IF Review

Indie Friday: Dollars to Donuts

July 27, 2012 by Barbara at Basia's Bookshelf Leave a Comment

By Kathleen Kole

Publisher: Sublime Coyote Media
Publication Date: August 15, 2011
Genre: Chick Lit
Source: Purchased

Take one newspaper columnist; move her from the anonymity of her home city to a sleepy, small town; add a dollop of nosey, suspicious and just plain odd neighbors; a dash of mystery in the form of a stained garbage can and a rodent and, finally, a large pinch of unsettling attraction to a virtual stranger and you’ll find yourself with a recipe that imitates April Patterson’s life.

Sound strange? It is.

April Patterson had no idea that when she decided to follow the path of family and love, she would find herself an unwitting player in an eyebrow raising cul-de-sac mystery, grasping for her privacy as she plays “Dodge the Neighbor” and being forced to examine her relationship motives … all before she had unpacked her last box!

Taking a deep breath, and a large bite into a comforting donut, April consoles herself with the knowledge that it will all work out. It always does … doesn’t it?

Goodreads Summary

I thought I’d step outside of my box a little bit with my Indie Friday pick this week and go for chick lit, something I don’t think I’ve read more than once or twice. I picked Dollars to Donuts because the overly-interested-neighbors angle sounded cute – I have more than my share of those in my own small town!

April Patterson always had dreams of becoming a big-time columnist. Instead, she finds herself in suburban hell, writing about arts and crafts (which she knows nothing about) with a very nice vanilla boyfriend who teaches elementary school. Sure, she loves her boyfriend Kevin, but things haven’t been right with them lately and the neighborhood is driving her crazy. She can’t even leave the house without having to run the gauntlet of wackos straight out of Central Casting.

After having a Very Bad Hair Day involving a home color kit – and any woman knows why that has to be capitalized – April returns home from an emergency fix from her sister’s hair salon to find that Kevin has invited his friend Gerritt to stay with them. It’s the same Gerritt that some girls at the salon had been ooh-ing and aah-ing over and for good reason. He’s tall, dark and lickable – a problem for a woman already having issues with her boyfriend and who lives in a fishbowl.

A silly, fluffy comedy of a mystery ensues. The shrill demon of the neighborhood finds a dead squirrel in her trash and acts like it was a horse head, insisting someone in the neighborhood is after her. There’s the slightly befuddled older lady who butts into everything and has a dog who seems to want to kill April; a retired inventor who adopts a thick Scottish brogue that gets thicker when he wants to annoy people and of course April, Kevin and their houseguest. Deborah the Demon’s go-to response to everything is a piercing scream and everyone’s response to her near nightly summons is funny. The entire case of the dead squirrels made me snort sometimes, just for all of the contortions April and her sister Jessica dragged themselves through so they could figure it out.

This missed an A grade from me because I was a tiny bit uncomfortable with the way Kole decided to handle the relationships between April, Kevin and Gerritt. I dislike books with any kind of cheating in them and while April doesn’t technically cheat, she and Gerritt engage in some heavy-duty flirtation. It’s very cute to read, don’t get me wrong. I was smiling as I read some of it and I had my own ideas about what I wanted April to do. But she was still with Kevin, who didn’t know what was going on. Just because they were having problems didn’t mean they had broken up and they were living together. Gerritt was kind of an ass because he knew the score and he kept pushing at April anyway. It’s awful when they’re gorgeous, funny, sweet and sexy and still asses.

I liked April, mostly because she felt a lot like Everywoman, albeit a little funnier, living in a circus. Her relationship with her sister Jessica was a highlight of the book and I looked forward to their confessional conversations. She still has a big city mindset about certain things which make no sense in a small town which meant laughs, as did her conversations with most of the townspeople who were rude or nosy. She just felt so normal, which was a nice break from what I usually read.

My Summary: For a mid-length book, I read this very quickly because I didn’t want to put it down. Not being familiar with chick lit, I don’t know if it fits the formula or not, but it worked for me just on its own as a good story with some laughs in it and a lesson at the end about being true to yourself. Dollars to Donuts may not be the perfect book for everyone because of the semi-cheating issue or it might be something that can be overlooked but I liked Kole’s style enough that I picked up Breaking Even, one of her other books.

My Rating: B

Filed Under: *B Rating, 2012 Ebook Challenge, IF Review, Reviews Tagged With: Kathleen Kole

Indie Friday: Borrowed Ember

July 20, 2012 by Cait 3 Comments

Samantha Young

Self-Pub
Publication Date: Jun 21, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Source: Purchased

Everything in Ari’s life until this point has been borrowed.
Her human life with a man who wasn’t her real father.
A love for a boy who needed more than her to be strong.
Kisses with a Jinn who refused to do anything but lend them out in moments of weakness.
And even her resolve, which seemed to fail her whenever she needed it most.

But Ari is done borrowing. She finally feels strong enough to make hunting Jinn not just a hobby to get her through her dismal situation, but to make hunting a permanent and necessary career. Her friendship with Charlie might finally make it onto real and steady ground if only she can save him from the trial on Mount Qaf. And her love for Jai could be eternal, if only she could gain control over the darkness of the Seal within her.

Ari believes all of this is doable. That finally she will truly own the relationships in her life and to a certain extent have ownership over her future.

But none of that matters when it isn’t up to her…

…For high in the emerald mountains of Mount Qaf, the Sultan Azazil has been keeping secrets.
Even from the Jinn Kings.
Secrets that will change everything… and bring Ari to the crashing realization that once again…

… she’s borrowed something that will never truly belong to her.

Something that is desperate to be unleashed.
Something that could destroy them all.

Goodreads Summary

Welcome to the LATE NIGHT edition of Indie Friday!

It’s been one of those days y’all. I don’t want to bore you too much with the mundane details of life with my spunky 2yr old, but she learned how to say “no” a few days ago. It’s now her favorite word. Suddenly we’re like two generals facing off in a war to save humanity. Seriously, our house is a battle zone now. And apparently the hubs has decided to declare himself Switzerland. Who does that? If I didn’t love him so much, I might kick him. We’ll just see how long he sticks with his neutral status after a cozy night on our incredibly uncomfortable couch. I WILL win this battle y’all.

Okay, I’m done venting. I just had to get that off my chest. Now on to the actual review!

I’ve read almost all of Samantha Young’s books. I’ve noticed that in all of her series, Sam (can I call you Sam?) has this insanely frustrating habit of giving me just enough to whet my appetite, to keep me going. Then I get to the end of the book and I want to throw my Kindle across the room because it’s never enough. I always want to know what happens next RIGHT NOW, not when the next book comes out. This is the main reason why she’s on my auto-buy list and I’ll pretty much read anything she writes.

In Scorched Skies (review), we leave off with Ari and Jai rushing to Mount Qaf to save Charlie. A common theme in this series. Charlie is on trial for killing a half-blood royal, and while he had good reasons for doing so, the Jinn are a stubborn people. Charlie barely scrapes out of the trial with his life intact, and he, Ari and Jai leave the treacherous environment of Mount Qaf at the first opportunity. After the events at the end of Scorched Skies, Ari decides she is tired of being a victim. She wants to become the hunter, instead of the hunted. They all head back to the Roe’s, the Guild that harbored them in the previous book. Ari immediately begins training with Jai and Fallon, while Charlie hides himself away to do mysterious revenge things with another Guild hunter, Jack.

At the Guild home, Ari and Jai experience a few weeks of peace for the first time in months. But the vultures are ever circling, just waiting for the perfect opportunity for Ari to slip up so they can forcibly bring her back to Mount Qaf for good. As the days wear on, Ari struggles to contain the Seal’s power within her, and it’s starting to change her. It’s getting harder to control, especially when it comes to any threats regarding Jai. They’ve been forced to keep their relationship a secret, but the White King’s spies have discovered the truth and Ari’s evil father devises a plan to kidnap Jai, hoping to force Ari to his side and under his thumb.

Ari runs to Azazil, where she learns the truth about the Seal and why it’s trying to take control of her body. Ari finally realizes that the balance must be maintained, and that she is not strong enough to hold the Seal. She must decide between her own life, or those of the people she loves.

Where Scorched Skies was heavy on the action, Borrowed Ember was a bit slower paced. We learn a lot more in this book about the Jinn world, Ari and the Seal, Azazil’s motives, the White King’s motives, who Ms. Maggie really is, what Asmodeus wants, and whether or not the Red King would choose between Ari or his loyalty to his father. A lot of secrets are revealed, some that are devastating, and some that bring relief and comfort.

I found myself wishing for some more gumption from Ari. She was firm in her desire to train and learn how to use her powers, but when she was put in a situation where she could actually fight, she sort of froze up and someone always showed up in the nick of time to save her. I hope that we see more growth with her character in the next book. I don’t need her to be Wonder Woman, but I’d like her to be able to stand up for herself, and even more, believe in herself. I really admire Ari’s loyalty to her friends and family. She always puts them first, but sometimes that makes her a little TSTL, and she is so much better than that. I hope that in the future we see her embrace the world she was violently thrust into, but can no longer avoid. She wants so badly to be normal, but I’d like to see her make a new normal with the life she now has. I want her to fight alongside Jai, not be okay with him pushing her behind him when they’re backed into a corner.

Jai is devastatingly handsome and sexy, as always. If there’s one thing Sam does well, it’s her heroes. He’s a perfect blend of vulnerability and strength, and he loves Ari so much. It was so hard to read about their difficulties in keeping their relationship a secret, when he just wanted to shout to the world that Ari was his and no one was to mess with her.

I hate Charlie. I’ve never liked him, but I tried to at least tolerate him for Ari’s sake. What he did in this book pushed me right over the edge from tolerating deep into loathing territory. I kept yelling at Ari to just give him up. He’s clearly made his choice to pursue this ridiculous revenge of his without regard to anyone else, and it annoyed me that she kept wanting to save him. And the end.. HOLY COW the end. Sam, you killed me. Seriously. What went down in the hotel AND Ms. Maggie? Was that absolutely necessary? SOB.

My Summary: I’ve always been intrigued with this series, but now I desperately want to know where it’s going from here. My mind is filled with questions about what’s going to happen next, and I can’t get the story out of my head. Ari and Jai are one of my most favorite YA couples, and I hope they have some time in the next book to just be. I love the action, but I also love the moments where they can be together and enjoy each other’s company. I’m hoping they can go on a regular date or something. (Wink, wink ) I highly recommend this series, and if you haven’t read it, start with Fire Spirits. I promise you’ll love ‘em just as much as I do.

My Rating: A

Filed Under: *A Rating, Cait Recommends, Fantasy, IF Review, Indie Friday, New Adult, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: Samantha Young

Spectral

June 1, 2012 by Barbara at Basia's Bookshelf 7 Comments

By Shannon Duffy

Publisher: Tribute Books
Publication Date: April 10, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

Goodreads Summary

I’ve read one book from Tribute Books before but haven’t had a chance to review it. The quality of the editing and formatting was wonderful and the book itself is one of my favorites so far this year. I’m happy to say my second read from Tribute was a great experience too.

Being on the run is the only life sixteen-year-old Jewel has ever known. Her dad apparently got into something bad (it’s never the right time for him to explain, her parents say) and the family moves at least twice a year. Her little brother Jayden handles it better than she does, managing to make friends, however temporarily. Jewel has to navigate the minefield of another high school and not fitting in with the cliques.

Jewel thinks this year might be different. Her parents seem to be hinting that when she turns seventeen things will change, whatever that means. She has a great friend at school, the bubbly and fun Taylor, and two boys seem to be interested in her. They’re night and day – Chase is the golden athlete and Roman is dark, dangerous and sexy. The golden athlete may be what’s good for her but it’s Roman who attracted her – until he starts spouting some garbage about being her guardian who’s there to protect her until she turned seventeen. Then he was just some whack job.

Jewel starts to wonder if maybe there was some truth to what Roman said when odd things start happening. Her extended family that she hasn’t seen in years suddenly show up including her sour-faced aunt, and they’re all oddly pre-occupied with her birthday. She overhears a conversation between her family about a “Spectral” that she thinks may be her and she’s not reassured by what she finds when she looks it up at the library. She’s damn scared, actually. Turning to Roman seems like a good idea, except Roman is part of something her head tells her she can’t trust. She knows now what a Spectral – she – is and what she’ll be able to do and why every coven but her own true one is out to either kill her or possess her.

There was an issue or two that kept me from really loving this entirely, but I still enjoyed this one. The strongest aspect of the book for me was the characters. The supporting group was all great; there wasn’t a single one that I wouldn’t want to see in a sequel. Taylor wasn’t a token friend. She cared about Jewel and had her own clear and likeable personality. I loved Jewel’s little brother Jayden. He was so adorable and cute my teeth practically ached. I’m pretty sure no eight-year-old like him is in existence but it was fun to read about him and he never turned into a plot moppet. I even enjoyed how the bad guys were written. Jewel’s aunt was very close to being hilarious with her over-starched panties and the lemon she was sucking on.

I liked Jewel a lot too. She was somewhere in between the character that refuses to believe what they are until it’s too late and the one who accepts it so easily that it’s ridiculous. She’s a smart girl that wants answers but she wants them on her own terms, she’s not willing to just take anyone’s word for it, given that she’s been jerked around so much. It was really sweet how much she loved her little brother and what she’s willing to do for him and for everyone else she loves. Which brings me to – dun dun dun – the love triangle. The bane of my existence, matched only by insta-love. But wait, there’s that too. Sob. The consolation prize is that Jewel figures out who she wants and feels uncomfortable when she’s close to the other guy. So maybe it’s more like three angled lines that come close to closing in a triangle but don’t actually meet?

The guys aren’t as fleshed out as Jewel but they’re nice YA hottie fare. Chase is the all-American nice guy, willing to be your best friend and protector if he can’t be your boyfriend (but he thinks the guy who doesn’t treat you right is a jerk, you know?). Roman is all misunderstood and brooding sexiness, full of stories he can’t tell and secrets he has to keep to protect Jewel but if he could be with her, he’d love her for eternity. But, you know, he can’t.

Since the MCs are teenagers, this is in the young adult category but there wasn’t much about them that said YA to me. It could be easily explained that, of course Jewel would know her way around a Russian airport, she’s been moving around for years, but it still sat uncomfortably with me. Roman is just a teenaged boy but he’s been tasked with finding the first Spectral in hundreds and hundreds of years? Roman and Jewel’s characters at least felt consistent, even if they were in a high school situation part of the time so it didn’t feel unusual that the characters having coffee in the library at the beginning of the book would be in some witch battle in Russia later on. Other than the romance, add five years to Jewel’s age and the story would have worked just as well. When I finished this and looked back at my scribbles, I realized this was much tamer than I remembered it being. Jewel thinks about what she feels for Roman, how hot he is and they frantically embrace a lot. Not leaving Chase out in the cold, he’s shirtless once in a while and has a great chest. He’s a nice guy too, which counts for something. Emotionally it’s PG, physically, G.

Reading the second half of the book, I kept having this feeling that this was something I’d seen somewhere and the closest I can get is The Bourne Identity. It fits, given some of the crazy things Jewel does in Russia and Venice. The author did a great job building the story of the Spectral, creating a detailed setting around her and writing characters that I really liked. For a story that placed a lot of emphasis on covens though, there was not a lot about them. When I think covens, I think witches, but these aren’t the Earth Mother kind or the ones who’d go to Hogwarts to study spells. The members of these covens kind of fall into two categories: the thugs who can do freaky things and the superheroes who may or may not be the good guys. With each member having their own talent or power, when they go at it, it’s a mass of flying lasers, people moving with super speed, levitation and invisibility. It’s very action hero-esque and kind of fun but not exactly witchy in any traditional sense.

My Summary: I didn’t have any real idea what to expect of Jewel’s powers from the synopsis but the word “coven” didn’t cross my mind. I like the way they were written, complete with laser blasts and floating around. I could have lived without the love triangle and more information or a little peek into coven business would have been good, but the characters were wonderful and mostly made me forget any irritation. Now that the world is built, I would love a sequel.

My Rating: B

Filed Under: *B Rating, 2012 Ebook Challenge, 2102 #DFRaT, IF Review, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: Shannon Duffy

My Heart for Yours

May 11, 2012 by Barbara at Basia's Bookshelf 1 Comment

By Stephanie Campbell and Jolene Perry

Self-Published
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: Contemporary New Adult/YA-Mature
Source: Author

For Tobin and Delia, everything was always equal.

A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.

A kiss for a kiss.
Your shirt for mine.
Break my heart, I’ll break yours.

Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.

When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn’t healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.

In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?

Goodreads Summary

I read Knee Deep by Jolene Perry a couple of weeks ago and loved it so much I had to include it in our very first You Ought to Know Indie Friday feature. While I haven’t read any of Stephanie Campbell’s books yet, I was excited enough by Perry’s involvement to jump on the chance to read this. She has a big fan in me and I’m definitely going to have to go look up her backlist for some spare-time-reading.

My Heart for Yours is told in present tense, alternating first person POV, with Perry doing Delia’s part and Campbell writing Tobin’s. In between are small bits of poetry written by Perry/Delia. Alternating POVs has become my new favorite style, 1st or 3rd person and while present tense can take some getting used to, I’ve been reading enough of it lately that it only takes me a few pages to get into. So there, now that I’ve told you what the style is, I can tell you about all that other trivial stuff like characters, plot and things!

Fearless young Eamon tried a crazy stunt one time too many and his family is left mourning his death. Mom is a medicated mess, Dad can barely take care of her and is wandering around in shock the rest of the time so it’s up to his younger brother Tobin to hold things together. He’s been in his own bubble scraped out by grief, when he sees someone at Eamon’s wake he never wanted to look at again. His ex-girlfriend Delia has shown up in a fancy designer dress and expensive shoes, reminding him of the reasons they aren’t together anymore.

When Delia left Tobin, it broke her heart and seeing him again is stirring up old memories, good and bad. She came back because she loved Eamon too and she’s hoping for the closure with Tobin they never had, but he’s so angry. Delia is sick of who she’s become and decides to peel off the persona of a Washington D.C. politician’s daughter and find that real Louisiana girl who shows her cleavage for an illegal beer. Tobin and Delia have some serious issues to work through if they’re going to have any relationship, friends or more, and none of her new life can get in the way of that conversation.

This is a quick story, roughly novella-length, and it works for the amount of time Tobin and Delia have together. As they both re-think their relationship, there are flashbacks to happier times that don’t feel awkward, especially when they include the common thread of their love for Eamon. Some important scenes are seen from both Delia and Tobin’s points of view which made them especially stand out. I could tell you I really like both characters, but my praise would be weak if you asked me specifically why for each of them. Tobin is a nice Southern gentleman, loves his mama and is polite and cute. He’s a tiny bit of a hellraiser and protects what and who he considers his. Delia is loyal, even when the people she’s loyal to don’t necessarily deserve it. She tries to find the best in people, to keep the peace and please everyone – not necessarily perfect traits but she’s doing what she thinks is the right thing. The best thing about both of them is that they’re so normal. They make big mistakes, don’t know how to make them right or if they should, act selfishly, impulsively and in the end say to hell with it and take the risk with their own hearts.

One of the things that attracted me to Knee Deep was Perry’s willingness to tackle the sensitive subject of teenage domestic abuse. I just can’t go into what happened here between Delia and Tobin, but Perry and Campbell have taken another brave step, one I haven’t read before. I hope it will open some good conversation about the book and storyline and maybe even encourage other authors to tackle the subject in a sensitive and smart way.

I had entirely subjective feelings about the ending that were mostly responsible for keeping me from rating this higher. Obviously I won’t reveal what or how it happens, but it’s all taking place within the few days surrounding Eamon’s funeral. The deep romantic in me was dabbing her eyes with tissues but the pragmatic half was wondering what just happened.

My Summary: While parts of the story look like the typical poor boy falls for a rich girl with a jerk of a daddy who’ll do anything to keep them apart, there’s more to this than meets the eye. The alternating POVs, poetry and flashbacks are all done well and make this short story seem longer than it is giving Delia and Tobin a history that goes beyond the few days they’re together because of Eamon’s death. This is full of drama, a couple on the edge of adulthood ready to forgive and move on and if you believe in soulmates, you’ll really enjoy this.

My Rating: B+

Filed Under: *B Rating, 2012 Ebook Challenge, Barbara Recommends, Contemporary/Romance, IF Review, New Adult Challenge, Reviews Tagged With: Jolene Perry, Stephanie Campbell

Scorched Skies (Fire Spirits #2)

April 6, 2012 by Barbara at Basia's Bookshelf 3 Comments

Samantha Young

Purchase: Amazon or B&N
Publication Date: Mar 16, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased

FEAR THE HEAT…

The White King has crossed the line, sounded the horn, sent out the wolves.

When blood is shed and life is lost the reality of Ari’s position as both hunter and prey finally sets in. It seems her father will stop at nothing to force her will to his own and distracted by Charlie’s latest mistake and her seemingly misguided attraction to Jai, Ari never thought to fear anyone else but the Jinn King.

Blindsided and attacked, Ari learns a new wolf has joined the hunt. A dark sorcerer believes he knows a way to bleed the power of the Seal and wield it as his own, and he is even less patient than The White King.

The War for the Seal has only just begun… and it’s time for Ari to turn it on its head.

It’s time for Ari to stop acting like the hunted.

It’s time for Ari to become the hunter.

Goodreads Summary

Five Reasons Why You Should Read Scorched Skies:

1. Jai – You sexy, sexy man

Because life is all about hot guys, right? Right. Jai is definitely at the top of my favorites list of hunky heroes. He’s Jinn, powerful and all about protecting Ari. You can’t help but fall in love with his wounded side, which stems from a tragic childhood spent with his messed up family. In Smokeless Fire, Jai was a bit of a mystery and while I fell in lust with him there, it wasn’t until Scorched Skies that I truly understood how amazing Jai really is. When Ari’s enemies get a little bit too close for comfort and she needs to flee, Jai takes her to his family’s home in California to hide out for a while and regroup. We are able to get a glimpse into Jai’s past and his horrible family, and it’s awful and I cried and I wanted to take kid-Jai away and protect him from everyone who treated him so terribly. Only a truly strong person can overcome what he did and come out okay on the other side. Oh Jai, you sexy, sexy man.

2. The ballsy heroine

Ari spent a lot of time in Smokeless Fire waiting around for things to happen to her. Mostly because she’d been hit with a bomb shell and her whole life is turned upside down. Ari now has to learn how to use these powers she never knew she had, all while fighting those pesky bad guys who won’t leave her alone. Ari flipped the switch in this book, and instead of waiting for things to happen, she went out and MADE them happen. She didn’t let Jai and Charlie coddle her, and she worked her butt off to learn everything she could so that she could defend herself against whatever came her way. I loved her development in this book, and how she took everything that happened to her (the beginning broke my heart! SOB), and owned it. Ari used her loneliness and heartache to become a girl I’m proud of. A girl I can cheer for. A girl I would desperately want as my best friend if she were real.

3. Love triangle shenanigans

What a tough choice for Ari. There’s sexy Jai who sets her blood on fire by his mere presence, but wants nothing more than a client/guardian relationship. Or Charlie, the guy she’s loved for years, but who turned to drugs and sex instead of her when his brother died. Charlie, who went behind her back and chose to become a sorcerer even though he knew Ari would hate it. Each guy wants something else, whether it’s to maintain his professional reputation or to have revenge on the Jinn who killed his little brother. Ari wants someone to want her first, before anything or anyone else. All of this relationship turmoil helped Ari to focus on learning how to use her powers so that she could take care of herself. She does make a choice, but my lips are sealed on who it is and how everything works out. Y’all have to do some work yourself. :-D

4. Gott love the Jinn, baby

One of the things I love most about this series is that it’s completely different from anything else out there. While I love books based on vampire or werewolf lore, sometimes I need a break. I love being able to escape into the world of the Jinn and all their genie glory. Seriously, every time Ari’s creepy father pops into the story I envision Mr. Clean. Or Yul Brynner in The King and I. The old version, not the one with Jodi Foster (which is called Anna and the King). Did I just age myself?

Anyway.

The magic and fantasy in this series is unique, and Samantha Young has an amazing ability of sucking me into the world of her characters. I can’t wait to read Borrowed Ember, which comes out May/June-ish. Speaking of which, have you seen the gorgeous cover for Borrowed Ember? The model she picked for Jai is freakin’ hot! If his gorgeous ~~body~~ face isn’t enough to make you read the series, I don’t know what is.

5. Because I said so

Ha. Just kiddin’ on that last one.

Maybe.