Review: Dance in Shadow and Whisper by: Sarah Godfrey with Victoria DeRubeis

Dance in Shadow and Whisper by: Sarah Godfrey with Victoria DeRubeis (2013)

363 pages

Genre: Supernatural/Vampire/Demons

Source: The authors gave me a free copy of their book for my honest review. Thanks you two!

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Kali unexpectedly discovers on her first day of human high school that she’s forbidden to eat or partake of the toilet during class time, the assigned history and species books look best on the shelves of popular fiction, and the boy she’s watching over is definitely a reincarnated war lord.

The highest powers of Kali’s people and the highest powers of Yuuhi’s people, irreconcilable enemies, designated them to find proof that Jason is, in fact, the reincarnated Ares.

All Yuuhi sees in Jason is the typical scrawny, socially inept emo kid dressed in conflicting shades of black. But Kali sees that Jason’s shadow is bigger than he is, and if the powers of Yuuhi’s people find out, Jason won’t be human much longer.

The desire to protect him from an unexpected visitor brings out her most dangerous sides. Something’s changing in her, something she can’t control, and she’s not afraid of Jason mutating into a creature of the shadows more than she’s afraid she’s becoming something even worse.

And the highest powers will be watching her.

My Review

     

What did I just read? No seriously, I’m totally confused. Dance in Shadow and Whisper is an enjoyable read and is a novel with an interesting take on vampires and demons, but it had my head rolling at times. I enjoyed the story and there were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, but I can’t for the life of me truly figure out exactly what I just read. I was a little bit confused for pretty much the entire book. Maybe I’m just a little slow, but I’m thinking it’s because things at times aren’t explained overly well in the book. So as I sit back and continue to scratch my head I’m going to tell you what I thought of the book to the best of my ability. 

The characters all around were the strongest part of Dance in Shadow and Whisper (besides the awesome cover of course). Each one was complex, intense, crazy, unique, and out of this world. I love the importance of family and friends in this novel and how Kali and her brothers interact. If you are hoping for a romance there isn’t really one. I didn’t mind this of course, it was a nice vacation from the norm. We get a lot of different POVs in this book which at first turned me off, but then I got used to it and was actually glad because it shined some light on different happenings in the book which helped me battle my confusion problem.

The plot was kind of hard for me to follow, not the overall big picture, but the little details. The world building just wasn’t that spot on and everything seemed to be made more and more complex in a not so great way as the story continued along. I did immensely enjoy several different scenes that were creative and well written, especially whenever Kali was at school trying to be normal, these sences may have made the whole book, but some of the scenes were also a little boring for me. I do however want to emphasize that when I finally got about half way through the novel I couldn’t put it down. It was intense, less confusing, and full of action. It just made me a little sad that it took me half the novel before I started loving Dance of Shadow and Whisper.

Right now this e-book is 99 cents on amazon and I’d say to give it a shot if you are a fan of supernatural books with a lot of crazy stuff going on. I’m not sure I would technically classify this as young adult due to the big amount of curse words and other small things. I can however say with certainty that I will probably read the second one because the ending is a huge cliffhanger and I'm thinking the next book will be easier to understand and faster paced. 

Double Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend and Anatomy of a Single Girl by: Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Boyfriend (Anatomy #1) by: Daria Snadowsky (2007)
272 pages
Genre: Romance
Source: I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest review.
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Before this all happened, the closest I'd ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Okay, so maybe that sounds pathetic, but it's not like there were any guys at my high school who I cared to share more than three words with, let alone my body.

Then I met Wes, a track star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too. I couldn't believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing—and touching—parts of the body I'd only read about in my Gray's Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring. It was scary. It was fun. It was love.

And then came the fall.

Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend is a little raunchy and a lot of fun. I think it did a great job at showing real-life teen experiences.  Dominique doesn't have a bright and shiny romance that comes out of a fairy tale, hers is a much more believable first love story. Nothing is perfect and everything is awkward and there are a lot of embarrassing moments for the main character Dominique. Anatomy of a Boyfriend will bring you many laughs and make you feel awkward at the same time. While this story did a great job at depicting real life I felt that at the same time it was a little too over the top when dealing with some issues. I also love that Dominique's parents are not absent in this story but actually have a presence. I feel like that never happens enough in young adult books. I don't think this was the best well written story but it certainly was entertaining and a quick read. This book is raunchy and freely discusses teen sex. It was a little more sexual than I thought it would be, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised given the cover. With all that being said, I encourage you to check out Anatomy of a Boyfriend when you have some reading down time if nothing else for a few good laughs. I also just want to point out that the covers of these books will make you back peddle and do a double take. I really like them.


My Rating: 3/5 stars


Anatomy of a Single Girl (Anatomy #2) by: Daria Snadowsky
227 pages
Genre:
Source: I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest review.
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository
** This review contains spoilers of the first book Anatomy of a Boyfriend.

Goodreads Summary: With Judy Blume-like honesty and insight, this sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend is about life after first love--romance, sex, friendship, family, and the ups and downs of life as a single girl.

After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one.

The moment we got together, all my preconceptions about romance and sex were turned upside down. I discovered physical and emotional firsts I never knew existed. I learned to let go of my past by living in the present. It was thrilling. It was hot. It was just what the doctor ordered.

But I couldn’t avoid my future forever.

In Daria Snadowsky’s daring follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Dominique explores the relationship between love and lust, and the friendships that see us through.

Review: I enjoyed Anatomy of a Single Girl better than its predecessor  I felt like it was better written and even more fun and unique. This isn't your typical love story but more about how young adults handle themselves after a break up. This story is more adult than the first book, Dominique is older and in college. I do wish Dominique would have grown a little more from the first book, there was some growth though. I was a little disappointed that more of the book didn't take place in college, just over summer break, but it was still a good read.  I loved Dominique's "love" interest in this book way more than the first one. Guy was smart and hot and I just really liked him. I also enjoyed that the book also focuses a lot on friendship between guys and girls and best friends since childhood. I liked to see how the friendship between Dominique and Amy really grew and dealt with the hardships of going to different colleges. Once again I think that Snadowsky did a great job at depicting real life teenage issues. This was another funny and unique read. This can be read as a stand-alone so if the first book didn't really sound as good to you then feel free to pick this one up on its own. 


My Rating: 3.5/5 stars 

Top Ten Tuesday #11: Things That Make My Life As A Book Blogger Easier

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. 

This week's topic: Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Book Blogger Easier. I really enjoyed this topic. It is very unique.

1. Goodreads is a wonderful tool to not only help me keep track of books I want to read and books I have read but it also helps me find new books and most importantly gives me another outlet to share my book reviews with other book lovers like myself.

2. My local library is a wonderful resource of free books. I absolutely love it and use it constantly. I don't have a lot of money so the library is a great tool to help blogging be easier. I get to read brand new books and have such a wide selection at my finger tips

3. Post-Its are a life saver. I use them to mark important quotes and passages. I also use them to take notes when I'm reading. I keep the sticky note attached to the cover of the book and I update it as I'm reading. This makes it a lot easier for me to write reviews later on. I even use post-its to keep track of what books I need to read. It's safe to say there are post-its everyone in my apartment. I even use the electronic ones on my computer for various things.

4. Twitter is something I just discovered not to long ago. I think it is a great resource to help bloggers get the word out about their posts. You also get to meet great authors, publishers, and other book bloggers. I get really excited when an author tweets me. :)

5. My ARC shelf on my bookcase helps me stay on top of the books I need to read before their release date. I always keep them in order of release date.

6. My laptop  is the ultimate key to my blogging success. Obviously without it I wouldn't be able to blog. I hate it most days (seriously it is kind of a piece of crap) but without it I would be lost.

7. Bloglovin has become an important part of my blogging routine. I love how easy it makes it to read all of the blogs I follow and to stay on top of other book blogs.

8. PicMonkey is a new discovery and a helpful one at that. Its a free and easy to use version of Photoshop  I used it to create my new blog header among other things. Check it out if you haven't yet.

9. My followers make me incredibly happy and lucky to have so many great ones. They make blogging easier simply by being themselves because they give the inspiration to keep on blogging. I thank every single one of you.

10. Coffee saves my life on a daily basis. I do my blogging every day while drinking a cup of coffee. I either have a mug of coffee with vanilla creamer or I have an iced caramel coffee. I love both kinds equally.

Share the things that make your life as a book blogger easier below!

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

ARTICLES

We book lovers have problems that no one else seems to understand. This list is so true.

Need some dating tips? Let Game of Thrones help you out.

Do you want to know who the top-earning authors of 2013 are? Sadly, E.L. James comes in at number one with $95 million.

You must check out these 15 beautifully animated young adult book covers over at Epic Reads. Thanks to Nikki over at Foil the Plot for showing me this!

BLOG POSTS

Writer of Wrongs thinks that brutal endings to book series are the best. I'm going to have to agree on this one.

The blog I'm Booked has this newish feature called Fun Fact Friday. The post shares bookish fun facts and I love it.

VIDEO

I have not read these books but this trailer seems interesting, although somewhat confusing. I love vampires but I'm always a little hesitant about starting a new series.

Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe by: Lauren Graham

Someday, Someday, Maybe by: Lauren Graham (2013)

344 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Fiction

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works.

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet.

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.

My Review

I knew I had to read Someday, Someday, Maybe as soon as I heard that none other than Lauren Graham wrote it. I am a big Gilmore Girls fan. With that said, I was a little nervous about the book because not all actors can write well, but I was worrying for absolutely no reason.

Someday, Someday, Maybe blew me away. It was charming, funny, cute, and just all around a great read and lots of fun. The plot, although it may seem slow at times, flows rather well. I also like the occasional break-up between chapters with pages from Franny’s planner. They are hilarious (although sometimes it was hard to try and decipher her handwriting) and really emphasized who Franny was.

I love the main character Franny, a young woman hoping to make it big as an actress. She is an adorable awkward loveable character. I loved reading the inner dialogue she has with herself, which usually resulted in me laughing or giggling or just feeling embarrassed for her. Franny is somewhat of a mess, although not completely, she is just trying to find her way in the world. I love her courage and her ability to bounce back when things are tough. Did I mention I love when she has the occasional word vomit when she is nervous or trying to make a point? It is hilarious and reminded me of Lorelai from Gilmore Girls. Her roommates are great fun as well. Dan is an aspiring screenwriter and her other roommate Jane is an aspiring movie producer. The trio work well together as roommates. I actually think all of the minor characters are unique and interesting as well.

Graham also did a wonderful job at catching the New York setting just right in my opinion  I liked the descriptions of the red carpet, auditions, plays, and everything in between. Not to mention that this book takes place in 1995 and I love that Franny gets excited about call waiting and having an answering machine. I remember those days.

My advice to you is to read it. It won’t take you long to read and I think you will be captivated with Franny’s story of chasing her dream. It is especially perfect for those that find the story of a young aspiring actor interesting, and this one is.

Review: The Never List by: Koethi Zan

The Never List by: Koethi Zan (2013)

320 pages

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Source: I received an ARC copy from fellow blogger Christine over at Buckling Bookshelves. Thanks Christine! This did not affect my honest review. 

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: For years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the “Never List”: a list of actions to be avoided, for safety’s sake, at all costs. But one night, against their best instincts, they accept a cab ride with grave, everlasting consequences. For the next three years, they are held captive with two other girls in a dungeon-like cellar by a connoisseur of sadism.

Ten years later, at thirty-one, Sarah is still struggling to resume a normal life, living as a virtual recluse under a new name, unable to come to grips with the fact that Jennifer didn’t make it out of that cellar. Now, her abductor is up for parole and Sarah can no longer ignore the twisted letters he sends from jail.

Finally, Sarah decides to confront her phobias and the other survivors—who hold their own deep grudges against her. When she goes on a cross-country chase that takes her into the perverse world of BDSM, secret cults, and the arcane study of torture, she begins unraveling a mystery more horrifying than even she could have imagined.

My Review

The Never List is a great beach read for those of you who are looking for a thriller that will make your heart race and give you a reason to stay on the beach just a little bit longer because you have to get to the ending. I will not be going into great details with this review because I don't want to spoil any of the OMG moments that this book will bring you.

Sarah, hhmmmm, I’m not even sure where to begin in describing this intense and complex character. She slowly faces her many fears and starts to gain control over her life again once she finds out the man who locked her in a basement for three years is trying to get out on parole from prison. She decides that there is no way she is going to let that happen and she sets out to find some clues of how dangerous this man really is, starting with the letters he sent her from prison. I really felt for Sarah and the other girls that were locked up in that cellar, my emotions ran high throughout the entire book. There is no lack of emotional storytelling or dynamic characters in The Never List.

There are many OMG moments in this book, starting with the very first page. This is a graphic novel so it isn't for the faint of heart. The book is a puzzle where the reader gets to walk right beside the characters on their journey to find a way to get the evil monster who tortured them locked up forever. The story is a mix of flashbacks of the past and the present. The stories of the past and present unravel wonderfully and is not hard to follow. I can guarantee that The Never List will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. You will be appalled by what the girls go through locked up in that basement and you will cheer them on when they are trying to make sure he stays locked up in prison forever, and there will even be a few times where you will think Sarah is pretty dumb, like in a horror movie where you yell at the character to not open the freaking door. But most importantly, you will be shocked to the core by the ending. You won't see it coming.

The Never List is an amazing thriller that will keep you sweating until you get to the crazy blow your mind conclusion. Sadly after the mind blowing conclusion there isn’t a lot of closure given, which was frustrating. I would have liked to see an epilogue or something. Anyway, you really should make The Never List be your next thriller of choice.

** I received an ARC copy from fellow blogger Christine over at Buckling Bookshelves. Thanks Christine! This did not affect my honest review. 

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

ARTICLES

Have you watched Orange is the New Black on Netflix yet? Well you should, as long as you are okay with some pretty graphic scenes. Well if you are a fan and love books check out this awesome website, Books of Orange is the New Black.

Cover reveal for the short story "The Transfer" by Veronica Roth was this week. Pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. 

Jason Priestley signed a book deal that will dish on his 90210 days. I was a big Beverly Hills 90210 fan so I think I may have to read this. 

You should really take a minute to read 9 Popular Yet Terrible Kids Books. It's funny.

*Huge Sigh* Apparently the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day is being made into a television show. I've read the books (the last one was bad and the second one wasn't great either) and I'll probably check this out, but I'm just not all that sure this show would even be all that interesting. 

BLOG POSTS

Do you share your blog with the outside world, aka you friends and family? I share mine with my immediate family and a few very close friends but for some reason I haven't branched out more than that. Read My Novel Opinion's discussion post that is all about the topic of sharing your blog with people you know.

Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner made a unique, cute, and interesting A to Z book blogger survey  I have yet to do this, but I plan to. Find out more about Jamie and join in on the fun.

Some Like It Paranormal focused this week on best friend romances. Find some reading suggestions if you are looking for some best friend love and participate in her giveaway! 

Do you need to figure out what television shows you want to watch this fall? Just follow the Set Your DVRs feature over at Parajunkee for a fall tv preview! 

PHOTOS

Review: Falling Kingdoms by: Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by: Morgan Rhodes (2012)

412 pages

Genre: YA/High Fantasy
Publisher: razor bill

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

My Review

Falling Kingdoms is kind of a PG-13 version of the Game of Thrones series. I did like this novel, but it lacked the elements to make me love it.

It took me a really long time to care about any of the characters in Falling Kingdoms. I’m not sure if it was because I only got a little bit of time with each one due to the rapid POV shifts, but I just didn’t really have a connection with any of them. Cleo was too naïve and spoiled and weak, although she does get better. Mangus was kind of a jerk, even though I kind of see where he is coming from. Lucia was somewhat boring, even considering her important role. Jonas was a somewhat irrational/a little crazy character. I could go on and on considering there are more characters who we get POVs from but I don't want to get into every single one of them. (See what I mean by a lot of POVs? I should have counted them all.) The romance in this book is crazy and weird, and not really in a good way. I did however love the romance between Cleo and her guard, even though it was insta-love. The other romance, well it was somewhat icky, I’ll just let you find out about that one on your own. Oh and then there was the romance where Jonas just uses someone to get his way and doesn't really like her thing. Sigh. I like drama, and I like crazy events in my books, but for some reason I just wasn't loving what was going down in Falling Kingdoms all the time, though at others times I was engrossed.

Falling Kingdoms is a well written fantasy novel. It was fast paced (seriously, crap hits the fan in the first couple of pages) and the general story was good. Rhodes did a wonderful job with the world building. The three lands are well described with a nice amount of background so the reader can easily understand what is going on in the book. Although I didn’t love this book and it wasn’t one of my favorites, I did start to get more into the book towards the end. So I will probably be reading the next one. (I mean this story isn't even close to being finished and I want to know what happens.) I loved the bloody battle scenes and the deaths that came unexpected that had me seeing red. Another great thing about this book, the lines between good and bad are blurred, it isn’t always cut and dry and that is a very nice change from the norm.

If you are looking for a young adult version of Game of Thrones (death, backstabbing, and crazy relationships) this should be your pick. Falling Kingdoms is also a good book for fantasy lovers who enjoy a good bloody battle among other things. 

RATING 3.5/5 

Teaser Tuesdays #5

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Make sure to share the title and the author too!

My Teasers

I just finished this book but there are two awesome quotes/teasers that I have to share with you! How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) come True was a cute and funny read, Zoe is interning for the summer at a Fairy-tale amusement park.

"There was no getting around the fact that Tinker Bell was a little bitch." (pg. 1: first sentence of the book)

"Earlier today it had been discovered that Grumpy had fallen in love with Bo Peep and was now as cheerful as one of her lambs while Sleepy had become mildly addicted to energy drinks and seemed bent on singing "Hi, ho!" at warp-speed. Seriously, everything down at Snow's was all wrong." (pg. 105)

~ How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by: Sarah Strohmeyer

        

Share the link to your teasers below!

Review: The Only Exception by: Magan Vernon

The Only Exception by: Magan Vernon (2013)

272 pages

Genre: New Adult

Source: I received a free copy from the author for my honest review.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon 

Goodreads Summary: **Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is recommended for
ages 16+**

Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape—before she finds out that her next door neighbor is the uber conservative governor's son, Trey Chapman.

No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under her skin. Monica can’t stand his crisp white shirts or his staunch views on women. But she can’t help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would feel like to have him stop talking politics and kiss her.

A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey’s politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

My Review

         

The Only Exception is refreshing. It’s original and unique compared to many of the other new adult romance novels I have read. I enjoyed its captivating story line so much that I finished this book in one day. Although I enjoyed this book, there were a few flaws that kind of got on my nerves as well. So for this review I have decided to break it down in terms of likes and dislikes.

LIKES

It’s Unique – I haven’t read any new adult novels that focuses so much on politics. Also, I want to point out that the main male lead is not a bad boy! Yes you heard me correctly; the main guy is actually a good guy. It was so refreshing to see these new ideas in The Only Exception.

The Characters – Monica and Trey were fun characters. They were complex and entertaining.  Monica at times was too judgmental, but besides that she is a strong character that I felt for. I also liked the minor characters as well, although I don't think they received enough screen time.

The Romance – This book was romantic. It wasn't just sexy or overly intense, it had some very cute romantic scenes that will make your heart flutter. Monica and Trey are just plain cute.

It’s Dark and Light – Vernon took a serious topic and entwined it throughout the novel. I won’t tell you what that topic is because that will give some things away. However, I can say that she handled it very well. I also really liked how there was some lightness in the novel too so it wasn't just depressing but light hearted as well. The Only Exception not only made me cringe and feel sadness, but it also made me laugh.

The Cover - I really love this cover and think it works perfectly.

The Setting - The Only Exception has a college setting, and as you all probably know by now I love those. Vernon did a great job at describing the college campus and shinning a unique light onto college life.

DISLIKES

Slightly Unbelievable at Times – There were some character interactions that happened that just didn't seem plausible to me. This only happened a couple of times though so it wasn't that big of a deal. 

A Few Typos – I know almost every book has some and there are not enough in this book to keep you from reading but there were a couple I found that bothered me just a little bit so I thought I would mention it. (I can't help the editor in me.) **Typos have been fixed! You can ignore this point. :)

Repetitive – While reading you will be reminded over and over again that Trey is the governor’s son and that Monica is a liberal. It got old after a while and I just don’t think those two things needed to be mentioned all the time. Yes it is an important part of the book that Trey and Monica hold different political believes, but after a while I felt like the idea kept getting shoved in my face.

This book was a very enjoyable read. I would suggest The Only Exception to those that don’t mind politics in their book, are looking for some romance, and are looking for a unique New Adult novel. Give The Only Exception a chance. It's cute, uplifting, and emotional.

**Thanks to the author for a free copy of this book! This did not affect my honest review.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

ARTICLES

Did you know August is Read-A-Romance Month?

Celebrate Harry Potter's birthday by reading why Harry Potter is awesome! Oh and don't forget that it was Neville's birthday too!

This list of hilarious horrible bookish event ideas will have you laughing till your side hurts.

Have you heard of BookVibe? It just popped up in my Twitter newsfeed, or at least I just now noticed it, apparently you can put in your twitter handle on their site and they will give you a list off all the books your followers are tweeting about. I find this to be pretty darn cool.

All of the new Harry Potter covers have been released! You have to read this awesome post. It compares the covers side by side to the old ones and shows what the amazingly awesome box set will look like. I already own these books but I'm obviously going to need to buy them again with the new covers. 

BLOG POST

Fueled By Fiction made a great list for music lovers that are also book lovers: YA Books With Music Themes

PHOTO

How else would you go to the bookstore?

Source

Review: A Dangerous Fiction by: Barbara Rogan

A Dangerous Fiction: A Mystery by: Barbara Rogan (July 25, 2013)

336 pages

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Viking

Source: I received a free copy from Shelf Awareness and the publisher for an honest review.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: A romp of a publishing mystery that introduces Jo Donovan, literary agent-cum-detective, that will delight fans of Janet Evanovich, Lisa Lutz, Alan Bradley, and ABC's Castle.

Jo Donovan always manages to come out on top. From the backwoods of Appalachia, she forged a hard path to life among the literati in New York City. At thirty-five, she’s the widow of the renowned author Hugo Donovan and the owner of one of the best literary agencies in town. Jo is living the life she dreamed of but it’s all about to fall apart.

When a would-be client turns stalker, Jo is more angry than shaken until her clients come under attack. Meanwhile, a biography of Hugo Donovan is in the works and the author’s digging threatens to destroy the foundations of Jo’s carefully constructed life. As the web of suspicion grows wider and her stalker ups the ante, she’s persuaded by her client and friend—FBI profiler-turned-bestselling-thriller writer—to go to the police. There Jo finds herself face-to-face with an old flame: the handsome Tommy Cullen, now NYPD detective.

A Dangerous Fiction marks the welcome return of Barbara Rogan and the start of a terrific new series.

My Review

A Dangerous Fiction is a witty and intense mystery novel for anyone who appreciates a good story. I can say that I have never read a book like this one before, it is definitely unique. I liked it way more than I thought I would and I am more than happy to try and convince you to read it. 

This was an incredibly fun read. The main character, Jo Donovan, is a literary agent and she views everything through that literary lens, making this a delightful read, especially for readers and writers. The reader gets a look inside the publishing industry and how it is for literary agents. Getting that inside look was probably one of my favorite things about this book. Jo is a very strong female, but she also has some flaws, making her more real. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I loved every single character in A Dangerous Fiction. They were all unique and each one added a little something special to the story. I grew attached to all of them. I would give you a run down but there are too many, so instead you should just read the book to find out. Oh and for you animal lovers out there, there is an amazing guard dog in this book that I think you will love. Side note: Jo's late husband reminds me a lot of Hemingway. This book is just full of little quirks. 

A Dangerous Fiction is incredibly more complex than it may seem at first. It’s full of twists and turns and a few omg moments. This book made me feel so many different emotions while reading, one minute I was laughing and the next I was crying. It will play with your emotions and once you hit a certain part of the story you will want to find this horrible stalker more than the main character herself. I had an inkling of who it may be, but I never guessed. It was really intense near the end of the book. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I promise the bad guy reveal will be worth the read.

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially those of you who are avid readers, writers, or interested in the publishing industry. This was a unique mystery novel with memorable characters. Take a chance on A Dangerous Fiction and be ready for a well written novel that shows us just how much stories play a part in our everyday lives.  

** I received a free copy through Shelf Awareness and the publisher for my honest review. Thanks!