ARC Review: Jane by April Lindner

Title: Jane
Author: April Lindner
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult






4.5 out of 5 Stars








Description from Goodreads:


Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.


My thoughts:


Disclaimer: I haven’t read Jane Eyre (gasp...I know). So I’m reviewing this as someone who is not a fangirl of the book that this one was based on.


Jane drops out of college because of financial woes after the death of her parents. Her quest for employment brings her to a nanny agency. She is quickly placed as the nanny for Maddy. Maddy just happens to be the daughter of a famous rockstar who is in the midst of planning a comeback tour. Jane’s the sensible kind of girl who doesn’t crave celeb gossip, and the agency is confidant she won’t become starstruck and have it effect her job. Jane finds herself drawn to famous Nico much to her dismay, and Nico seems to relish in Jane’s straightforward attitude. After years of being told what he wants to hear it is almost as if he is grateful for her honesty. Can quiet, conservative Jane actually live the life of a rockstar’s girlfriend? Will the secrets Nico is keeping tear them apart?


I adored this book. Jane is truly an endearing character. I love that she wasn’t the picture of physical perfection. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I get tired of reading about main characters staring in a mirror thinking how gorgeous they are. I admired her values. You can’t not like Jane. I dare you to try ;) Nico didn’t win me over immediately, but as his relationship with Jane blossomed I found my first impression changing. He had that damaged, but redeemable hero thing going on that I kind of dig. The romance between Jane and Nico was well paced. It was a case of opposites attracting, but they complimented each other so perfectly. The mystery was a nice little twist. While I found it predictable I don’t feel the predictability took away from the story. Jane’s struggles and growth is what this book is all about. Her character undergoes so many experiences during the course of the novel. Falling in love, drama with her selfish siblings, heartbreak, and more. I was surprised how quickly I finished this after picking it up. I was just so engrossed in everything that was happening. This is the kind of book you sacrifice sleep for.


I wish I could comment on how well modern day Jane lives up to the book that inspired it. I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed April Lindner’s take, and was thrilled there were no vampires, zombies, or werewolves lurking around the grounds of Thornfield Park ;) Loved the idea of a rockstar love interest. I also loved that the hottie rockstar was close to my age (he’s older though *wink*) And yes, I do plan to read Jane Eyre so maybe I’ll give this one a re-read after. Hopefully this book will encourage others to pick up the classic as well.

April Lindner on the web:

Website

Order your very own copy of Jane from Amazon:

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Jane by April Lindner

Source: Around the World Tours

Review: Alien Invasion & Other Inconveniences by Brian Yansky (Blog Tour)

Title: Alien Invasion & Other Inconveniences
Author: Brian Yansky
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult




4.5 out of 5 Stars










Description from Goodreads:


A polite race of telepathic killer aliens, a ten-second world conquest, and one teenage boy collide in this wry, gutsy adventure.

Jesse is in history class when a formidable, efficient race of aliens quietly takes over the earth in less time than it takes him to brush his teeth. Most humans simply fall asleep and never wake up. In moments, everyone Jesse knows and loves is gone, and he finds that he is now a slave to an inept alien leader. On the bright side, Jesse discovers he’s developing telepathic powers, and he’s not the only one. Soon he’s forging new friendships and feeling unexpectedly hopeful. When a mysterious girl appears in his dreams, talking about escaping, Jesse begins to think the aliens may not be invincible after all. But if Jesse and his friends succeed, is there anywhere left to go? Brian Yansky offers a funny, grim novel packed with everything boys and sci-fi fans love: aliens, humor, action, and a healthy dose of triumph.


My thoughts:


Jesse finds himself among the small group of survivors left after Earth is invaded by aliens. His classification as superior product lands him an assignment living at the alien leaders’s home. While there he meets other survivors (also superior product), and friendships are formed. They hope for escape and survival, but know breaking through the alien security measures would be impossible. When Jesse begins to visit a girl in his dreams, who just happens to have inside info about the aliens, his dream of escape starts to feel possible.


Alien Invasion & Other Inconveniences is a fast paced, and engaging read. At just 240 pages I was relieved it didn’t have the issues with plot pacing, and lack of character development that I’ve run into with other books of similar length. It wasn’t rushed, and the characters felt like friends by the time I reached the end. The ending left me to hope we might see more of Jesse and his friends in future books.


Jesse is a great main character. I enjoyed reading from his point of view, and found his alternate swear words hilarious. Some of the situations were a little darker than I’d anticipated, but there was enough fun to balance it out nicely. Reading the correspondence between head alien, and the important people back on the home planet, Sanginia, was a great addition. It was nice to know what was going on with both sides of the battle. 


Even if you don’t think aliens are your thing, I’d recommend giving this one a try. It’s a fantastic story of survival, and has a great message when it comes to how we treat our planet. Maybe the fear of alien takeover is just the motivation we need to be more environmentally conscious.

Brian Yansky on the web:

Website

Other stops on the Alien Invasion & Other Inconveniences blog tour can be found here. Author Brian Yansky will be here tomorrow to offer advice on how to prepare for an alien invasion. You don’t want to miss it!

Source:  The Teen Book Scene

ARC Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Title: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
Author: Lish McBride
Available: 10/12/2010
Reading Level: Young Adult




4.5 out of 5 Stars










Description from Goodreads:


Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.  

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

My thoughts:

Let me start by saying the ARC I read had the first cover. It had a heart and stripes all in a pinkish red color. So thrilled they went with this one instead. This is a book both guys and girls will enjoy, and I feel the first cover made it look like a chick read. This is so not a chick read!

I’ve wanted to read Hold Me Closer, Necromancer ever since I saw the title. I didn’t even need to know what it was about to add it my wish list. Really, how cool is that title? I’m thrilled to say it lived up to its awesome title. The first portion of the book features two story lines that eventually merge. We have Sam who was given a deadline by jealous necromancer, Douglas, and Brid, a werewolf who finds herself held captive. Add Sam’s interesting crew of friends into the mix, and things get really interesting. 


Debut author, Lish McBride, really created something special. Not only did she incorporate a talking head into the plot, but she also found a most clever use for the much loved Blackberry. There are also gnomes! Yes, gnomes! For the record I have a huge love of garden gnomes, and any author who can work them into a plot is super cool in my book. The titles at the beginning of each chapter also helped with the fun. I loved the humor in this one. The author’s voice really helps her to stand out among the Young Adult writing world. Any author that can take such a huge variety of creatures, and create a well written and engaging book is pretty darn impressive. Not any easy task I bet, but it is done in Hold Me Closer, Necromancer without being confusing or overwhelming. I just loved how different this book is from others on the shelves, and highly recommend it. 


Moderate amount of violence, some pretty gory. Contains some colorful language, but nothing over the top. Not for the kiddies if you ask me though.  Great writing, pacing, characters, and plot. This is a very impressive debut novel. Love the cross appeal to both guy and girl readers. Also nice to see another male protag! The ending seemed to set us up for more adventures with newbie Necromancer, Sam. I know I can’t wait to read more! 


Looking for a fresh spin on the paranormal mania. Give this one a try!

Order from Amazon:

Source: Star Book Tours

Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Title: Web of Lies
Series: Elemental Assassin #2
Author: Jennifer Estep
Available: Now
Reading level: Adult


4.5 out of 5 Stars




**This post contains spoilers for earlier books in the series!**






Description from Goodreads:


Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon. 

I'm Gin Blanco. 

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.


My thoughts:


Gin Blanco is now a retired assassin, and running the Pork Pit full time since inheriting the BBQ restaurant from Fletcher. Yep, life is a little boring, but Fletcher had asked her to retire before his brutal murder. She feels like the least she can do is honor her dead handler’s wishes. At least until things get a little monotonous, and Gin finds a girl who needs protecting. Still pondering the meaning behind the file Fletcher left her, Gin could use the distraction and the action.


I liked this one so much more than the first. I’m still not a Donovan Caine fan though. Gin, you can do better girl! This one was packed full of serious action. I love Gin, and have nothing but admiration for her tenacity. A few mysteries brought up in the first book are solved in this installment. Of course that means a few new ones also pop up. I’m so excited to see where Gin’s adventures take us next. Thanks to a few well timed flashbacks, we learn more about Gin’s past. We also witness her attempt to digest what was in the file Fletcher left her. Retirement is turning out to be almost as exciting as when Gin was working as a paid assassin.


I also enjoyed learning more about Gin’s nontraditional family unit, the love they share, and how far they are willing to go to protect each other. Gin has come so far from the frightened orphan living on the streets. Definitely a character you can’t help but to love (knives and all). This is a fantastic series brimming with the potential of more awesomeness to come. I loved it!

Jennifer Estep on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter

Books in this series:

Source: Purchased by moi.