Love, Rosie

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

Published- 1st November 2004
Publisher- Harper
Pages- 558 pages (paperback)

Love Rosie is a feel good contemporary romance novel. Rosie and Alex are best friends who have always been in love with each other, but won't tell each other how they feel. This was an easy read because it is told through emails, letters and text messages. Plus, it covers a huge period of the main characters lives, from when they are children to when they are much older. I have yet to watch the film so I do not know how different the film is from the novel. 

Alex is a really likeable character who would do anything for the people he loves. Rosie is also likeable too, but she would complain a bit which did kind of annoy me. For example, she would always say that she likes Alex then get mopey and sad when he got with other girls and got married to someone else. They both tried to be successful in their lives and get good jobs and have good family lives. However, not everything goes the way you want it to go as life isn't that straight forward.

Overall, I rate this book 4/5 stars. If you want a really easy contemporary romance read then this is definitely the book for you. I liked how this novel didn't follow all romance guidelines such as boy meets girl, they fall in love, they get married, have a family, etc. Stories which follow those guidelines get boring and repetitive which is really annoying. Novels need to have their own storylines and not follow every other novel.

                       Rating 4/5
   

Black Ice

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Published- 7th October 2014
Publisher- Simon and Schuster UK
Pages- 384 pages (ARC paperback)

A girl is murdered in the first chapter of this novel, but who killed her and why? Britt and Korbie are going on a trekking holiday in the mountains and they encounter 2 mysterious guys when they get caught in a snowstorm. Who are Mason and Shaun. Also, why has Calvin, Korbie's brother, suddenly returned from university?

I really enjoyed this novel as it was a thriller and it contained elements of romance throughout. The whole novel leaves you trying to guess who the real killer is and why they were killing these young girls. It also leaves you wondering more about Shaun and Mason and why thy are trying to hide out in the mountains. There was action straight away in the first chapter, but it did kinda slow down towards the middle. However, the action picked up again towards the end of the novel.

Britt was a great character in my opinion as she would do anything from her friend Korbie so they both got off the mountain alive. She was brave and willing to do whatever it took. Korbie annoyed me at times as she moaned a lot and complained and basically didn't believe anything anyone told her about her family. So in my opinion she wasn't that likeable of a character.

Mason was a brilliant male lead character. He wanted to protect Britt and make sure that Shaun didn't hurt her. Their romance story was a good side plot to the main novel. Shaun was a great bad guy as he would hurt whoever he wanted to just so they could get off the mountain without being caught by the police. I did like Calvin at first, but the more you found out about him just changed your opinion of him. 

I was lucky enough to go to a questions/answers session with Becca Fitzpatrick at Foyles in London and meet the her too. She was such a lovely lady and signed my copy of Black Ice. This was the first Becca Fitzpatrick novel I've read, but I might have to give the Hush Hush series a read in the future.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable thriller for me. Loved trying to guess what was going to happen next and I always try to guess who the killers are. I gave this novel 5 out of 5 stars. Give it a read if you are a fan of Becca Fitzpatrick or just love reading thrillers/romance novels. 

                                    Rating 5/5

    

Day 29- A book everyone hated but you liked

I've read some bad reviews for these 2 novels. However, I really liked both of them. I liked following the story of Ana and Christian's life in Fifty Shades. The sex was just in the background for me as I just wanted to find out if they eventually got married and lived their lives happily together. The Name of the Star was a good paranormal story. I kept reading to find out who/what Jack The Ripper was and what would happen to the main character. Whether she would be a victim of the Ripper or be the one to catch the Ripper. It has been a while since I read this novel so I have forgotten the main female characters name. I shall re-read this novel before I read the 2nd in the series.

Day 23- A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven't

I've had these books on my bookshelf for a long time and still haven't got round to reading them. Hopefully I will soon. I own the first 2 books in the Deadtown series. However, I still need to buy a copy of Return to Paradise and when I get that I shall start reading Leaving Paradise. I love Simone Elkeles books and I love zombie books so can't wait to finally start reading each of these novels.

Day 20- Favourite romance book

This is such a good romance novel in my opinion as it contains not just the romance aspects but also vampires. This series is about a family of vampires and each of their romance stories with the women in their lives. This is the only novel I've read from this series so far, however I hope to read the other novels soon. Love every aspect of this novel as I love supernatural novels. Don't normally read romance novels, but I am starting to get into them now as I have just started to read more of them. Everyone needs to read this novel if they are a fan of romance novels and vampire families.

To Die For

To Die For by Sandra Byrd

Published- 9th August 2011
Publisher- Howard Books
Pages- 332 pages (Paperback)

This book is about Anne Boleyn's best friend Meg and their lives from before Anne became Queen up to when she died. I really enjoyed this book and it's the first historical book I've read about Kings and Queens. To Die For gave me an insight in to how Anne, Henry and Meg would have felt during the Tudor times and what it was like for other citizens living in the same area as them.

Meg was a brilliant character as she really cared about Anne. Meg would do anything for her friends and family. It was great to get an insight into her duties and how she felt about her best friend being Queen. Meg was a little shy, bold, said what was on her mind, caring and loved her friends and family. Anne was a brilliant woman who didn't, in my opinion, deserve to die by beheading. However, she was blamed for crimes she didn't commit which was the crime of cheating on the King with lots of men, including her own brother.

I learnt a lot about the duties everyone in the court had to do, such as dressing the royal members, cleaning, preparing their food, etc. It was really sad that Anne's two baby sons died in childbirth, however it was good that she had a daughter called Elizabeth. Henry could be a nice man when he wanted to be, but later in their lives he became mean, nasty and seeked other women to marry so they could produce him a male heir.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. If you are a fan of reading historical books about Kings and Queens then this is a definite must read. It doesn't just tell you lots of facts about the time of Henry VIII, it gives you their emotions, feelings and delves deeper into their lives. If you enjoy this book then definitely check out the second novel in the series called The Secret Keeper which is about Katherine Parr.

                                  Rating 4/5
   

The Academie

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap

SOLICITED ARC REVIEW

Published- 28th February 2012
Publisher- Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages- 368 pages (Paperback)

The Academie is a story told from different characters (Eliza, Hortense and Madeleine). Each chapter switches from 1 character to another out of those 3 characters. This is a lot different from her previous novels I have read as this is basically more of a romance novel. Her other novels have been full of intrigue, suspense and sometimes even murder. So it was a change for me to read a romance novel by Susanne Dunlap, but I really loved this novel.

This wasn't my favourite novel by Susanne so far, but it was still really good. Eliza was my favourite female character because she was fearless, brave, up for carrying out dangerous plans and desperately searching for someone to love her. However, Hortense and Madeleine were also looking for guys to love them. The character I didn't like much was Caroline because she was bossy, sometimes rude to people and didn't really do well in group situations. Although, I was happy that her character found love.

The guys in this story were genuine and lovely guys who only wanted to protect the girls they loved. However, in some cases throughout the novel this wasn't entirely possible. I wasn't really expecting the ending that the novel actually had, so that came as a bit of a surprise. The romance throughout the novel was good, but it was sad in some parts.

Overall, I gave this novel 4/5 stars. This was a brilliant novel, but there wasn't enough intrigue, suspense and tension for me. However, I found that this was a great romance novel and I don't normally tend to read romance novels. Although, I have read romance novels by Simone Elkeles and now Susanne Dunlap. It wasn't as good as Simone Elkeles's romance novels, but it was almost as good. Definitely worth a read if you love historical romance novels.

                                 Rating 4/5
   

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey


Published- 18th January 2010
Publisher- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages- 351 pages (Paperback)

This book is about Jessica who finds out she is a vampire princess next in line to the throne in her home country. Lucius is the vampire who has come to America with the intention of marrying Jessica. At first she doesn't believe a single word that Lucius says, until she discovers that her adopted parents have been lying to her for most of her life. The truth will soon be revealed to Jessica and she has to make decisions about her future.

This was a good novel as it is filled with action, suspense and some tense moments. You don't always know what is going to happen next so it is thrilling to find out. The novel contained a good ending as it makes you want to read the 2nd novel in this series which is called Jessica Rules the Dark Side. However, the ending is quite a happy one in my own opinion, but to find out what it is you have to read this novel for yourself.

Jessica was a good main character as she starts off as someone who isn't so sure of herself, but develops into a really confident woman. She has one best friend and a guy who is crushing on her, but when she meets Lucius everything changes for the rest of her life. Jessica is a likeable character who a lot of girls can relate to. When she meets Lucius she doesn't know if she wants to be with him or her crush Jake.

Lucius starts off as an arrogant teenager/vampire who just gets on your nerves and always tries to prove that he is right about everything. He wants things to happen right away and basically says that these things have to happen such as Jessica marrying him. However, he then becomes more likeable because he changes his opinion on everything and tries to stop Jessica from fulfilling the vampire pact of marrying him. So overall my opinion on Lucius is mixed because I didn't like him at first, but then I loved him. He is a character you can't help falling in love with because he is so irresistible.

My overall opinion on this book was that I loved it and I can't wait to read the 2nd Jessica Rules the Dark Side. My overall rating for this novel is 4/5 stars. Everyone who hasn't read this novel really must read it right now. Especially if you love vampire and romance novels then this is the book for you.

                       Rating 4/5
   

Rules of Attraction

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Published- April 27th 2010
Publisher- Walker and Company
Pages- 324 pages (Paperback)

This is the 2nd novel in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy. In my opinion this was a brilliant novel just like Perfect Chemistry. It tells the romance story between Carlos Fuentes and Kiara Westford. This novel kind of starts the same way that Perfect Chemistry did in the way that Carlos and Kiara start off hating each other and then they start developing feelings for each other. The story finishes with a chapter which is 26 years in the future so you find out what happens for Kiara and Carlos in the future.

This trilogy of novels keep you gripped until the very last page as you just want to keep reading to find out if Kiara and Carlos become a couple. Kiara is a girl from a rich family, whereas Carlos is a poor guy who is just like his brother Alex in many ways. Carlos wants to be in a gang, he's a hardman, likes fixing cars and is a mystery to others. Carlos and Kiara have their lives changed forever when Carlos comes to live with the Westford family after something (I can't say what as it would spoil the story) happens to him.

Kiara is a really good main female character as she has a lot of males traits about her. For example, she likes fixing cars, climbing mountains and doing fun/daring challenges. She starts off innocent (like Brittany), but Carlos makes her come out of her shell. Carlos is also an irresistible male character (like Alex) as he is a mystery to women, but in the end he would do anything for the woman he loves.

Overall, this novel shows how this couple decides their own future and battle through the challenges standing in their path. Throughout the whole novel challenges are coming for every angle and Carlos and Kiara have to try and get through them whether that be together or alone. This is definitely a novel everyone needs to read if you love romance novels or just loved Perfect Chemistry. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars as it was a fantastic novel. Chain Reaction is book 3 in the trilogy and it focuses on Alex and Carlos' younger brother Luis.

                             Rating 5/5
    

Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Published- January 1st 2011
Publisher- Walker Books for Young Readers
Pages- 360 pages (Paperback)

I have never actually read a romance novel before and in my opinion this was an amazing book. That is why I was taking my time reading it as I just wanted the story to go on and on. It tells the romance story between Alex Fuentes and Brittany Ellis. The story starts from them knowing/hating each other at school going right through into the future and what happens to them both.

There are lots of trials and tribulations thoughout this whole story which keep you gripped until the very last page. Everyone at school thinks Brittany is perfect, but in her world she is far from perfect. Whereas, everyone at school see Alex as a hardman gangster, but is there more to him than first meets the eye. Only reading this story will tell you the answer to that. Both Brittany and Alex's lives are changed forever when they are partnered up in chemistry class.

I think Brittany is a brilliant main female character as she starts off the perfect innocent girl and when partnered with Alex in chemistry becomes a teenage rebel. Whereas, Alex is a brilliant/irresistible main male character as he starts off the hardman gang member and becomes the guy who would do anything for the girl he loves. Without giving too much plotline away this is the perfect romance story which everyone needs to read.

Overall, this has the perfect couple going through situations lots of couples go through. Alex is an irresistible guy who I think every girl who reads this novel will fall in love with. Alex is perfect who would protect his girl from his world of gang violence. My rating for this book is definitely 5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait to read the 2nd book in this series which is Rules of Attraction. Rules of Attraction focuses on Alex's younger brother Carlos. Everyone pick yourselves up a copy of this novel and have a read as I'm sure you will all love it as much as I did.

                             Rating 5/5