Review: The Lipstick Laws

Author: Amy Holder
Pages: 238
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Library
Synopsis: At Penford High School, Brittany Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone’s life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Brittany is the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don’t know she exists. One lunch spent at Brittany’s table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Brittany’s friendship comes with a high price tag, and April decides it’s not worth the cost. Inspiring and empowering, this is the story of one girl who decides to push back.

Buy the book: Amazon/ 

The Lipstick Laws is a Mean Girls-type contemporary that was surprisingly fun to read. Usually with this kind of story it's very predictable, and the story was in a way, but there were some scenes and parts I adored that made up for it.

I hate comparing stuff. Saying a paranormal book is just like Twilight isn't really something I like to do. Every thing is individual, right? The problem is that some books start out with the same concept as some other movies/books with bigger success and it's hard to get that original idea out of your head. The Lipstick Laws always reminded me of Mean Girls based on the premise alone, along with other aspects like a pink book which is vital to the story and a certain boy two girls play around with. It's not Mean Girls but there are certain parallels and that's totally fine as long as the story is still entertaining, and The Lipstick Laws was.

April is too funny. She's one of those girls that has so much going for her but she doesn't seem to notice it. She's sarcastic and snarky but in a cute way, not an angst-y way. Her 'voice' had me giggling a lot and I loved how it was slightly self-deprecating which hinted at her insecurity but it also showcased her strength. Though she isn't the most mature girl ever, I could relate with April and understand her enough to like her and support her as the story went on.

April joins a posse of the popular girls who all follow The Lipstick Laws created by the Lipstick Queen, Britney (or Brat-ney) Taylor. Britney is hilarious. You will want to slap this girl so hard because she's such an idiot but she's one of those people the world makes exceptions for. Britney can make you feel special and appreciative as she hurls insult after insult masked as a compliment. I hated her guts which is why this story worked for me.

After getting kicked out of the group, April plots revenge in the form of the Lipstick Lawbreakers. There we meet new characters and April makes some new friends. The characters in the novel aren't very well developed. They're not very real and some are clichés. This isn't for those seeking a smart literary adventure filled with scintillating prose. If you're looking for light laughs though, The Lipstick Laws will more than suffice.

The shenanigans April, Britney, and the others went through weren't really OMG worthy but they were funny and cute. There were so many times where I was on my morning commute to school and had to stop giggling because I looked like an idiot. There's some typical drama involving boys and an insane tennis game but it was again fun. Overall, The Lipstick Laws is a feel good, fun, light read. 3,

***

Cover Wars 2012 Wrap Up

Maybe I'm late to the party. Scratch that, I'm definitely late. I had this brilliant idea a while back to do a complete wrap up of Cover Wars, one of my most popular features. You guys voted and it was insane which covers dominated so consistently.

As you can see from this nice little chart that took absolutely no time at all to make, three covers stand out. They're all tied for first.



Any of these covers particularly stand out for you?

Review: The False Princess

Author: Eilis O'Neal
Pages: 319
Publisher: Egmont
Source: Library

Synopsis: 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.

Buy the book (Amazon/)

I was a big fan of The False Princess ever since I heard of the concept. Living your life as a princess and then one day, being told you're not? Then promptly being replaced? That sounds awful. And it sounds like a great idea for a story.

Meet Sinda; false princess, magician, and lost girl. Sinda at the beginning was a weak character, IMO. If anything like that had ever happened to me I would have been far more enraged and less empathetic and acceptant. Her character does grow though, which is something I do love.

The other characters were all charming in their own ways too. Kiernan was gorgeous and I'd have a crush on him if I ever met him; Sinda's aunt was a unique, in depth character. The only character I didn't think was really well done was the villain who was very typical.

The plot was a great adventure. This is the kind of fantasy I like; with strong characters carving the way of the story instead or complex settings. The fantasy aspect really worked for the story and wasn't overwhelming. Everything made sense and I could clearly imagine the settings.

I liked the storyline too. It was placed really well- not on-the-edge-of-your-seat action but enough action that the story felt balanced and moved on in a good pace. The ending was very complete too. I'm not sure if The False Princess is a series but it could be read as a standalone. The ending was refreshing and satisfying.

One thing I felt I was missing was the X/it factor. I really liked this book but I never really loved it. I can't name why though.

Overall, The False Princess is a solid read with an intriguing premise, delicious romance, and an exciting quest. This book is a really solid read. 4 stars,

****

Review: Wolf Pact (Part 1)

Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Pages: 57
Publisher: Hachette Digital
Source: Review copy- thank you!
Synopsis: Part one of the hot new four-part eBook companion to Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series! The ancient wolves were once proud guardians of time. Now they are enslaved in the underworld, mere extensions of Lucifer’s will. Lawson's pack managed to escape this fate by fleeing aboveground. But when the hounds capture the girl Lawson loves, he will risk everything — including his own brothers’ freedom — to win her back. Meanwhile, Bliss Llewellyn is adjusting to humanity after giving up her immortal vampire life. When her Aunt Jane is kidnapped by the Hounds of Hell, Bliss vows to do whatever it takes to save her — even if it means joining forces with the dangerously good-looking boy with a wolf's soul and a too-intimate knowledge of Jane's captors.

Buy the book (Amazon)

Wolf Pact Part One is very hard to describe because it was a short read with a bit of an abrupt ending. That was to be expected but I was so caught up in the story I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did.

It's a nice beginning and gives the reader some good setup and background information on all the characters. The premise is fantastic and the book does a great job at keeping a good pace and also getting the reader into the story. There's not much development of anything besides background and the story being set so there's not much I can say except that I'm a little bit worried that the characters won't be properly developed. I barely got to know the pack in this installment and now they're gone.

Even though it's less than 60 pages of writing, a lot is in those pages and I found it very entertaining. My only complaint is that I wish I could read more.

I'd say that if you're a fan of Blue Bloods you should keep an eye on Wolf Pact. So far, I'd recommend waiting until all four parts are out and then by the book because Part 1 felt a bit like a teaser. Once I was truly getting acclimated to the story it ended. Also, remember that Wolf Pact is only available online. This book is very different compared to what I usually read, especially considering length, so I don't think it warrants a rating just yet.

Cover Wars: The Elite vs Shadow of the Mark

Cover Wars is when I post two covers, and you basically get a week to vote for your favourite. The winner continues on to next week, and it's kind of cool seeing which covers work and which don't. In the comments section we can discuss what we like about what cover, and it's basically some fun and friendly competition.

Last week's battle resulted in a comfortable win for The Elite, a cover that's turning out to be a force. This week The Elite face offs against Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon. Both girls are in dresses, both covers are moody, and both covers have this simplicity to them that I love.



I love pretty dresses and these dresses are both gorgeous. I like that both covers feature dresses that flow down and that those dresses are the focal point of the cover. Beyond that, I think any of these covers could win. It's up to you though.

Here's what you do: vote. I'll have the poll up all week, so you can support the cover you love.

Which is your favourite cover?

Review: Uncontrollable

Author: S.R. Johannes
Pages: 300
Publisher: Coleman & Stott
Source: Review copy (Thank you!)
Sequel to: Untraceable (The Nature of Grace #1)
Synopsis: As Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants. 

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

Little does she know, she is being hunted too. 

Buy the book (Amazon)

Untraceable took me two weeks to read. Uncontrollable was finished in less than a day. Since I knew what to expect in this series everything in the sequel flowed very well and I liked the story even more.

The thing I was so impressed with was how everything was not tidy. Asheville was shaken by the events at the end of Untraceable and there was grief and anger. Grace did what she thought was right and there were severe consequences for her decisions. Seeing the hurt she caused others, the pain she kept within herself, and everyone's struggles to let go and move on gave this book some real depth. There were two scenes in particular that stood out for me; one with Skyler, one with Tommy.

Grace herself grew into a character that I liked a lot. She's been through a lot by now and it's obviously she's crumbling at times. She isn't broken. Grace has this incredible fighting spirit. She's someone that just plain cares about the world and although she still does have a tendency to make completely irrational, impulsive decisions it's more endearing now that she sometimes thinks her plans through.

I enjoyed the side characters a lot. I said this story has great depth- the side characters helped with that. Although Uncontrollable is another mystery, it's also the story of people trying to heal. I loved some of the quirky characters like Birdee. One thing I didn't like was the love triangle. I feel like someone might get hurt and the would make me sad because I liked both love interests.

I also developed a real appreciation for nature. I'm a city girl but I've always been fascinated by forests and conservation. There's a pretty big national park near where I live and I even saw a black bear there once so I could easily picture what Grace was seeing. I love that Johannes is using her books to inform people about animals like red wolves. I know a lot of people would care about these types of issues but there isn't enough coverage for the average person to hear about unless they specifically went looking for it.

Overall, I enjoyed Uncontrollable a lot. Although I ended up guessing who the villain was beforehand, I liked the direction of the story. This book felt much more compact and action packed than it's predecessor. It kept me into the story and I'm excited to read more! 4 stars,

****

Flutter by Melissa Andrea Blog Tour

You've probably seen Flutter around a lot on Tantalizing Illusions through Cover Wars. I'm also happy to be a part of the Flutter Blog Tour. I'll be doing character bios and I have an excerpt so I hope you enjoy them!

Character Bios

Sara Alejandra Marquez 

The Spanish beauty that attracts the attention of everyone with her dark, mesmerizing, shimmery, skin, cascading midnight black hair, and wild hazel eyes.

At 17, her problems should be minimal, but Sara finds nothing insignificant about being buried alive or the Fluttering sensation coursing just beneath her skin, coming to life every time she is around the mysterious boy. Sara can’t fight the attraction she has to Adan or the maddening effects he has on her. With the constant fighting out home with her uncle, Andres, she takes refuge in the arms of the wrong guy.

As Sara searches for answers, she finds the more time she spends with Adan, the more she realizes he might not be as mysterious as she thinks.


“The silkiness of his voice was a torturous caress that I was willing to endure for the rest of my life.” – Sara 

Adan Reyes Delacruz 

Is the new guy in town, with his striking dark hair, sun kissed skin, and intensely, electric blue eyes, that spark out of control every time he is around Sara.

Created for Sara and Sara alone, his need to live and die to keep her safe will go much further then just wanting to keep her protected. Having been close enough to touch her, smell her, he can longer blend into the background of her life.

Adan’s battle has been lost, but Sara’s war still remains and Adan must remember his mission and getting close to Sara can destroy everything.

“I tried to stay away from you Sara, I did, but that nearly killed me and I won't do it again. I can't." - Adan.

Andres Delgado

6 feet tall, dark and very dedicated to his responsibility and those responsibility just got a lot hard now that Sara knows something just isn't right with her life. Suspicious and angry over everything Andres says, he must learn to live with Sara’s cold shoulder.

 As Sara’s Watcher, Andres wants nothing more than to keep her safe and young at least until her birthday. He knows that is coming fast he will have to tell Sara the truth about everything: Who she is, what she will have to do and more importantly – what she is.

Excerpt from Flutter

“I’m a big girl Adan. I knew what I was doing.” I looked at him through my eyelashes. 

“And what were you doing?” he asked.

“Playing with fire.” 

“Me, being the fire?” 

“You, being my fire.” I looked up at him coyly, waiting for his reaction. I heard the low growl rumble through his chest, and his eyes blazed a stormy blue. 

“You have no idea, how much I like the sound of that.”

Flutter

Sara

Sara's life is forever changed -

 Waking up, buried & hidden deeply in the last place anyone would want to be, will do that. She is determined to find out how she ended up there & why, but when the only person who can help her, continuously lies to her, she finds herself forced to suffer alone. She can't ignore the strange things that begin to happen to her nor can she hide from the nightmares that haunt her sleep. And when her world collides with Adan - the mysterious boy whom she can't seem to stay away from, literally - she is consumed by the flutter that sparks whenever he is around and she is desperate to discover the reason why.

But the biggest discovery will come from the secret of what she is…

Adan

Adan’s mission to find Sara has finally begun -

 It seemed simple: bring her back to the enchanted world that lives, breathes and survives because of her, but he quickly finds himself faced with an entirely new challenge. Immediately, Adan realizes that staying unknown to Sara is a task he will fail before he even begins; the pull to her is far too strong to refuse, and being with her will defy the very reason he existed. He was the key to her survival and loving her was not part of the path that he had been born to follow. Can he find it in himself too resist the urge to be with her and follow through with their destiny or will he destroy everything that had been left to Sara to protect and defend -

And the kingdom she is unaware she rules…

Flutter

As Sara and Adan struggle to overcome their own separate battles - 

There is a far more determined evil that is stalking the shadows and waiting to annihilate them both. 

Sara will figure out that not everything is what it seems and knowing what she can and can not trust will be the key to finding out the truth of what happened to her, the reason why she was buried alive and who she really is…

Sara and Adan will discover  why she was the reason he existed and why he would be the reason she survived & together they will fight to change the rules and rewrite their fate.

Discover the Meaning, 

Discover the Secret,

Discover 

Buy Flutter on Amazon/ Barnes & Noble 

Melissa Andrea

I find it hard to sum up my life in a paragraph, but I’ll try.

Reading has always been a passion for me, and writing as instinctive as breathing. Every inhale is an idea; every exhale a creation. Flutter will be my debut release, and I couldn't be more excited about it! The only thing I do better than writing you ask? Making beautiful girls. My daughter’s will always be my greatest accomplishment. 

I was born in Denver, Colorado –but I will always think of sunny Arizona as my home. I don’t have a big family, but I’m close with my sister, brother & my mom. My mom is my hero, my inspiration, and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing person to be raised by.

4 things you should know about me: I’m very girly, but I can get down and dirty with the best of them. I adore the color pink, I love things that sparkle (including vampires) and I like even numbers (hence 4 things about me, not 5)

Facebook/Twitter/Blog/Goodreads