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Review: A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Genre: Young-Adult Sci-Fi Dystopian

Published: 8/9/11 | Candlewick

Format: ebook | Library Book 

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

I was very surprised when I read A Long Long Sleep.  I actually read a review on this book while blog hopping (I forgot which blog it was) and I thought the blurb sounded very interesting.  When the ebook was available at the library, I immediately checked it out and promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward to three days before the book was due and I received an email from the library that the book was due.  I started reading it that same day and I enjoyed it. 

The story is that Rosalinda, daughter of one of the most powerful families/rich corporate CEO's of the day, is woken up from a 62 year sleep by Brendan, a grandson of the current CEO of Rose's company.  She wakes up to a world after the Dark Times, which I compare to the Dark Ages.  In fact, it is like the Dark Ages, where the Beubonic Plague and Tuberculosis outbreak resurface.  Naturally, everyone Rose loves, even her boyfriend Xavier, are long gone.  Add in a Plastine (a robot with a human corpse for a body that is programmed to be an assasin) who tries to track and kill Rose, and a dark secret that ultimately transforms Rose into a stong young woman, and you have a recipe for a really awsome book.

As much as I liked this book, I had a few problems with it.  One was the non sci-fi element of the book.  Sure, it was set in the future and there were future tech stuff that were mentioned (e.g. hover cars that travel over water, a techie notepad/tablet) and future slang like "this is so sky", "coit", "noid", and "I comm",  it didn't feel like a true sci-fi novel.  The book also lacked description.  I wanted to see what the world looked like post Dark Times.  For a sci-fi novel, this lacked a lot of description.

Another thing that I did not like about it was that this book was basically about Rose moping about, trying to navigate the futuristic high school, developing her art, and falling for Brendan.  I expected to read about how Rose would investigate the dilemma that is the reason why she had a long stasis sleep.  I expected to read about her taking over her parent's company that was under the influence of a slimy CEO.  If Rose did not redeem herself by the end of the book and stood up against her attacker and destroyed her stasis tube, I would have given this a 2!  Oh, and Rose's voice sounded like a little girl.  I really had problems with that.    For a 16 year old, she seemed pretty immature to me.  A

What was iffy about this was when it was revealed in the end that Ron, Brendan's grandfather and CEO of the corporation is in fact Xavier, Rose's boyfriend!  Ick!  Although I was expecting this to be the case, I still thought it was very, very, very weird.  Plus, Rose demands that he becomes her guardian!

What I did like about this, however was how the author showed us the emotional abuse that Rose went through - the detachment of how her parents treated her.  I actually liked that the author hinted at the abuse and how we were gradually introduced as to Rose's actual age.  Apparently, Rose has been in and out of stass all through childhood.  In fact, Rose practically raised Xavier since she was about 7 when he was a toddler.

Another surprising character that I liked was Otto, the blue alien/human that has powers but is unable to speak.  Rose and Otto have a very interesting relationship via the web where they have long conversations between each other.  The only thing I had problems with was that Otto had a girlfriend that he broke up with probably because he was falling for Rose.

All in all, this was a quick read for me that I recommend to those who love non sci-fi YA sort of romance.

My Rating

Heat Level

Review: Ten Reasons to Stay by Sabrina Jeffries

Genre: Historical Romance | Series: School for Heiresses

Publish: 4/6/13 | Pocket Star

Format: egalley | Requested via NetGalley

In "Ten Reasons to Stay," previously published in the anthology The School for Heiresses, lessons go far beyond etiquette and needlepoint. Eliza Crenshawe’s lesson is to look before she leaps. But when she discovers that her new guardian plans to marry her off without so much as a Season, she forgets all that. She flees—on a horse she unwittingly steals (oops!)—from Colin Hunt, a newly minted earl who wants nothing more than for her to go home…or stay forever.

This novella was a very quick read for me.  I was able to read it in a couple of hours or so.  While this had a very promising plot, I thought the story was ok.  Maybe because it is a novella and the author had to shorten the storyline - it just didn't work for me.  I like my romance to be well developed and not a lust at first sight type of thing.  Normally, I shy away from novellas because of this reason.  However, I love Sabrina Jeffries' work so I decided to give this a shot.

The story starts of as the heroine, Eliza sneaks into the stables of Colin to "borrow" a horse in the middle of the night.  Of course, she is caught by Colin and so starts the steamy interrogation.  It ends a couple of days later with both h and H proclaiming their love for each other.

That last sentence really felt fake to me and felt very implausible.  I can imagine attraction but not proclamations of love, no matter the circumstance.

I gave this romance 3 hearts because of the hero and heroine.  I love the sparks that flew between the two.  The interaction between them was exciting, I thought.  I love Eliza's spunk.  Their interactions and come backs were very entertaining.  Without that, I would have put the book down.

I also love Colin.  He is trying to put the past behind him after his anger and hurt when his wife died.  And I could see that Eliza was the right woman to make him love again.  For a novella, this had a couple of steamy sex scenes.  I thought both were written very well.

Eliza's uncle is the villain.  Apparently, he owes a lot of money to a brewer who will not accept any payment other than Eliza's hand in marriage which is precisely the reason why she run away from her uncle.  I honestly thought this villain was weak.  I mean, in the end, the villain accepts his mistakes and promises to change his ways when Colin demanded that of him.  This was very, very disappointing.

Again, this brings me back to the romance which was pretty much unbelievable.  I recommend this novella to those who enjoy a quick read and a spunky heroine.

My Rating

Heat Level

Review: Seduced by Innocence by Kimberly Kinrade

Genre: Paranormal New Adult Romance | Series: Seduced Trilogy #1

Published 1/21/13 | Daring Books

Format: ebook | free in exchange for an honest review

Their passion will destroy them.
Only true love can save them.

"Liquid fire poured into me, filling me with the intimate sense of him as he leaned in to claim my lips with his own. I reached for him, needing him closer, but my arms couldn't close the distance between us, which grew wider with each hitched breath. So close to finally feeling something real, something carnal and deep, I cried out in frustration, dropping my hands as he disappeared. My cries deepened into a frenzy of panic and my eyes flew open. I clutched my blanket and stilled myself to calm my racing heart.

Just a dream. Always just a dream."

Rose Wintersong didn't have an ordinary upbringing. Raised in what most would call a hippy commune, but what is actually a powerful coven of witches, she never questions the life fate chose for her.

Until she meets Derek O'Conner.

Derek challenges everything Rose believes and forces her to see the secrets hidden beneath the whitewashed walls of her idyllic country life.

Rose knows she should walk away, that the sexy martial arts instructor is bad news bred to create discord in her tight community… but the animal magnetism between them is impossible to fight.

Caught between the passion of first love, and the steady beat of the life she's always known, Rose must choose between the innocence of her youth or the pleasures of womanhood—but lost innocence comes at a price, and Rose harbors a dark secret that could destroy everyone she loves—including Derek.

Submit to the Seduced Saga as Derek and Rose face their future while unraveling the mysteries of their past.

This is the first book that I read by Kimberly Kinrade and I thought it was okay.  I am not sure if I will read the next book in the series but I'll just see if I will be tempted enough to read it because of the cliffhanger in the end.

First of, I have to say that I hate the cover!  I know the saying but still!  See, when I go to a library or bookstore, I look at the cover first before I read the blurb in the back and this does not scream "read me!"  The same goes for when I am virtually browsing books.  I did love the small pictures (rose and wolf) before each chapter since each chapter is written in the POV of both protagonists.  There are also quotes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet before each chapter which I thought was a lovely addition, sort of like an introduction on what was to come.

That being said, I thought the book was okay.  It was a pretty quick read for me and at 188 pages (epub).  The story pretty much runs like Romeo and Juliet with a feud between two families of different "species" so I will not give a recap of how the story went.  Rose, is a sheltered witch with an evil mother Rainbow (really, a better name for a villain should have been picked) who tries to control Rose and their coven.  The book seems like a coming of age of both protagonists as both are trying to find out who they are.

When both of them meet, there is an instant attraction with Rose realizing that Derek is the one she has been dreaming of almost every night.  Derek, on the other hand, tries to be a different person and change because Rose makes him a better person.  I would have loved it more if the author explored more on the development of Rose and Derek's love.

I did like that the author wrote in Rose and Derek's POV because I love reading about a guys' POV.  There is just something about reading in a male perspective that I think is more romantic because I kind of get an insight to what he was thinking.  Plus, it's always great to have a chance to look at their mind.

I mostly read adult romances and occasionally read YA/NA romances but I thought this lacked a little bit of romantic development between Rose and Derek.  I recommend this book to those who love to read about star-crossed lovers.

My Rating

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Feature Friday #5

Follow Friday meme is hosted by Parajunkie and Allison Can Read.

Tell us about the most emotional scene you've ever read in a book - and how did you react?

To be quite honest, I usually get teary eyed when I read about my favorite genre, historical romance. But, the most emotionally touching book that I think is worth mentioning is A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks.  Now, I don't usually go for this type of romance but this struck a chord in my cold, black heart.  I read the book in  one night and cried practically from start to finish which I thought was a bit odd.  I might have been at a different point of my life back then but this hasn't happened again!

 

My hubby usually looks at me all weird and laughs when I shed a few tears while reading so I tend to avoid crying - which doesn't always work out all the time.

 

Have you read any tear-jerkers lately? Share them below!

Review: Seducing the Princess by Mary Hart Perry

Genre:  Historical Romantic Thriller 

Published: 3/5/13 | Diversion Books

Format: ebook | free in exchange for an honest review
Buy Links

Mary Hart Perry’s acclaimed series of romantic Victorian thrillers continues with Seducing the Princess, inspired by the life of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter Beatrice. Painfully shy and lonely, convinced she is unattractive and unloved, the dutiful Princess Beatrice finally accepts that she will never marry and vows to devote herself to the queen in Victoria's waning years. In fact, her mother has secretly discouraged suitors for Beatrice’s hand. Just when Beatrice has all but given up on love and happiness, she meets Henry Battenberg, a dashing nobleman from the Continent who matches wits with the aging Victoria and risks his life and liberty to woo Bea.

But Henry isn't the only man interested in being welcomed into Beatrice's bed. The timid princess has become the target of a cruel plot hatched by her nephew, the madman destined to become the last Emperor of Germany. Wilhelm II sends a ruthless agent, a charming Scot, to seduce the naive princess and spy on the queen. How can the sheltered princess hope to fend off a man capable of murder, and perhaps worse, to get what he wants? But Beatrice is not without her own allies--her older sister Louise and Louise's American soldier-of-fortune and lover, Stephen Byrne. Will Beatrice discover which of the two men pursuing her she can trust, before it's too late? Drama, romance and peril chase the royal family from Buckingham Palace to a storm besieged castle on the Isle of Wight.

Mary Hart Perry is a new to me author and Seducing the Princess is the first book that I read.  I was thoroughly blown away!  I loved reading about Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.  Of course, I did a quick google search on her to read more about her and her life with the Queen.  I am amazed at how the author seamlessly intertwined Princess Beatrice's story with the facts surounding her love match with Henry Battenberg.

The story was well written and I empathized with Princess Beatrice.  Queen Victoria really seemed like the villain of the story.  I can just imagine how hard it was for Beatrice growing up as her mother's shadow.  The way the Queen treated Beatrice struck a chord in me and I could not help but hate the Queen for doing this to her youngest daughter.  Beatrice comes off as an obedient and meek daughter, only following what the Queen commands her to do but deep inside, she cannot wait to leave and have a life of her own.  This happens when she meets and falls in love with Henry.

Henry and Beatrice's love story was really sweet, I thought.  I love the way that he went out of his way to get to know the Princess and helping her overcome her shyness and become a strong woman.  I have to point out that all the characters are well developed and I find that this help drive the whole plot of the story.  I felt that I knew them and that I was one of the Queen's daughters.

I also loved that there was another villain in the story in the form of Prince Gregory, another cousin.  I like to think that a good story has to have a good villain and Gregory really fit the bill to a T.  Although there is a minor villain in the form of Queen Victoria, I cannot see her as the ultimate villain even if she plays a part preventing a romance between Beatrice and Henry.

I recommend this book to readers who love Philippa Gregory.

My Rating

Heat Level

 

Kathryn Johnson lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and two feline writing partners, Tempest and Miranda. The author of over 40 novels, she's written under her own name and a variety of pen names, including Mary Hart Perry, Kathryn Jensen, KM Kimball and Nicole Davidson. She also teaches fiction-writing workshops for the renowned Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. And, in 2008, she founded Write by You (www.WriteByYou.com), to coach other writers interested in reaching publication. She has been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christy Award, and won the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller's Best Awards (sponsored by the Romance Writers of America) in 2011.

 

Her works in progress include a series of Victorian thrillers inspired by the lives of Queen Victoria's five daughters. The first novel, The Wild Princess, focuses on Princess Louise, who desperately wanted an education as a professional artist, at a time when women were not admitted into art schools. Her personal life becomes complicated when she uncovers a secret about her husband and must help protect her mother from an assassination attempt. The second book of the series,Seducing the Princess, launches April 2, 2013, and features Victoria’s youngest daughter Beatrice. Painfully shy and lonely, the dutiful Princess has promised never to marry and to devote herself to the queen in Victoria's waning years. Just when she has all but given up on love and happiness, she meets Henry Battenberg, a dashing nobleman from the Continent who risks his life and liberty to woo Bea and save both his beloved and the queen from a cruel plot. A third novel, to be published later in 2013, will star Crown Princess Vicky.

 

Connect with Kathryn

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Facebook Event

Running March 31st to April 4th With an all day hoopla on April 2nd to celebrate the release of “Seducing the Princess”

 

Join Mary Hart Perry and Vickie Ann in celebrating the launch of Seducing the Princess. Mary Hart Perry will be doing random giveaways at this event, so keep an eye out for prizes and help spread the word!!!

Don't miss the fun! Invite your friends to join in! And ask Vickie how to get Seducing the Princess for free in exchange for an honest review on Amazon. Vickie@iobooktours.com

Giveaway

2 $10.00 Gift Cards

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