The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lili Anderson

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You

by Lily Anderson

Blurb from Goodreads:

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Dr. Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side. 

What I thought:

I loved this book. Smart and funny, fast-paced, and the mystery kept me guessing until the end (which hardly ever happens). The characters are so well drawn and (no spoilers--though I did see it coming pretty early on) this trope is one of my favorites.

Trixie is the quintessential unlikable/lovable character from page one, and I adored her. Ben is her nemesis, complete with a villainous curly mustache. Lili Anderson paints a vivid picture on every page and I couldn't stop turning them. Can't recommend this book enough and I'm giving it all the stars!  *****

Find it on Goodreads for more reviews and links to buy. Drop me a comment and let me know what you think or find me on twitter @chellypike.




Happy Reading, 

Chelly



*I received an eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange

for an honest review, and I honestly loved it.

THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN by Roshani Chokshi

My review of THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN by Roshani Chokshi:



From Goodreads:

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire...

But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself.

A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-Touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget.

What I thought:

From the first page, I loved this story. Cursed and ostracized, Maya is at once charming and heartbreaking. I wanted to hold her hand and follow her through the story, and I'm not a hand-holding kind of girl. Wow. The language here is stunning and the world building is expertly done. 

Amar. Sigh. His words. Sigh. I seriously couldn't adore him more. It's hard to explain what this book did to me without spoilers, so I'll just say that I savored every page. I highly recommend this book. 

*I received an eARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I honestly loved it so much that I bought a physical copy so I could pet it like a kitten. This one gets all the stars ***** and you can find it on Goodreads to order your very own because you need this book in your life.

Are you dying to read this? Have you already read it? What did you think? Leave me a comment and find me on twitter @chellypike.


Happy reading, 
Chelly

P.S. Can anyone please tell me where I can acquire my very own demon horse? Because I need one.

MY PERFECT MISTAKE by Kelly Siskind

MY PERFECT MISTAKE by Kelly Siskind




Goodreads says:

What happens in Aspen
is definitely not staying in Aspen. . .

A girls’ trip to Aspen was exactly what Shay needed to forget about her toxic ex-boyfriend. She’s got her girls, pristine slopes for skiing, and hot guys everywhere. Of course, her epic self-rediscovery goes completely to hell when a wild (and deliciously hot) skier knocks Shay on her ass . . . and war is declared. 

Kolton doesn’t know what it is about Shay that makes him lose it. Not just his cool—although she does have an unholy gift for that—but his restraint. When anger gives way to explosive chemistry, they’re both shaken with the intensity of it. But somewhere between lust and hate, Kolton and Shay realize they could have something real . . . if they don’t kill each other first.

My thoughts:

Hate-to-love is my favorite romance trope.

The beginning of the book is explosive. Hot. Hot. Hot. Their chemistry is off the charts. I loved the immediate connection (figuratively and literally) between these two. Shay is snarky and funny. She's self-aware and ...complicated. Kolton is smoking hot and pushes all Shay's buttons. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

No insta-love here. They're both carrying some serious baggage and have to put aside their pasts to find their Happily-Ever-Afters. Real life and past relationships test them at every turn. I'm not a big fan of kids in romance, and there is a kid in this one, but it works here to show the other side of Kolton.

Overall, I really loved MY PERFECT MISTAKE. I'm giving it 4.5 stars and highly recommend it. If you haven't read CHASING CRAZY, click the link for my review. Trust me, you need both.

Happy reading,
Chelly

P.S. Have you read it? Are you going to read it? I'd love to know what you think. Leave me a comment or find me on twitter @chellypike.

THE INFIDEL STAIN by M.J. Carter

                           

 

The Infidel Stain

M.J. Carter

It's 1841, and three years after we left them at the close of The Strangler Vine, Blake and Avery are reunited in very different circumstances in London. There has been a series of dreadful murders in the slums of the printing district, which the police mysteriously refuse to investigate, and Blake and Avery must find the culprit before he kills again.

My thoughts:
I loved THE STRANGLER VINE and was excited for the sequel, but I found the beginning of THE INFIDEL STAIN a little slow. The author, for me, relied too much on characterization built in the first book, which took away some of what made the relationship between Blake and Avery work so well. Blake isn't as much of an enigma now.

So the pace wasn't as quick as I'd have liked, and the setting, London, wasn't as evocative, but the mystery was front and center and I love how the author weaved everything together. Secondary characters are well-drawn and alive on the page and the city was a character in itself.

The action picked up around the 50% mark and all the things I loved about THE STRANGLER VINE were back on the page--the fast pace, Blake's quiet, mysterious charm, Avery's internal struggles, and the pieces of the mystery falling into place.

I'm hooked and will definitely read whatever M.J. Carter writes next.

Find it here: Goodreads

Happy Reading,
Chelly

Let me know what you think. Leave me a comment or find me on twitter @chellypike

CHASING CRAZY by Kelly Siskind

My Review of CHASING CRAZY by Kelly Siskind:





From Goodreads:


Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.

At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime’s worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going—across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake.

Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life.

Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret—and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.


What I thought:

I've been in a bit of a reading slump--as evidenced by the stack of books I need to review--but CHASING CRAZY showed up in my Netgalley a few days ago. I read the first few pages and bumped it to the top of the list. And then I plowed through this baby in one day. So glad I did.

Never have I ever played Never Have I Ever, because, seriously, I might die of alcohol poisoning, but I'd risk it if I could play with Nina and Sam. Oh my God, they are...oh my God. The first scene had me laughing aloud. Nina is awkward and insecure and Sam is scarred and insecure, and they're perfect for each other and I wanted to smoosh them together and have a happily-ever-after before the end of chapter one. But I didn't want it to end. So there's that. Conflict.

Traveling through New Zealand gives great scenery, and that both Nina and Sam are there to start over starts a ticking clock. When will they have to go back to their old lives? The characters and their many layers are so well constructed. The pacing is flawless and the conflict is so true to life. And it's hot! Did I mention it's hot? The sexual tension is off the charts and the smexy times get all the freaking stars.

And I can't say anything else without spoilers, so I'll just say go buy it.


If you love romance, I highly recommend CHASING CRAZY and give it all the stars. *****
Find it on Goodreads for more reviews and links to buy.

*I received an eArc of this title in exchange for an honest review, and I honestly loved it.


What are you reading? What should I read next? Drop me a comment or find me on twitter: @chellypike

Happy Reading,
Chelly

My Favorite Books of 2015: INK AND BONE, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN...

My 5 Favorite Books of 2015:




My Review of INK AND BONE by Rachel Caine:

OMG, y'all.  Words fail me. Not really, but how can I do justice to this book?

Having never read anything by Rachel Caine before, I didn't know what to expect. Now that I've finished INK AND BONE, I want to read everything she's ever written. How did this happen? I blame everyone who has ever read one of her books for not smacking me across the head and forcing one of them into my hands.

The pacing is dynamic, effortless, and I couldn't put it down. The story is brilliant, complex, and perfectly executed. The layers of character and conflict are so well handled that I'm in awe. Speaking of characters, I love them all. Each and every one of them is alive on the page. The book has everything. I plowed through it at warp speed, because I had to know what happened next, and now I want to read it again to savor the details. And I will read it again. It's going on my keeper shelf. INK AND BONE is the book by which I will judge all future books!

This one gets ALL THE STARS ***** and I need extra stars. I want to cover it in STARS.

*I received an electronic arc of this title from FirstToRead in exchange for an honest review and I honestly loved it.

Yes, you need this book in your life, so find it here on  Amazon or go to Goodreads for more places to buy.



Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (and the rest of the series as well):

Yes, I know it's been out for a while, but I just picked it up this year. There aren't enough happy adjectives. I love everything about this book. Flawless. Wow. It's that good. This is a series that I will re-read many times. Love.



Rodin's Lover by Heather Webb:

Last year, Ms. Webb made the list with BECOMING JOSEPHINE. I didn't even know I liked historicals until I picked it up. RODIN'S LOVER came out this year and I devoured it, as I will everything else Ms. Webb writes. She picks the most brilliant subjects and writes a perfect story. Yes, I gush.



Burned by Karen M. Moning:

BURNED is the 7th book in her fever series, and while I suppose it could stand alone, it shouldn't have to. If you haven't read the first, DARKFEVER, pick it up, but don't plan to accomplish much while you get lost in this series. Spoiler (but not a spoiler because I don't do spoilers): Barrons might be the most perfectly imperfect alpha male ever to grace a page. Sigh.



THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renee Ahdieh:

Technically I read an ARC of his in 2014 but it releases this year and I re-read it so I'm freaking counting it again. The next in the series doesn't release until 2016 and I'm already considering what, if any, illegal activities it might take to get my hands on it early. Mwahahaha.




Yeah, so this book makes six. *shrugs* But I had to add it anyway. There are some things about OUTLANDER that I love, love, love. The book is phenomenal, the characters are so well-drawn, and the story is complex and riveting. Jamie. Sigh. Enough said. Claire is brilliant. There are a few things that drew me out of the story, but they are all stylistic aspects of D. Gabaldon's writing. This is a first-person narrative, and the POV is that of Claire, but she summarizes other character's dialog that's not shown on the page, which (while reading) seems like a POV shift. I had to back-track a few times to get my bearings. But, the story is so amazing that I love it anyway. Overall, I very enthusiastically recommend this series and the STARZ adaptation, because OMG Sam Heughan is the perfect Jamie Frazer.

So, there's my list. Next year's list will likely be comprised of many 2015 releases because I have a TBR pile that could topple and crush me at any moment. Some books I have vowed to read in 2016:

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir
A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU by Claudia Gray
MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera

2016 books that I can't wait to get my hands on? Well, there are too many to mention all of them but THE ROSE AND THE DAGGER by Renee Ahdieh and FEVERSONG by Karen M. Moning top the list.

What are your favorite reads of 2015? What are you looking forward to in 2016? Share in the comments or find me on twitter @chellypike.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading,
Chelly

WENDY DARLING by Colleen Oakes

My November reviews:




Title: WENDY DARLING by Colleen Oakes

First the blurb:

Wendy Darling has a perfectly agreeable life with her parents and brothers in wealthy London, as well as a budding romance with Booth, the neighborhood bookseller’s son. But while their parents are at a ball, the charmingly beautiful Peter Pan comes to the Darling children’s nursery and—dazzled by this flying boy with god-like powers—they follow him out of the window and straight on to morning, to Neverland, a intoxicating island of feral freedom.

As time passes in Neverland, Wendy realizes that this Lost Boy’s paradise of turquoise seas, mermaids, and pirates holds terrible secrets rooted in blood and greed. As Peter’s grasp on her heart tightens, she struggles to remember where she came from—and begins to suspect that this island of dreams, and the boy who desires her—have the potential to transform into an everlasting nightmare.

What I thought:

This story started out slow for me, but I connected with some of the characters (namely Wendy, Booth, & Michael.) There was a lot of page space devoted to developing the setting and less devoted to character development. I had a hard time finishing this and, when I did finish, I'm still shaking my head wondering what I just read.

I don't usually do spoilers in reviews, but...I'm going to here, because I don't know how else to convey why I'm giving this two stars. (Highlight blank space below to view spoilers.)


Peter Pan shows up around the 30% mark and the Darling children head off to Neverland. I expected the action to pick up, and it did. Momentarily. There were pages and pages of scenery--the vegetation described in exacting detail, the lost boys, the tree--and I put the book away for a few weeks. Good instincts, I think.

Peter starts out charming and doting on Wendy. The go on an *adventure* to steal wine from Hook and Wendy starts to see more of the real Peter. Things quickly decline. Wendy remembers where she's from and her parents and all the things she'd forgotten, and wants to go home. Peter gets all possessive and rapey and WTF. He threatens to kill her brothers unless she agrees to love him.

So...basically, that's the plot. Oh, and Tink's in it too. She tries to kill Wendy a few times; after the last time, Peter beats the crap out of her.

I don't mind difficult themes in fiction. But I think it should have a purpose. This seems plot driven to me--as in there wasn't a plot and this stood in for one.

Overall, there were some parts I liked. Some of the scenes were beautifully detailed, but this book was not for me. I gave it two sad stars **

There are some glowing reviews for this title, so maybe it's just me. If you want to give it a try, find it on Goodreads and let me know what you thought.

*I received a free eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading,
Chelly

P.S. I love comments. Give me some book recommendations or just say hi. You can find me on twitter: @ChellyPike