Book Fidelity
  • Currently Reading
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • By Author
    • By Title
    • By Trope
    • Favorite Authors
    • Book Series
  • About
    • For Readers!
    • For Authors & Publishers
    • Celia's Faves
    • Challenges >
      • Rory Gilmore Challenge
      • A Book From Every State
      • Horror Books
  • Shop

Introducing.....Ally Condie's Summerlost

3/29/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
​Praise:
 
A Spring 2016 Kids' Indie Next List Top 10 Pick!
 
Named one of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s and YA Books of Spring 2016
 
« “Condie (Matched) strikes a deep emotional chord with this coming-of-age story.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
« “Multiple, seemingly random details, including a family of turkey vultures that now roost outside Cedar’s window, an absurd soap opera narrative of a woman buried alive, and Leo’s quest for a trip with his father, coalesce into metaphors that help Cedar make sense of her grief and the life she now has to look forward to. Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections.” – BCCB
 
“A moving tale of friendship and loss. I loved these characters—I wish we could have been friends when I was a kid.” –Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms series
 
“Ally Condie’s first middle grade book might also be my favorite out of ALL her books to date. Summerlost is a story packed with nostalgia, heart, and gorgeous prose.” – The Novel Novice
 
“A nuanced portrait of grief deeply grounded in the middle-school mind-set.” – Booklist
 
“Honest, lovely, and sad.” – Kirkus Reviews
 
“A sweet, heartfelt story.” – School Library Journal
 
“Achingly good.” – Summer Laurie, Books Inc.
Letter from Ally:
 
Dear Readers,
 
I think most of us have had our hearts broken. Sometimes we can see it coming, and sometimes it comes down with the unexpected force of a sudden gale of wind or a rising of waters that we thought were still and safe. Loss is universal to human experience, but the way we each feel and recover is one of the most personal things we do.
 
In Summerlost, Cedar is dealing with the loss of her father and younger brother. And my intent was to show how hard their deaths are for her. But this is also a book about the healing power of friendship. Most of us have been broken-hearted; I hope that most of us have also discovered the miracle of friendships that were just what we needed. Cedar and Leo’s friendship is based on someone I met when I was twelve. Like Leo, my friend was fun and liked to enlist me in crazy adventures (although we never gave a secret guided tour of our town the way they do in Summerlost). And, like Leo, he thought I was wonderful and of worth at a time when I needed it most.
 
SUMMERLOST is my attempt to pay tribute both to the pain we feel and the friendships that save us. Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for your willingness to give Cedar’s story a try. I hope it makes you think of a wonderful friend of your own, whether that is someone you met in the pages of a favorite book or outside, in the world where it is often hard and beautiful to live.
 
Best wishes and happy reading always,
Ally Condie
 
_____________________________________________________________________________________
 
Links:
 
Buy:
Penguin Random House: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534589/summerlost-by-ally-condie/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399187197/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399187197&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summerlost-ally-condie/1122291979
Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399187193?aff=penguinrandom
a Rafflecopter giveaway
1 Comment

Review: Blest

3/24/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Blest
by Blaise Lucey

Synopsis

Growing up in a small suburb of St. Louis, sixteen-year-old Jim Blest has always known that he’s different. But he never thought he’d find someone else like him until the beautiful and mysterious Claire Morgan moves to town. When they kiss for the first time, the force of it is earth-shattering—literally. And then everything Jim has ever known suddenly changes.


As it turns out, Claire isn’t like him. He is an angel, and she’s a demon.

At a school where ancient enemies live among humans in a wary truce, Jim and Claire fight to be together against impossible odds. But a timeless war looms on the horizon, and they stand on opposing sides . . . 


From debut author Blaise Lucey comes a breathtaking and action-packed story of heartache, sacrifice, and forbidden love.

Review

This is a head-scratcher. This review will involve spoilers, btw.

I was really happy to read a book about angels. That's probably something I hardly read about. And to read about demons too...that was nice! You know what I mean... 

The head-scratching is because I enjoyed parts of this book, but others left me...confused. The mythology, main characters, the way the angels are introduced are awesome. The main thing I didn't like was the fact that Claire and Jim fell into instalove. I feel that there was hardly a base of love between the two of them to account for so much sacrifice and, well, evil in this story. There is understanding that happens between them, but love? I wasn't convinced of it. And since this story is based on that, well, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt like we didn't get to learn about other characters which made me not care about them.  Sad, but true. 

I'm still going to recommend this book because I read it to the very end wanting to know what happened. I can't guarantee that I will pick up the next in the series (it ends on a cliff hanger-ish scene), but I can say that I honestly enjoyed the mythology and world-building that was started in this book. 

0 Comments

Review: One of the Guys

3/18/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
One of the Guys
by Shiloh Walker

Synopsis

Jaynie knew that her fiancé had some serious ménage fantasies going on, but she never expected to catch him acting them out. As if that pain isn't enough, he tells her she couldn't be a real woman if she tried. Reeling from the double blow, confidence shattered, Jaynie turns to Brian, her sexy partner at work. One night, she tells him. She wants one night with him, no strings attached.Brian feels plenty of strings and it's as if all of them are pulling him toward Jaynie. She's sexy, she's funny and she haunts his dreams. Memories of that one night keep him awake and he's dying for another taste of her.But Jaynie doesn't seem at all interested. What's a man to do?




Review

*squirms uncomfortably* I don't like leaving negative reviews and I hardly do, since I'm a fairly good judge of what I am going to enjoy reading. But it does happen sometimes, where I don't like a story/book. 

Okay - so - there will be spoilers, but not for much as I did not finish this book, readers. *stares at screen, ready for the BOOs*

I know I know - hear me out. I just couldn't find the want in me to finish this book. I will provide you with my opinion with the first 50% of the book, which is what I read. 

Jaynie walks in on her scumbag of a fiance having a menage a trois with another woman and a friend of his. He basically makes her feel bad for not being a "feminine girl" and this pretty much (and understandably so) shatters her confidence. I mean, her FIANCE said this to her - yeah, I don't blame her for that punch in the gut. 

Jaynie turns to her friend who lets her stay in her and her brother's home. Said brother, Brian, is of course a handsome guy that happens to be Jaynie's boss/co worker. Since she had her confidence blown to bits and feeling a bit less than girly, Jaynie asks Brian for a one night stand - no strings attached. They have a pretty sexy night and after that Brian can't seem to stop thinking about her. 

Now - up to this point, I'm a little bored with the story. I've read sad romance stories before, but this one was just...BLEAK. I don't know if it was because the thought of Jaynie's womanhood/femininity was based solely on her fiance or if it's because there is almost no insight into Jaynie and Brian's relationship BEFORE the one night stand. I mean - they worked together...wouldn't they have something to talk about, to fall back on? 

Anyway, I was still with the story until the second sexual encounter. It included anal sex. The anal sex is not what turned me off of the story. Brian does ask her if it's okay, and she does give consent. BUT at one point, she says, "Brian, stop it...please. Oh shit, it hurts." I hate to get all XXX rated with you all, but I'm not being gratuitous. When I hear STOP IT, I hear STOP and NO. It's the way I am - it's the way I understand things. So, when Jaynie says this, I WANTED HIM TO STOP. 

But he didn't. 

I don't care that her body kept egging him on - I care about what she said. And it would have been just fine if Brian would have just stopped and, hey, maybe they try again later since now she knows how it feels. 

That part just really turned me off and I saw Brian as this guy that was just after the sex and his physical satisfaction. This isn't want I look for in a romance or love story. My opinion may not be your opinion, and that is just fine. We are all entitled to like what we like - I just didn't particularly like this. 

0 Comments

Review: Best Friends with Benefits

3/18/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture


Best Friends with Benefits
a Most Likely To novel
by Candy Sloane

Synopsis

Seven minutes in heaven never felt so good…
​

Valerie Barkin and Alec Rogers survived bullies, awful parents, and seriously shitty social standing the only way best friends can—together. But with the unexpected sexual tension suddenly flaring between them, surviving their ten-year high school reunion might be a different story…
​

Val hasn’t changed. She still feels like the stringy-haired band geek the popular kids teased, but Alec has definitely changed. He’s now the front man for the Grammy-winning rock band Chronic Disharmony, with the sexual reputation to match. And he’s more than willing to help Val rock the reunion.

And then it happens—a drunken game of Seven Minutes in Heaven—and their fourteen-years-long foreplay comes crashing to the forefront…changing everything.

Seven minutes turns into a weekend of mind-blowing, no-strings-attached sex. But these best friends won't be able to leave their hearts out of it forever, not when the most meaningful benefit could change their relationship for good.

Review

My heart is a flutter with this story because it is basically every non-requited crush dream come to life. *dreamy sigh* But I digress - beware of spoilers!

I am usually not a fan of the best friends turned lovers story - I don't know why exactly. This story, however, was different in that the best friends have been apart for many years and when they first see each other - they don't expect the attraction to be as present. Val is coming off of a break up from a guy who didn't ever want to marry her and Alec is the quintessential bad boy rocker. There is definitely a sweetness when they are together and that tender side eventually gives in to their growing attraction as they attend their high school reunion. 

I definitely liked how our two protagonists were once geeks and are now pretty cool, each in their own right. I also appreciated how being back in their hometown brought back insecurities - you never can escape everything about high school, right? With each other's support, however, they're able to move past the bullies and annoyances of their youth. I enjoyed how even though Alec is a big time star, he still has affection for his best friend and is not a cocky jerk. He's pretty goofy and funny - with a twist of sexiness. 

There were a few things I didn't enjoy, but I was able to ignore in order to enjoy the story. One was Val's fixation on getting married. I can take it that rejection is horrible - and the concept of rejection is a big part of the story - but I didn't like that not being proposed to equaled "there's something wrong with me". I wish Val could have shown how much she's grown as a person from the get-go instead of when Alec enters the picture.  The other thing I didn't like was how Val's encounter with one of her bullies, the school's "mean girl", happened. Alec stands up for Val and Val gets back at her bully - but in a "under the radar way." I would have loved seeing Val square off with her bully, face to face, and finally standing up for herself. 

The end was pretty good and it does end in a proposal - but not in the usual way! I really was grateful for that because it did not hinder my liking the story. Since the story is told from a dual perspective, we know that Alec is going to propose, he's got the ring in his pocket and everything. What's different is that we don't read about him actually doing it or read about Val saying yes - the reader knows she's going to say "yes." That, worked out perfect for me. See? I'm not totally against proposals at the end of books!

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much I read it in a day :) I recommend it to my romance lovers out there!

0 Comments

Review: Loving the Odds

3/17/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Loving the Odds
What Happens in Vegas #14
by Stefanie London

Synopsis

He's a risk she's willing to take...


Risk analyst Bailey Reuben might be in Las Vegas, but the last thing on her mind is sin. She’s there to find her jerk of an ex and get her grandfather’s watch back. Instead, she finds a smoking hot stranger. A stranger with a crazy plan to help her retrieve her family heirloom and get revenge. It’s a bad idea—she calculates risks for a living, after all—but she can’t say no. 


Bad boy PR guru Lance Fulton is all about helping the gorgeous, quirky Bailey. She’s in desperate need of some fun, and pretending to be her new boyfriend is the perfect way to help her see how sexy she is, get the watch, and show her ex what he’s missing. But the more they get to know each other—and the hotter their attraction burns—the higher the probability one of them will end up with a broken heart…

Review

Excuse me while my romance-loving heart gushes warm goo everywhere.

Got a visual? Sorry!

I loved this novella! I usually dislike stories that have an insta-love quality to them (hello enemies to lovers catnip!), but this was a novella so there was a reason for things to happen quickly and I LOVED IT. Seriously - Lance is a cutie and Bailey is a focused woman who realizes she kicks butt. And the whole story takes place at a romance book convention in Las Vegas???? How meta - I love it!

Love love love!

It's such a short story, I don't want to give cute details away, but here are 3 thoughts I will leave you with: one, more romance novels should take place at romance book conventions; two, this story could have been a huge book and as long as the insta-love was drawn out and the characters remained the same, I would have read it through and through; and three, I very much appreciated that the two women in question did not fight over a man, did not even DISCUSS the man, and Bailey actually appreciated the encounter with her. Bravo. 

Oh, and a bonus for using the name Bailey for our female protagonist...love it!

0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

      Want to receive monthly highlights from Book Fidelity? Sign up!

    Subscribe to Book Fidelity!
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Alpha Hero But Not A Douche Hero
    Angels
    Anthology
    Anxiety
    Arranged Marriage/marriage Of Convenience
    Author Spotlight
    Awesome Women Doing Awesome Things
    Badass Heroine
    Bad Boy
    Better Luck Next Time
    Biker Guy
    Billionaire Bad Boy
    Book Blast
    Book Blitz
    Book Haul
    Bookish Gift Ideas
    Book Pile
    Books About Books
    Book Spotlight
    Boy Next Door Romance
    Campus Romance
    Cemetery
    Challenge
    Children's Lit
    Christian
    Christmas Read
    Christmas Romance
    Chronic Pain
    Classic
    Coffee
    Collection
    Coming Of Age
    Con Man
    Contemporary
    Cover Reveal
    Cozy Mystery
    Crafty
    Crime Fiction
    Cross Stitch
    Curvy
    Death
    Death As A Character
    Dystopian
    Enemies To Lovers
    Entangled Pub
    Erotica
    Erotica Lite
    Existentialism
    Fae
    Fairy Tale Re Telling
    Fairy Tale Re-telling
    Fake Relationship
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Realism
    Fantasy Romance
    Feminism
    Fever Series
    Fiction
    Final Girls
    France
    Friendship
    Friends To Enemies
    Friends To Lovers
    Funny
    Gargoyles
    Geek Love
    Gift
    Giveaway
    Greek Gods
    Grumpy Hero
    Guns
    Hacker Girl
    Hard Science Fiction
    Highlander
    Hispanic Fiction
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Romance
    History
    Hockey Romance
    Holiday Read
    Holocaust
    Horror
    Hot Rocker Romance
    In Progress
    It's A Movie!
    Karen Marie Moning
    Las Vegas Baby
    Library
    Life Of A Reader
    Literary Fiction
    Love Story
    LoveStruck
    LSBBT
    Magical Realism
    Marriage Of Convenience
    Meh
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Meta
    Middle Grade
    Monthly
    Murder Mondays
    Mystery
    Nerdy Hero
    Nerdy Heroine
    Netgalley
    New Adult
    Newsletter
    New York
    No Male POV
    Nonfiction
    Non Fiction
    Non-Fiction
    Novella
    Paranormal
    Paranormal Romance
    PG/PG-13 Rated
    Philosophy
    Plus Size Heroine
    Poetry
    Political Fiction
    Promo
    Psychology
    PTSD
    Racism
    Rape Culture
    Readathons
    Reading Habits
    Recovery
    Regency Romance
    Retelling
    Revenge Love Story
    Rich Boy
    Romance
    Romance Author
    Romance Read
    Romance Read Wednesday
    Romance/Thriller
    Romantic Suspense
    Romantic Thriller
    Sage's Blog Tours
    Science Fiction
    Scorched
    Scots
    Second Chance Love
    Self-Help
    Series
    Sexy
    Short Read
    Short Stories
    Short Story
    "soft" S&M
    Sports Romance
    Spotlight
    Starbucks
    Steampunk
    Suspense
    Suspenseful Romance
    Sweet Candy Press
    Tag You're It!
    Talia Hibbert
    TBR
    Texas
    Texas Bloggers
    There's A Dog!
    Thrift Book Haul
    Thrift Books
    Thriller
    Trigger Warning
    True Crime
    Urban Fantasy
    Vacation Fling
    Vaginal Fantasy
    Vaginal Fantasy Friday
    Vampires
    Werewolves
    Western
    Workplace Romance
    Xpresso Book Tours
    Xstitch
    Ya
    Young Adult
    Zine

    Archives

    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly