We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

ARC

     I'll admit that this one was a little confusing for me. When I was sent a review copy I was so excited because it sounded so mysteriously good! I can't say that it was fabulous, but I can say that it made me keep turning the pages. I just had to know what happened to the main character.
     This book is marketed with not much of a synopsis which intrigued me. The reader is told that if asked about how the book ends to lie about it. What?! That made me want to read it even more. What could possibly happen in this book that it warrants so much secrecy? Secrecy it must be, though. I just don't know how to review this very well without giving something away.
     In short, this is a book about a young girl and her cousins plus one cute boy that spend each summer together on a family-owned private island. There is fun, romance, mystery, and tragedy throughout the story. The plot was an interesting one. How it ended made it especially interesting. I'm not saying that I liked the ending, which I did not, but it all made for a big bang.
     My biggest question is: why were they called The Liars? That question doesn't seem to get answered. I felt that the prose was halting, and I remained confused for quite a bit of the time.
     I hate that I didn't love this book, but sadly I did not. There are some redeeming qualities: the characters, the mystery, and the tragedy. Yeah, I know. That seems kind of sadistic, huh? All in all, the tragedy was beautifully sculpted, but the execution of the rest of the book, especially that darn ending, was just insufficient.
     I gave this book 3/5 stars.

The Wreck of the Nymph by Don Flood

Netgalley ARC

     Bwah, bwaahh, bwaaaahhhh! FAIL.
     I hate to be so harsh, but this book just didn't cut it. When I first read the synopsis I thought it sounded really good. Sadly, it did present as a disappointment. The premise of this story is one that will evoke excitement and a spirit of adventure, but the pacing was wham, bam, thank you ma'am. I understand that this is only 130 pages long, but it could have been so much more. Maybe if it had been a longer book where the author could have taken the time for development of the plot, the book could have been a success.  As it is now it's more like a flop.
     Character-wise, the book doesn't give us much to like. The character Amanda, who I thought was the leading lady, leaves much to be desired. I felt like there wasn't anything to connect to with her. She's just plain horrible. She is manipulative, greedy, and shallow. I wish that the author would have took the time to maybe build her character so that we could see why she was that way. There needed to be a glance into her past so that we could understand her. Next, we see Kyle who stirs a little something in the heart by the end of the book, but still there wasn't much time to truly know him. Honestly, he seems like a love-sick puppy that is weak and a push-over. There are a couple of bad guys and a few other characters thrown in but no one to truly connect with. All in all, I pretty much hated the characters except Kyle who I was just barely fond of.
     So what is the book really about? Well, it's supposed to be about Amanda, a reporter who is nearing 30 and is presented with a get rich quick scheme. Really though, the book is about "everyone." There was so much flitting from one character's point of view to another's that sometimes it was confusing. We hear what everyone is thinking, even characters who don't really stake a claim in the story, but just have a fleeting appearance. Ok, enough with this tangent. So ask me again.
     So what is this book really about? Apparently, there was a ship that went down off the coast of Delaware that had a bounty of treasure. Amanda joins ranks with Kyle, a professor, and a couple of bad guys to search for this treasure. Many of searched for it with no success. What follows is a line of crazy antics that left a bad taste in my mouth. This may not have been the case if, once again, the story had been carefully built.
     I gave this book 2/5 stars because I liked the premise, but the actuality of the book disappointed.

Tattoo Sketchbook by Nate Powers

This book was sent to me for review via LibraryThing.

     Nate Powers is very talented with his art. This book is full of beautiful images--colored as well as black and white. The viewer is given drawn images as well as tattoos. I do feel that the theme ran very dark, though. Skeletons, zombie-like portrayals, and other dark images were presented. Even the angelic images had a dark edge to them. Although they were drawn very well, I found myself wishing for more themes. I love tattoos and have a few myself so I was looking forward to reviewing this book. I would like to see Mr. Powers show less dark themed tattoos. If he can do more than what is presented in this book it will really show his talent.
     I gave this book 3/5 stars.

Rock It by Jennifer Chance

Netgalley ARC

     Lacey Dawes works at a talent agency that represents Dante Falcone, who just happens to be the guy of Lacey's dreams. She has followed his music career since it started years ago and went through a period of obsession with him.
     Lacey's dreams come true when Dante chooses her to be his temporary manager for his Dream It tour. She gets to spend two whole weeks in his presence! Although she tries to be professional the fangirl in her may just have to make an appearance.
     Dante Falcone has been in the music business for years and even though he enjoys the music and his fans he's getting burned out. When Lacey comes along she brings him relief and exactly what he needs.

     This book was definitely enjoyable for me. It was the first time that I had ever read about a rocker. I can't say that the story blew me away, but it was a fun and entertaining read. I found Dante to be a complete jerk to begin with but he made me like him by the end of the book. Lacey is a likable character but her "slight" obsession with Dante was a little annoying at times. I know that she is still young when she meets him but she seemed immature at points in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed the book despite its flaws. This is a book meant to be enjoyed for its entertainment factors not how well it is written.
     I gave this book 4/5 stars and recommend it.

EC Readers

     So I joined EC Readers yesterday to help spread the word about Ericka Clay's new novel, Unkept.  I get the privilege of helping a writer get her book and information out there! Yay! I'm so excited to be included in this group!
     Here is a link to Ericka's video about her novel.


http://bit.ly/1jYlrK4


Next is a link about what EC Readers is all about.


http://bit.ly/1jeIfae


Last but not least is a link to Ericka's YouTube channel.


http://bit.ly/1dzZpPo


Alright, you have all the info you need for the moment. Now get to clicking on those links! Ha!

Hell Without You by Ranae Rose

Netgalley ARC

    Clementine left her small town home life behind seven years ago. Leaving in the dust the drama and hurt that would scar her heart, she embarked on a journey to college and bettering herself. After finishing school, she makes a short return to her hometown on her way to getting the job of her dreams. During this visit Clementine comes face to face with Donovan, the very reason she had to leave home seven years ago.
     Donovan left town seven years ago as well, to fight in a war that has battered his mind. He is back and buys Clementine's grandmother's house in hopes that one day he will see Clementine again. His very heart resides with her, and when she left town she took his heart with her. Now back in the same town together, Donovan is determined to make Clementine his again.
     With no one around to make decisions for them these two have choices to make. Does Clementine allow herself the pleasure of a relationship with Donovan after seven years of yearning for him? Does Donovan forgive Clementine for leaving him seven years ago?
     This story was full of drama, lust, mystery, and love. I fell right into the pages with a nice long sigh. Ranae Rose weaved together the perfect amount of everything that makes a story captivating. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Clementine and Donovan, as well as, the mystery and drama that seems to surround their relationship.
     I rated this 5/5 stars and highly recommend it.
    

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger

Netgalley ARC

     This is a fun and adorable story for the little ones that allows them to learn colors as well as rhyming. Each verse leaves out the very last word so that the children can guess it. Clues are provided by way of the rhymes and colors on each page. Each page is full of beautiful and entertaining illustrations of elephants of various colors participating in different activities.
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I imagined myself reading it to a group of children that would guess the missing word of each verse. This book would be so much fun in encouraging group participation. As soon as I turned to the first page I was taken in by the beautiful artwork and color schemes.
     I rated this book 5/5 stars and highly recommend it.