Author: Chelsea (Page 83 of 111)

BOOK REVIEW – Requiem (Providence #2) by Jamie McGuire

BOOK REVIEW – Requiem (Providence #2) by Jamie McGuireRequiem (Providence #2)
by Jamie McGuire
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Eeehhhh….I don’t really know how to rate this-It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. It was just..ok-and that makes me sad becuase after the first, I figured the intensity would only pick up. Instead, it goes into great detail about Nina’s history and the history of…well….I suppose religion? I wouldn’t know because suffice to say, I skimmed at least 50% of this novel-I know, tsk tsk. I just couldn’t get into the story. Which sucks. A lot.

I love Claire, and I love Jared. I even love Ryan(now), but even these great characters couldn’t save this heavy-in-religious-history novel. I just felt bored the whole time. Near the end I will give it kudos, because all of Nina’s dreams finally seem to come in handy when the action ensues-brief, but thorough action.

Lastly, I am going to say I don’t know why there is so much love for this Kim character. I disliked her in the first and I loathed her in the second. She is a very obnoxious, in-your-face annoying character. Just because she is a little in the know in the second does not give her more of a right to be even snarkier. That’s all I will say on her character.

All in all an ok novel, just not really a novel I would recommend to those around me. If it weren’t for Jared I doubt I would finish the third and final installment in the series, but I am an avid reader through and through, and I will finish this series…eventually. I would rather start others on my TBR list before I come back to Eden, which says a lot :/ I never separate series if I don’t have to. Some will love it, some will hate it-guess you’ll have to read to figure out which one of those categories you are.

BOOK REVIEW – Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick

BOOK REVIEW – Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca FitzpatrickHush, Hush (, )
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Yeah…This is one of those books where the reviews show that people either love or hate it, with not much inbetween. Well, I fall inbetween. While the beginning was very promising, too many stupid things happened for me to just come out and say I loved this book. There’s only so much improbability a person can take and I definitely went over my personal threshold of tolerance for what I could handle.

Let’s start with our girl, Nora.

She actually isn’t too bad. She’s not the brightest cat in town, but she is somewhat relatable. Patch begins sitting next to her in class and immediately gives Nora the heebie jeebies. Probably for good reason. The whole story she is trying to figure out if he is stalking her, yes stalking, and who is a friend and who is out to kill her…because someone has her number.

This leads me to the improbability throughout the story. I, as I have stated countless times before, am a romantic to the core, so I read a lot of stupid, unrealistic novels all the time-hell, probably every book I read is unrealistic. But Hush, Hush? Yeah, I really rolled my eyes quite a few times. I mean, at the end it makes more sense, I guess, but it still doesn’t justify some of the actions she gave and received.

Which leads me to my next point. O.M.G. Her friend Vee is probably the worst best friend ever. Sure, she does a lot of great things for Nora, but more often than not she implies Nora is overreacting or that she is judging people incorrectly. Plus, how many times does Vee run off with the real creeps in the story? What a DUMBASS. She reached the peak of annoying at an alarming rate. Your friend is telling you not to trust someone, but you are more than willing to run off with them all the time? I can’t even begin to explain all the things this chick does that cause Nora more grief than she’s worth.

And the secondary characters…I’m sorry, cops DO NOT act that way. I know there are stories in the news where cops are corrupt or don’t do things right, but these cops were just plain mean to Nora. One of them calls her crazy and literally laughs everytime she says she needs help. That is wrong and it drove me insane. What a jerk.

Speaking of JERKS….a lot of people say Patch is a creepy, perverted jerk. Well, I have to say I was expecting a lot worse. He isn’t bad. I might even go as far to say he was a sweetie…from the middle to end. Honestly, I could tolerate his shit. I just didn’t fall head over heals for him like I thought I would.

All these things should make me so mad, but because I was so impartial to what happened to everyone, each scenario just pulled a reaction from me like Meeehhh….All my GR friends who read this seem to have LOVED it-I got excited when I saw all of their reviews. You know that feeling when you just KNOW that you’re guna love the book you’re getting ready to read? I wanted so badly to fall in love with another series and to gain a new angel book boyfriend…but I just didn’t. Couldn’t. This story was a fun, engaging read, but it most definitely wasn’t up to snuff with all my other favorite paranormals. Maybe the series will grab me eventually, but even as I’m reading crescendo, Vee hasn’t learned her lesson, stupid shit is still happening, and I’m still not possessed by Nora and Patch’s relationship. I guess we’ll see.

BOOK REVIEW – Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2) by Wendy Higgins

BOOK REVIEW – Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2) by Wendy HigginsSweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)
by Wendy Higgins
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Oh bloody hell (in a horrible british accent), I’ve fallen in love with Kaidan all over again. Not only did I finish reading this book in less than 24 hours, with a full day of work mind you, but I DEVOURED it. After waiting for a month following that hopeless ending of Sweet Evil, I am happy to say that I was completely enthralled with SP and all of it’s characters.

Anna has had to embrace her new party girl image while feeling guilty the entire time she is influencing those around her to partake in the madness that is her sin. A prophecy changes everything, and Anna finds herself traveling the world with Kope to find comrades among the Dukes’ sons and daughters. But in all this chaos, the most important person she could possibly want around isn’t. Anna is having trouble moving on from Kaidan and what she thinks they had/have. One problem is that Kaidan isn’t making it easy for her to contact him. The other-well, does he TRULY care for her??

I have to be honest. As my reading updates suggest, I was literally giggling like a little girl. I am not joking. Near the end of SP, I was so involved in the story that nothing else mattered. Shower? No..it could wait. Dinner? Hell no, I have a SPICY read going on here. So, the moral to the story is-we wait F-O-R-E-V-E-R for what we all want to happen..to happen. So much mindless nonsense and traveling the world and then BAM. Kai Kai time. Thank the lord. And not only did we get Kai time, it was Kai happy hour. Interpret that how you like, but for me it means that the end of the book didn’t lack any of our leading British man. Jealousy, anger, adoration, and love (and drama, duuuuh)-all abundant in SP. I LIVE for these emotions all bundled up in one neat little package, so I am on cloud nine right now. Sigh. I wish there could have been more. More than that, though, is we have to wait a bloody year to read the final book in the series. If that’s not a tragedy, I don’t know what is. Seriously.

So all in all a great read. I was a little put out with the scarcity of Kaidan in the beginning half of the novel, but the latter half was more than worth the wait and I couldn’t be happier. I realize I didn’t say anything about the secondary characters, oops, so here is a final thought. Marna and Ginger were great and I really enjoyed their presence throughout. I think they are more fun and interesting than Veronica-is that her name? I can’t even remember lol. And Kope. Poor Kope. Such a sweet guy, but he is no match for Kaidan and that is all I can say about that. Kai has a permanent residence in my heart. So here’s to a year of waiting for more of one of my favorite couples. But I have to say, I am more than fulfilled with this latest read, so it won’t be such a long wait with happier circumstances this time around.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
sweet evil wendy higgins
Sweet Evil #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea

sweet peril wendy higgins
Sweet Peril #2
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea

sweet reckoning wendy higgins
Sweet Reckoning #3
Reviews:

Jen
Sweet Temptation wendy higgins
Sweet Temptation #4

BOOK REVIEW – Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

BOOK REVIEW – Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia HandHallowed (Unearthly #2)
by Cynthia Hand
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Oh my gosh (Don’t imagine a happy, shrill-scream inducing omg. Imagine a forlone, shaky, teary-eyed sigh of an omg). I know that based on all of my reviews that I must seem like the mushiest person ever, ceaselessly crying all the time. But I swear, I rarely cry that often for a book. This was such a tear jerker of an ending for so many different reasons, that my eyes couldn’t help but to become red-rimmed with tears. I just feel drained..a good drained, I suppose, but Hallowed was just such an emotional read, and I guess I never thought the ending could be so sad (maybe hopeful to some readers) even though the whole book implied and pushed that, hey!, buckle up because you’re going to cry sucker. That was probably a run-on sentence. But whatever.

I have so many thoughts that are itching to be thrown into writing all at once. My mind is still in a fog after an hour of being finished, and I have so many conflicting emotions. I guess that’s the mark of a good author-possession of my mind.

Clara. What to say about Clara. Aside from the fact that I don’t believe she completely understands that truth in a relationship is essential for the other party to feel comforted and loved wholeheartedly, becuase hey, he already knows you are otherwordly anyway so, she is one of the few lead female characters that I actually have a little ounce of respect for. Why this teenager? While a lot of times it is frustrating when a girl won’t just succumb to a beautiful boy’s charm, I didn’t feel that way with Clara. She stands her ground on many issues that are a large part of her world, and no one really tells her what to do and how to be, not really, and that is a breath of fresh air. She fights for what she believes in, even with a foreboding sense of inevitability.

For the record-I LOVE Tucker, and I love Christian. I really am thrown by how sweet and caring both of these guys are. I never feel like both guys deserve the main girl like I do with these characters. Sure, Christian did run off to get Kay after the dance the year before, but she was mourning the end of their relationship, and he felt it was his fault so he went after her. That is all. It’s old news and there isn’t a thing that can be done about the past. I continually keep rationalizing why she should be with each guy, and I feel a stab of guilt each time her path shifts. I inwardly flinch when every obstacle is thrown her way. I was saddened by the fact that Tucker really wasn’t in this book much. He was in it, but just not as much as one would hope. I hated that and it was very noticeable. These books truly are playing with my mind and tugging on my heartstrings.

So with all of this being said, I must also clarify that I liked the layout of this book much better than the first installment. I still do not like Angela much, sorry to whoever cares, I find her to be pushy and self-serving, so I didn’t care for the fact that she was in it buttloads more than the almost non-existent Wendy (she almost just seems like a vacant character, even in Unearthly, with not much more than a bland personality and very little stage presence-so different than her amazing brother), but I still liked Hallowed a lot. I felt this story on a very deep level, even more so at the end, and I can’t wait to start Boundless. What a mess. I just hope my fragile state of mind can handle this frustrating love triangle.

BOOK REVIEW – Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

BOOK REVIEW – Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia HandBoundless (Unearthly #3)
by Cynthia Hand
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

I guess 3.5 stars. Ugh. I want to give it four, I do, but too little was wrapped up at the end

Part One: To the Pain

I realize not many people will get that reference if they have not seen The Princess Bride, but I’m using it because it’s how I feel in this moment. I also realize I haven’t rated Boundless. I’m more than aware. What I am not aware of, however, is how I’m going to rate this novel. I’m torn by my love of the trilogy, my loyalty to the characters and their happiness, and how royally we all got screwed as readers. So here we go with the review. I am sad to say I’m severely disappointed-at least with the last quarter of the book. After finishing Boundless I feel a hollowness in my heart and an ache in my soul.

Yes-it got that deep for me. I invested my time into this trilogy, all the while realizing that there was going to be a sad ending for at least one of the boys in this dumbass love triangle, and then she takes it there-that sad place where you don’t feel good for the other character. That place where your mind will forever be trapped and wondering wth happened to your beloved characters, or namely that one character you can’t stand to let go because they were unjustly served at the end of the story as you know it. And yes-I’m angry as much as I am sad. I just can’t believe, that after all the time she put into writing these novels, that she can’t even give us more than like..a page…of an epilogue? It was frustrating and left me feeling so empty with the way she thought she so neatly wrapped these people’s lives up, when in reality, she really just metaphorically threw all their lives into a bucket and hoped we appreciated that way of an explanation for their futures. No. Believe me when I say it PAINS me to rant like this.

Part Two: To the Tears

I can’t even begin to explain how wrapped up I got into the characters’ stories and how much I looked forward to reading each and every page. Each book had such depth and love poured into them, and this fact is why I was so depressed that she left an essentially unfinished story for all her avid fans of this series. At one point in the story, and I kid you not, I slammed my Nook down and ran into the bathroom and started bawling. I’m talking HUGE, EMBARRASSING, crocodile tears streaming down my face. Straight up FUGLY crying. It was ridiculous. I felt betrayed that she was even possibly going to take this story in the direction it was inevitably leading to. I was a blubbering mess, and this led me to trying to tell my boyfriend about the story and why all of a sudden I was having a nervous breakdown in the middle of our living room-that went well-angels…paranormal…blubber blubber…can’t believe she did this..I ending up skipping ahead, because this couldn’t POSSIBLY be the ending-idc I had to know, and thank GOD it miraculously turned around. I predicted this, but I didn’t predict that even after that fact, I would still feel horrible. I felt drained-NOT the good kind. I knew, I just KNEW she was going to take the easy way out, and she did. I couldn’t believe it. Which leads me to my finale and part three.

Part 3-WTF and Utterly Heartbreaking Betrayal (yea, different theme here)

She copped out. Like majorly. She left one guy, and I will not say who, hanging high and dry. I’m talking not even an explanation or epiphany of what’s to come for him and I think that plays the biggest hand in her betrayal. I loved both guys. They were both AMAZING. My heart broke for the loser in this sad game(there really never was a clear winner for me, they both deserved her and ultimately, happiness), because deep down, I had a soft spot for him. Most definitely.
And then she can’t even give him a future. What. The. F. Wrong. So wrong. And I can’t be ok with it, I can’t. We are just left with the fact that he is sad, and we are just supposed to accept it-and I never will. His story is most definitely unfinished. Even after all that bullshit, the author doesn’t even give our happy couple more than a page of their future life together. Not. Even. A. Measly. Chapter. Oh and no worries, we literally don’t get any closure for any of the other characters either. Like I said. Utter betrayal. I’m becoming a broken record here, so I’ll wrap it up- I loved this series, and I will maybe, probably, someday re read it. I loved these characters. I grew with them, I heard their feelings, I felt their pains and sorrows, and I’m going to miss them. Especially since I got so little to go on at the end of book three. I just hope that maybe she can someday revisit this story and add to it, because to me, I feel there is so much more to it, and I can’t help but hope for that happy(er) ending.

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

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