Hereditary by Jane Washington

Title: Hereditary
Series: Book 1 of the Beatrice Harrow Series
Author: Jane Washington
Genre: Teen Fiction/Fantasy
Source: kindle edition
Pages: 297 pages
Rating: 4 stars

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon

Book Blurb (via Goodreads):

Beatrice Harrow has the blood of a tainted creature running through her veins. It makes her more powerful, more beautiful and more despised than any other being in the human kingdom. So she is naturally suspicious when the ever-smiling Cale and his comparatively tacit counterpart, Prince Hazen, befriend her. 

Armed with an ability that is becoming more threatening to her own health by the day and a repertoire of surprising friends that may or may not have her best interests at heart, she quickly finds herself struggling against forces much bigger than any of them. How long until her tenuous connection to each kingdom is severed, and she is forced to chose between humanity and the tainted creatures?

My Review:

I want to start off by saying that the premise of this book was fantastic. The ideas —outstanding. The writing— intriguing. The plot— all the main ingredients for perfection... the execution—ehh, a little lacking. 

Lets start from the beginning. Everything was extremely rushed. Bea going to school, learning about Force and  about her impending birthday,  making friends, trusting said friends... it all seemed to just happen without much of a transition. This was a common theme throughout the novel that lead to a bit of whip lash. It seemed new information, or events, or battles, or people would just pop up out of no where without any signal or foretelling. In fact, this story lacked in foretelling plot wise that ultimately hindered the story over all. I would normally only give a 3 star rating to a book like this... however, the actual story more than made up for transition issues. 

Where the story lacking in transition, it made up for in mystery and intrigue. I was constantly at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. The descriptions were so enthralling and detailed that I found myself laughing, raging, crying, and being confused and lost (as a character) right along with Bea. The story was actually well written in terms of word use, cliff hangers, and the MOST important, character development. And after giving all of this praise, you know why I couldn't give this book a 3 star rating, but I couldn't give it a perfect 5 out of 5 either.

I wonder if the idea of this story was inspired by Kristin Cashore's Fire. The description of Bea reminded me so much of her. The enthralling beauty, the fact that people start by hating her and fearing her, but she is such a lost and scared person that she can't help but draw people in... I loved it. I loved it in Fire and I loved it here. 

As for the romantic aspect, I am so torn between Joseph (aka Harbringer as he is more commonly referred to) and Hazen. I feel that on a practical level, things with Hazen could never work out. He is a little judgy, he is moral, and he pries into Bea's mind constantly and doesn't always like what he sees...then goes all scowly. But, he is always there for her, and obviously loves her. But I am definitely leaning toward team Joseph. He is bad ass, able to handle her powers (aka compulsion so he isn't madly gah gah over her) and no so judgy. But he an older man.... who am I kidding, I think thats hot! I hope I get to see more interaction between the two in the next book!

(Un)wise by Melissa Haag

Title: (Un)wise

Series: The Judgement of Six, book 3
Author:  Melissa Haag
Genre: Teen Fiction/Fantasy
Source: ARC copy given by author
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 stars!!!

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon(.ca)

Release date:

November 27, 2013

Blurb (via goodreads):

The dreams start and Bethi’s very normal life goes down the toilet. Reliving past lives, where Dog-men chase her and she sees her eventual tormented death, Bethi sets out to find a way to live this time around. The dreams hint at an answer. She needs to be strong enough to find it, or die…

The third installment of the Judgement of the Six answers questions, questions answers, and risks the fate of the world

My Review:

Gahhhh! I hate Melissa Haag. No thats an absolute lie, I adore her, but if I read one more cliff hanger from her, I am going to die of anticipation!

Saying that, you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I received the email from Melissa saying that her third book of the Judgement of Six series was coming out. I knew without a doubt in my mind that there was going to be a cliffhanger at the end, it kills me every time. You got me hooked Melissa Haag, you got me hooked. 

This is my fourth time reviewing for Melissa, and I must say, her books get better and better each time. If you look back at Hope(less) (click HERE to read that review) or (Mis)fortune (you can read that review HERE), you can really see that those books were really the foundation for this one... and the three others yet to come. Each book sets up the next, and slowly, but surely, you get to see more and more of the big picture that Melissa paints for you. The thing is, she does it so subtly that you don't even realize whats happening until you look back and think "oh... I see what you did there!". Honestly, at first I felt a little iffy about each book changing POVs, but Melissa has done it in such a unique and fun way that makes her story so much more alive and interesting that I can't even complain (an we all know how much of a complainer I am).

Now for some specific loves I had with (Un)wise: First and foremost, I was so happy to have this head strong character that wasn't really your classic heroine. She, unlike her previous two counterparts in the past 2 books, knew what she wanted and what she needed to do to get there. She was also the only girl who wasn't so hesitant about getting in her destined relationship... and it was about time! Next, and probably more importantly, as a reader, I finally got to see the puzzle coming together. You are given some crucial information about the girls and their abilities. You get to see more about the enemy, who they are (kind of) and what they want (vaguely). As I read it, a light bulb just went off over my head and I finally understood so much. I absolutely cannot WAIT until the next book to see what new puzzle pieces I can find. 

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass # 2) by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight
Series: Throne of Glass (Book 2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Assassin
Source: Kindle edition
Rating: 5 STARS! (if I could give more I would!)

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon • Chapters

Blurb (via Goodreads): After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate               confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

Review:
I can honestly say this may just be the best book I have ever read. Seriously. THATS how amazing this book was. this is DEFINITELY a must read, starting with book one, Throne of Glass which you can read my review on by clicking HERE , and all the prequels which are optional, but definitely worth reading.

Okay, to start off, the sequel kind of starts where the first book left off, Celaena is now the royal assassin and is "doing his bidding"... notice the quotation marks there... yeah, think about that for a second ;) Anyways, on a romantic level, Dorian wants her, but knows he can't really have her. And Chaol, well, things are just complicated.

Now getting away from specifics, the book was excellently written. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise if you have already read the first book of the series, and/ or the four prequels. The story line was consistent, yet constantly surprising and vague at the same time. Maas only gives you enough information to sustain you, and never really enough to put two and two together... although I will admit,  the revelation at the very end was a little predictable. The interactions between the different relationships were very realistic and believable, and everyone stayed to their character. I don't really know how I can express it more! The writing really draws you right into the book; you sit there and get to experience everything thats happening like you are in the book yourself. I don't have to tell you how rare of a gift that is to have.

The only issue, and I literally mean only, was that I really wanted her to see or somehow confront Arobynn, her old master, the King of Assassins. I really wanted to see how that interaction played out, and I REALLY hope that we get to see it in the third (final?) book of the series.

Imagine by Christiane Shoenhair

Title: Imagine
Series: Young Creator Trilogy Book 1
Author: Christiane Sheonhair & Liam McEvilly
Genre: Teen, Fantasy Fiction
Source: Free Copy for Review
Pages: 211 pages
Rating: 2.5 Starts

Avaliable Here:

Amazon

Blurb (via Amazon):

First: There was The Event, The Event that changed absolutely everything.
Then: There was nothing but confusion, heartbreak and pain
Now: All that’s left to do is save the world from darkness and protect her heart from splintering into a million pieces.

Trish is a regular seventeen year old girl, her life is rather boring and anything but out of the ordinary. Home schooled and living alone, with only her mother for company.
That is until The Event, the very next day she's shipped off to a boarding school in California, with no explanation as to why she is completely abandoned by the one person she thought would always be there for her. Trish finds herself angry, hurt and confused. Just as it seems that Trish starts leading a better life making friends and falling in love for the first time, everything changes.
Trish finds out what and who she really is, which causes her not to know who to trust. Thrown into one crazy situation after another Trish is fighting for survival and her heart.
Throw in Keagan the mysterious guy she is falling for and Sam who is there for her when she needs a shoulder to cry on , preparing for an epic battle between darkness and light, a prophecy that stems from The Old World, not knowing who she can and cannot trust and you get to go on a journey.

One you could never IMAGINE!

First: There was The Event, The Event that changed absolutely everything.
Then: There was nothing but confusion, heartbreak and pain
Now: All that’s left to do is save the world from darkness and protect her heart from splintering into a million pieces.

Trish is a regular seventeen year old girl, her life is rather boring and anything but out of the ordinary. Home schooled and living alone, with only her mother for company.
That is until The Event, the very next day she's shipped off to a boarding school in California, with no explanation as to why she is completely abandoned by the one person she thought would always be there for her. Trish finds herself angry, hurt and confused. Just as it seems that Trish starts leading a better life making friends and falling in love for the first time, everything changes.
Trish finds out what and who she really is, which causes her not to know who to trust. Thrown into one crazy situation after another Trish is fighting for survival and her heart.
Throw in Keagan the mysterious guy she is falling for and Sam who is there for her when she needs a shoulder to cry on , preparing for an epic battle between darkness and light, a prophecy that stems from The Old World, not knowing who she can and cannot trust and you get to go on a journey.

One you could never IMAGINE!

My Review:

When authors contact me to read their books for a review, I always feel a little overwhelmed. But, I hope that these people know that I will always be 100% honest in my opinion of their work.

Saying that, the reason that this book received a less-than-average score was mainly due to the fact that it was very unrealistic. Okay, yes I know it's a fantasy fiction book, so obviously it's not going to be very realistic in that sense, but I'm talking more about the interactions between characters and sometimes even the characters themselves. I had a hard time believing that a lot of things that happen throughout the book, *SPOILER ALERT* especially during the time that Trish was held captive on the island, but extending after that as well. To point out one point in particular, I didn't understand why Trish was upset when Porche told her that she and Keagan were engaged. Although Trish and Keagan have a thing at the beginning of the book, I don't think their relationship went on long enough to develop deep enough feelings to have someone consistently abuse you for days and still be able to care deeply for them. Especially for a teenager, because, as a teenager I can attest to how fickle we younger generations can be. But that is just an example.

There were a few other minor problems with the book: grammatical issues (mostly with regards to semicolons, but really, who CAN use those properly 100% of the time?), a lot of minor contradictions in conversation and the story, and a tendency to over describe/ explaine simple situations.

Now don't get me wrong, there was so much that I liked in the story as well. The plot line was really interesting and has a lot of potential. It needed some fine tuning, but all the ground work was laid out for you. There was a lot of creativity in the book as well. I absolutely LOVED how she titled the chapters. I also loved the whole concept of the Creators conjuring what they imagine... I wish!! But, what I really valued was the dystopian island Young Creators are brought to to control. I would have liked to see Trish there longer and see how that affected her character, and how it would pertain to her relationships with those around her. I found that whole the beginning was a little slow, the pace picks up about a quarter if the way in and gets way easier to manage.

The last point I want to point out is, as a mythology buff- especially in Greek mythology- the whole Artemis' descendants thing didn't make a whole lot of sense. Artemis is a virgin goddess, and by no means did she have children. I think this was the only point that I was actually upset about, everything else was mostly nit picky things. 

Overall, it was a great story and had great potential, but I felt that it was more of a first draft rather than a final product. With a little fine tuning and a lot more revising, I believe that this story could really be great.  

Book Butterfly

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Third and Final book of the Divergent series)

Title: Allegiant
Series: Divergent book 3 (final book)
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Teen, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Source: Kindle edition
Pages: 544
Rating: 4 Stars.

Available Here:

Goodreads • Amazon • Chapters

Book Blurb (via Goodreads):

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

My Review:

I have other books to review that are actually more of a priority... but I just finished reading this book and.. I just had to say something.

Let me start off by telling you, if you are hoping for a happy ending, get that out of your mind right now. I mean the ending has its perks, but it has one major downer that can't and won't be shaken; it completely distracts you from the happish ending provided... that isn't so happy. I know, confusing. Since today is the first day its out, I really don't want to give too many spoilers though. 

On a better note, what did I love about this book? Well, first and foremost, the writing was phenomenal, as per typical Veronica Roth fashion. The plot line was engaging and interesting and always had me at the edge of my proverbial seat. All of the characters stayed true to their characters —and in one particular case a little too much *cries a little*—  while developing in new and better ways. I was really impressed with Tobias' (aka Four) character the most. At one point he is told to keep something a secret from Tris to protect her, and instead of keeping it a secret and the shit hitting the fan when she finds out, he tells her. I thought this was some serious character growth... what happens next, well, lets just say that the shit may or may not still hit the fan. 

I love and hate how the book ended. I love Tris' idea of how to resolve things, because in the Epilogue  it seems like it was a good idea in the long run, but the execution? Bullshit. There was a totally better way to write that ending without (WARNING... I am about to release the biggest spoiler of the entire book. This WILL ruin the book for you if you haven't read it. I repeat. THIS WILL RUIN YOUR OPINION OF THE BOOK IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT... proceed with caution! Or just skip to the last paragraph!) Tris totally did not have to die for the book to end. I actually thought she hadn't actually died until the Epilogue was over and her ashes had been spread... then I cried like a baby. I actually firmly believe that the book would have been better if she HADN'T died. Not cool, although I have to say, Veronica Roth has balls for killing off her main character. She's going to get ALOT of back lash for that, and none of it good. (END OF SPOILER)

Overall, I feel that the end of this series was too much like the Hunger Games. Started off strong but ended extremely political with a lot of unnecessary death. Although to give credit where credit is due, Roth did it better, and worse, all at the same time. I can't even— I have no words. I lied. I still don't know how I feel about the ending of this book... sigh... give me a few days and I'll get back to you.

Book Butterfly

SCHOOL TIME

    So, I have started my second year of University (WOOT WOOT), which also mean I have less time to read good books and blog about them. So, I'll probably only post once a week or so... probably on tuesdays or thursdays because I only have one class those days this term. ANYWAYS, wish me luck on this next chapter of my life!

Book Butterfly

Heart of Venom (Elemental Assassin # 9) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Hear of Venom
Series: Elemental Assassin (Book 9)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Assassin
Source: Kindle edition
Rating: 3 stars

                 Available at:
Goodreads • Amazon • Chapters

Blurb (via Goodreads):

When a terror from the past threatens Gin’s friend and body-disposer, Sophia, Gin will stop at nothing to protect her, even if it means walking straight into a killer’s trap. Meanwhile, the rocky romance between Gin and Owen reaches a turning point—can they reunite and rekindle their love? Or will the things Gin has been forced to do in her line of work as the deadly assassin the Spider keep them apart forever? Assuming, that is, she survives long enough to find out…

   
Review:
I previously wrote a review of the last book of this series which you can read HERE. I said this in my last review and I will say it again, if you have been reading the series you basically know  how the plot is going to go: badass bad guy threatens someone Gin cares about, Gin goes to kill bad guy, intense battle ensues, Gin barely survives but wins, Gin gets all healed up and back to normal via air magic. There you go, that is the plot right there. If are continuing to read this series it is for one reason and one reason only: you want to know what happens between Gin and Owen!

Don't lie, that's the only reason you've continued to read the series. After the third or fourth book, the plots become almost boring and repetitive. Don't get me wrong, I genuinely love Jennifer Estep and all of her books. She is a fantastic writer and she really knows her way around writing a battle scene, but this series could have been wrapped up two books ago.

For those who want to know what happens between Owen and Gin, well, I'm not going to ruin it, but there is a decision that is made between the two as to what happens next. Do they start seeing other people? Do they get back together? Is there a wedding in the near future? Has Owen told Gin that he just can't trust her, or maybe vise versa? Yeah, so not telling! You have to read the book to figure it out guys! ENJOY!

Immortal (Runes #2) by Ednah Walters

Title: Immortals
Series: Runes (Book 2)
Author: Ednah Walters
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal/Romance
Pages: 342 pages
Source: Kindle edition
Rating: 5 stars!

                      Available at:
Goodreads • Amazon • Chapters

Blub (via Goodreads):

Nothing can stop Raine Cooper when she wants something...
Raine finally knows that her gorgeous neighbor, Torin St. James, is a legend straight out of Norse mythology, and that her feelings for him are strong. Torin is crazy about Raine too, breaking the one rule he lives by: Never fall for a mortal. The problem is he no longer remembers her, his memories erased by Norns—Norse destiny deities—to punish her for defying them.

So Raine comes up with a plan...
She will make Torin forget his one rule a second time and fall in love with her all over again.
But she quickly learns that well-laid plans do not work when dealing with deities and supernatural beings. Desperate, Raine makes choices that could not only tear her and Torin further apart, but lead to the destruction of everything and everyone she loves

Book Review:
The sequel starts a bit after where Runes left off. Raine finally has her dad back and it couldn't have happened at a better time because Torin has no idea who Raine is, but she is determined to remind him.

I have to say, I thought the last book of this series was intricate? Well, book 2 blew me out of the water. Ednah puts so much thought and detail into the plots of her books that the reader has no idea what is coming! Of course, this also causes the disadvantage of frustrating the reader. Its no fun when you can't try and figure out the clues before the characters do. And if you are totally wrong and the author was misdirecting you the whole time, that's even better! It shows the sign that the author is a master at their art. Ednah Walters is ALMOST there with her writing. SOOOO close. She just needs to hint the readers in a LITTLE more.

But like I said, on a plot level, the story was amazing. Raine is busy with trying to get Torin to remember he loves her since the Norns erased his memories; she gets a vague message from said Norns telling her that she is the only person who can save her best friend Eirik from his 'dark side' and Raine needs to figure out who is Eirik really is and who is trying to turn him evil; she is being trained to become the Valkyrie she is supposedly destined to become while trying to figure out this new power inside of her that is able to change peoples fate; and to top it all off, the whole school thinks shes a witch. As you can see, a lot is happening in this book, and I applaud Ednah Walters ability to balance all the sub plots out while dealing with the main plot of who is trying to turn Eirik evil.

We also get to see the some major character development from the supposed 'bad Valkyries" in the first book, something I absolutely loved. You get to see the importance of a lot of supporting characters in this book and it brought out more depth in the book over all. Especially the importance of who Eirik really is (boy was THAT a shocker) and who the antagonist is (even MORE shocking!). I'll give it to you Ednah, you sure know how to spin a story, bravo! I eagerly a wait the next installment of the series!

Runes by Ednah Walters

Title: Runes
Series: The Runes series #1
Author: Ednah Walters
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Pages: 245
Source: Kindle Edition
Rating: ★★★★ (4 stars)

               Buy this book:
Goodreads • Amazon • Chapters

Book Blurb (via Goodreads):
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behaviour and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbour with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life

Review:

So I bought this book on Amazon mostly because of the cover. It was beautiful and interesting, and the blurb sounded pretty good so I thought, 'why not?'. Well, lets just say I am glad I got it!

At the beginning of the book I got a little worried that the plot would follow something like the Mortal Instruments series. The first hints we see of a Paranormal world are in the forms of Runes and the wand like things that are used to draw the runes. I am happy to report that while there are some similarities in the rune aspect, the rest of the book is not like the Mortal Instruments at all. In fact, about a quarter of the way through the book, we find that the Paranormal aspect belongs somewhere in the realm of Norse Mythology. DING DING DING, I was hooked. While the mythological aspect was completely unexpected, it was completely welcomed with open arms in my eyes. I'm a huge mythology enthusiast. 

There is a love aspect in the story, and even a bit of a love triangle. Raine is dating her long time crush and best friend, Eirik, and yet has this unexplainable attraction to Torin that she tries her hardest to ignore without much success. The only thing I didn't like about the romantic side is how unfairly Eirik was treated, I felt so bad for him, yet I was rooting for Torin the entire time. Saying that, Ednah Walters did a great job of making the love triangle very realistic for a high school girl, and even gave her some morals. Raine may have 'had stars in her eyes' (as her mother would say) for Torin, but she felt guilty has Hel for it (you will totally get that pun if you read the book :p).

The only part of the story I had a problem with was the progression of the paranormal side of the plot line. While the romantic angle was consistent and progressed normally, the mythological/ fantasy side of the story took forever to unveil. I spent the entire first half of the novel very confused and the hints given to the reader weren't entirely helpful. However, saying that, while the fantasy side of the story took a while to get to and form properly, it was very well thought out. Not the most original, in fact I can probably name 5 books of the top of my head that deal with the same.. beings (I don't want to give anything away by saying what Torin and the 'bad guys' are), but the way Ednah Walters incorporated it into the story and the other aspects she threw in were more unique. She did a great job of shaping an old topic into her own little web of mystery.

Blog Updates!

    Hey guys!
    As you can see, there are some major updates on my blog. I changed the template, cleaned up some pointless posts, and I changed my web address from yabookbutterfly.blogspot.ca to bookbutterflyreviews.blogspot.ca . Sorry for any confusion this may cause, it just seemed to fit the purpose of my blog better. I am also looking into buying a domain name so you can come directly to my blog without bouncing to other sites!
    Some other updates include a new Twitter account dedicated to this blog! I am super excited about this people! Please feel free to FOLLOW ME and support me as I try an expand my blog: https://twitter.com/BookButterflyy. I also have tumblr, which you can view HERE. I don't always go on tumblr but I am trying to rectify that.
    As you can imagine, updating my blog and creating a twitter account and all that jazz has taken up most of my afternoon, so I won't be doing a review today. Look forward to my review tomorrow (I haven't decided which book is going to be reviewed yet), and maybe some more updates this weekend!

Book Butterfly

Quick Fix (In a Fix #2) by Linda Grimes

Title: Quick Fix

Author: Linda Grimes

Series: In a Fix #2

Genre: Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Kindle

Pages: 345 pages

Rating: 4.5 stars

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)

The second installment of the original urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan

Ciel Halligan, an aura adaptor with a chameleon-like ability to step into the lives of her clients and fix their problems for them — as them — is working a job at the National Zoo with her boyfriend, Billy, and his ten-year-old sister, Molly. It's supposed to be a quick fix, giving her time to decide if it's wise to pursue the romantic relationship her charming scoundrel of a best friend wants, or if she should give Mark, the CIA spook she's crushed on since hormones first rattled her pubescent brain, a chance to step up to the plate.

Molly has already begun to show signs of being an adaptor herself. She's young for it, but she's always been precocious, so it's not impossible. What is impossible is her taking on the form of the baby orangutan she touches — adaptors can only project human auras. Until now, apparently. Worse, Molly is stuck in ape form. She can't change herself back.

Escaping from the zoo with their new baby orang, Ciel and Billy head for NYC and the only person they know can help: Ciel's brother James, a non-adaptor scientist who's determined to crack the aura adaptor genetic code. But when Billy winds up in jail, accused of attempted murder, Ciel begins to suspect Molly's unusual adapting ability is more than just a fluke. Who's been experimenting on Molly, and what do they hope to gain? And will Ciel survive to find out?

My Review:
SO! You guys know me! When this book came out at midnight today I stayed up until 4am so I could read through the entire thing! If you haven't caught on by now, I am a firm believer in reading books in one sitting, but maybe thats just because I can read books expertly fast... Anyways, I did not write a review for the first book in this series when it came out, however, there IS another reviewer out there who has! So, if you would like to read her review of In a Fix, book one of the In a Fix series, click HERE.

Linda Grimes has taken the cliched version of animal shape shifters and made something a little more unique. In her book's universe, adapters are basically shape shifters that change into other people, rather than animals, by using someones aura, or energy. Changing into another animal if impossible for these adapters... or at least that was true in book 1 of the series...

Quick Fix starts off with Ceil doing a job for a friend of a friend at the zoo. She is playing the part of a middle aged woman trying to get on the board of directors for the zoo and she has her psuedo-cousin, Billy, and his little sister, Molly, there for back up. After wrapping up the job and enjoying the orangutan exhibit, the impossible happens: Molly, who should be too young to shift, turns completely into an orangutan herself and can't change back. Quick Fix leads us through Billy and Ceil trying to get Molly back to her human self (with a little help from their family) while in the midst of all the confusion, someone is trying to kill off people they know... and Billy is getting blamed. And of course, don't forget about that love triangle between Ceil, Billy, and Mark (Ceils major crush for 13 years) that In a Fix left dangling in front of our eyes! Ceil finally makes her choice in this instalment of the series.

Plot wise, I actually enjoyed this book. In the first instalment, the plot was a little stereotypical when it came to the vikings and while it wasn't a huge deal, it made the book more comical than mysterious and action packed. I'm glad to report that between meeting more of the adapter community, trying to get Molly back to her human self, someone trying to kill her friends off and blame Billy, and some decision making on the love triangle front... this book was anything BUT boring. Lots of action, lots of fantastic witty lines from Ceil and good writing to go along with it! The only problem I had with the plot was that there weren't many clues to help the reader solve the mystery along with the characters in the book. Information came in clumps, here or there, but a majority was just thrown together and given to us at the end. There was a lot of misdirection, but not exactly in a good way. While the author made us look one way, nothing was really happening the other way.

Character Development was amazing, as it was in the first book. Every character is so unique and have very distinct personalities that combine to make a great combination. We got to see more of Ceil's family and see how she grew up and what her brothers are like, as well as learning a few of their secrets. She gets to bond with each of them in a new way and that made it really interesting for the reader. I can't stress enough how amazing this book was for character development, which is probably why I loved the book so much; I am a huge stickler for good development in my favourite characters!

So, overall, I am going to give this book a 4.5/5. It could have been a bit better plot wise, but for its minor plot faults, the development of the story and the characters were phenomenal. If you are a fan of shape shifters, paranormal romance, or urban fantasy... I say take a chance and read this series. I doubt you'll regret it! I DO wonder if there will be a next book in the series though. The author did seem to wrap things up... I will keep you guys posted!

No Love for the Wicked by Megan Powell

Title: No Love for the Wicked

Author: Megan Powell

Series: Magnolia Kelch #2

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Adventure

Source: Kindle

Pages: 268

Rating: 3.5 stars

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)

It’s taken six months, but supernaturally gifted Magnolia Kelch finally seems to have her surging powers under control. Then she arrives home to find a group of strangers in her beloved farmhouse, and that control is immediately put to the test. Magnolia quickly learns that her “guests” are actually part of the Network—not from the task force headed by her mentor, Thirteen, but a second group, led by British agent Colin St. Pierre.

Unfortunately, Theo, a Network agent who shares an intimate connection with Magnolia, doesn’t trust Colin as a new commander. When team missions collide, Magnolia finds herself in the middle of Network infighting, asking herself who among those closest to her truly has her best interests at heart.

But an even greater threat lies on the horizon. Intent on tracking down the source of Magnolia’s powers, a familiar enemy resurfaces with a plan—one that is far more sinister than the Network has ever seen.

My Review:
You know how in a lot of series, so much great stuff happens in the first book that the second is a little bit of a disappointment? Well, that definitely was NOT the case For No Love for the Wicked! I think Megan Powell was smart in this one, she was focused on laying the foundation in the first so that she could expand the story more in the second... or I hope thats what she had in mind because thats what I got out of it!

If you haven't read the first book in the series, No Peace for the Damned I did a review on it back in November (which you can read HERE). It WAS another super cliched book. THe main character is basically invincible and gains new powers by the second. So, it was a little unrealistic, but if you can accept the unrealistic factors, it was actually a pretty decent book. The second definitely past my expectations.

Plot wise, the sequel of this series was definitely an upgrade. More players joined the team (well, kind of) and a lot of what seemed really cliche in the first book (*cough* magical golden connection to the love interest) was explained a little further and gained more depth. You also see why Magnolia is gaining more and more powers. There was a pretty surprising twist at the end, one I definitely didn't see coming, that I had mixed feelings about. Plot wise, it was a good play, but the execution needed a little work. It kind of contradicted what you know of Magnolia's powers. However, the identity of Magnolia's dream man (and I mean this in no romanticized way people) and what Megan Powell does with that information will definitely be something to look forward to in her next book.

Character development took an upgrade as well, especially in the case of Magnolia. Before she was this victim trying to do good and help bring down her family; now she was so much less of a victim and more of the empowered bad ass she so badly needed to embrace. Other characters we saw from the last book also got more depth and we get to see into their minds a little bit which was a definite bonus. I mentioned before that new characters were introduced... the sad thing was that they almost seemed unnecessary. The information we got from them probably could have been obtained easily through different means and the author didn't really give them any REAL importance in this book. I am hoping that she rectifies this in the next.

Overall, I was pleased with this instalment of the series. For the last book I gave one star in originality but 3 stars overall. Since I feel that it should be consistent with the book, my rating is a it of an upgrade as well. I will give it 3 stars for originality but a 3.5 for the overall rating of the book. I look forward to the next book of the Damed series!