Review: Pale Moon Walking by Paula Altenburg

Title: Pale Moon Walking

Author: Paula Altenburg

Series: N/A

Publisher: Entangled: Select Otherworld

Publication date: September 28th 2015

Format: Kindle | Netgalley | 282 pages

Genre: Adult | Paranormal Romance

Goodreads

Where the outlaws are out of this world...

US Marshall Sam Kyote has been sent to the dry old town of Coyote Bluff to recuperate from a top-secret government experiment that's left this law man a little...well, different. But Sam's about to find out that the town of Coyote Bluff has a whole lot of secrets. Most of which lead to Libby Mayden-the sexy, long-legged, and tight-lipped sheriff who saved his ass from an alien ambush.

The last thing Libby needs is a US Marshall poking around her town, especially one who's hotter than the Nevada desert sun. She can't let Sam find out most of her town are wanted outlaws. Between the aliens, the gunfighters, and a searing sexual attraction to Sam, she's in a whole heap of trouble. And Libby'll stride both sides of the law-and Sam-until she's forced to choose between self-preservation...and her heart.

 

 

My thoughts:

I wasn't a big fan of this read. I mean, I finished it, which was something in itself, but it was more of a chore than anything.

The characters of Pale Moon Walking didn't do anything for me. I wasn't enamoured by the romance and there were no moments in the read that made me wonder about any backstories of the characters. I just couldn't bring myself to care and that's why I can't say I enjoyed this book very much.

I found it difficult to get behind the whole alien aspect of this book as well. I have read books featuring aliens before so it wasn't the idea itself I didn't like, but it seemed really out of place in this one. I don't know if it was because I didn't think it was explained or introduced very well, or if they didn't play enough of a part in the story compared to the romance, but either way, it seemed like they weren't important in the grand scheme of things.

My rating: 3/10

 

Paula Altenburg:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

Review: Tempted by Mr. Write by Sara Hantz

Title: Tempted by Mr. Write

Author: Sara Hantz

Series: What Happens in Vegas #7

Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck 

Publication date: September 28th 2015

Format: Kindle | Netgalley 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance

Goodreads

She thought she knew everything about romance. She was wrong.

After losing out on a plum assignment, a romance book conference is the last place journalist Sheridan Farlow wants to be. Love is a myth-like flattering changing room mirrors-and she has the past relationships to prove it. Her editor wants a story? Fine. She'll write an entire exposé...only it doesn't go quite according plan.

Bernard "Mac" Mackenzie is something of an anomaly in the romance-writing world-a man who writes romance and believes in it. And until he met Sheridan, Mac's never felt anything close to the love he writes about. He needs more of her. In his arms, and in his bed.

Their attraction is explosive; even as Sheridan's cynical side battles her growing feelings for Mac. But can she handle writing a biting exposé with an exposed heart on the line?

 

My thoughts:

I feel like this book was more of a novella to a series and I'm missing out on three more books. It was so quick!

I couldn't stand this read from the very beginning. I was hoping for a lot more than a clichéd, Vegas romance with a touch of love at first sight thrown in. Most of the time, I'm all for a cheesy romance with a hunky guy and beautiful-but-doesn't-know-it girl who are thrown together and fall in love, but you know they're going to end up together. That's the thing - you know it's going to happen so that's not why you read the book. It's about how it happens - all the drama, maybe humour and tragedy in between. It's the journey, the character development and the emotions involved. It doesn't matter how clichéd it is, you can still make an incredible story that just happens to have a cliché thrown in.

To be honest, I normally talk about the characters in reviews, just because I really feel they make or break a book. But I can't even tell if I liked this set of characters or not. They were drowned out by the plot which was extremely frustrating. How could I like characters who throw themselves into situations like that? There was no depth to them because all the focus was on this romance that was in no way believable or relatable. 

Harsh, I know. Part of me thinks reading so many books has made me really sensitive to reads like this. Plenty of people would enjoy this book for the author's ability to get straight to the point - it's a quick afternoon, feel good read. It just wasn't for me.

My rating: 1/10

Sara Hantz:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

What Happens in Vegas:

1. Tempting Her Best Friend by Gina L. Maxwell
2. The Makeover Mistake by Kathy Lyons
3. A Change of Plans by Robyn Thomas
4. Masquerading with the CEO by Dawn Chartier
5. Just One Reason by Brooklyn Skye
6. Tamed By The Outlaw by Michelle Sharp
7. Tempted by Mr. Write by Sara Hantz
8. Gambling on the Bodyguard by Sarah Ballance

 

Review: Lost in Geeklandia by E.J. Russell

Title: Lost in Geeklandia

Author: E.J Russel

Series: N/A

Publisher: Entangled: Select Contemporary

Publication date: September 28th 2015

Format: Netgalley | Kindle 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance

Goodreads

She has 30 days to turn her enemy into her boyfriend...



Introverted computer engineer Charlie Forrester has coded an algorithm for love, a nearly flawless matchmaking program. But then she's challenged to prove its accuracy - on herself. With her dream job on the line, Charlie has thirty days to forge a romantic relationship with her "perfect" match...her ex-friend and now-nemesis, Daniel Shawn. Since her dating experience is expressed in binary, she'll need more than flirting lessons and a wardrobe overhaul to pull it off.

After falling victim to the same online matchmaking con he was investigating, reporter Daniel Shawn's professional reputation went up in flames. Now he suspects someone has rebooted the scam, and he's determined to expose the fraud and rebuild his career. Unfortunately, his efforts to get back in the game get sidetracked by Charlie and her adorable geekitude, even though she seems to know a little too much about digital dating for Daniel's comfort.

And when fake romance crosses into real chemistry, Charlie's formula for love might just be the perfect formula for disaster...

 

 

My thoughts:

I was a little disappointed with this read. I liked it well enough, but I wanted a lot more considering the potential the plot has. 

I liked how driven Charlie was in terms of knowing what she wants and how to get it. She had her career all figured out and all she needed was a little push to get the rest of the way. She had no need for any outside help and when she eventually came across a huge obstacle in her way, she had no problem getting stuck in to get it out of her way so she could move on. I liked that - it wasn't necessarily a good character trait at times, but it gave her this strength that came apparent throughout the read. She knew when to apologise and when to backtrack and do the right thing which might not result in an outcome that's in her favour. She made a decision and stuck with it - there was no point in the read where Charlie was indecisive and it fit with the computer data aspect of the read. 

However, where Charlie came across as the strong, independent woman, Daniel came across as totally the opposite. At first, by Charlie, he was portrayed as this ruthless reporter that follows the facts - I saw none of that. I understand that Charlie was exaggerating her opinion of him based off of her past, but I wanted some of that drive in Daniel too. He was too much of a good guy.

That brings me to what I really didn't like about this book. I wanted so much more of a fight than there actually was. Daniel didn't fight for Charlie, Charlie didn't fight for Daniel and none of the supporting characters had anything to do with the eventual romance. There was no 'push' from them. 

For such a determined character, Charlie sure backed down awfully quickly and settled with the idea that Daniel would never speak to her again - where did all of that fire go? And Daniel was the same. He wasn't especially feisty to begin with, but he changed his mind in a single moment and it bugged me.

All in all I thought this read was okay. It had the outcome I expected and I enjoyed the humour involved, but in the end, it all happened too easily for me to believe in it.

My rating: 5/10

E.J. Russell:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Review: People's Republic by Robert Muchamore

Title: People's Republic

Author: Robert Muchamore

Series: Aramov #1

Publisher: Hodder

Publication date: 05 Apr 2012

Format: Paperback | 432 pages

Genre: YA 

Goodreads

CHERUB's newest recruit is on his first job: befriending a spoilt rich kid whose grandma runs a billion - dollar criminal empire. But twelve-year-old Ryan's got no idea that this routine mission will turn into one of the biggest in CHERUB history…

My thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of the CHERUB series and I've started reading the spin off series, Henderson's boys, too. I started reading these books when I was in high school and I've been following them ever since, albeit slowly. While I finished CHERUB a while back, I've yet to catch up on the other two series, including this one.

This book definitely wasn't disappointing. It had all of the traits I've grown to love from Muchamore, especially his sense of humour. While you can expect lots of action and suspense from his reads, the humour is what separates them from other books featuring a plot based on espionage. 

I will mention, as is the case with a lot of series, that CHERUB holds a special place in my heart. I followed those characters for a long time, so to be reading about the same place and some of the same supporting characters, I missed James terribly. I couldn't help but compare Ryan to James and how he first behaved on the same campus with the same teachers. 

 

This book seemed to be a lot more plot driven than the CHERUB books. The other series focused a lot on James and his character development and for a 12 year old, Ryan seemed a lot more mature than James did in the beginning. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it just gave the book a different feel to the other series and made it stand out quite a bit. It wasn't more of the same stuff.

 

I'm definitely interested to see what happens with this whole Aramov clan - it was interesting to find out that one mission will carry on across a few books.

 

My rating: 8/10

 

Robert Muchamore:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

 

Aramov:

1. People's Republic
2. Guardian Angel
3. Black Friday
4. Lone Wolf

Review: White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Car

Author: Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers #1

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication date: 01 Apr 2011

Format: Paperback | 336 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker. And now he is being haunted by a white cat…

Cassel's family are magic workers. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. His grand-dad is a black-fingered death-dealer, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic. But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrifying and that's the truth.

My thoughts:

Cassel is the sole member of a family of magic workers without any magic. People with the ability to give good luck, dreams and change emotions as they see fit with just a slight of hand. Of course, not all workers use their magic to do good, in fact, most are criminals, some with the power to kill with a single touch or transform a person into an inanimate object. Cassel finds himself struggling to fit in with his family when he has always been an outsider and treated as such. 

 

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I'd heard good things, so I bought it. Aside from that, I knew nothing - no reviews were read, I didn't ask anybody about it, I just bought it. Turns out I really loved it.

 

More than anything, I loved Cassel's point of view. I thought he was a brilliant character, full of depth, witty, charming one minute and devious the next - he was a really well rounded character that I kept learning about throughout the read. He had enough personality to keep me interested to the end of the book. 

 

I've never picked up on this in any other books, but I noticed the dialogue in this novel was incredible. I mean it in the simplest sense. I found myself really enjoying whenever Cassel was having a normal, day to day conversation with someone from his family or school. Nothing involving magic or assassination plots, just everyday stuff. It's a testament to how much I like Cassel's character but I loved how Holly could make dialogue seem so natural, enough so that I could imagine myself speaking in that way to my own family. Until I started talking about death workers and losing my memory of course…

 

This was the first book by Holly Black that I've read but it's certainly not going to be the last. I've already started on the sequel to this book - Red Glove. If anything the plot and world building made me ever the more eager to get on with the next one, just to get a bit more of the suspense and the awesome way Cassel can pretend to be someone he's not to cultivate a con. This book was exciting. I got nervous when Cassel and his friends tried to pull off something a little complicated. I worried that plans would fall through. I was surprised when Cassel showed a hint of genius when he suddenly announced he had a failsafe ready anyway. It made my heart race in the way only a good writer can - by immersing me in the story completely.

 

All in all I really enjoyed this one and fully recommend it to anybody who reads YA. And even those who don't!

 

My rating: 10/10

 

 

Holly Black:

Goodreads | Website | Livejournal | Twitter

 

Curse Workers:

1. White Cat
2. Red Glove
3. Black Heart 

Review: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Title: The Eye of the World

Author: Robert Jordan

Series: The Wheel of Time #1

Publisher: Orbit

Publication date: 2006

Format: Paperback | 800 pages

Genre: Epic Fantasy | Adult

Goodreads

There is a world of light and shadow, where good and evil wage eternal war. It is the world of the wheel of time. The greatest fantasy epic ever written.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again.

But one truth yet remains, and what mortal men forget, the Aes Sedai do not…

What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

My thoughts:

Goodness this took me so long to finish. Well worth the time it took though.

I love epic fantasy. I love it, but I can only read it in small doses. It seems to take everything out of me every time I finish a book like this. I don't know if it's because of how long it takes, the complexity of the writing or just the fact that so much can happen in one book that it feels like I've read five in one sitting. I have to just put everything down afterwards and do nothing. 

I think what got me most about this read was the writing. I mean, just read the summary of the book - the writing is just something else. Sometimes Jordan gets all philosophical and it just blew my mind how his words got sucked into my soul to be reflected for hours until I just shake it off and get back to the story. His writing is just…I can't even.

The characters are also extremely loveable. I did have a hard time with Mat for a while but that was understandable. Rand and Perrin have to be the most loveable characters I've ever come across in epic fantasy. They were honourable and the were sweet. I don't think they have a bad bone in their body. 

But Lan and Nynaeve just took my heart. It's strange because their relationship is only mentioned a couple of times - just a couple of hints here and there. Nothing actually happens between them but there is a couple of lines towards the end that just made me start bawling. It was one of the most heartfelt conversations I've ever read between characters. I'm pretty sure there are quotes of this conversation all over the place because it's just too amazing but I won't say anymore for those of you that want to actually read the book.

The one thing I would have liked for this book would be a longer battle at the end. I understand that it's not over and there's so many more books in the series for epic battles but for such a long journey, I wanted it to come to this amazing battle that lasted for more than a couple of pages.

All in all I loved this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series and get to know the characters more. Especially Lan and Nynaeve - those two are killing me inside…my heart is turning to mush.

My rating: 9/10

Robert Jordan:

Goodreads 

The Wheel of Time:

1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Knife of Dreams
12. The Gathering Storm
13. Towers of Midnight
14. A Memory of Light