A Summer Like No Other by Elodie Nowodazkij

Title: A Summer Like No Other

Author: Elodie Nowodazkij

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Online Ratings: 3.6 out of 5 Stars

 

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS!

 

Summary from Goodreads:

 

She’s his best friend’s little sister. He’s the biggest player of them all.

They shouldn’t be together. But this summer’s just too tempting.

Sixteen-year-old Emilia Moretti’s goal for the summer is simple: forget her brother’s best friend—Nick Grawsky—ever existed. It should be easy: He’s spending his summer in the Hamptons, adding girls in tiny bikinis to his list of broken hearts. Guarantee he won’t be telling them they’re like his little sisters. This summer, Emilia won’t stay awake at night thinking about him. She’ll need flawless ballet movements to have a shot at next year’s showcase, and she’s finally ready to search for her birth parents. But when Nick decides to stay in the city, Emilia’s resolve disappears in a pirouette. Maybe it’s the spin they needed to be together. As long as she doesn’t get stuck believing in happily ever after…

Nick is tired of pretending to be the happy, let’s-have-fun guy. His father wants him to change his career from professional dancer to…lawyer. He needs to put all of his focus on dancing to prove to Daddy Dearest he’s good enough to make it big. And he may have a case of the bluest balls in history courtesy of Emilia. She’s off-limits: The bro code with Roberto even forbids the dirty thoughts he has about her. Besides, he’s not boyfriend material. He only has time for flings, for girls who don’t expect much, for girls he doesn’t want to kiss goodnight. He knows he should resist her, but he’s not sure he wants to…

At least for this summer.

It’s going to be a summer like no other.

 

My Opinion:

 

A Summer Like No Other was definitely the contemporary novella I needed. It was romantic and cute but also had the right amount of mystery and adventure. Although this novella was a nice, quick read, I found myself craving for more. This novella had its flaws but the beautiful, elegant writing and plot mainly masked them.

Since A Summer Like No Other was a novella, I found the relationships in this story to be "rushed". There was no background information into Emilia and Nick's, the main protagonists', relationship. There's a huge difference between just hearing one of the character's mention a special moment that happened years ago and actually going back in time to experience that special moment with the characters. I believe this novella would've been a better if there were flashbacks to Emilia and Nick's past, as we would receive more information as to how they met and what brought them closer to each other.

In my opinion, instead of making this captivating story a novella, it would've been better off been made into a spin-off series, that way the relationship between each character had time to develop and mature.

Despite these few minor issues I had with the novella, there were many positive qualities too.

Firstly, I absolutely adored Emilia Moretti’s determination and strong demeanour. She was headstrong and never gave up on her aspirations. The characters in the novel mainly saw Emilia’s strength and courage but through first person, readers could also see Emilia’s soft, romantic and friendly characteristics shine, which made her a multi-dimensional and a relatable character. Nick Grawsky…the swoon-worthy character, which one could only dream about. Nick was protective of Emilia and always tried to enlighten her day with his crazy but hilarious jokes. He was incredibly helpful and sweet even though he, himself, had so much “baggage”. Another outstanding character was Roberto Moretti who was the typical, overprotective brother. Roberto was, amazingly, quite supportive of Emilia and he always ensured she was never getting herself in danger. Roberto was definitely one of my favourite supporting characters in the novel though, if the novella were slightly longer, I would’ve loved to gotten some insight into his story and how he positively dealt with his sexuality.

The ending was left in a cliff-hanger, which has undeniably left me interested to see how the sequel is developed, and hopefully it is slightly longer than this novella.

Overall, I was quite impressed by the issues that were presented and dealt within this novella. The writing was elegant and really put one into the shoes of the character who was telling the story. I would recommend this novella to any one interested in contemporary novels or just simply someone who is interested in reading a romantic but light, ‘pick-me-up’ story. I would like to thank Elodie Nowodazkij for sending me this novella to read- it unquestionably lightened up my day. 

- Erisha <4 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J Maas 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Online Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 Stars

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY AUSTRALIA IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

My Opinion: 

Sarah J Maas has done it again. She has created another mind-blowing, original novel with so many unexpected twists and turns. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a very promising, intense and thrilling new series filled with the right balance of action, fantasy and romance. 

The setting of the novel was very vivid and imaginable. Sarah J Maas was very descriptive and wrote elegantly making the world and the courts situated in Prythian extremely intriguing and interesting to read about. 

There was never a dull moment in this novel. The plot was action-packed and absolutely phenomenal. Although it was a slight re telling of 'Beauty and the Beast', Sarah J Maas managed to transform this novel into something more interesting and captivating, making this novel very unique. 

The characters in this novel were so multi-dimensional and really relatable to. The female protagonist, Feyre, was introduced with a strong, brave demeanour but as the novel goes on readers find out about her insecurities and start to really feel and sympathise with her. I felt really, strongly, emotionally connected to Feyre even though I have never experienced poverty or been forcefully taken away from my home. That strong, emotional connection that I had with Feyre was developed through Sarah J Maas' beautiful and elegant writing skills. 

The male protagonist, Tamlin, was introduced quite early in the novel but his personality and past isn't really explored much until later on in the novel, and that's when his beautiful inner beauty shines through the pages. Tamlin was the ideal male protagonist- he was brave, intelligent, protective of his land and people and wishes for peace between all. 

The passionate, strong love blooming between Feyre and Tamlin, leads to such a tragic and horrific situation that both are willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. Their love, devotion and loyalty for each other was so commendable and at times, heart-breaking to read about. 

A supporting male character in this novel was Tamlin's friend Lucien. Lucien was extremely hilarious and always trying to lighten the mood. His past really connects with readers and makes them feel for him. Lucien endured a lot of pain due to his past but he never complains or portrays his emotions in public. Lucien is helpful, informative and willing risking his life for others, especially Tamlin. 

Rhysand, another character, was like my guilty pleasure in this novel- he was very swoon worthy and even though he is the villain, readers fell for his charming looks and created a soft spot in their hearts for him. He had a very unusual way of portraying his concern for Feyre and other Faeries, but still managed to help his people in the end. 

In addition to the phenomenal setting, plot, ideas and characters, Maas also created a fantastic but intense conclusion. The last 150 pages were very action-packed and electrifying. These pages were "straight to the point" and very, emotionally difficult to read as the characters had to face a lot of false hope, unexpected twists and broken promises. But even though these pages were very emotional, the ideas that were executed in these last few chapters were very unique and the connection between the characters and the readers, was strengthened. There was a major twist at the end that really shocked me but also has me extremely excited, curious and desperate to read the next novel. 

I definitely recommend everyone to read this phenomenal novel, you will not regret reading this novel. Thank you so much Bloomsbury for sending me this novel to read and review. 

- Erisha <4 

Killing Time by Ingrid Nickelsen

Title: Killing Time

Author: Ingrid Nickelsen 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

Online Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 Stars 

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads: 

Death is the ultimate heartbreak. Evangeline never expected it to break hers after she died. No one should have to choose between their husband and their first love, but it is that choice that shatters her spirit. 

She makes her choice, choosing not to transition, and finds that death can be vengeful too.

The world of the dead is far more complex that she ever knew, and facing the consequences of her actions might be the hardest obstacle yet. Fighting to survive in a world she doesn't understand, she seeks the help of the wanderers. Time is running out as winter grips the land and her companions help her search for Will. Perhaps, if she keeps her eyes open and believes in her love enough, she will make her way back to him before the Hunters find her first.

Unexpected reunions, impossible choices, and long-hidden secrets will fill her journey with joy and sadness. It is Hunting season and Evangeline will have to fight for those she loves while remembering that cheating death always has a price.

Told from a dual perspective, Killing Time brings the For Better or for Worse series to a heart-stopping continuation in every sense of the word.

My Opinion: 

Killing Time by Ingrid Nickelsen, a phenomenal, outstanding sequel to the For Better or For Worse series. This novel lived up to my high expectations that I set after reading the first novel, For Better or For Worse. 

The ideas introduced and explored in Killing Time deserves a standing ovation as Ingrid Nickelsen took this novel a step further than the last one by adding more fantasy aspects. I absolutely adored the dual perspective as it gave us a glimpse into both Will's and Evangeline's story. Nickelsen has a beautiful, elegant writing style which made it easy to adapt to the different point of views in each chapter. 

The character development in this novel was truly outstanding. Evangeline definitely had a huge character development from the first novel. She was more independent and made choices by herself. Evangeline was headstrong, thought logically and was courageous, a perspective readers didn't see in the last novel.  

Josh proved to be a loyal husband when he didn't complete his transition and came back to Evangeline. His undying love to her was proved throughout this entire novel when he risked his life, many times, to get Will and Evangeline together. 

Will faced the most pain throughout this entire novel and readers felt, emotionally, really connected to him. I found myself crying during most of the scenes where he was being tortured. Will faced many of his issues intelligently and courageously, he never gave up and always protected those he loved- even in the most difficult times. 

While I am not a huge fan of love triangles, the love triangle in this novel was an exception as Nickelsen wrote the relationship between Josh, Evangeline and Will beautifully. This extraordinary, passionate, love triangle made the readers root for both Will and Josh.  

I definitely recommend the For Better or For Worse series for young adults as it is a beautiful, heartbreaking series that really captures your attention and interest. 

Thank you Ingrid Nickelsen for sending me a copy of Killing Time to read and review, it truly was a pleasure. 

- Erisha <4 

Weightless by Sarah Bannan

Title: Weightless

Author: Sarah Bannan

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

Online Ratings: 3.9 out of 5 Stars

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY AUSTRALIA IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads:

When 15-year-old Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother, she rattles the status quo of the junior class at Adams High School. A good student and natural athlete, she’s immediately welcomed by the school’s cliques. She’s even nominated to the homecoming court and begins dating a senior, Shane, whose on again/off again girlfriend Brooke becomes Carolyn’s bitter romantic rival. When a video of Carolyn and Shane making out is sent to everyone, Carolyn goes from golden girl to slut, as Brooke and her best friend Gemma try to restore their popularity. Gossip and bullying hound Carolyn, who becomes increasingly private and isolated. When Shane and Brooke—now back together—confront Carolyn in the student parking lot, injuring her, it’s the last attack she can take.

Sarah Bannan's deft use of the first person plural gives Weightless an emotional intensity and remarkable power that will send you flying through the pages and leave you reeling.

My Opinion:

Bullying is a concept that many individuals take really lightly. But no one is really aware of the outcomes that comes with bullying, except for the victims. 

Weightless by Sarah Bannan is an eye opening novel that makes many realise how serious bullying and discriminating can be. 

This novel was a tough read as it was quite confronting. I would always question whether to turn to the next page or not as I knew there would be more confronting issues to read about. 

The start of the novel was quite slow paced as majority of the first few chapters involved the set up of the town, Adamsville. The setup was quite interesting and detailed but it was quite time consuming. 

The characters introduced in this novel were very multidimensional and helped bring out the strong themes in this novel. The flaws of each character conveyed how no one is perfect and there is no true definition of normal. Different morals and values were tested by this novel, and the idea is explored that things are really not what they appear to be. 

After a slow paced beginning, the real tension and curiosity was built due to the behaviour and attitudes of 21st Century being put into the 'light'. Bannan really opened my eyes and conveyed how female teenagers can be so consumed in the concepts of popularity and outer beauty. 

I  commend Bannan for taking a risk with using first person plural writing technique. Although I am not a big fan of this writing style, Bannan did justice to it. She wrote beautifully and elegantly, capturing and captivating the audience, whilst reading this novel. 

Bannan left readers to think, twice, before they speak or act. She touched on a very difficult topic to read about and placed the truth in front of the readers- making them aware of the issues present in our modern day society. 

I recommend for people above the age of 14 to read this novel as some of the themes portrayed and highlighted in this novel can be quite confronting and disturbing. This novel portrays how society can be so self obsessed, egotistical and display a vain and ostentatious behaviour, that their actions are influenced by their own prejudices and others opinions. 

Thank you Bloomsbury for sending me Weightless to read and review- it truly was an opportunity to learn from others mistakes and see the world from a different perception. 

- Erisha <4 

Brothers in Crime by K.M. Rockwood

Title: Brothers in Crime

Author: K.M. Rockwood 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Online Ratings: 4 out of stars 

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads:

The cops say surveillance video doesn't lie. But could they be mistaken? 

After nearly twenty years in prison, Jesse Damon is just trying to make it on parole. But nothing comes easy. The cops say they have a video of him breaking into an ATM. He’s in trouble at work over a toxic chemical spill. A runaway wife shows up on his doorstep, dead broke and needing somewhere to stay. And his sometimes-girlfriend Kelly seems to have met someone new. Sydney. At an AA meeting, of all places. When Jesse goes to Sydney's office and finds his dead body, he’s pretty sure the guy has been murdered. And that he will be the prime suspect.

My Opinion: 

K.M. Rockwood is back with our favourite character, Jesse Damon, and a heart-stopping, intense, electrifying conclusion to a phenomenal series. Brothers in Crime doesn't fail to disappoint and it definitely lived up to the high standards I set before reading this novel.

This novel went straight into the action with new mysterious events and situations. Brothers in Crime had to right amount of comedy and mystery making it a fast, quick page turner but an interesting read. There was never a dull point in this novel- K.M. Rockwood kept you on the edge of your seat, curious to know more. 

This captivating read reintroduced the famous character, Jesse Damon, the main protagonist, who somehow always seems to be a 'magnet' for trouble. In this novel, after a huge amount of character development, the readers finally get to see Jesse in a new light. Jesse is finally portrayed as an intelligent young man who is quick-witted. In this novel, Jesse is no longer portrayed as an introvert and has found the ability to stand up for himself and his rights, understanding his place in society. 

I felt as if Kelly's personality in this novel was quite different from the first novel. Kelly seemed to be more dependant on Jesse and sort of used him to take care of her children. Her dependency in this novel really portrayed a lack of confidence and character underdevelopment. Kelly's extrovert personality didn't mask her weaknesses in the novel, which was one aspect I didn't exceptionally like in the novel. 

The conclusion and the last few chapters of this novel was not very descriptive and ended almost abruptly. All the solutions, to the issues introduced in the novel, were 'thrown' at the reader in one stage, which was another aspect I wasn't a very big fan of. 

But an aspect I extremely enjoyed in the novel was Rockwood's ability to entwine and interconnect all the various scenarios and situations. Rockwood wrote beautifully and really helped readers experience Jesse's everyday life and emotions. 

Overall, Brothers in Crime was a fantastic conclusion to the series and I recommend for everyone who loves mystery to pick up this series, you won't regret it. Thank you so much K.M. Rockwood for allowing me to review and read your novel. 

- Erisha <4 

The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles by Michele Drier

Title: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles (Books 1-4) 

Author: Michele Drier 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Online Ratings: 3.7 out of 5 stars

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads: 

This boxed set includes Books One through Four of the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles: Book One, SNAP: The World Unfolds; Book Two, SNAP: New Talent; Book Three, Plague: A Love Story and Book Four, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder.

Follow Maxie Gwenoch as she takes the job of Managing Editor for SNAP Magazine, the world's largest and most popular gossip media covering celebrities around the globe.

First, she finds the owners of SNAP are a family of Hungarian vampires, then she discovers she's the reason for an escalating war between the Kandeskys and their archrivals, the Huszars.

My Opinion:

Book 1: 

SNAP: The World Unfolds is the first novel in a new fantasy series. This novel has everything one reader desires for. This novel has fantasy aspects for those who like fantasy and also romance for those who prefer reading romantic novel. Not the forget that this novel has quite a lot of adventure sequences which definitely appeals to both genders. One aspect that I wasn't a fan of, was that this novel had quite a lot of world building so at times there were a lot of information the reader had to process. And also the romance between Jean-Louis and Maxie seemed slightly rushed and not well throughout. They jumped to conclusions before even analysing the conflict that has occurred. Other than those tiny errors, SNAP: The World Unfolds is a promising novel in a new fantasy series and I recommend all to read this novel. 

Book 2 (Few Spoilers from Book 1): 

New Talent, the second novel of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, is an action packed, fantasy novel. This novel had everything a reader would like. From epic fantasy battles to romance, this novel will definitely keep the reader curious till the end. New Talent was based more around Maxie Gwenoch's strive for independence and also the Kandesky and Huszars' old rivalry. I really enjoyed how this novel really helped in the development of the world. Also this novel helped readers to understand the rivalry between Kandesky and the Huszars'. Although, the beginning of this novel was slightly slow paced, the novel redeemed itself through the middle, where there were a lot of fantasy battles. New Talent has the right amount of romance and action scene, which balanced this book nicely so readers would get to read a diverse amount of genres. I extremely enjoyed Maxie's strive for independence and development throughout this novel. The ending and the cliff hanger at the end of this novel was amazing and mind blowing. Drier has once again written a fabulous novel with a balance of different genres to keep readers interested and curious till the end. 

Book 3 (Few Spoilers from Books 1 & 2): 

Set in the 14th Century, the time of the Black Plague, Drier brings a novella based on the beginnings of the Kandesky company and family. This novel really helps develop and set the background for the other novels in this series. Drier introduces readers to a new setting, background and protagonist. Readers learn about Stefan and how became the business man and the Kandesky Company owner. Stefan's life, before his life as a vampire, was well written and definitely evoked an emotional response from me. Stefan went through so much and held a huge amount of pain in his heart. I really enjoyed learning about the history of the Kandesky Family and how it came to be. I seem to be getting more and more impressed as the Chronicles goes on. Drier has written a beautiful novel which definitely has left me eager and excited to read the next novel in the chronicles. 

Book 4 (Few Spoilers from Books 1, 2 & 3): 

And this is the novella I have been dying to read for quite sometime. This novella is based on Jean-Louis' story before he met Maxie. Learning more about one of my favourite characters in this series, was very exciting and thrilling. Danube, follows where the last novella left off. This novella explains the rivalry between the Kandesky's and Huszars' in greater detail. Readers will be thrown into a world with more adventures, battles and romance. Learning about the Kandesky business and how the three owners managed to handle all the problems and issues that arouse was amazing. Drier has definitely satisfied her audience through this novel. I recommend fantasy and romance readers to immediately read this series, if they haven't already. Thank you Michele Drier for sending me this book set to read and review, I extremely appreciate it. 

- Erisha <4 

Infinite Limits by Megan Duke

Title: Infinite Limits

Author: Megan Duke

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Online Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads:

You've heard their stories. You've felt their pain. Now, in this thought-provoking conclusion to Small Circles, the characters we've come to love are faced with an abundance of difficult choices. It's time for each of them to choose a path, but who's to say which is the right one? Between a wedding, a pregnancy, a disappearance, and a disturbing dream turned reality, there are an infinite number of ways this story could end. But there is a limit to every infinity, and everyone has a breaking point.

My Opinion: 

Megan Duke has done it again. She has managed to break my heart and place all of the fallen parts back together during the span of one novel. There is no other way to describe or explain this novel other than, 'a fantastic conclusion to one of the most inspirational series I have ever read'. 

This novel's character development was absolutely outstanding. Each character underwent a transformation which helped them to become a better human being. The first character who really transformed and developed would have to be Paxton. Paxton was portrayed as a lost, immature boy but by the end of Infinite Limits, Paxton finally found middle ground and was able to cope with life. Larson was another character who truly developed throughout this novel. His trust and faith in others was quite weak due to the loss of his love, Owen. But overtime, throughout this book, Larson started to develop and he learnt how to trust and confide in others. Silas really brought the best out of Larson. He supported and protected Larson from any complications and always helped Larson through the tough times. Audrina was one character who I believed would be impossible to develop. Her difficult attitude in the last few books in the series, portrayed Audrina as an overprotective, slightly immature girl. But Megan Duke, in Infinite Limits, really conveyed Audrina developing. As readers, we could see every stage of Audrina's development and by the end of the novel she was a completely new character who was willing to let go of her past. 

The themes in this novel was quite strong and well written. Issues that could be seen in our daily life's was well portrayed through Duke's realistic characters. As a teenager, I could really understand and put my self into the character's 'shoes' as some of this issues have been aroused in my daily life. 

In addition, this novel was a beautiful end to one of the most realistic and phenomenal series I have read yet. Although the ending was bittersweet as we say goodbye to this phenomenal series, I can assure everyone that this series will always have a place in my heart and in yours.  From this novel I have learnt to understand, accept and not stereotype others, especially without knowing their background and where they are coming from. 

Thank you Megan Duke for allowing me to enter, explore and accept each character, their attributes and their flaws. I will never regret or forget reading this amazing series. I seriously recommend everyone to read this series, adults to teenagers, this novel will blow your mind away. 

- Erisha <4