Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Title: Romanov

Author: Nadine Brandes

Publication Date: 7th May 2019

Pages: 352

Genre: Historical Fiction

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As soon as I noticed this book I fell in love with the synopsis, I've always been fascinated by the Romanovs and this is the first retelling I've found. The perfect blend between historical fiction and fantasy.

Nadine Brandes is a fabulous storyteller, adding magic in an otherwise heartbreaking story. I was hooked from the very first chapter. The story follows Anastasia as she is confronted with difficult decisions while in exile, we are introduced to the Romanov family while they're kept as hostages by the Bolsheviks. Nastya needs to overcome the stress and monotony while trying to find a way to save her family.

If you're looking for historical accuracy, this is not it. You'll find some historical facts mixed heavily with the author imaginative as she is trying to make you share the feelings of all the characters.
After this magnificent introduction to Brandes prose I had to run and get one of her other books, Fawkes, I'm loving it so far, review to come. 

Playing Hooky Review

Title: Playing Hooky

Author: Rita Webb

Publication Date: January 17, 2013

Pages: 100

ISBN: B00B2D6EEA

Valentine’s Day. And Emma's 21st birthday.
Just another college day full of classes and more homework than is humanly possible.
…until Jason, her best-friend-since-kindergarten, shows up to take her out for the day.
Like old times: the two of them on a wacky adventure, playing hooky from real life. With his lopsided grin and tickets to a circus full of misfits and monsters, he introduces her to a whole new world—one full of magic and mystery—and turns her reality upside down.
Except nothing goes as planned, and they end up running through the city to find a missing siren before someone brews a love potion with her blood.
Sirens and love potions, witches and elves, and Valentine kisses. Nothing will be the same for Emma again

Playing Hooky is a short but very entertaining novella, We are introduced to Emma on her 21st birthday, everything starts like an ordinary day, I mean, as ordinary as any of Emma’s birthdays anyway, suddenly her best friend from childhood, Jason, appears in the story and her day is full of unexpected adventures.

When I started reading I was immediately caught in the world that Rita created, a world full of magic, unicorns, sirens and many other interesting characters. The only problem I had with the book was that it was too short. I wanted to know more about Jason. I fell in love with the story; Emma and Jason had an amazing chemistry and made me smile throughout the book.

I don’t want to give much of the book away since is so short but if you like paranormal and fantasy this is a world you don’t want to skip. We are presented with mystery, fun and witty romance with a healthy dose of paranormal.

The author creates a world of magic unlike anything I had found recently. I enjoyed the alternating POV’s between Emma and Jason as much as the banter they had going on. Overall this was a quick and awesome story.

I received this book from Rita Webb. All opinions are honest and my own.

Candy and the Cankersaur Review

Title: Candy and the Cankersaur

Author: Jason Sandberg

Publication Date: June 17, 2012

Publisher: Jason Sandberg

Pages: 32

ASIN: B008CG1S96

This is the sweet and funny tale of a young girl named Candy and a Cankersaurus Rex! Candy receives a dinosaur as a gift and is determined to train him to be a good pet.

This is a story of a little girl named Candace Courtney Wellesley Wellington but everyone called her Candy, Her father Mister Wellington is a very busy dad, he wishes he could spend more time with his daughter and one day he decided to buy her a Cankersaurus Rex. Candy immediately starts training her dinosaur.

I don’t usually review children books but since I’m open to any genre when the Author asked if I was willing to make a review for this book I immediately accepted. You see, I have a 3-year-old boy that is crazy about dinosaurs and since it’s a book directed to children I decided to make this review with him. When we started reading this book my son was fascinated by the illustrations and as we read along I could see how much he was enjoying the adventures of Candy and Cank he was paying attention to the book till the end and appeared very entertained with the story.

I was pleased to see that this book addresses friendship and responsibility in a very understandable way for the kids, it also teaches parents to try and spend more time with their little ones. Overall a cute and quick read for the children.

I received this book from Jason Sandberg, all the opinions are honest and my own.

Hysteria Review

Title: Hysteria

Author: Megan Miranda

Publication date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Pages: 336

ISBN: 9780802723109

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others. In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again

Hysteria is a book that kept my attention throughout the story. We are introduced to Mallory as she is being accused of a murder, her boyfriend’s murder. I was excited to read this book since Fracture; Miranda’s first novel was one of my favorite books of 2012 with her ability to pull you inside a story I had high expectations about this thriller.

We get flashes of the past and the present as Mallory struggles to remember the night that changed it all. Her parents send her away to a boarding school since everybody in town is talking about the situation. But even if she is in another place she still feels Brian’s presence and has terrible nightmares involving what really happened or is it?.

Not everything is as great once she is in Monroe Academy there is more challenges for her to comfront including another murder and some mean situations. I have to warn you it gets a little gory at times but that’s just what makes the story feel more real.

After all of the traumatic events Mallory is left broken and Reid the new love interest is the one to help her, he is charming and it’s at her side in spite of everything. Her best friend Colleen was a nice character but nothing too special.

This book kept my attention and I couldn’t put it down, even if Mallory was just plain strange at times I ended up feeling for her. I liked the complications that where scattered through the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that kept me from giving a higher rating was the ending, it just fell a little flat for me, but if you like suspense, Miranda’s books are great in their own way and I’ll keep reading her work in the future.

I received this book from the publisher, all the opinions are hontest and my own.

Confessions of an Angry Girl Review

Title: Confessions of an Angry Girl

Author: Louise Rozett

Publication date: August 28, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 272

ISBN: 0373210485

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…
1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?
2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.
3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)
Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.
(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)
(Sorry. That was rude.)

Confessions of an Angry Girl is a fun contemporary novel. In this book we are introduced to  Rose Zarelli a fourteen year old girl with anger issues, her life is far from perfect and her whole world is crumbling at her feet, everything in her life is changing and not for good, her father died in Iraq, her mother isn’t emotionally available and her brother, the only person that makes her days a little bit easier, leaves for college. Rose is confronted with a reality she didn’t expected at such a young age.

Tracy, Rose’s best friend, got on my nerves a lot of times. The only thing in her head was how to lose her virginity and how to be accepted into the cheerleader squad even if she had to become another person. It was difficult to read about her struggles but at the same time made me realize that many teenagers go through this kind of pressure and not all of them are so confident to be who they really are without caring if they are accepted or not.

The love interest, Jamie, is an older guy and also the bad boy, everybody in high school respect him because of his tough guy attitude, there is a nice chemistry between them, the only problem is that he’s dating a cheerleader. Regina, the cheerleader, is the popular girl at school and her only purpose in life is to irritate Rose.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, the only reason I didn’t gave it 5 stars was because there wasn’t that much anger throughout the book, actually, I only found one chapter in the whole book that really portrait the angry girl I expected. I’m looking forward to read the next book in the series.

Pieces of Us Review

Title: Pieces of Us
Author: Margie Gelbwasser
Publication date: March 08, 2012
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780738721644

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.
Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.
Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser is a novel that broke my heart, I'm not normally lost for words, but this book left me overwhelmed. I do not like how this book made me feel but that doesn't mean this book didn't accomplish it's goal. This book talks about how life is for many people and we, who don't have those kind of issues, sometimes don't understand.

This novel will make you feel uncomfortable and when you think you've reach a point where it's just too much, think again. There are situations in life that are disturbing and this book will present them as raw as possible, the story is told from four P.O.V Alex, Kyle, Katie and Julie all of them broken and abused in one way or another, somehow the only thing they desire is to spend the summer at the lake house, it's the only place they can be who they really want to be away from all the pressure.

Katie and Julie are sisters, both have a bad relationship with their mother for different reasons, one of them because her mother ignores her and the other because she can't live up to her expectations without loosing herself in the process. Alex and Kyle are brothers, trapped in a tragic event with a mother that does not give a good example for any of them, the four teenagers feel trapped and confused in a sea of problems.

The writing style had me a little confused and made it hard to switch between characters, the ending left me upset, I just want to state that love doesn't hurt, not emotionally or physically and if you read this book and feel like you identify with any character please tell someone what's going on.

Overall an emotional read. I think this book is not suitable for teens under 17 years old. If parents allow teenagers to read this book I would advice parental guidance. There is a lot of sex, abuse, drinking and cursing.

Review based on an Advanced Reader's Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney Review

Title: Getting Over Garrett Delaney
Author: Abby McDonald
Publication date: January 24, 2012

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780763655075

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized self-help guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

When I first saw this book I was expecting a romance novel but it was much more than that. Sadie has been in love with Garrett, her best friend, for two years. They have the same taste in movies, books and music the only problem is Garrett has no idea.In the summer he is going to be away for six weeks at a camp for aspiring writers, and she doesn't know what to do without him, her whole world is built around Garrett and now she's devastated.

Finally, after some thinking, she decides to get a job in Totally Wired coffee shop and starts becoming friends with her co-workers. This is the part of the book I really enjoyed, it was so much fun to know each of her friends, their personalities were so different but at the same time they complemented each other, they were essential for her to move on.

Sometimes Sadie drove me crazy mostly at the beginning of the book, but we get to see how she pulls herself together and starts a journey of self-discovery. As for Garrett, I never liked him, sometimes I though that maybe he was totally aware of Sadie's feelings for him and was just proud to have her like a trophy .

This is the first novel I've read by Abby McDonald and after reading this book it won't be my last. It was a fun read I loved the writing style and the humor in the book, but most of all, I loved the message: there's more to life than a boy.

Overall I enjoyed this light and entertaining story and I would recommend this book to contemporary YA readers.

Review based on an Advanced Reader's Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Incarnate Review

Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publication date: January 31, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780062060754

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

In this book we are introduced to Ana, who has spent her whole life thinking she is a no soul, lacking confidence and self esteem thanks to her abusive mother, who reminds her that since the day she was born she's worthless. When Ana turns eighteen she packs her bags to go out on her own looking for answers, knowing the only place that possibly have them is the main city, the city of heart.

Her journey is not off to an easy start, but Ana needs to know her purpose in a community of souls that have been reincarnated for centuries. Sam her love interest, doesn't think Ana is a no soul instead he thinks she's a new soul. Sam offers Ana the friendship she never had and desperately needs, the relationship between Ana and Sam was full of chemistry.

As the story unfolds she finds herself tangled in rules and misunderstandings. Those difficulties are the ones that help her become a stronger, more confident character, and that's something I truly appreciate. Incarnate is set in an amazing world that Jodi Meadows created, however, I would have loved if the world building was more balanced with the romance. I liked the premise and enjoyed the book but was not able to love it.

Overall I loved the concept behind this book and I believe it has a lot of potential for the next installment of the trilogy.

Review based on an Advanced Reader's Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Anna and the French Kiss Review

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

In this book we follow Anna as she's sent to boarding school in Paris which made me feel instantly interested in the story, one of the main reasons I liked this book was because I was able to remember my previous visit to Paris. I recognized many places mentioned in the book and felt like I was there.

The day Anna arrives, she meets a guy, Etienne St. Clair a charming, handsome and popular boy that will become her love interest with a little problem, he's taken. I enjoyed following how their relationship grew with all their romantic misunderstandings and misassumptions. The downside for me was that sometimes I was annoyed by St. Claire's emotional issues and the way he handled the relationship with his girlfriend and Anna

I can't really go deep into the story, but overall, I liked the book and would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a sweet charming novel.