REVIEW: Fix You by Christine Bell

Fix You by Christine Bell (The McDaniels Brothers #1)
Publication Date: March 27, 2014
Source: Author*
Rating: 4/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Olivia Beckett’s once-charmed life is falling apart. Her family is about to lose everything, and she has almost no chance of continuing her college education. She can't even seek solace from her high school sweetheart. He's changed. She doesn't recognize the boy she used to know— his violent behavior is escalating and it scares the hell out of her. Her whole world is crumbling, and she has no one to turn to……

Sebastian “Bash” McDaniels is an up and comer in the boxing world working nights at the local college bar until he can land the fight of his dreams that will get him the hell out of Boston and away from his family's tragic past. He’s weeks from his goal when Olivia Beckett comes tumbling into his life in a flash of silky dark hair and haunted eyes. When he saves her from a potentially brutal beating, they begin to grow close, but Olivia's ex isn’t ready to let her go so easily.

Bash can't bring himself to walk away, but fixing Olivia just might leave him broken…

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

Fix You by Christine Bell was a short and surely fast paced serial novel. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get with such a short read, but I loved Bell’s work and she didn’t disappoint me at all!



Characters: Olivia and Bash


Both characters were flawed and so easy to connect with that I had no problem liking them straight away. Bash was running from a bad past towards a better future in boxing while Olivia struggled with her present and unknown future due to her family’s financial issues along with her abusive boyfriend she wishes to be free off. These two are far from perfect or even close to being fixed, but they were both strong as they could be. Bash didn’t have a very privileged life and though he saw himself and Olivia as two broken people, he still didn’t hesitate to help her at that first moment. I liked that he told Olivia what he saw in Andy, but didn’t try to force her to do anything. He allowed her to be the one to see who her boyfriend really was and to take action. Olivia was a sweetheart. She saw the good in Andy even after what he did. She worries about her family even though they don’t want her to be. She was just a good person in and out and I really loved that about her. 



Romance: Sizzling Hot


The first encounter between Bash and Olivia surely made sparks fly! There was some serious intensity and attraction going on right from the get go. The more they were around each other, the more intense it got. They tried to resist each other, but their connection was just so spot on I can’t blame them. They were good together and good for each other. I definitely think their romance needs more development later on, but Bell gave them a solid start.



Storyline: Quick but with Substance


I thought that Fix You was just a taste of something good more to come. Bell dives into who and where Bash and Olivia came from and what exactly their issues were. Both characters don’t fully show their cards, but they show enough vulnerability and care for the trust to build up. There’s a mix of forbidden romance, family problems, and abuse that gets developed here but still leaves you with more questions on whats to come. And although this book is short and the attraction between both characters was nearly instant, I thought it was well written. 



All in all, Christine Bell gave me short spicy novel that packs in the sexiness and left me needing the next book asap! I loved it!

*Thanks to Christine Bell for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

Cover Reveal: INTOXICATED by Monica Murphy

INTOXICATED by Monica Murphy (Billionaire Bachelors Club #3.5)

Expected Publication Date: June 17, 2014

ABOUT INTOXICATED: 

 New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series with a wedding to remember. But this time, they’re not bachelors anymore, and the groom … is one of them.

 It’s Gage and Marina’s wedding day, but wedded bliss seems a long way off: Ivy’s just gone into labor. Marina’s missing her matron of honor. And Bryn’s giving Matt the silent treatment.

It’s up to Archer, Gage, and Matt to make sure this day goes off without a hitch. But between brides and babies, there’s the not-so-little issue of the million-dollar bet to attend to. If only they can figure out who won … and who’s paying up. Is everyone a winner? Or will someone leave broke—and brokenhearted?

  Pre-Order Links: AMAZONUS | AMAZON CAN | AMAZON UK | B&N | iTUNES   

  EXCERPT:

 I’m going to have a baby,” Ivy declares as she stops directly in front of me. Well, her belly stopped directly in front of me, the rest of her soon follows. 

Yes, indeed, my wife is definitely going to have a baby. Soon. 

 I’m getting ready—staring at the mirror as I mess with my tie, making sure it’s perfect—when she approaches me. I shoot her a grin, feeling good, feeling on top of my game. Life couldn’t get any better, you know? We’re celebrating today and with good reason. 

 “I know, sexy mama.” I turn away from the mirror and wink at her. “Trust me, I haven’t forgotten that I’m the one who knocked you up.” 

 She stares at me, no reaction to my wink or my words. She usually slaps my ass and kisses me. Says something sarcastic at the very least. But I’m getting nothing. And it’s kind of disconcerting. “Archer. I’m dead serious. I’m going to have the baby.” 

“I know, babe. And I can’t freaking wait.” I study her, noticing that she looks a little pale and her pupils are dilated. Hmm. “You feeling okay?” 

 Rolling her eyes, she rests her hand on top of her protruding stomach, rubbing it absently. Then not so absently. As in, she’s clutching her belly like she’s in pain. “I’m in—” She sucks in a harsh breath, holding it for a few seconds. “—labor, damn it.”

________________________________________________

ABOUT MONICA MURPHY: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.  

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REVIEW: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain (Into the Dark #1)
Publisher: Egmont
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 3/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds

My Review

I thought The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain was one of those books I desperately wanted to love. And while it wasn’t the best thing out there, I did still like where the book went. 



So let’s talk about the characters first. The Shadow Prince is told between the perspectives of Haden and Daphne. Haden is the underdog so to speak because he had so much to prove and so much to overcome after being stripped of his honor by his own father. He was impulsive, driven by his emotions, but so strong willed. It was clear that his mother raised him with love and good morals, something the Court in the Underrealm thought was unacceptable. I liked Haden because in the beginning he had one thing on his mind, but he grew throughout the book and ended up choosing the right thing rather than the selfish thing. Daphne was just a human girl who wanted to escape her town and dream big as a musician. She also longed for her father’s attention and love. Daphne was a tough, determined girl who was really independent. I liked her too because she was set on chasing her dreams and was adamant about not following after a guy. Although she seemed like an ordinary teenaged girl, she was far from it. She certainly played a bigger role in the book more than I originally thought.

One of the reasons I didn’t give this book a high rating was due to the romance. I thought it fell flat. I was disappointed that the focus was mostly on the romantic development rather than the world building. While both characters did show growth by the end, I wish the focus on their relationship was set aside for the time being. It was a let down because it wasn’t as convincing as I would have liked although there seems to be potential in future books. I felt like Haden and Daphne were better off staying friends in this book. It would have been better if Despain kept the main focus on other important aspects. 



My main problem for the book was probably world building and diving into the storyline itself. It was hard because I was mostly confused about how the Underrealm worked. About 30% into the book was just me struggling to piece stuff together and rereading passages because I couldn’t process a lot of what was going on and why. When I finally got the gist of it, I thought it was pretty cool. The Underrealm had a Court, Elites, Champions and Boons. The Underrealm was more like royalty, with the best of best having all the honor. There was a set way of things in Court and even family and blood will not be given be mercy or any sort. I thought all of this (and more) could have been explained better. You kind of had to just go with the flow until things were explained and that was very hard to do in my opinion. 

While I had trouble with the storyline along the way, I did enjoy the twists that Despain put into it. I had so many questions about Daphne’s involvement about being a Boon and Cipher and how her story collided with Haden’s. All this gets revealed in a surprising way. I knew certain people were involved somehow, I just didn’t know exactly how or why. Seeing how all these things came together was awesome in of itself. 
The mythology and action was also a plus for me. The way Despain incorporated and loosely centered this book on the Hades/Persephone and Orpheus/Eurydice mythology was brilliant. She put a modern and unique twist into it that I certainly have to commend her on. I love Greek mythology and this one was fun and original in every way. The book was not too action packed, but it had the right amount of it. The most interesting aspect had to be the Sky gods and Underlord’s powers.



All in all The Shadow Prince has some serious potential in the long run. I had certain issues with the world building and romance, but Despain created a character driven story that was as developed as it could get without spoiling too much. I’m not quite sure if I’ll continue the series, but it’s all definitely up in the air for me. 


*Thanks to Egmont for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

REVIEW: Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Rule One—Nothing is right, nothing is wrong.
Rule Two—Be careful.
Rule Three—Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they’re the strongest part of your body. Your arms are the weakest.
Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible.
Rule Five—The letters are the law.

Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known.

But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.

Katherine Ewell’s Dear Killer is a sinister psychological thriller that explores the thin line between good and evil, and the messiness of that inevitable moment when life contradicts everything you believe.

My Review

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell was disturbingly addicting, completely ingenious, and so skin crawlingly good. I was drawn to this story about a girl who grew up to be a serial killer by her own mother. And I was even more fascinated to know her every thought and feeling. It was such an exciting and stimulating YA novel that had protagonist/antagonistic type of main character who didn’t have definite morals.



I was smitten with Kit Ward, not because of her perfect way of killing (though that is impressive in of itself) but because of her character. She had this cold calculating even frightening voice and her thoughts and feelings were dark and downright sinister. However, she was complex, layered and sometimes hard to define. It seemed like she was heartless and had no remorse due to her unconventional upbringing, yet she was not without emotion or even the slightest of guilts. We are privy to her malicious thoughts and justifications of killing, her confessions of enjoying it, her cocky way of knowing that she was indeed the best, along with her doubts of right vs. wrong and of her first flickers of feeling like a monster.

Ewell does an outstanding job of blurring the lines of good and evil and right and wrong. She allowed me to feel some sort of connection, sympathy, or empathy towards Kit that I cannot explain. This may be due to knowing how she grew up, the way she discovered friendship, and how there seemed to be two sides to Kit. I wanted Kit to change her mind, for her guilt to grow, for her to break down and be the teenaged girl she should have grown up to be and at the same time I wanted her to be caught and face the consequences and justice for all the people she killed. Kit really confused me because I felt for her, I really did. She felt so sure of what she was doing and why and then she would question so many things and I pitied her and was sadden by what she has become. I didn’t exactly consider her as evil because she was innocent in how she was stripped of being a regular girl, but she was definitely guilty for the murders she committed. 

Dear Killer had a slow steady pace that continually picked up little by little the further we delve into Kit’s mind and how she unraveled without her truly realizing it. This slowness works because of Kit’s detached and disconnect to her murders and how this changes along the way. The murders were described well enough and will surely make stomachs churn, but they are not brutally graphic. It was just enough to induce some kind of bothersome reaction. These murders were called perfect throughout the book and while some were believable, some were questionable at best. However, this really did not take away from my enjoyment at all. 



Overall, Dear Killer was so incredibly written from the in-depth development of Kit’s mind, body and soul to the descriptions of her murders. This novel was engrossing and hypnotic. It left me with unresolved feelings and thoughts in my mind that will continue to haunt me, but it ultimately left me enamored. 

*Thanks to Katherine Tegen Books for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review

Favorite Quotes

"My name is Kit, but most people know me as the Perfect Killer. I kill on order. I am everyone's assassin. I belong to no one but the grim reaper herself."

"Do you remember what I said about not enjoying murder? That was a lie."

"It's hard to feel alone when you're me, when you can imagine the throbbing of blood through each of them and you know the way each of them breaks, like dolls lined up on a shelf."

"'You still don't understand. Silly Boy." I stopped in front of him and kneeling again. 'You see, ' I murmured, 'I'm the Perfect Killer.' He was at last afraid."