Mini-Reviews for Blood, Love Story, & More!

Sometimes I run into books- ones I loved as well as ones I didn't- that I do not have too much to say about, so instead I write a mini-reviews for them. Here's the latest batch:

~~

Blood by K.J. Wignall 

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Will is a vampire in danger. Heir to the Earl of Mercia, he was brutally attacked and buried in the thirteenth century before he was able to assume his title. Perpetually sixteen, Will’s life has been lonely. He leaves his tomb every so often, adapts to the present day, feeds his bloodlust, and never gets close to anyone.
Until now.

Waking from a twenty-year slumber, hungry for the blood that sustains his undeath, he meets Eloise—but can’t bear to make her his next victim. Drawn to a girl he can never have, but whose fate seems bound with his own, he feels the need to protect her. But Will has an enemy who will stop at nothing to find him . . . and he’s closing in. . . .

Mini-Review:

Every once in a while I run into a book that I don't enjoy nearly as much as I thought I would, and unfortunately, Blood by K.J. Wignall is one of them. The premise was interesting and full of potential, but the execution never fully managed to grab my attention. The vampire bits were a little too cliched, and the whole past earl thing was sometimes hard to wrap my head around. For the most part, I had a hard time paying attention to the story at hand, especially when it got to the point where I wasn't even the biggest fan of the characters presented. Basically, Blood just wasn't the book for me, and given that, I don't think I will be continuing on with this series. However, if you're a die-hard vampire fan, this may just be the book for you.

Blood (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads) is now out!

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

~~

Love Story by Jennifer Echols 

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

SHE'S WRITING ABOUT HIM. HE'S WRITING ABOUT HER. AND EVERYBODY IS READING BETWEEN THE LINES.

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions—it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a local coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

Mini-Review:
 
My love for Jennifer Echols' books is no secret around here, so it's no surprise that I adored Love Story nearly as much as I did. The characters in this one are the typical ones associated with Jennifer's romantic drama. Erin Blackwell is confused, emotionally distant, and extremely sarcastic, and Hunter Allen, her love interest, is much of the same. However, combing both of their personalities together made for a dramatic as well as steamy romance, especially when their stories were involved. I especially loved the ending of this one, but I won't say anything more than that because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. So, in all, read this one. It's yet anther fabulous book by Echols! Plus the stories by Hunter and Erin are make for a book within a book in some ways.

Love Story (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads) is now out!

~~

 Little Women & Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

A twist in time gives Emily the power to fix Little Women. Oh, where to begin!

Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.

Mini-Review: 

Ever since I first heard about Little Women & Me last spring I've been looking forward to reading it. It sounded adorable. Plus, while I've never read the actual Little Women (I know...I need to change that), I have seen the movie version numerous times and loved it, so a modern twist on it sounded like just my speed. Sadly enough, after about 100 pages, I had to give up, because due to several things it just wasn't the book for me. For one, I couldn't relate to Emily, the main character, at all. She was whiny and seemed so much younger than her age. Secondly, the plot in this one wasn't exactly action packed. Instead, it dealt much with Emily's analyses of the Little Women characters, which really wasn't my speed. In all, Little Women & Me just wasn't the book for me. I wanted to like it...I really, really did, but it just wasn't possible. However, I still highly suggest this one to fans of Little Women as well as readers looking for a younger YA book.

Little Women & Me (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads) is now out!

~~

Lie by Carolina Bock 

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .

When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .

Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

Mini-Review:

When I first heard about Lie I was instantly intrigued, because not only did the premise sounded relatistic and unique but it was also backed by one of my favorite YA authors- Jennifer Brown, author of Hate List. However, I didn't end up enjoying Lie as much as I hoped I would. For one, while the premise was interesting, I felt the execution was a bit too choppy for my taste. Plus I felt that it was bogged down with way too many messages, and due to the constant switching of narrators, I never really got to know the main characters that well, which is something that always brings a book down a notch or two in my eyes. In all, Lie by Caroline Bock turned out to not be the book for me. However, others have enjoyed it, so if it sounds like something you would enjoy, I still suggest you give it a try.

Lie (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads) is now out!

~~