lethal hunter. Can Mina survive the most difficult quest yet while protecting those she loves from falling victim to one of the deadliest tales of all? Or will she become a pawn when she strikes a bargain with the Queen of Fae?


Okay, I liked the first novel UnEnchanted but I love Fairest (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 2). It was the final few pages that did for me. It’s the gumption of the character Wilhelmina Grimm, in those few chapters she turn the entire series on its head.


Now she is an emboldened character that I believe could actually complete the two tails. She will do whatever it takes to complete them. In those few final chapters Chanda Hahn redefined her burgeoning series.

It’s a page turner from beginning to end. I like the lighthearted tone of this book but I also felt the urgency of the character. Mina Grime is a character that’s in more control of her emotions than I gave her credit for. Sometimes I did think she’s a little too apathetic to her plight until the same afore mentioned final pages.

Fairest is like part two of a single story being told because it starts just a few day after. Everything that happens in these two books is the tip of the iceberg, which has just flipped. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Before reading this book you should definite read UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1) first; a few of the references come from this book.


I give Fairest (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 2) 5 out 5.