Reading is Better With Cupcakes

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Blackmail Boyfriend - Chris Cannon

Title: Blackmail Boyfriend

Author: Chris Cannon

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Entangled Crush

Publication Date: August 10, 2015

Source: Netgalley

Light and fluffy. Probably the two words that can best describe Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon. This is one of those books you read when you just want to forget about the world around you, but you don’t want anything serious. This book will help you Zen out for a bit and let you lose yourself for a couple of hours.

Blackmail Boyfriend is told from the perspective of two different characters: Haley and Bryce. Haley is your plain Jane, girl next door character. Her parents are middle class and she has to earn what she has got with her own money. She doesn’t even own a cell phone. Bryce is the rich pretty boy jock. He is super popular and can get any girl he wants.

One Monday Jane comes to school to rumors about how she and Bryce hooked up at a party. She isn’t a party goer, so you can bet she was a bit confused by this. Actually, Bryce was too because she didn’t look anything like the Haley Patterson he had hooked up with. It turns out that Bryce had hooked up with the other Haley, but that Haley had lied about her last name. The lie turned out to be a good thing for Bryce because otherwise he would have met the fist of that girls’ boyfriend.

What was not so lucky for Bryce was that the Haley Patterson that he did not hook up with (but now everyone thought he did) did not want her reputation ruined. She agreed to not tell people that it wasn’t she that he had hooked up with as long as Bryce pretended to be her boyfriend for 3 weeks. Thus the title of the book Blackmail Boyfriend.

From there on we follow along with our two main characters as they get to know each other and try to figure out their strange non-relationship. It is quite a little ride that these two go on for the 3 weeks that they agreed upon.

I liked that this book was told from the perspective of both a female and a male character. It let you see into the psyche of each side of this non-relationship. I think Cannon did a great job portraying the two sexes. I had no problem being able to tell the characters apart and Cannon did both of them justice. She developed both of them very well.

Also, I loved Cannon’s cupcake analogy (you will understand what I mean once you read this book). It thought it was really cute and I am glad she kept it up through the majority of the story. It was a great little addition to the story. If it was taken out, it wouldn’t really hurt the story at all, but it definitely gives it something. I also really think the cupcake thing helped create and form Haley’s best friend Jane’s character and Jane is quite possibly my favorite character in the whole story!

You may be wondering since this is a romance book marketed to the young adult crowd about the existence of sex and if it is too steamy, you shouldn’t worry too much. Sex is kind of discussed a bit, but none of the characters actually have any (that we know of at least) during the course of the story. Pretty much there is just kissing and maybe a little bit of making out. Nothing really goes farther than that. It is pretty mild and well done.

In the end I felt as though I had just read a teen romance movie. By no means is this a bad thing! I like it when books read this way. It means I was pulled in and really enjoying myself. I definitely recommend this one!

My Rating

4 out of 5 stars!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Read This! Round Up (#46)

Photo courtesy of Sofia @Platypire Reviews

Welcome to Read This, a collection of book reviews and giveaways that were posted in the past week or so from around the web. This is a collection of book reviews & contests from real reviewers. If you want to be included in the next edition start with the guidelines, then use the submission form.

Want to read more reviews? Check out Read This for a list of the latest reviews and stellar reviewers. You can also follow on twitter for the latest round ups. Read This is now accepting photo submissions for each edition.

CONTESTS

The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak (8/12)
$25 GC courtesay Center of Gravity & Laura McNeill (8/12)
SIGNED copy of Christine Carbo’s THE WILD INSIDE (8/13)
$500 Amazon Giveaway courtesy multiple blogs (8/14)
Win a copy of Black-Eyed Susans (8/20)
$15 GC & Autographed copy of Lemongrass Hope courtesy Amy Impellizzeri (8/20)
Connected by Kat Stiles (8/25)
Musubi Murder Mug courtesy Frankie Bow (8/30)
$50 GC courtesy Courage Resurected & R Scott Mackey (8/31)

FICTION

YOUNG ADULT

-DYSTOPIAN

After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga ~KissinBlueKaren

-FANTASY

Flunked by Jen Calonita ~Reading is Better With Cupcakes

-PARANORMAL

NEW ADULT

ROMANCE

THRILLER

Sunday, August 9, 2015

#ARCAugust 2015 Update (#1)

It has been a pretty crazy ride already this #ARCAugust. I am surprised I have been able to come up for air to be able to give you all an update on my progress.

As you may recall, I created a goal list of ARCs that I hope to get through this August. I am pleased to report that I have made it through a few of them so far. My review for Flunked is actually live now and can be found here.

I have actually had to add a few too. Thankfully I have managed to finish at least one of the new additions so far, but I think my list may actually be longer this week than it was at the beginning of the challenge!

3 down and 6 to go! Hopefully I don't manage to add even more to my pile over the course of this next week...

Completed So Far

Title: Flunked

Author: Jen Calonita

Series: Fairy Tale Reform School #1

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Source: Printed ARC

Title: A Curious Beginning

Author: Deanna Raybourn

Series:Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1

Publisher: NAL

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

Source: Netgalley

Title: The New Wild

Author: Holly Brasher

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Full Fathom Five Digital

Publication Date: August 26, 2015

Source: Netgalley

New Additions

Title: The Accident Season

Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books

Publication Date: August 18, 2015

Source: Netgalley

Title: Legacy of Kings
Author: Eleanor Herman
Series: Blood of Gods and Royals #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Source: Printed ARC

Friday, August 7, 2015

Generation Dead - Daniel Waters

Title: Generation Dead

Author: Daniel Waters

Series: Generation Dead #1

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: May 6, 2008

Source: Purchased

I was initially drawn to Generation Dead by Daniel Waters because it is a novel about zombies and who doesn’t love a good old fashioned zombie novel? I mean, zombies are the dead come back to life. Creatures that were once human that are now rotting and want to eat our brains. Not much can go wrong when you go with a story about zombies.

However, this is not a story about your typical zombies. These zombies are more human than not. In Generation Dead the zombies are not eating humans and they are not really rotting either. Actually, some of them can almost pass as still being alive. They talk, dance, joke, go to school and in some cases even play sports.

Generation Dead is a book about the undead trying to find their way in the world. The zombies are all teenagers. For reasons yet to be discovered only those in a certain age bracket come back from the dead. Thus, being the teenagers that they are, they are sent to school to complete their high school educations.

Not everyone is happy about the undead trying to find their place in society. They do not want to see them go to school, get jobs, hanging out at the mall, or even walking down the street. Also, there are no laws about killing a zombie. It is definitely a hard time to be one of the walking dead.

Our main living character is Phoebe. Phoebe is a goth girl fascinated with zombies and their plight. She recruits a few living friends to partake in a special class for the living and the dead to comingle and get to know each other. She also becomes very close to our main zombie character Tommy Williams.

Tommy is a dead boy who wants to help those like him fit into society. While he finds some that share his hopes and dreams for the undead, he finds many more (both living and dead) that are opposed to it. He actually joins the football team and writes an online blog in support of the zombie plight for equality.

All in all, I thought that Generation Dead was okay. I didn’t think it was anything super special, but it wasn’t bad either. You could easily substitute the zombies for any class/race of people and be able to apply it to reality. This could actually make for some very interesting book club or classroom discussions.

I do wish that the characters didn’t feel so one dimensional. I wanted to feel more from them than I got to. I understand that from the zombies, but I wanted more life from the living (pun intended).

My Rating

3 out of 5 stars

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Flunked - Jen Calonita

Title: Flunked

Author: Jen Calonita

Series: Fairy Tale Reform School #1

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Source: Print ARC

A school meant to reform villains has got to be one of the best ideas ever! Aside from my love of reading retellings of fairy tales, it is what drew me to this book. I mean, who doesn’t want to read a book about the better known villains and possible up and coming villains going to school to learn how to reform their evil ways?

This story takes place in Enchantasia and is ruled by the four Princesses – Rose, Snow, Rapunzel, and Ella. Though their names may confuse you a bit they are better known as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel (I guess Calonita didn’t feel like renaming her) and Cinderella. The four rule the kingdom of Enchantasia in harmony. However, not everyone is happy with how they do things. Especially those who are not of royal blood.

This brings us to our main character – Gillian Cobbler. Gilly is the daughter of the cobbler and lives in a worn down shoe with her parents and 5 brothers and sisters. There is little to no room in the shoe and there is definitely not enough food to go around, especially since the Princesses have decided that the Fairy Godmother can make all the glass slippers for the kingdom. With the lack of money and the desire to help her family at all costs Gilly steals so that she can help provide the things that her brother and sisters need to survive.

Unfortunately for Gilly, while she is off stealing food and a present to give her sister on her birthday, she gets caught. Being her third offense she is then sent to Fairy Tale Reform School (FTRS) and is to remain there until she can correct her evil ways and follow good.

The Fairy Tale Reform School was created by Flora, Ella’s evil Step Mother. Reportedly Flora saw the evil of her ways and wanted to help other villains find their way to good instead of evil. There are some well known faces amongst the teachers at FTRS. There is Professor Harlow (the Evil Queen), Professor Wolfington (the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood), and Madame Cleo (the Sea Siren/Witch from Little Mermaid). These ex villains have found it in their hearts help others find good in the world like they have.

Or have they? Some thing seems a little off at the school and Gilly plans to figure out what it is. She has to do this while keeping her head down and being on her best behavior, even if she doesn’t feel like it so that she can get out and get back to her thieving ways. Her family is counting on her after all.

This story was brilliantly crafted. Jen Calonita must have really stretched her imagination and creativity bone out to be able to come up with this world. There are so many different fairy tales and aspects of fairy tales throughout the story that it is impossible to name every one of them. It is quite a complex world when it comes to a middle grade book.

That is not to say that there weren’t some rough spots in the story. There were a few times I found myself wondering “how did that person get there?” or “who is that character again?”This is a problem which ultimately I had to lower my rating of the book for. The idea behind the story was top notch in my opinion, but sadly there were a few execution issues.

As far as character development goes, it is quite obvious that some characters got more attention than others in this installment. The teachers at FTRS got quite a bit, as did Gilly and Jax. However, other characters that were used quite a bit didn’t get very much at all. Kayla felt as she was half done. Ollie I didn’t really feel like he got any development and Maxine I felt only got a small bit. Ollie and Maxine, as far as characters go, felt as though they were just filler characters so that the group of friends was more than 2.5 people big (Kayla was actually rarely ever around). I have the deepest hope that all of the characters get rounded out much better as the story line progresses.

I think at times Calonita’s complex universe that is Enchantasia got in the way of the story flowing as smoothly as it could have. Also, trying to cram all the information to introduce use to this world was probably no easy task. I have high hopes that this issue will be taken care of in the next book in this series. We have already been introduced to so much in this world that I don’t think a lot of it will have to be rehashed in the same manner.

Overall, I do recommend this book to middle grade readers. I think that they will really enjoy it. However, I am not sure if it will appeal to adult reader that likes to read books from this age genre, as it can be pretty fluffy at times, more so than other very popular books in this age bracket.

My Rating

3.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

This review is based off of an ARC provided by the publisher for a fair and honest review.

Monday, August 3, 2015