Book Review - Significance, Shelly Crane

So this book is free at the moment Amazon UK link (opens new window)

Books by Shelly Crane

Shelly Crane on Goodreads

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track, but her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has. 

                                                                                                            

Then she meets Caleb. 

                                                                                                             

She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing, but she's supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. Things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally. 

                                                                                            

They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive. Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him. 

                                                                                                                          

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

Review

So far i have read the first 3 books, I do plan on finishing the last book next week. Now these books are full of cheese lots and lots of cheese...I know what your thinking

But for some strange reason, I love these books they brought out my gooey girly side. There is a big problem Maggie's brother is called Bish (I imagine him to be so hot!) but Bish....I have no idea why this name makes me want to laugh every time I hear it but I totally do.

There are a lot of characters to get your head round and when they are in London meeting all the family's I had to stop a few time to really think who that person was or who there partner was, but overall i guess it wasn't too bad. In general I liked most of the characters, the bitchy ones acted that way and everyone seemed to stay in character.

For the most part the story flows great but a few parts dragged on (I did skim read a little here and there), and this has more drama than Eastenders on crack. A few parts of the story didn't fit too well with me and seemed to be more for convenience than anything, like what happened to her brother and dad...but saying that there may be a reason in the last book so I might change my opinion on this.

If your guilty pleasure is instant love then BOOM! this book give you a reason for this.

If you love supernatural and are looking for a better love story than twilight then BOOM!

Overall I give these 3 books 3.5/5

I'm trying to update and link all my accounts together and set up my reading challenge again..

My Goodreads
Facebook Page

So far on my healthy eating which is going really well i'm 4 lb off losing 2 stone woop woop, I will do a proper update soon.

Promise You Wont Tell by John Locke - Free Kindle Month

Free on Amazon UK

“I think something might have happened to me Saturday night. Something bad.”

Private Investigator Dani Ripper’s client list is nuttier than the Looney Tunes conga line, but she diligently solves one crazy case after another, waiting for a game-changer.

Enter Riley Freeman, 17-year-old honor student.

Saturday afternoon Riley quietly placed a little strawberry sticker on her private area and pretended it was a tattoo. She didn’t tell anyone about it. That night she went to a slumber party that featured drinking and boys. Riley fell asleep, woke up the next day with no reason to think anything happened…

…Until Monday, at school, when a classmate called her Strawberry.

Coincidence or crime? Dani agrees to investigate. And the roller coaster ride begins.


My Thoughts

The style this book is written in will be a love it or hate it kind of thing. I think if your not into it by the first few chapters your not going to like this book.

The story I liked, it was a bit far fetched but I did like the way it all came together. While I found many parts amusing which I felt it needed for the serious story under the humour, I do feel a more serious ending might of been better (not sure it just didn't feel real). The story had a fast pace and moved along quickly, I was always left wanting more. it was very quirky and I enjoyed the writing style.

The characters I did really like, I loved Dani the way she talks and thinks about things, the way she interacts with people is very enjoyable. But Riley and the teenagers just felt very unreal, that acted so mature and there is no way they could of put this plan together.

I just found this a very quick enjoyable read, I can see why some people didn't enjoy it but I have a very sarcastic sense of humour and loved how this book was written.

I would say give this book a go, its clever in the way its done but unbelievable at the same time. I enjoyed this book very much and will but buying more of John Locke's books.

I give this book 4 out of 5

Follow me on Twitter

Or Goodreads

New Facebook Page

Love Gone Mad - Mark Rubinstein

Amazon UK
GoodReads

This book follows the story of Adrian Douglas and Magan Haggarty. Adrian is a surgeon he is very good at what he does and is recently divorced, Megan works in the same hospital in the ICU. They meet at lunch one afternoon in the hospital cafeteria, they hit it off straight away. Megan has something going on in her past that might be catching up to her putting them both in danger.

I do like the idea of the story, but I find it over describes and goes in to too much detail about things I think aren't necessary, in some places I find it works but in others I found it boring and interrupted the flow of the book.

Here is a part when he meets Megan and sits with her for lunch

"Settling into the chair, Adrian realizes he's been on his feet since six thirty. Maybe he's a candidate for orthotic inserts. No wonder most surgeons retire by age sixty. So...at forty, he's got twenty more years of cracking chests and mending hearts. Plenty can happen in twenty years, he thinks. Twenty years...I can't think that far ahead...and I don't want to think of the past. Steam rises from his soup in a vaporous cloud. It's too hot to slurp. The bowl, the soup's aroma, and the plastic tray remind him of the dorm food at Cornell; they bring back the verdant rolling hills of the Finger Lakes, rowing on Cayuga Lake and playing centre fields on the varsity baseball team. It's amazing-Ithaca, New York-merely a whiff away."

To me a lot of this is nothing to do with anything, I don't really want to know what's going on in his head constantly. Its really draining, its not to say I didn't like the story I did.
I liked Conrad I thought he was an ace character I think everything about him was done really well, every time he was in the story I could feel the tension. While I did like Adrian and Megan I found them a bit boring...I liked the relationship I thought they were sweet and I did care about them and wanted things to go well for them, but just something felt a bit bla about them. They do have the instant love thing going on which normally I hate but I felt this was done fairly well.
The twist I did figure out before it was revealed I think it was a good idea but unbelievable at the same time.
The story is general is fine I just feel it could be tweaked and this would make it loads better, it has a really slow pace, and while I was interested in the story I didn't really want to pick up the book again.
I can see why people like the book but the over describing thing is really a deal breaker for me, its slowed everything down far too much I think I would of enjoyed the story a lot more if this was toned down.

Pushing The Limits - Katie McGarry

Pushing The Limit on Amazon UK

 

Product Description

They say be a good girl, get good grades, be popular. They know nothing about me. I can’t remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from popular to loner freak. And my family are determined to keep it that way. They said therapy was supposed to help. They didn’t expect Noah. Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But the only one who’ll listen. The only one who’ll help me find the truth. I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden. But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules? A brave and powerful novel about loss, change and growing up, but most of all love.


“The love story of the year” - Teen Now


“A romance with a difference” - Bliss

My Thoughts

Can i just say to start i normally get books amazon recommends to me or that seem to have a really low price or has amazing reviews. At the moment i seem to have loads of romance books, and this seems to be a teen book, when looking though the list of books on my kindle i choose this book thinking it wasn't another romance (just by the title). Just thought i would throw this out there as I'm sort of getting fed up of these books and finding them boring.


Anyway...We are reading this from the point of view of Echo and Noah, this was done well i have no problem knowing who was who (many books don't do this well).

Echo and Noah are both troubled Echo has something going on in her past that was so traumatic she can't remember it, she has scars on her arms, her brother was killed and her whole life has changed from being miss popular. Noah's parents died in a house fire and he is in a foster home, hes a stoner and while he is clever he doesn't apply himself at school. So they both meet when they see the school councilor and Echo is offered a job tutoring (bet you'll never guess who she ends up tutoring)


So now we all know where this is going, did this book offer anything different?

Yes and No for some reason i liked Noahs character but Echo fell flat (maybe i just can't get over her name) but i wanted to know Echo's back story i wanted to know about the scars and what she couldn't remember but apart from this i wasn't interested in the story.


It was a weird read for me as i felt the story was looping and not moving forward, going over the same issues and not adding much, i was getting frustrated. The book didn't grab me i could of put it down and never picked it up again, wouldn't of bothered me.


There was a moment in the book i really liked when Noah meets Echo's dad it was a really sweet moment and it was the point i started to like her dad.

When i finished the book i thought it was sweet, but I'd forgotten about it within 2 minutes, i love it when i can't forget about a book and it sticks in my mind but this one just didn't....at all.


It wasn't unreadable, i mean it was fine it didn't take up too much of my time, it was written well, but meh!


for me its a 1.5/5


My next book wont be a romance i will make sure i read what the book is about before i dive in.

Suicide Note - Teresa Mummert

Amazon 77p Suicide Note

This book follows the story of Jenn and Shane,
Jenn is very career orientated and wants to move up, but she has a boss who doesn't seem to like her (or anyone for that matter) She was engaged to Thomas but found panties under the pillow of her bed and he just didn't come home one night.
Her sister is getting married which doesn't make her feel better especially when we find out who the guy is.
Shane is a sergeant in the army fighting the war, when he calls home finds his fiancée can't cope with him being in the army and is now with a dentist, so his home coming plans change and he goes to stay with his cousins family.
This is where the two main characters cross paths as Shanes cousin is Jenns boss.

I like the way the story is written it changes from The POV of Shane and Jenn, without being too confusing. (altho at some points its would say something in shanes POV about Jenn, that he wouldn't know as he wouldn't be there to see it. Like they would be talking on the phone and it would say Jenn picked up a glass of water ..... He wouldn't know this)

I liked the chemistry between Jenn and Shane and also the cousins family (really can't remember his name) some very funny moments. I wont lie there were moments where I cried, I can't imagine having my husband be away for that long not knowing if he would make it home.

Its a boy meets girl book but I think it had enough depth to make it a good read, I did have some problems with the story:

The way her sister, mum and dad act like Jenn is being unreasonable. That whole thing was unrealistic, I really hated Jenns family for making her go through that. But then by the end your expected to like them as all is forgiven. These people are evil there is no way you could make me like them, and I don't think Jenn would of gone to the wedding even if it was her sister. And expect the reader just to flip into liking the family. I get Jenn is alone and going through a bad time but this part of the book wasn't done so great. (as I was writing notes I just have a big WTF! When this happened)

I did like the ending it was sweet (maybe too sweet for some) but I'm all emotional at the moment anyway and I loved it :)!

I would give this book a 3.5/5 it didnt take too long to read and I did like most of the story

Thursdays in the Park - Hilary Boyd and Candy Store

Thursdays in the Park - Hilary Boyd

Amazon Kindle Link - Currently 20p

Product Description

What do you do if you've been married to a man for half your life and out of nowhere he leaves your bed – permanently? When this happens to Jeanie, she's furious and hurt, and determined to confront George, her husband of thirty years. Is he in love with someone else? What did she do wrong? He won't tell her.

The brightest day of her week is Thursday, the day Jeanie takes her granddaughter to the park. There, one day, she meets Ray and his grandson. Ray is kind, easy to talk to, and gorgeous – everything George isn't. She starts to live for Thursdays. But does she have the courage, in the teeth of opposition from all sides, to turn her life upside down for another shot at love?

My Thoughts:

At the beginning I thought this book was going to be interesting, 10 years of no sex, he just ups and leaves the bed one night with no explanation. Then the book seems to drag on, I wanted to know why but the story takes forever to move on, just seems to waffle on with itself.
Just really didn't get a feel for it, It just didn't seem the way real people would act in that situation. The book did pick up towards the end and I liked the ending, just didn't seem worth the effort of reading.
Its not a horrible book, didn't take long to read, the writing is fine. For 20p I can't really complain too much.

1.5/5

I also read Candy Store which is free on kindle at the moment

Candy Store Amazon Kindle - Free

Product Description

On the verge of losing her candy store, Callie Moore decides to blot out her troubles with a tall, dark, handsome stranger. Derek McNear isn't about to turn down a cute, curvy woman at his best friend's wedding reception. But the next day, when Callie discovers that Derek is the consultant she has hired to save her store, they find it difficult to concentrate on business...

CANDY STORE, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre, is a 25,000 word / 150 page sexy contemporary romance novella.

My Thoughts:

This is an easy read, you know what's going to happen. There is a lot of sex in this book, all they seem to do is have sex which means there isn't much of a story.
Normally you have two people meet fall totally in love they forget to breath around each other, some sort of misunderstanding happens, they fall out, have it out (or find out from others) realize the mistake and all is well. The misunderstanding here last 2 seconds might as well not of been there at all, its OK...its A short story so its not like it took up much of my time. I've read worse, it fine for what it is just don't expect too much of a story behind the sex (which I thought was written well).

2/5

SHOWTIME (Marvelle Circus, #1) Book Review

Link to amazon kindle book

This book follows the story of Laila, who is unhappy with her life and is given an opportunity to change things.
This book has very dark moments along with amazing descriptions about the circus and the acts, also some humor which just makes this book a good all rounder.
The backstories and characters are amazing you really feel like you know these people and I can imagine them so well, how they look/act.
I didn't realize just how much I was invested in everyone until the last few chapters where I was crying like a baby.
Chloe Kayne did an amazing job at putting you right there with everyone, I really felt like I was watching the circus and walking alongside the characters and I could understand why they reacted the way they did. I guess the best way to put it is everyone just felt so real they acted the way you would expect them to.
I loved this book, the only problems I had was the start I got the gist of what was going on but found it a bit confusing, and the first few chapters seemed to go a bit slow (alto I understand this as you need all the back stories, and details as this is the 1st book) but wow this book really took me along for the ride.
I'm really sad towards the end when it said next one is due 2014.....I can't wait

4.5/5

Rule and Tempt Me

Product Description
I loved Rule Archer since the first moment I ever laid eyes on him. He was everything I shouldn't want and the only person I went out of my way to not try and please. He only saw me as a brat, as an entitled, stuck up princess but worse than that all he saw when he looked at me was his deceased twin brother's girl. It broke my heart because as much as I had loved Remy Archer there was never anything romantic between us and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that loving Rule was a terrible idea, my poor heart just wouldn't listen. We tolerated each other, barely. We forged an uneasy alliance until one night I had too much to drink and changed the way we were forever. Suddenly life long secrets were no longer hidden and the one thing I always wanted for myself seemed obtainable as long as I was willing to go through hell to hold onto it.

Shaw Landon was a class act and I had no idea what to do with her. She was tied to my family, tied to the person that was my other half so I tolerated her and her haughty attitude because I didn't have any other choice. What I didn't know was that a short skirt and too many cocktails on her birthday was going to change my outlook on her for the rest of my life. Some people thought I hid behind all my tattoos and piercings, that I tried to distance myself from my dead twin, Shaw saw through it all and wasn't scared of what was underneath.
We weren't supposed to be together, weren't supposed to be anything except uncomfortable acquaintances but that all changed in the blink of an eye. Now I had to figure out just how a girl like her and a guy like me were supposed to be in love without destroying each other. Add in her custom made ex and two disapproving sets of parents and the whole situation sounded to me like it was more trouble then it was worth.

My Thoughts

This is a very typical love story, its how most of them seem to head, two people who seem very different fall in love.

This story doesn't stand out from the rest of them but isn't the worst I've read. Its cute, heads in the direction you think it will and even the secrets are very easy to work out.

The characters were great I really liked them, none of them seemed fake or acted out of character.

If you want a easy read I would give it ago, its not great but not bad.
2.5/5

 

Free on Amazon Kindle

 

Product Description

Nina Valentine is done with New York. After spending the last year struggling to make it as a painter, all she has to show for it are bills she can't pay. Out of money and sick of struggling, she decides it's time to pack it up and head back to her hometown in New Hampshire.

When she meets Ian Sinclair at her going away party, Nina's instantly attracted to his dark, smoldering looks and lean athletic body. When he asks her back to his apartment, she's willing to overlook the fact that he's a high-powered lawyer. It's just for one night, and guys as gorgeous as Ian don't come around every day.

Ian has never had a problem getting women into his bed, but after his hot night with Nina, all he wants is more of her. So he makes the curvy painter a deal - stay in the city for a few weeks and he'll take care of everything.

Nina agrees, even though she knows better than to get attached. He's a rich corporate suit, she's a struggling artist. But as the connection between them deepens and Ian takes her to places she's never been - both in and out of the bedroom - Nina doesn't know how much longer she can resist.

Tempt Me is a 28,000 word steamy romance novella.

My Thoughts

I got this with it being free and a short story. The way they hooked up I get, but the things that progress from this point seem so unreal. Nobody would act this way even if you were lusting after someone, I found myself cringing with the choices she makes going from feeling like a whore to acting like one, but saying she doesn't want to be one. Eurgh! I finished the story so it wasn't that bad, but there are better short stories like this around. Its free and wont take up too much of your time, but I wasn't a fan.

 

The school gates, Nicola May

Link to book (Amazon)

Product Description

At 3.10pm every weekday, parents gather at Featherstone Primary in Denbury to collect their children.

For a special few, the friendships forged at the school gates will see them through lives filled with drama, secrets and sorrows. When Yummy Mummy Alana reveals the identity of her love-child's father, she doesn't expect the consequences to be quite so extreme. Ex Czech au-pair Earth Mummy Dana finds happiness in her secret sideline, but really all she longs for is another child. Slummy Mummy Mo's wife-beating husband leads her down a path she never thought possible, and Supper Mummy Joan has to cope when life deals her a devastating blow.

And what of Gay Daddy Gordon? Will he be able to juggle parenthood and cope with his broken heart at the same time?

Four very different mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I really liked all characters, and they were all very different. Everyone had there own problems and was nice to see different friendships develop. Didn't take me long to finish I was really into the story.
The big problem was keeping up, sometimes I couldn't remember who was who, as the story just changed from one family to the next without any notice, wish it was made more clear. As I would read a good chunk of the book thinking it was one person and turns out not to be that person at all. I was more confident who I was reading about around half way through the book, but it shouldn't take this long, it took a lot of the enjoyment out of the book. Its not like you can go back to double check as it will just change from one paragraph to the next.
I think I would enjoy this book if I read it again, being more familiar with the characters. But while I liked the book I wont be reading again.
Its such a shame as the story is great, just a huge let down the way it was put together.

3/5

 

Short Stories

I have to say short stories are my guilty pleasure, you dont have to concentrate too much and they get to the point, I spend a lot of Sundays reading short stories. I have recently come across Lisa Scott

Amazon Page (Opens new window)

She does have some free short stories, I got a few and enjoyed them so much I bought the bundles. If you like romantic movies that you know 100% where the story is heading, no matter how corney and cheesey you know its going to be but love it anyway, you might want to give these shorts a try. If you try out the free ones, there all along the same lines, not too much difference they all seem to head the same way, but I love them all the same.

With my body

Well to start I found this book hard to get in to, the chapters are short and I found this distracting, each chapter starts with a quote or lesson, I did read them at first but didn't bother by half way through, again found them distracting and pointless.
I started to get past this towards the middle of the book, but took a long time to adjust.
The main part of the story is a housewife who loves her husband they have 3 boys, but life is getting on top of her, and she isn't the person who she thought she would be and is loosing herself. She frustrated, restricted and feels like she is loosing control of her life. She keeps thinking about something/one in her past.
The first part of the book, I found her to just be moaning constantly and instantly didn't like the character if it was a bit more subtle then I would get it, you can feel lost when everything is about your children, but the way she was carrying on I just wanted to tell her if that's the only thing she has to worry about life is too good to her.
Now I started to get into the second part about her childhood it made the first part make sense, I started to get into the rhythm of the book, and I wanted to know where it was leading.
But then the middle (meant to be a sexy book) I found odd and disturbing, a school girl with an older guy, a lot older. Really unsettling, I don't know if you were meant to feel sorry for Tol but I feel he got what he deserved in fact he should of been locked up.
I liked the end of the book, I thought it was heading in a different direction, but I'm so glad it ended the way it did.
I wont be reading again, and I'm not going to recommend, I think there are better books out there and the abuse in the book really puts me off, just felt so wrong as I was reading, I'm not sure if that was the intension.
 2/5