Sarah Strohmeyer - How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True

From books of the dystopic/post-apocalyptic persuasion to the paranormal, I sometimes like to mix it up with something more normal from time to time.

This time, I have chosen How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by 

Sarah Strohmeyer, a book aimed at young adults that revolves around Fairyland Kingdom, a fairy tale theme park.  This story revolves around Zoe, an upcoming high school senior who has landed a summer internship at Fairyland along with her cousin, Jess, and thirty-something other teenagers the same age to work as cast members in the various fairy tales that have been brought to life in this theme park.  While the internship is unpaid, but their living expenses are covered for the summer, all of the interns have the chance to win the Dream & Do grant for the two most exceptional interns, one boy and one girl, who have shown "exceptional Wow™ spirit" and with this, they get to join the Fairyland Executive Training Program.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Teenage girls and girls in their early twenties

Favourite Characters: Ian - funny and many other reasons; Zoe - relatable despite what she's been through

Favourite Part: He bowed deeply before me and slipped to one knee, taking my hand in his and gazing with the perfect Fairyland combination of princely adoration and chaste love.  Andy actually applauded, and even my own heart skipped a head - which Ian must have felt because he squeezed my fingers gently.
"Am I forgiven, dearest?" he asked again, batting his eyelashes.
I mouthed, In your dreams! - Page 178-9

Good Points: The story; the queen; easy to read; the concept of the Dream & Do grant

Bad Points: The backstabbing teens; the message takes a while to come about

Veronica Rossi - Through the Ever Night

Now back again to a series that I have already started and I adore so I wanted to share my opinion with others.

Through the Ever Night is the second book in the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi; this series alternates between the perspectives (though in third person narrative) of Aria and Peregrine "Perry".  These two live in separate worlds; Aria is defined as a Dweller, she lives in Reverie, a pod where the chosen live to carry on the human race, living in a virtual reality through eyepieces, weeding out the illnesses and ailments that destroy us, while Perry is defined as an Outsider, he lives in the wilderness with his tribe where they fend for themselves, surviving on whatever they can hunt, scavenge or trade for.  Aria's world is turned upside down when she is thrown out of Reverie and stranded until Perry finds her and helps her survive while taking her to her mother who is in one of the other Pods in this world.  Along the way, she discovers she is in fact half-Outsider, from the father she's never known, and possesses the senses of an Audible (being able to hear sounds way beyond normal means).  Meanwhile, Perry is determined to have Aria find his nephew who has been sold by his own father and return to him to the tribe, the Tides, and while he seems primitive to Aria, she falls for him as he for her.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that like The Hunger Games

Favourite Characters: Perry - he has a lot of weight on his shoulders for such a young man; Cinder - mysterious and intriguing

Favourite Part: He lay down, gathering her close.  Aria slumped against him, turning her ear to his chest.  She listened to his heartbeat - a good, solid sound - as the warmth of his body melted into her.  She'd been in a fog earlier.  Hallucinating and searching for what was real.  She found it in him.  He was real. - Page 121 

Good Points: Aria and Perry when they're together; the story; Roar and Liv

Bad Points: The end comes very quickly; the slightest hint of unnecessary love triangles

Kiera Cass - The Elite

More dystopia/post-apocalyptic fiction off my bookshelf now and it's back to a series I've already started but not reviewed before; Kiera Cass's The Selection series.

The Elite is the second book in Kiera Cass's The Selection series with the first being The Selection which follows America Singer, a underprivileged young woman who works as a musician to earn money along with her family while they live in a society ruled by the royal family of Illéa.  America is chosen, along with another thirty five girls to be part of the Selection: this society's way of allowing the prince to choose his bride while the public watch.  While America signed up for this, she is reluctant to continue because she is still reeling from her break up with Aspen, her former neighbour and boyfriend, who left her to join the Army.  She insults the prince on the first night but she starts to come around and eventually falls for him (he has already fallen in love with her) and their relationship grows over the course of the first book and America makes the final seven of the Selection.  However, the book then ends when Aspen reappears in America's life as a member of the Palace Guard.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that liked The Hunger Games

Favourite Characters: America - she is a symbol of hope in a suppressive society; Marlee - she's stronger in this book

Favourite Part: I was overwhelmed. He understood me so well, how nervous I was about making this commitment, how frightening it was for me to become a princess. He was going to give me every last second he could and, in the meantime, lavish me with everything possible. I had another one of those moments when I couldn’t believe this was all happening.
“That’s not fair, Maxon,” I mumbled. “What in the world am I supposed to be able to give you?”

He smiled. “All I want is your promise to stay with me, to be mine. Sometimes it feels like you can’t possibly be real. Promise me you’ll stay.”

“Of course, I promise.” - Page 81 

Good Points: The concept; the importance of family to America as well as Maxon; America and Maxon's relationship

Bad Points: Love triangles (Maxon/America/Aspen and America/Maxon/Kriss)

JoAnna Carl - The Chocolate Cat Caper

And yet another mystery/crime book taken off the shelf of Stef Streatfield, what a surprise.  Maybe my collection isn't as eclectic as I like to think.  Like my previous full book review, it is a new series that I got from Goodreads so even though it was similar to others I have read, I hoped something would make it stand out against the others.

The Chocolate Cat Caper is the first book in JoAnna Carl's series A Chocoholic Mystery which is told from the point of view of Lee McKinney, who has gone from being a trophy wife to a wealthy Texan to an independent young woman, keeping the books for her aunt's chocolate business.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Chick lit lovers

Favourite Characters: Lee - interesting protagonist; Joe - intriguing romantic interest

Favourite Part: He went on to the outside door, opened it, and stepped back to let me out.  Or I thought he was going to let me out.  I stepped forward and he stepped sideways, and we bumped into each other again.  Suddenly we were standing in the doorway, nose to nose.  This time neither of us moved.  We stood just there.
The moment would have passed if either one of us had reacted normally.  Or maybe we did react normally.

It was a heck of a kiss. - Page 160

Good Points: The idea and background; the story; the random facts

Bad Points: Lee and Joe's relationship; really quick 

Joanne Fluke - Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder: Candy for Christmas

In my edition of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, there was an additional story within it called Candy for Christmas.  This short story follows the events of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder but before the rest of the other books; there is a letter prior to this short story in the book where Hannah writes to Joanne Fluke where she requests her biographer (Fluke) to write about something other than the murder investigations Hannah becomes involved in.

This is just going to be a short review of the story as it isn't a full book so I'm not going to rate or recommend it to anyone as it's a story found in a reprint of the first book.

Favourite Characters: Candy

Favourite Part: Candy loved to shop and she couldn't seem to shop smiling.  They'd gone out the front door of The Cookie Jar and into the next building over.  There were party dresses on the mannequins in the windows, and Hannah has said they were going to buy something for her to wear to the party tomorrow night. 

Good Points: The letter; the story

Bad Points: Too short

Joanne Fluke - Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

So now for another chick lit crime book but this time it is a new series that I haven't read before now. This came from the recommendations on Goodreads which suggested series such as Jack Daniels Mysteries and Chocoholic Mysteries series as well as this series, Hannah Swensen Mysteries.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is the very first book of the Hannah Swensen Mystery series from Joanne Fluke; all of the books in this series have recipes in them which makes it different and allows the reader to make some of the original creations that Hannah also makes in the books. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder was originally written in 2000 but was rereleased in 2011 with even more recipes and other stories included.  

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Chick lit crime buffs; similar to the Stephanie Plum series so those readers might like them

Favourite Characters: Hannah - she's a clever cookie; Andrea - she makes me laugh

Favourite Part: Two dates in one night - not bad at all!  Hannah's frown turned into a grin as she lifted the lid and dropped her very favorite five-year-old pair of Nikes inside. - Page 299

Good Points: The story; the sense of family; the recipes 

Bad Points: Similarities to other chick lit crime books 

Janet Evanovich - Sizzling Sixteen

Now for a book from one of my favourite authors, Janet Evanovich, and series, Stephanie Plum. I've pretty much read everything of Evanovich's that I can get my hands on and I've always loved the Stephanie Plum series and the characters within them. 

Sizzling Sixteen is quite obviously the sixteenth normal book from the Stephanie Plum series that just feature Joe and Ranger, the two men in Stephanie's life who she is constantly flitting between which complicates her life along with her job, and the twentieth book that includes the "Between the Numbers" books that feature another man in Stephanie's life who complicates her life even more. Stephanie Plum is a young woman who at the start of the series is an unemployed ex-lingerie saleswoman who blackmails her cousin, Vinnie Plum, into giving her a job as a bounty hunter; at this point in the story, Stephanie has pretty much bumbled her way through apprehending the many FTAs she's been given by Vinnie, gaining a trusty sidekick in the ex-hooker, Lula, and has been on and off with Joe multiple times and slept with Ranger once.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Chick lit lovers; crime readers; not really necessary to read the previous books but reading the first one, One For The Money, gives you a background on most of the characters and maybe Hot Six for a bit more of information on Mooner (Moon-Man)

Favourite Characters: Mooner; Morelli; Connie. All these characters make me laugh

Favourite Part: Morelli grinned down at me. "I don't know where he's getting it, but he's got some really good shit in those brownies." - Page 232

Good Points: Completely random in the grand scheme of things but still relevant to the previous books; Stephanie; Morelli

Bad Points: Pick Morelli or Ranger, for God's sake, Steph; Vinnie really grossed me out

Jaye Wells - Green-Eyed Demon

Now for a paranormal book from a series I've started a while ago with Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells.

Green-Eyed Demon is the third book in Jaye Wells's Sabina Kane series which picks up from where the second book left as Sabina searches for her twin sister with Adam and Gighul after her sister was kidnapped by their vampire grandmother because in her opinion, they are contaminating the vampire race with their half-vampire half-mage blood.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that like vampire book, better than Twilight

Favourite Characters: Adam - he's hot and protective of Sabina and his friends and family; Sabina - spunky, strong, independent woman

Favourite Part: I didn't think about what I was doing. Didn't try to rationalize it. Didn't second-guess. I just raised my lips to his and allowed my kiss to tell him what I was feeling. And when his hands gripped my arms and he returned the kiss with a fierceness that should have scared me, I didn't pull away. 
Adam and I had kissed before. Passionate kisses that left both of us wanting more. But this kiss wasn't a lusty tangle of tongues and lips like the others. Instead, it was an unfurling of emotions denied for too long. And for the first time, being in Adam's arms didn't spark the fear that normally made me want to run what he offered. - Page 229

Good Points: Sabina and Adam together; Gighul; the combination of Sabina, Adam, and Gighul; the well thought out story

Bad Points: How long it took for Sabina and Adam to really get together