Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

This review is tough- I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one.   It has a very dark, morbid, Poe-esque feel to it, which I liked. Another thing I liked were the supporting characters- they were pretty amazing.  I really liked Theia's development throughout the story.  (Her name is Greek for goddess- I'm wondering if the author will be playing that angle in the future books).  As I'm sure you can all tell by my other reviews- I'm tired of the girl falling for the dark, evil boy who is stalking her either because he loves her or wants to murder her.  And there is a lot of that going on here.  Besides that, it was an OK start to a new series with some potential.  And a debut author too!  3 Stars.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter

First of all, I love this cover!  As for the book itself, I liked it.  It wasn't what I imagined at all.  I was a bit unbelieving of the world that Oliver builds- it was so much like ours but with demons running around- I found it unsettling.  Regardless, I will continue on in the series because I really liked Beck and I want to see what happens between Riley and him.  Some cool mythology and a major cliffhanger pretty much hooks me every time...

3 Stars

Boycotts and Barflies by Victoria Michaels

Book Blurb

After an endless string of bad dates and a generally pathetic love life, Grace Park and her friends decide to boycott men for six weeks. With a fantastic pair of shoes on the line for the woman who makes it to the end without breaking any rules, the competition gets fierce. Sparks fly a few days into the bet when Grace and her friends cross paths with a sexy bartender named Michael Andris who happens to have a little bet of his own going with his friends.... In this hilarious debut novel, Victoria Michaels brings us a colorful and relatable cast of characters. She sends them on a sweet and sexy escapade as they sidestep one booby trap after another, manage the best of misguided intentions, and exert a whole lot of willpower and self control as they race down the path to true love. Winning isn't everything...or is it?

My Review

Characters

This was a very typical romance novel.  The characters fit their designated stereotypes, and the men were absolutely prefect, romantic, and flawless.  That said, the characters were still really fun and fluffy.  :)

Plot

Again, it was very typical, but still fun.  My only complaint was that their "by chance meetings" were so unrealistic- I have never run into a love interest so many times- fate only takes people so far in reality.  If you are able to suspend disbelief, it's still pretty enjoyable.

Relationship

What's better than the perfect man who is absolutely in love with you from first sight?  Nothing!  The relationships were very cute.

Overall

I know this isn't the best review- it's been a couple weeks since I read it.  I thought it was a good, light read, and certainly fantastic for a debut author.  It's definitely worth a read. 3 stars 

The False Princess by Ellis O'Neal

Book Blurb
Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.


My Review


Characters
Sinda was a pretty decent main character.  The story and the world reminded me a lot of Poison Study (which I absolutely loved).  I don't think that Sinda could compete with Yelena, who was so vibrant and authentic.  But, I liked that she handled her situation with grace.  I liked that she was on a journey to figure out who she is and where she fits in the world.  I was a bit confused by the ease with which she leaves behind her life- she doesn't really mourn her family and friends in the way I might expect.  But, her reaction to her situation ended up being a part of her development, so it did make sense for the story.  She was strong and solid as far as a character goes.


My one complaint with characters is that they seemed to play their part in the story and then disappear.  For example, Sinda's parents and aunt.  There wasn't any continuity to the minor characters- it was very Sinda-centric.


Plot
I liked the story- full of political intrigue, magic, and the start of a romance.  A lot happened in the book, the plot evolved at a fast pace.


Relationship
There is no hint of romance in the book blurb, so I don't want to give too much away.  I'll just say- there was some sparkage as the story progressed, but the relationship went from 0 to 60 in no time.  I was a bit disconcerted by that.  But, I liked Sinda's romantic partner as a character.


Overall
It was pretty good- I loved the premise of the story and there were no major flaws in the book. 3 stars!

Enchanted Ivy

 
Product Description
What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!

Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.
When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.


My Review
This book actually surprised me.  About 50 pages I was wondering where it was going- the story I was expecting was playing out way too quickly.  And- I was pleasantly surprised.  I thought I had the book pegged in the beginning, but it wasn't what I expected.


Characters
There is not a lot of upfront characterization in this book.  I had no idea what Lily looked like (unless I read it and instantly forgot the physical description).  She is on Princeton's campus for a an alumni weekend with her grandfather, and almost no attention is paid to what her life is like before.  At times, it almost felt like she didn't exist before the story started.  There were a few hints about Lily's life before the story starting, but nothing that I could put together in a comprehensive picture of her.  As for characterization that happens as the story is unfolding- I don't know!  She seemed very perfect at parts.  I didn't always understand her feelings or reactions.  I'm still a little confused on Lily as a character.


Plot
I really enjoyed the story.  I was actually surprised at different points- this does not happen often!  Various elements of the story were woven together- it seemed very well-planned.  There was a lot of action.  There were many more conflicts than the Book Blurb lets on.  The themes were conveyed brilliantly.  Moral ambiguity abounded.  I was expecting a one-dimensional story- and it wasn't at all!


Relationship
Again, my feelings towards Lily might cloud this one.  I never really could figure out how she felt about Tye, or some of the other potential love interests.  The whole relationship was a bit anticlimatic.  I don't think this is a series, so it did feel unfinished to me, despite an epilogue-ish chapter at the end of the book that gives the reader an idea how things turned out for everyone.


Overall
I'm torn between 3 stars and 4 stars on this one.  I definitely enjoyed it, but did have a couple of qualms with Lily.  

The Oracle Rebounds by Allison van Diepen

BOOK BLURB
As the "oracle of dating," Kayla is supposed to have all the answers about love and relationships. She's supposed to have the perfect relationship. But now that Jared is "taking a step back," Kayla feels like a total fraud.


So the expert on dating starts taking her own rebound advice—and some from her friends—and stops moping around. Yeah, there are other possibilities out there—including the beyond-cute French foreign exchange student she's showing around town.


But when controversy erupts about the Oracle's advice, Kayla is sent reeling once again. Will anything work out for her this year? Yet when her friends start seriously needing the Oracle, Kayla begins to focus on what really matters: Viv, Sharese, Amy and Ryan, her true-blue buds. And suddenly, everything starts making sense again….
(from Amazon.com)


Leena's Review
Woo Hoo!  It's January 2nd and I have started and finished my first book of 2011!  The Oracle Rebounds is the sequel to The Oracle of Dating.  I read The Oracle of Dating a few months ago, and found it to be a quick and fun read.  The Oracle Rebounds was just as enjoyable.


Characters
Kayla is a likeable character.  She is smart, and extremely mature for her age.  She is loyal to her friends, kind to other students, and won't speak bad about anyone, even the boy who dumped her.  The only thing that bothered me about her is that it's hard for me to imagine a teenager with that level of maturity and resiliency.  But, that doesn't mean I can't love her!


Plot
I loved the main storyline of Kayla rebounding and moving on from her breakup with Jared.  I thought that the pacing was great- she didn't wallow in misery, as many main characters do when the relationship falls apart in the sequel.  There were a lot of smaller story lines, mostly about her friends' relationships.  Some of these stories were better that others, and a couple of them felt very unfinished to me.  But, that's what you get in a series.  We'll see where the 3rd book picks up.  


Relationship
I liked Jared a lot in The Oracle of Dating.  His character is not really developed in this one as much, which I missed.  Because Kayla spends most of the book single, it's a bit difficult to comment on the relationship, except to say I loved the tension between Jared and Kayla post-break-up.


Overall
I really liked this book.  It's fun, cute, and easy to read through in a sitting.  I give it 3 Stars.  I can't wait for the next one.