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Showing posts with label Netgalley 2012 Reading Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netgalley 2012 Reading Challenge. Show all posts

Monday, December 3, 2012

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Tim Conrad


The Hunchback of Notre Dame
 
Summary:
 
Tim Conrad adapts Victor Hugo's classic romance about a beautiful gypsy girl, Esmeralda, who is framed for murder by the infatuated archdeacon of Notre Dame. Only Quasimodo, the hideously deformed bell ringer of the cathedral, can save her. Religious extremism, class distinction, fate, destiny, and sexual dynamics are played out in a rousing yarn of intrigue within the walls of the Parisian Cathedral of Notre Dame. This is Tim Conrad's first foray back into comics in twenty years. Beautifully illustrated. Packed with emotion. Not to be missed!
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 48 pages
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: July 18th 2012 by Dark Horse Comics
 
I suppose I should admit that my only experience with The Hunchback of Notre Dame is with the Disney film of the same name. I've been carting around the novel by Victor Hugo for the past 2 times that I've moved but still have not brought myself to read it. It's an intimidating novel, and since I've started blogging a lot of the longer novels on my TBR pile have fallen to the wayside. Which is why when I had the opportunity to request this one from NetGalley I was over the moon especially since Tim Conrad was illustrating it.
 
However all my hopes were dashed as soon as I started reading this graphic novel. I'd seen some of the artists other works and thought that they were utterly fantastic. When it came to his adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame I thought he really dropped the ball. The illustrations were to me, poorly drawn and horribly executed. His technique while it may appeal to some people it didn't for me.
 
I also didn't like how the classic novel was adapted to graphic novel. It fell very flat for me as you could tell MAJOR parts of the novel were not included. True, the graphic novel is only 48 pages long but it was as if the one liners were the only things being implemented and used as a story line so the flow of the story was broken up tremendously.
 
For those reasons, I had a difficult time wanting to stay reading this graphic novel. I would not recommend this to anyone except maybe kids to perhaps get them interested in the classics but even then I would be hard pressed to recommend it. If you do want to read it despite my misgivings (I encourage you to try it for yourself) then I would suggest you borrow it from your local library.
 
Not for me!
 
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE

 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks


Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon, #1)
 
Summary:
 
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 336 pages
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: May 22nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
 
I was so looking forward to this book so when I was granted an ARC copy of it from NetGalley I was so excited but like always it took me a while to get around to reading it and I didn't even get to read it until the beginning of August and it wasn't at all what I expected it to be like.
 
I went into the book with really high expectations because I had seen some very promising reviews of it on some blogs where the reviewers are known to be really tough and usually their reviews are pretty accurate in terms of how I'll enjoy it.
 
Unfortunately, this book wasn't anything like what I thought it would be like. Right off the bat I was put off by Emma and then one by one the other characters began to get on my nerves. I honestly didn't care so much for any of them because they were very one dimensional and fake especially Emma. OMG was probably said by here every third page or so and by the end of it I was cringing anytime I saw anyone on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads use it for the longest time. There was also very little chemistry between any of the characters and it was as if their dialogue as well as their interactions were too forced almost as if the author was trying to hard to make her characters act like teenagers which made things very awkward.
 
I also had trouble with the plot. It seemed so basic and more like a plot outline than an actual fully thought out and organized plot in a novel. There were so many gaps in the story where it was as if the authors focus on the story was jumping all over the place which caused a lot of confusion sometimes.
 
I mean the book had the potential to be a really good read albeit not a unique one because mermaid novels are becoming more plentiful in the book world as of late but it could have been really good read. Sadly though, for me this one fell way short of my expectations I found very little to be redeemable about this novel except that it was a quick read for a vacation but was ultimately pretty forgettable. Despite all of this I will be reading the next book in the series just to see where the story goes.
 
Though I didn't care for the book all that much that should by no means stop you from checking it out. If you were to read it though I think you should probably be a fan of Young Adult Novels with mermaids. 
 
* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.
 
It was okay
★ ★
 
To "Like" Anna on Facebook CLICK HERE
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To purchase Of Poseidon via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Hoard by Alan Ryker


The Hoard
 
Summary:
 
A new breed…a new evil…

Hidden deep beneath its landfill lair of trash and filth, a strange new organism has come to life. When an accidental fire drives it out, the mysterious creature escapes across the drought-blasted Kansas prairie and finds the home of elderly hoarder Anna Grish. In desperate need of shelter, it burrows in, concealed amidst the squalor and mess.

When Adult Protective Services force Anna to vacate her junk-riddled home, she moves in with her son and his family. But there is something wrong with Anna, something more than her declining mental condition and severe hoarding disorder. Something sinister has taken hold of her, and it’s not only getting stronger, it’s spreading.

Amidst the wide-open Kansas plains, with endless blue sky above and flat, open vista stretching from one horizon to the next, there is nowhere to hide from…THE HOARD.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 216 pages
Source: NetGalley ARC
Expected Publication Date: November 27th 2012 by DarkFuse     
 
 In September I had the opportunity to be granted an e-ARC of this book from the publisher the day after I featured it on my Waiting on Wednesday #29 post much to my surprise that is because I only requested it the day before I got it.
 
Needless to say I started the book the evening I got it. Just look at the cover doesn't the cover scream spooky read to you? The cover is actually one of my favourite things about the book. It really sets the tone for the book and I think it's the perfect representation for the book.
 
The beginning of the book was a little weird and a little confusing because we started off seeing the world not through the eyes of person but through the eyes of a rat. It was interesting though and the fact that the rat some how made it into the the home of the hoarder Anna before the parasite that was controlling the rat transfered from the rat to one of Anna's cats then to Anna.
 
Basically the book is about parasites that spawn and take over hosts. They work their way into our bodies and then they take over the minds and bodies of their unsuspecting and frightened hosts with the single urge to take over.
 
I was so engrossed in reading this book that I was able to finish reading it in one night. I loved the creepiness. Nothing creeps me out more than parasitic creatures taking over people. Needless to say I was hooked.
 
The writing was great even though there could have been a little more depth to the characters the plot turned out really well. I was actually really impressed with how much I enjoyed the novel because it was very different than what I had been expecting.
 
This was the first time I'd  read a book where the main character was a hoarder and let me just say this. I WILL NEVER BE ONE!... Okay I might be a book hoarder in the future but I will not be a garbage and useless things hoarder. I thought the use of hoarding in the story was really unique and I doubt that the plot would have been as good with out it since it was such a major part of the story with the elderly Anna, her son Pete and his family.
 
When people started  going missing and dying that's when I really got into the book. What can I say? I have 2 older brothers and an older sister and lets just say I grew up in a home where nothing was censored really so I love all the death, destruction and gore the book had in it. Plus there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing as to what the overall outcome would be.
 
Overall I would say this is a solid novel. It was enjoyable and one I would recommend to people who like horror novels. In fact I'm going to have to let Mr. Turning the Pages have a go at this one because I think it's the perfect read for people who also want a shorter horror read. I can't wait to read more by Alan Ryker and I hope I can read another of his books in the near future.
 

* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.

Really Liked It!
★ ★ ★★
 
To "Follow" Alan on Twitter CLICK HERE
To become a "Fan" of Alan on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit Alan's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase The Hoard via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase The Hoard via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Eve & Adam by Katherine Applegate & Michael Grant


Eve and Adam
 
Summary:
 
And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 291 pages
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: October 2nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
 
It's taken me awhile to sit down and write this review. As much as I loved the book I just never got around to writing my review before now and I read the book back in July! But, don't let that get you thinking that I didn't enjoy Eve & Adam because I did.
 
I don't know if many of you remember Katherine Applegates's middle grade series (also written with her husband) that was really popular in the early 2000's entitled The Animorph Series. I hope some of you do because those books were among my best of friends when I was 10 til the time I was 12 years old. Katherine Applegate is one of those iconic writers from my childhood so when I saw that she had written a new novel albeit with her husband I had to request it from NetGalley regardless of what it was going to be about I knew I had to have it.
 
Luckily, the publisher granted me approval and the same day I got my ARC I had read and finished the book in a matter of hours. Hours that had me neglecting poor Mr. Turning the Pages. That's right ladies and gents. The book was that good seriously.
 
Right off the bat I was hooked. I love a good book where there are genetically engineered characters. Evening is one of my favourite characters of the year. I loved how smart she was and her take charge personality. Plus I loved that even though she came from money, and had a mother with some major control issues and a type A personality that she was very mellow to a certain extent. Mostly we see this as she interacts with her  best friend  Aislin who has some issues of her own. You can tell that when Evening loves and cares about someone that she loves hard. Even if it means putting herself in danger.
 
What really surprised me about the novel was how well developed the plot was. I liked that the big thing (You have to read the book to find out what it is because I am so not spoiling that for you) didn't happen right away. Even though the book starts off pretty dramatically it didn't really slow down all that much which I loved. The fact that Evening is so smart and she's an artist really endeared her to me because she wasn't the typical cold hearted braniac (We'll reserve that title for her mother who does love her daughter very much in her own way).
 
The book was very action packed and there was a lot of twists and turns and Solo was one of the biggest mysteries until the very end. I really enjoyed that there was some romance between Evening and him but it wasn't over done and it was absolutely not a case of the dreaded insta love.
 
After all the hullabalooh, of the first bit of the book or so we're introduced to Adam whom, in a roundabout way is how the reader starts to learn about the genetic mutations being carried out at Evening's mother's laboratory and the story behing Eve's own existence comes to light as well.
 
When all is said and done this was a fantastic novel, and one of my favourite books of 2012 both in the YA category and the overall category. I really loved it and I highly recommend this one to everyone. It was a great novel and I enjoyed how the authors wrote it and the character development was spot on. I can't wait for the nect book in this series to come out but seeing as how the book was just published I may be in for a longish wait. In that case I think I'll read some of Grant's and Applegate's other books. Go buy this book people!
 

 
* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.

 
Loved It!
★ ★ ★★★
 
To "Like" Katherine on Facebook CLICK HERE
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To visit Katherine's Website CLICK HERE
To visit Michael's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
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To purchase the book via Kobo  CLICK HERE
 
 

Thursday, October 11, 2012

*[Blog Tour Review & Giveaway] Sacred Treason (Clarenceux #1) by James Forrester


Sacred Treason


Summary:
 
London, December 1563. England is a troubled nation. Catholic plots against the young Queen Elizabeth spring up all over the country. At his house in the parish of St Bride, the herald William Harvey – known to everyone as Clarenceux - receives a book from his friend and fellow Catholic, Henry Machyn. But Machyn is in fear of his life, claiming that the book is deadly... What secret can it hold? And then Clarenceux is visited by the State in the form of Francis Walsingham and his ruthless enforcers, who will stop at nothing to gain possession of it. If Clarenceux and his family are to survive the terror of Walsingham, and to plead with the queen’s Secretary of State Sir William Cecil for their lives, Clarenceux must solve the clues contained in the book to unlock its dangerous secrets before it’s too late. And when he does, he realises that it's not only his life and the lives of those most dear to him that are at stake...
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 416 pages (Paperback)
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: October 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks Landmark (first published 2010)  
 
Sacred Treason was one of those novels that took me completely by surprise. I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book and I really have to thank the publicist who contacted me offering me a spot on this books tour.
 
This book had everything I wanted. I haven't read many historical mysteries especially not ones set in Tudor England so this one was a real treat for me. I can honestly say that I've never read a book like it and I'm super excited that I had the opportunity to read this.
 
I really enjoyed the sense of adventure in this novel as Clarenceux solved the mystery behind the mysterious book that his friend Henry gave him. It was a non-stop ride for me and I found myself staying up late last night just to finish it because I couldn't help but want to see what would happen next.
 
The writing was seemless and addictive each chapter left me wanting to find out more and more and I very much enjoyed the characters that James Forrester created in his fictional debut. I have to say that Clarenceux is one of my new favourite characters now because he himself was just as intriguing as the mystery surround the book in his possession.
 
The way the book was set up was very much in the way of an adventure novel. I loved the historical details that were paid attention to and the descriptions of the times, the places and the people were wonderfully done. I loved the tension between Clareneux and his wicked counterparts who were up to no good it was thrilling to see how the whole novel played out and I'm glad I had a chance to read it.
 
I really think that the author's historical background was a real asset to him in writing this novel. He's an author of non fiction titles under his real name Ian Mortimer which gives him that extra edge to pen this series.
 
Like I said before I'm not really familiar with the historical mystery genre Sacred Treason has really sparked an interest in me to explore other books that are part of the genre and there's nothing I like more than to be introduced to a new genre so you can expect to see more reviews of books like this in the future. Since I am a fan of both historical fiction as well as mystery novels this bridge between both genres worked out well for me.
 
I highly recommend this book to those who are fans of historical fiction and historical mysteries. If you love books set in Tudor England than I think this book might just be up your alley but if you're anything like me you may find yourself up to all hours of the night reading it. I for one am eagerly anticipating reading the other two books in this series and I'm hoping to do so soon.
 


* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.


Loved It!
★ ★ ★★★
 
To "Follow" James Forrester on Twitter CLICK HERE
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To visit James's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 
GIVEAWAY TIME!
 
Sourcebooks is graciously offering ONE printed copy of Sacred Treason to ONE lucky person!
The giveaway is open to US/CANADA followers
and will END October 19th 2012
For a chance the win Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below!
 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Want to follow Sacred Treason on it's Book Tour?
Check out these other stops on the Sacred Treason's Tour!
 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Bared to You (Crossfire #1) by Sylvia Day


Bared to You (Crossfire, #1)
 
 
 
Summary:
 
Our journey began in fire... Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness-beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily... Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 360 pages
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: April 3rd 2012
 
It took me forever to get an ARC of this one to read and even longer for me to read it. I was really hesitant to read it because I've never read the author before and all the hype kind of made me really nervous to read it in case I didn't like it. Luckily for me I had nothing to worry about because I LOVED this book.
 
I know this book was published in the wake of the series Fifty Shades of Grey (Which I also read and enjoyed a lot) but this one in my opinion was a better read. I mean there are a lot of similarities between Bared to You and Fifty Shades but there are a lot of differences as well.
 
I'm still trying to figure out why I enjoyed this book so much since Gideon is not the kind of man I would ever want to be involved in and I frequently found myself wanting to stab him through my kindle for how he was treating Eva in the novel. I honestly don't really care for him that much but I do enjoy the chemistry between them.
 
I found the story to be intriguing and entirely all consuming I think I read the entire book in just a couple hours spread over two days. I was completely and utterly addicted to the intensity Eva and Gideon had for each other.
 
I think what I enjoyed most about them as a couple was how flawed they are. Both suffer from their own personal demons. Eva was dealing with her own past and was trying to learn more about Gideon but he kept wanting to keep himself blocked off from her as he'd never really had a vanilla relationship like the one he wanted with Eva and kept pulling away. It was getting to the point that I was hoping that Eva would drop him like a hot potato and wash her hands of him for good but in the end I'm glad that she didn't.
 
This book is absolutely not for everyone and that's okay some people are going to like it and some aren't but I think that if you're looking for a book that's in my opinion much more emotionally intense read than Fifty Shade with a lot more spice (even though it's lacking the BDSM qualities of Fifty Shades) this might just be the read for you. Sylvia Day created one of the hottest couples on the book market today and this really shows her talent in creating characters that while they aren't perfect do seem to go together quite well. I know I was impressed with this book and when I read it I couldn't wait to read to find out what happened next between this pair. I highly recommend this title as well as this author who after only two books has gotten a fan for life.
 
 
* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.
 
Loved It!
★ ★ ★★★
 
To "Like" Sylvia on Facebook CLICK HERE
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To become a "Fan" of Sylvia on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit Sylvia's  Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Kobo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Before You Go by James Preller



Summary:
 
The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much—it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her.

Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again.

Acclaimed author James Preller explores life, death, love, faith, and resilience in his first young adult novel that will grip readers from the book’s dramatic first few pages to its emotional end.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 199 pages
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: July 27th 2012

Generally I don't read realistic YA fiction written by male authors (I'm not sexist) it just seems as though it is a predominately female written genre.

This book was told in two parts. There was the Before and then there was the After Part and the novel itself was written in the third person which isn't my favourite way to read a book because I don't feel the usual connection to the characters.

We have our main protagonist Jude. He's you're average teenager. Awkward in the eyes of his crush but acting like the man whilst he's around his little crew of friends. I wasn't overly fond of Jude because I just found him to be a little over dramatic especially when it came to the girl he liked.

Anyway, the novel follows Jude as he experiences a lot of firsts. He gets his first summer job, gets his first girl friend, has his first kiss and loses yet another person he cares about. This is the second tragic death that Jude has experienced. The first was the death of his little sister seven years before. I found Jude to be quite the melancholy character. I do not know if it was the author's intention to make him this way or if that is just how I see him. All I know is that to me he could be right out pompous and depressing so that made the reading of the novel less enjoyable. In fact I had a hard time liking any of the characters.

However, despite my dislike or plain old "meh" attitude about Jude and his not so merry cast of characters I did find that the actual plot of the novel was well thought out. There was something about it that made me want to keep reading it. Perhaps it's because it wasn't until near the end of the novel that the "After" section started thus leaving the reader with 130+ pages of wondering when the "Big Thing" would happen and start having the book start come together.

Once the "After" section happened I really thought the book picked up the pace and I believe it was that section that made the book for me. If you read it you might think that that's a little weird that it takes the death of one of the characters to make the book seem worth it to me. I was left wanting more from the characters and the writing emotionally but this novel fell short of my expectations. It was as though that part of the book got a whole new lease on life though it was still too little too late for me to give this YA novel more than a moderate rating.

The book was entertaining and it kept me interested on the afternoon that I read it long enough to finish it but it was overall quite forgettable. I can see the appeal for a book like this though and I think that people who enjoy YA novels especially teens will enjoy this book. This was just a case of it not being the novel for me. I will however be giving the authors other books a try to see if they are more to my liking.
 
* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.
 
To become a "Fan" of James Preller on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit James Preller's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE

 
It was okay
★ ★







 

Seven Years to Sin by Sylvia Day

Seven Years to Sin

Summary:

The longer the resistance...
Seven years ago, on the eve of her wedding, proper Lady Jessica Sheffield witnessed a licentious scene no innocent young miss could imagine. Shocked, yet strangely titillated, she'd held her silence regarding scandalous Alistair Caulfield, and walked down the aisle as expected. But through years of serene, unremarkable marriage, Caulfield's image remained burned into her imagination, fueling very illicit dreams. . .
...the sweeter the reward
Alistair ran far from the temptation of the prim debutante with the fire of passion in her eyes—all the way to the West Indies. As a successful merchant, he has little in common with the rakehell youth she knew. But when newly widowed Jessica steps aboard his ship for a transatlantic passage, seven years' worth of denied pleasures are held in check by nothing more than a few layers of silk—and the certainty that surrender will consume them both. . .
"[Sylvia Day is] the undisputed mistress of tender, erotic romance. " —Teresa Medeiros
"Day plays on sensual themes with a lush grace. " —Romantic Times
Summary & Photo taken from Goodread.com
Length: 352 pages (E-copy)
Source: NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: August 28th 2012 by Kensington Brava (Reissue) 

Did I like this book?
Hmm... let's see if this answers your question.
I started it late Monday night and was finished by early Tuesday evening. It was that damn good!

I've known about Sylvia Day for awhile now, even before her novel Bared to You was published. However, like a lot of other authors her books got pushed to the side. Well her books got pushed aside until I saw that this one was available for review from NetGalley.

I love historical romance and when I read the blurb that this was the novel that inspired the author to write her afore mentioned book Bared to You I just had to request it and, as you can tell I really, really, really enjoyed it!

As soon as I started reading this book I noticed that Sylvia Day paid excellent attention to the tone and the speech patterns of her characters. Often times in historical romance novels the characters talk as you and I would. Anybody, who knows anything can tell you that the way we talk now is different than they talked 200 years ago. When I noticed her close attention to the details in the way her characters spoke to each other I knew I was in for a treat.

The story itself was a lot different than I thought it would be. Since I had never read anything by Sylvia Day before I thought that this may be your typical historical romance with the typical but still loveable plot lines, charcters and writing style. However, this book had none of those at least in my opinion it didn't and you know what? I absolutely loved that about it.

In this novel Sylvia Day presents us with a strong yet feminine character in the form of the widowed Lady Jessica. I loved Jessica's character because though she had her faults she was neither high and mighty nor extremely outlandish and uncaring as some heroines in popular historical romances are. She's had a hard time of it and while she has a really hard time letting people and most importantly Alistair in to her heart as well as her confidence. I really felt for her character due to the past abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and the untimely death of her husband. Yet, despite it all she has an inner strength that makes her an even more endearing character. Plus with her and Alistair had their battle of wills she was an apt oponent. Alistair, Jessica's love interest has also had a hard time of it in the past and his past is the one reason that Jessica has taken care not to get to close to him up until now. After witnessing Alistair in a compromising position years before she is determined to not let him under her skin...or her skirts.

I really loved the romance element to this novel because of the obvious chemistry there was between Alistair and Jessica. I mean talk about erotic! I'd have to say that this is probably the sexiest romance I've ever read. Sylvia Day certainly knows how to write her naughty bits in her novels. But, don't think that that is all the novel is about.

Since I got so attached to the characters the ups and downs that they experience through the novel actually made the story all the more real to me. The fact that this book didn't go straight from them getting freaky to living happily ever after was a nice change of pace. Plus the fact that they were willing to fight for each other and to be together just made the book even better.

So basically if you want a super sexy historical romance to read bordering on erotica but with an extremely well thought out cast of characters, and plot I highly suggest picking this one up. I devoured this one in just a day and thought it was wonderfully written and now I have a new favourite author. I recommend this one to all historical romances lovers and those who are new to the genre and are looking for a starting point to start reading. I for one can't wait to read another of her historical romances because her writing is addictive!

* I received a free copy of this book from the published via NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not compensated in any way.
 
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Awesome, I loved it!
 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★