ARC Review: Scarlet

my thoughts in a few sentences: OW. I just kicked myself for ignoring this book for as long as I did. Scarlet is such a beautiful, perfect story jam-packed with action like you wouldn't believe and a romance that... I seem to have lost my words trying to convey the depth and exquisiteness of the tricky, confusing romance found within the pages of this story, not to mention the dark and raw characterizations that overcame me and devastated my heart. When will I be going on another adventure? I demand more!

hooking first lines: "No one really knows 'bout me. I'm Rob's secret, I'm his informant, I'm his shadow in dark places."

Rating: Special Shelf | Walker/Bloomsbury • NetGalley • Historical Fantasy • 2/14/12 • about $12

ARC Review: Fracture

Fracture

by Megan Miranda

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: BookDepository
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Walker/Bloomsbury
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Sud Kissed

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

The first time I died, I didn't see God. No light at the end of the tunnel. No haloed angels...

I'm not exactly certain why my brain repelled the idea of reading this book. It was like all the stress from this past week was being pinned onto this book and I instantly took several steps back. But when I finally hunkered down and started reading, I wanted to slap myself into a stupor for being so irrationally reluctant. A blend of two of my favorite genres, Fracture hit high scores for both its paranormal and contemporary facets. Anna at Anna Reads described it perfectly by connecting it to both The Body Finder and If I Stay, because that's one of the best ways to epitomize the sadness, guilt, and Delaney's miraculous recovery permeating the story.

The mystery of Delaney's unexplainable retraction from death kindles questions in our heads that we can't ignore while reading about her return to her once normal life. Our hearts go out to this young girl who was once carefree and happy, her only concern resting on where to hide during a game of manhunt while donning a bright red parka in the snowy white of her world, and who now has the role of the miraculous guilt-ridden survivor of a horror that has killed so many before her. What makes me so special? is her on-going dilemma that begins to fester and block out what's really important--like how her best friend has feelings that don't belong in someone who's just a friend. This survivor's guilt plagues her, and the sadness disarms us, clogs our throat as a result. Even when her guilt and sadness vaporizes her sense at times, we're subtly persuaded to sympathize with her, and all those around her who suffer alongside her.

Fracture is told entirely from Delaney's perspective, but the easygoing, simplistic connection running from us to Decker provides us with such insight into his feelings. Unlike half-done, far less appealingly written friendships, it's abundantly clear how well these two characters know each other, how deeply embedded they are into each others' lives. Their romantic spark just adds another delightful layer to their relationship, although at times we want to pull our hair out from the understandable, yet totally frustrating one-step-forward-two-steps-back transition. Their moments run from wrenching to heartwarming, and it's so hard to determine which their next scene together will fall under. At the same time, this aspect is so well-written and agonizing and genuine, that we're pleased when hope flourishes for what they may have together.

I expected to hate this one and was stupidly amazed when I realized I didn't once I hit the end. If the opportunity to read something else of Megan Miranda arises again, I won't waste time with foolish doubts.

"Are you insane?" Decker looked me over.
"What?" I asked, hands on hips.
"You're not serious."
We were on our way to play manhunt. Most kids played in the dark, wearing black. We played in the snow, wearing white. Unfortunately, Mom had gotten rid of last year's jacket and replaced it with a bright red parka.
"Well I'd rather not freeze to death," I said.
"I don't know why I bother teaming up with you. You're slow. You're loud. And you're target practice."
"You team up with me because you love me," I said.
Decker shook his head and squinted. "It's blinding." (1%)

ARC Review: Stolen Away

Warning: As I am a die-hard fan of Alyxandra Harvey, this review may be a TAD biased.

Stolen Away

by Alyxandra Harvey

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Walker/Bloomsbury
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Special: YA/MG Fantasy Challenge
Source: NetGalley
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

When a cute guy dressed like a Victorian pirate kneels in front of Eloise the day after her seventeenth birthday, she knows that something strange is going on-and that's before he vows to be her champion and mentions her flaky aunt, Antonia, who's gone incommunicado once again. But this appearance isn't a coincidence, and when Eloise is attacked and pushed into an alternate world called Faery, she becomes embroiled in the underground politics of this world. Her captor is Lord Strahan, the ruler of Faery who is desperately clinging to his throne and will do anything to keep it. The only one who can break his power is his wife, Eloise's aunt Antonia-and Eloise has become his bargaining chip.

Now Eloise must find a way to save her aunt from Lord Strahan, and she'll need the help of her best friends Jo and Devin, along with the other Fae captives of Strahan's hall, including his son, Eldric. With a whole world of Faeries out to get her, Eloise must stop Strahan both worlds are thrust into complete chaos.

"I hate this town," Jo complained. "There isn't a single hot guy anywhere."

Alyxandra Harvey's books are like pockets of gleaming treasure; they typically have everything I want - great romance, a fast-paced, blood-pounding story, and characters and prose that are full of charm and humor. Personally, I think Harvey is a writing genius, so after hitting up vampires and ghosts, I was ecstatic for her take on faeries! Which are creatures Eloise Hart never imagined encountering in her relatively ordinary life. After being sought out in an open crowd by a guy clothed in an outrageously old-fashioned get-up, spouting out obvious nonsense about mysterious kidnappers on the hunt for her, Eloise hasn't a clue about the hidden supernatural world that's about to clash with hers. And it'll be up to the teamwork of she and her friends, along with unlikely relatives, to untangle the muddled mess born from this complicated, unbidden merging.

An inseparable, witty, hysterical trio, Devin, Eloise, and Jo are such enjoyable characters to read about, with their entertaining interactions being some of the highlights of this read, however they weren't as fleshed out as I typically come to expect from Harvey or as I'd've liked. Unlike with her other novels, I felt as if we absorb the surface of these characters and don't acquire a deeper look inside. Still, although I wouldn't say the three became my best buds by the end of the book, I loved how each of them balanced out their friendship and truly came through for each other, even when that meant trying to save their best friend from the capture of one power-hungry faery king or enduring the company of an irritated, bitter ancient faery with a penchant for insulting their intelligence. Despite their pitiable lack of knowledge for faery lore, they each brashly bust in guns blazing for those they care about, though the situation could be termed dire. It's damn near impossible to refrain from liking and admiring them.

With rapidly flourishing romances, the two couples that emerge in the story could be chalked up to 'instaluv.' But here's the thing: even when writing an instaluv-esque romance, Harvey still knows how put the swoon in swoon-worthy when it comes to the chemistry, and, oh, THE KISSING. Harvey should definitely be written down as one of the Kiss Scene Mastahs. I like how the romance was woven into the story, although I do wish there was more of it. And I enjoyed watching the sweet, tension-filled build-up in each relationship, leading to that first kiss, that first admission of feelings for one another. It was sweet and happy at times, sexy at others, and even wrenching. I'm no fan of a romance without substance, but I thought Harvey did a wonderful job considering the circumstances within the novel.

What's shouting in my brain is, I wish there had been more! I wish there was going to be more! Stolen Away did feel a bit rushed and not as thorough as I've know Harvey's novels to be; it should've been either lengthier or stretched out into, at minimum, a two-story arcing plot. While I won't say Stolen Away outshined the faery books that have dazzled the market, it was a fun, fast-paced adventurous tale that colors faeries in a sinister and exciting shade, and gave me another reason to love Alyxandra Harvey!

Eloise: "Eloise."
I squawked like a chicken being plucked bald. I had the most attractive reactions; I couldn't think why I didn't have a hundred boyfriends eager for my company.
Still, when you found someone hiding in the shadows of your roof garden, a little screeching was healthy. Elvis hissed and darted past me to the safety of the apartment. Fat lot of good he was to me.
"How did you get up here?" The fairy lights caught the silver of his sword hilt. A sword hilt. "Did you follow me?" (6%)

Jo: "Where's your mother's stash of PMS chocolate?"
"Behind the dried lenthils. But it's for emergencies."
"Hello?" I pointed at her. "Kidnapped." Then at myself. "Shot."
"Good points. Give me a piece of that."
I rolled my neck. "I hurt all over. Elf darts, my ass. I'm getting myself a water gun full of holy water."
"We're not after vampires."
We stared at each other in horror. (58%)

Review: Bleeding Hearts *no spoilers*

Bleeding Hearts

by Alyxandra Harvey

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase at Amazon?
Release Date: TODAY
Publisher: Bloomsbury/Walker
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Requested from Publicist
Rating: Special Shelf
Previous in the Series: Hearts at Stake (#1) 
Blood Feud (#2) Out for Blood (#3)
About the Book:

Violet Hill is under attack by the ruthless Hel-Blar vampires, who are determined to take their rightful place alongside the other vampire clans at the Blood Moon gathering. The royal Drakes might be powerful, but their love for a mere human - Lucy - leaves them vulnerable. The Hel-Blar's plan to exploit the weakness goes horribly wrong when they try to kidnap Lucy but take her cousin Christabel by mistake. Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother's newly forged vampire alliance?

Bleeding Hearts starts up right where Out for Blood left off, and I was instantly immersed in the next Drake brother's story. It could be Harvey's stellar writing - the descriptions are so lyrical yet not overly expressive -  or her ability to craft such lovable, charming characters full of believable thoughts and feelings, but I LOVE THE DRAKE CHRONICLES. Harvey's Drake series is what I like to call crack books; they're so addictive and compelling that although they may not be flawless they still somehow manage to be your favorite. Book one for me was simply okay, but my interest quickly perked up in book two followed by book three. Up until this point, Blood Feud had been my favorite. Not so anymore after reading this dark, staggering installment in the series!

I wanted to bask in the narrative, to drag this read out so that I could stay in the world Harvey masterfully pulled me back into far longer than I could afford. My main reasoning for even liking Hearts at Stake was because of Lucy Hamilton, a best friend and treasured friend of the family. Heck, she is family as they are to her. So when I realized as I began reading that the book was split into three perspectives, following Lucy, Connor, and Lucy's cousin, Christabel, I wanted to break out in song and dance (mind you, I have a terrible voice and two left feet)! Lucy is an adorkable character - you know, cute, funny, quirky - with spunk and snark written into her personality as well. She brings the mindless laughter, the human side of things, and as a bonus, her boyfriend, Nicholas Drake, tags along wherever she goes. A little known fact: every single one of the Drake brothers will turn up the temperature and incite hungry staring wherever they happen to crop up.

Connor and Christabel, I seriously love you! Throughout the series, I've gotten a cross between sexy and steamy and sweet and soft as far as romance. But Connor and Christabel's romance is a slow, steady fire that gradually grows bigger and bigger until heated kiss after heated kiss is shared, very nearly giving me an asthma attack (another little fact: I've never had asthma in my life!). And what makes Bleeding Hearts that much more amazing is that all of the couples are tied in to this one. So, Lucy, Nicholas, Logan, Isabeau, Hunter, and Quinn all have their sugar-sweet and spicy moments that put stars in my eyes and made my heart all gooey. My love for this series has been steadily building since Blood Feud, but it exploded in giant, bloated red hearts in Bleeding Hearts.

Though these books have a contemporary setting, the detail and world-building are rich and fun to read. I think what makes these books work so well is Harvey's insight into the teenage majority. I know, because I am a teenager! Our species speak and act and interact in a certain way, always evolving as the the decades shift. Harvey really captivates the essence of this generation's batch of teens, making the dialogue and physical comedy that much more appealing. Harvey brews a combination of amazing narrative voices, adrenaline-spiking action and tension, heart-thumping, sweet and sexy romance, sprinkled with all the little things I love about this series but can't quite name in this latest bewitching, thrilling sequel! The (cruel) cliffhanger made the final moments of this book all the more exciting!

The Drake Chronicles is a delicious concoction of characters, romance, and VAMPIRES, which leaves me breathless time and again, and all I want is more. In fact, more now would be excellent.

Note for fans: There's also a riveting super special exclusive bonus Drake story inside at the back of Bleeding Hearts, so don't miss out!

Lucy: Shrink-wrapped condoms fell onto the rag rug. "Unbelievable." I marched down the hall. "Mom!" I heard them in the kitchen, boiling water for chamomile tea...
"Stop hiding condoms in my stuff. It's like some twisted Easter egg hunt in there."(37)

---

Christabel: Lucy shot me a conspiratorial grin. "If you tell her [my mom] I eat white sugar, I'll tell her you're antisocial and depressed at school. She'll make you hug.
"She wouldn't," I said, even though I know she would.
Nathan snorted. "When I came out, she made me hug her," he confirmed. "And she baked me a cake."
"She baked you a cake?" I echoed. "For being gay?"
"A stevia-sweetened, organic, whole-wheat cake for being brave enough to come out," Lucy said proudly. (89)