Sunday, March 25, 2012

In My Mailbox - 3/25/12



In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share whatever books and bookish goodies that you've bought, borrowed, won, or been gifted and have thus entered your home the previous week. You can show off books that you are excited about and it's also a great opportunity to showcase books that you may not actually have the time to read or review.

Added to my Bookshelf:





Paris in Love: A Memoir - Eloisa James   

In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris.Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 
With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog).  
Paris in Love invites the reader into the life of a most enchanting family, framed by la ville de l’amour.








The Angel At No. 33 - Polly Williams  

Some love stories never end
One evening Sophie Brady kisses her husband, Ollie, and young son Freddie goodbye, closing the door on number thirty-three. At ten pm she's with her best friend Jenny, polishing off a second bottle of wine. By midnight, she's dead. Except she doesn't feel dead... 
How can she leave the people she loves? Ollie is a man who once watered a houseplant for a year before realising it was plastic. Freddie is so little. And Jenny? There's something she desperately needs to know...


     

Oxford Messed Up - Andrea Kayne Kaufman 

Rhodes Scholar Gloria Zimmerman has come to Oxford University to study feminist poetry. Yet the rigors of academia pale in comparison to her untreated Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, fueled by her overachieving parents and manifested in a deathly aversion to germs and human contact. Her next-door neighbor (who is also, to her mortification, her loomate) is Henry Young, the appealing but underachieving English music student. Still mourning the death of his supportive mother while enduring the mockery of his disapproving and merciless father, Henry is haunted by the unexpectedly serious ramifications of a reckless and tragic youth. 

Gloria and Henry's relationship evolves from a shared obsession with Van Morrison's music into a desire to fill the gaps in each other’s lives. Yet the constraints of a debilitating illness and the looming revelation of a catastrophic secret conspire to throw their worlds into upheaval and threaten the possibilities of their unlikely yet redemptive love.


Added to my Nook:


In Leah's Wake - Terri Giuliano Long  

Protecting their children comes naturally for Zoe and Will Tyler—until their daughter Leah decides to actively destroy her own future.
Leah grew up in a privileged upper-middle class world. Her parents spared no expense for her happiness; she had all-but secured an Ivy League scholarship and a future as a star athlete. Then she met Todd.
Leah’s parents watch helplessly as their daughter falls into a world of drugs, sex, and wild parties. While Will attempts to control his daughter’s every move to prevent her from falling deeper into this dangerous new life, Zoe prefers to give Leah slack in the hope that she may learn from her mistakes. Their divided approach drives their daughter out of their home and a wedge into their marriage.
Twelve-year-old Justine observes Leah’s rebellion from the shadows of their fragmented family. She desperately seeks her big sister’s approval and will do whatever it takes to obtain it. Meanwhile she is left to question whether her parents love her and whether God even knows she exists.
What happens when love just isn’t enough? Who will pay the consequences of Leah’s vagrant lifestyle? Can this broken family survive the destruction left in Leah’s wake?



Saturday, March 24, 2012

Book Feature & Giveaway: A Sliver of a Shadow by Allison Pang


(If you are on the home page and can't see the Giveaway either click on the post title or "read more" at the bottom to go to the individual post's page!)   

The Book:

A Sliver of Shadow (Book 2 Abby Sinclair Series)
By Allison Pang

Just when her new life as a TouchStone – a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds – seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding eleven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.



The Author:

A marine biologist in a former life, Allison Pang turned to a life of crime to finance her wild spending habits and need to collect Faberge eggs. A cat thief of notable repute, she spends her days sleeping and nights scaling walls and wooing dancing boys….Well, at least the marine biology part is true. But she was taloned by a hawk once. She also loves Hello Kitty, sparkly shoes, and gorgeous violinists.

She spends her days in Northern Virginia working as a cube grunt and her nights waiting on her kids and cats, punctuated by the occasional husbandly serenade. Sometimes she even manages to write. Mostly she just makes it up as she goes.


Find Allison: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Find A Sliver of Shadow: Goodreads | Amazon BN 

The Giveaway:

Friday, March 23, 2012

Review Copy Cleanup [Challenge 4] - Mysterious Meetup

In the Mysterious Meetup Challenge you can have that conversation with your favourite book character of all times. Who would you want to meet? What questions would you ask him or her? Share your Mysterious Meetup with us! 

I don't know that I can narrow this down to one favorite book character!!!  I immediately thought of three characters (and four actors). And I fear that my desire to meet with them is some amalgam of both character and actor...  

So without further delay...here they are...

1.  My childhood crush: Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Jeremy Brett and/or Robert Downey, Jr. 






I think that I have been a little in love with Sherlock Holmes since I was ten!  In Kindergarten I got hooked on mysteries by Nancy Drew...but by fifth grade it was all about Holmes.  How his brain works fascinates me and I'd love to spend time with him just to watch that beautiful mind in action.  plus he could serenade me with the violin.  Still one of my all time favorites and I think that both of these actors do him great justice  albeit in different ways.




2.  Close to my heart: Severus Snape as portrayed by Alan Rickman 

Ah, what a wonderfully complex character is Severus Snape.  I love that I never can quite put my finger on him.  I love that he can inspire both revulsion and intense affection all at once.  I'd love to know more about who he was "before." To meet the Snape that loved Lily before he was completely broken by her marriage to James and ultimately her death. My heart just breaks open for him. And as to Alan Rickman...well I think that his credentials speak for themselves...he is perhaps my favorite actor of all time.  So Amazingly Talented!


3.  Honorary mention:  Aragorn as portrayed by Viggo Mortenson






Ok, I am going to be honest here.  I haven't read the Trilogy.  I read The Hobbit and never made in past that point.  But after watching the Trilogy how could I not but love this character.  Sad and grim, full of self doubt and recriminations...but oh so strong and dependable....  And as to Viggo Mortenson...I think that picture speaks for itself ;p





There is definitely a pattern here...am I the only one to see it???


Reading Update-So far this month I have read the following review books:
 Beyond the Misty Shore - Vicki Hinze (In Progress...) 
 The Replacement Wife - Eileen Goudge 
  Entangled - Nikki Jefford 
 The Book of Lost Fragrances - M.J. Rose 
  Switched - Amanda Hocking  


Character Guest Post: Leah from In Leah's Wake by Terri Giuliano Long


What are your long-term and short-term goals?
By Leah Tyler

I’m a soccer player. Since I stepped on the field, at six, I’ve identified myself this way. Every goal was directed toward soccer—the next game, playoffs, sectionals, awards, next season, college, Olympics . . .  I ate, slept, and breathed soccer. It was like I didn’t know anything else. Like there was no me.

They weren’t even my goals. Well, they were, but they weren’t, if you know what I mean. When my dad signed me up, they didn’t have teams for my age, so they put me on a team with kids up to ten. I don’t know why they took me; we lived in a small town, so maybe they didn’t have enough kids. I’m coordinated and I’ve always had a lot of energy, totally key. Right away, I was the best on the team.

It sounds like a bigger deal than it was. The other kids were all older and bigger, so no one expected me to be better, but think about it: my dad played college football. I have good genes. I like sports. What six-year-old wants to practice all the time? Me. So it wasn’t like I had competition. I had a head start plus my father behind me, pushing me, overseeing my workouts. I should have been the best. 

I kept pushing myself, working out, training hard. I didn’t even know why. Because I was supposed to. My dad had all these plans. He put a lot of time into my soccer. I couldn’t let him down. My coach relied on me, my teammates depended on me. It was like the whole town wanted me to do it, to be somebody, bring glory to Cortland—so they could be somebody too. It’s easy to get lost in all that.

This is a secret. Promise not to tell? Swear to God? I’d be mortified if anybody found out. It was over. I wasn’t going anywhere. There was this little kid, a runner, eleven years old. I read about her in Sports Illustrated.  She won the national championship—dusted the competition. The girl lived in the mountains. For workouts, she ran hills with sandbags strapped to her shoulders. Of course her lungs were developed. Duh. The other kids never had a chance. A year later, the second place girl came in ten seconds behind her. By high school, she was only average. That would have been me. Kids were catching up. Forget the Olympics. I’d have been lucky to get any playing time in college. 

My glory days were over. I was only sixteen years-old, feeling like the best was already behind me.

That’s the real reason I began to hate soccer. No, it’s not why I quit. But it was always at the back of my head, you know? It’s how come I was always so frustrated. The end was coming. Since I was six, I was always the best. It would have been humiliating to watch the other girls pass me. Everybody roots for the underdog, because they know what it’s like to always get beaten. You know what it’s like to only ever have been at the top? Looking over your shoulder, waiting for people to pass you?

After I quit, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I could fill time. I hung out with my friends. That’s not what I mean. I mean, there was no structure. The days spread out ahead of me, with nothing to organize them. Am I making sense? I had nothing to look forward to, I guess. Suddenly I had no goal. 

It took a while to figure out what I wanted. I’m still not entirely sure. I want to get married someday. I know that. I want to have to kids. We’ve talked a few times, Todd and me, about marriage. I doubt it would ever work out. I mean, I love him and all, but parents can’t stand him. I don’t want to go through life like that, my parents hating my guy. They’d end up hating me. Not that I’d ever let on.

I mean, really? You don’t tell your parents that stuff. You’ve got to leave them guessing. Haha. 

Seriously, parents don’t need to know how bad you want to please them. They’d just use it against you. We can’t kowtow. We’ve got to hang tough. That’s the only way to ever get your independence. 

Let’s see: I want to travel around the world, doing something fun. If I could learn to play guitar, I could totally see myself in a band.  All those cool outfits, too, right? Oh my god, I can totally see it. I’ll be like the coolest rock singer ever. They want something to be proud of? Ha! Just wait! Here I come.

I want to be a good mom. That’s my long-term goal. I really want to be a good mom.  


Who is Leah Tyler? She is the main character in Terri Giuliano Long’s best-selling novel, In Leah’s Wake. Leah Tyler was an All-Star soccer player, the MVP of her high school team, and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic Player of the Year. She’s 16 years old and lives in Cortland, Massachusetts, with her parents and younger sister, Justine.


The Book:

Protecting their children comes naturally for Zoe and Will Tyler - 
until their daughter Leah decides to actively destroy her own future.

Leah grew up in a privileged upper-middle class world. Her parents spared no expense for her happiness; she had all-but secured an Ivy League scholarship and a future as a star athlete. Then she met Todd.

Leah’s parents watch helplessly as their daughter falls into a world of drugs, sex, and wild parties. While Will attempts to control his daughter’s every move to prevent her from falling deeper into this dangerous new life, Zoe prefers to give Leah slack in the hope that she may learn from her mistakes. Their divided approach drives their daughter out of their home and a wedge into their marriage.

Twelve-year-old Justine observes Leah’s rebellion from the shadows of their fragmented family. She desperately seeks her big sister’s approval and will do whatever it takes to obtain it. Meanwhile she is left to question whether her parents love her and whether God even knows she exists.

What happens when love just isn’t enough? Who will pay the consequences of Leah’s vagrant lifestyle? Can this broken family survive the destruction left in Leah’s wake? 


The Author:


Terri Giuliano Long is the bestselling author of the novel In Leah’s Wake. Her life outside of books is devoted to her family. In her free time, she enjoys walking, traveling, and listening to music. True to her Italian-American heritage, she’s an enthusiastic cook. In an alternate reality, she might be an international food writer. She lives with her family on the East Coast and teaches at Boston College. In Leah’s Wake is her debut novel.

Find Terri: Website | Blog | Twitter



Thursday, March 22, 2012

Novel Notions: Book & Movie Trailers (including Bitterblue & The Host!!)


Novel Notions is a  feature where I'll discuss whatever bookish thoughts (ie. Novel Notions)  I have running through my head.  As of now I'm not planning to schedule it regularly but rather just post as ideas  organically come to me!  I'm hoping that you guys will join in on the discussion either by simply commenting below or running with my idea and linking up a post on the subject at some point during the upcoming week.





I've never been a fan of movie trailers...but for some reason I can't seem to make my mind up about book trailers! Here are a few book trailers and two movie trailers that have caught my eye recently! I can Not wait for The Host!!

Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore













Embrace - Jessica Shirvington




The Host (2013)




Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)


So how do you guys feel about trailers?

  I, for one, hate spoilers of any kind...which is why I never watch trailers for movies.  Plus, they seem to put all the best actions scenes and most touching moments in the trailers.....so that by the time I've finished watching a trailer, I feel like I've already seen all the best parts of the movie...so there are no surprises left. The new Snow White and the Huntsman trailer (not the one I embedded here) is over 5 minutes long!! I think that is a lot more than a tease!!

Book trailers are a bit different for me.  I just can't decide whether I like them or not. Maybe since they are representations of the book and now actual pieces of it like with the movie trailers...I don't seem to mind them as much.  I still worry though that once I read the book I'll have less surprises in store for me.  Keep in mind that most of the time...I've barely even read the blurb of a book before I pick it up.  I usually am going by impressions left from hearing others talk about the book and skimming (because I am afraid of picking up too much) through reviews of bloggers I trust.

Ultimately though, is this method serving me well.  I worry that I'm not being selective enough in my book choices.  As a book blogger there is so much more pressure to read more, reveiw more etc...and I can't afford to waste time on a book that is not suited to me.

Could book trailers be the answer?

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Truly, Madly, Deeply You - Release Day Party & Giveaway!


(If you are on the home page and can't see the Giveaway either click on the post title or "read more" at the bottom to go to the individual post's page!)   


Book Title: Truly Madly Deeply You
Author: Cecilia Robert
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Publication Date: March 21st 2012
Format: eBook, Paperback, Kindle

Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.
What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?

Author Bio 



Cecilia Robert enjoys the play and weave of words that make up a good story. She enjoys creating fantastical worlds and getting lost in them. She often meets a prince, a princess, a pirate, ordinary and badass boy or girl who take her through the wonderful world of dreaming and fantasy.


 She doesn't have particular leanings to any kind of story as long as it captures her attention She reads and enjoys urban/dark fantasy romance,  paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi, mystery or horror as much as her children's school books.

 Some nights, you can find her reading Puss in Boots for her daughter, or trying to understand how to read Manga comics from her son.

Cecilia Robert enjoys the play and weave of words that make up a good story. She enjoys creating fantastical worlds and getting lost in them. She often meets a prince, a princess, a pirate, ordinary and badass boy or girl who take her through the wonderful world of dreaming and fantasy.

 She doesn't have particular leanings to any kind of story as long as it captures her attention She reads and enjoys urban/dark fantasy romance,  paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi, mystery or horror as much as her children's school books.

 Some nights, you can find her reading Puss in Boots for her daughter, or trying to understand how to read Manga comics from her son.




Giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted  at The Broke and the Bookish  


I don't regularly participate in this meme and therefore I'm a little bit late today but I just could not resist this topic! The first of these was my favorite read of 2011...Can't wait for the sequel. The next six are also sequels that I am dying to read.  The second and third to the last are firsts in series' that I hear are amazing.  And the last is an author that I've heard so much about--I just had to add him to my TBR!

1. The Twelve - Justin Cronin   

2. Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver  

3. A Million Suns - Beth Revis  

4. Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness  


5. Torrent - Lisa T Bergren  

6. Brisingr - Christopher Paolini

7.  Fever - Lauren Destefano 


8. Divergent - Veronica Roth 

9. Outlander – Diana Gabaldon 

10.  The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

Guest Post and Giveaway: The Immortal Guardians Series' Author Dianne Duvall

I am so excited to have Dianne Duvall, author of The Immortal Guardians Series {Darkness Dawns, Night Reigns & Phantom Shadows (not yet released)} here with me today.  And make sure that you read all the way to the bottom for the awesome giveaway of a Signed Copy of Night Reigns + Immortal Guardians Swag!!


(If you are on the home page and can't see the Giveaway either click on the post title or "read more" at the bottom to go to the individual post's page!) 

Who’s Your Second?


I have a story to share with you.  It’s actually one a friend told me that made me break into a wide smile.  His mother read the first two books in my Immortal Guardians series (I was so glad she enjoyed them!), then had a conversation with his sister the other day that went a little something like this:

“So, who is your Second?”
“My what?”
“Your Second.  Everyone needs a Second.  Who is yours?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mom.”
“A Second is someone who is always there for you and always has your back, someone you can depend on.  Ami is Marcus’s Second.  My neighbor is mine.  Who is yours?”

If, like my friend’s sister, you haven’t read Darkness Dawns or Night Reigns, you may be as puzzled as she was, so I’ll explain.  In my Immortal Guardians series, vampires aren’t dead.  Or undead.  They are humans who have been infected with a very rare symbiotic virus that lends them dramatically increased speed, strength, and senses.  It also bestows upon them an unfortunate photosensitivity and need for blood.  Immortals in my series are gifted ones (men and women born with extremely advanced DNA) who are infected with the same virus and boast the same enhanced abilities, photosensitivity, and need for blood.  But the similarities end there.  

Vampires also suffer progressive brain damage, as a result of the virus, that causes them to rapidly descend into madness.  The advanced DNA Immortals possess protects them from this.  It also lends them special abilities vampires lack, such as telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, and others.  Immortals have, therefore, taken it upon themselves to hunt down the insane vampires who prey upon humans.

So, where do Seconds enter the picture?  When I sat down to create the Immortal Guardians’ world, it occurred to me that there simply would be no way for the immortals to pass themselves off as humans or live without detection among humans without the aid of humans.  Even today most business is conducted during daylight hours.  Such was even more true during the past and would have proven an impossible-to-overcome stumbling block for anyone who could not move about freely during the day.  For this reason, I gave my Immortal Guardians human assistants in the form of Seconds.  And I’m not the first to deem such necessary.  Most fictional vampires have employed human assistants over the years.  


Dracula, in his many, many incarnations, has had Renfield for over a century.  Even Count Vladimir Dracula in the romantic comedy Love at First Bite had a Renfield.  


Barnabas Collins in Dark Shadows had Willie Loomis in the 60s.  Jerry Dandridge, Charley Brewster’s next-door neighbor in the original Fright Night, had a human assistant in the form of Billy Cole.  



Blade had Whistler in the 90s.  The vampires Blade fought had human minions who aided them as well.  Maximillian in Vampire in Brooklyn had Julius Jones.  


The creepy vampires in 30 Days of Night had The Stranger.  Even little Abby in Let Me In had a human companion/assistant known as The Father.   

As my friend’s mother said, everyone needs someone whom they can count on to be there for them and watch their back.  In Night Reigns, the second book in my series, Immortal Guardian Marcus Grayden is assigned a surprising new Second:  Ami.  Marcus is in a very dark place and balks.  He doesn’t believe he needs a Second, but Ami swiftly and efficiently disabuses him of that notion.  :-)  From the first instant he sees her, Marcus finds himself irresistibly drawn to her, soaking her laughter and teasing up like a sponge.  Her skills on the battlefield astound him . . . and save his life a time or two.  And there is something about her . . . something different . . . something he can’t quite pinpoint.  What secret does she hide?  

Whatever it may be, Marcus knows one thing:  Ami is the best Second he has ever had and will always have his back.  And he’ll do whatever it takes to keep from losing her.


THE BOOK:




Ami isn't much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she's no coward, and she's no pushover in the protection department either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn't hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into . . . 

Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he's not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can't deny that she's strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she's also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can't bear to awaken. After all, whatever her secrets — how can she defeat death itself? 



Excerpt:
It was, perhaps, one of the oddest moments of Marcus’s existence.
Well, odd may not be the correct word.  Vampires still moving in packs larger than twos or threes was odd.  Vampires remaining lucid enough to organize the ambush he had plunged into was odd.  At least, it had been up until a year and a half ago.
This . . .
This was surprising.
And very little surprised Marcus.
Panting, losing blood from dozens of cuts and gashes that had not had time to heal before more were inflicted, he stared at the instigator of this fortuitous pause.
He had expected to see a Second decked out in black vampire-hunting togs.  Instead, his fascinated gaze landed upon a sweet, undeniably feminine face with a halo of bright orange curls.  Wide green eyes as vivid as emeralds peered out of concealing foliage and met his.
She was pretty.  And small.  And seemed to radiate innocence.  Were it not for the weapon extended before her, he would wonder if he weren’t imagining her.
Who was she?  What was she doing here?
The clothing she wore labeled her a civilian – snug jeans, loose sweater, dark jacket – so why wasn’t she screaming?  Why didn’t she shoot him?  Why was she helping him instead of fleeing or firing at them all?
Marcus lacked the time to speculate further.  He sensed the instant the six remaining vampires located the petite assassin and drew back his arm.


Find Dianne: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Find The Immortal Guardian Series: Goodreads | Amazon BN 

The Giveaway:


 Answer this giveaway question in the comments below, follow my blog via GFC and then fill out the rafflecopter:) Extra entries are possible for following Dianne or myself via whichever methods you prefer!

Giveaway Question:

So, who is your Second?  That one person you can always depend on to be there for you, to help you, to stand up for you?

Monday, March 19, 2012

Book Review: Entangled by Nikki Jefford


Entangled (Spellbound Book #1)


Title:  Entangled            
Author:  Nikki Jefford 
Reading level: Young Adult
Genre:  Paranormal/Fantasy
Size:  303 Pages
Release Date:  February 19th 2012
Stand Alone or Series: Spellbound #1
Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review



First Line:  "If Graylee's sister wanted to be taken seriously, she should have threatened to step in front of a bus rather than off a building."

Summary (from GoodReads):

Twin witches Graylee and Charlene Perez agree on one rule: No dating warlocks. 

Not so easy when a certain rogue warlock is convinced he and Graylee belong together and will use anything, including magic, to try and impress Gray. When Charlene’s boyfriend dumps her, she threatens to kill either herself or the girl who stole Blake. Somehow, Gray ends up dead. 

A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong: 

Two months after dying, Gray wakes up in Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Only now Gray’s stuck sharing her sister’s body 50/50 in twenty-four hour shifts. 

The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence. Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell and worse – her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.


My Thoughts:


I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started to read Entangled.  I knew that I loved the cover, I knew that I loved the premise, but I also knew that some times indie books can be less than impressive.  Let's just say that I need not have worried about this title.


I loved this book from the first page.  The mix of magic, romance, sibling rivalry, teen angst, friendship and loyalty made this a perfect read.  I kept turning the pages...wanting to know how this crazy resurrection spell gone wrong would be resolved...  Wanting to know how far Charlene would go to to regain 100% of her life...  And wanting to know how the strong and independent Graylee would manage to solve her predicament, maintain her morale compass and of course...decide what to do about Raj...


It's no secret that I have a bit of a thing for witches (I'll take them any day over Vampires, Werewolves,  or Zombies) and this book delivered on the witchcraft front.  However it was actually the inter-personal relationships in the story that really stole the show.  Charlene's relationships with her friends at school, Graylee's budding romance with Raj, a mother's love for her children that can cause her to turn a blind eye to the faults of one and be willing to do anything to save the other...


And most of all...I loved how Nikki wrote the relationship between the twins Charlene and Graylee.  It felt so true to me (and growing up with younger twin sisters gives me a good taste for what that kind of  kinship entails.  The love and hate..the codependency alongside the desire for independence.  How two people can be best friends and worst enemies all wrapped in one.  Nikki captured it all perfectly and then put her magical spin on it.


All of this may not be the main theme of the book.  I am not sure if it was the author's intention for the twins' relationship to be the focus of the novel...but for this reader it was.  And I can not wait for the second in the Spellbound series so that I can find out where the twins go from here.


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