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books_with_mana's Reviews (414)
Quickie Review:
If you're looking for solid New Adult contemporary romance and have a thing for a man in a uniform then this is for you. If none of the above applies, then steer clear. Walk With Me is a typical NA romance novel where a girl with heavy baggage starts to fall for a guy her best friend sets her up with who happens to be a cop. They fall in love and unveil layers of themselves that they have not revealed to anyone else. The overall tone of the book is pleasant, although the plot revolves around the two lovebirds. It's a good read for the holidays to warm up to because it will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.
In-depth Review:
What attracted me to this book was the main character, Kenna, She is a young adult who was a victim of abuse until she decides enough is enough and left her mother and step-father. She builds a life for herself and is strong. What is even better is that she's not a virgin. While this seems like a small detail, it seems like every NA book I've come across has virginal protagonists stumbling their way through their sexuality as if high school wasn't a thing. If it's done right, that's fine, but it's become a trope that I despise. Stone did not do that here. Instead, she builds a believable character whose actions make sense because of her history. It makes sense that she is used to male attention, but draws a line because she's unable to trust others because of her abusive step-father. It makes sense. And I liked that about her. She seesd so real.
In fact, all the characters have rich backgrounds. Maybe this is because this book is based off real events, but regardless they are likable. My favorite has to be the uncle. I was disappointed he and the mother aren't in the novel more because they seemed so interesting and willing to talk about things Kenna would rather ignore. Their perspective and voice would be refreshing, but considering this is the first in a romance series establishing the main characters is more of a priority than fleshing out the background ones. Which is fine. I can wait. I'm patient.
The overall narrative is pleasant. And sometimes the language is repetitive, especially when it comes to describing sexy time with Donnovan. I know how hot it is to see a guy's "hooded eyes" because he's so relaxed immersed in pleasure, but reading about it every other paragraph made lose its appeal. Perhaps this is his signature sexy thing, but I'd prefer it to be that SoCal bro shirt that he always wears off-duty. Something else that I couldn't help noticing was that this was written in present-tense. This is such an unusual choice on the writer's behalf, but I didn't notice it until I was 20% into the book. It flows easily enough. I appreciate the change of style in the narration, it's refreshing.
The sexual tension is executed well. It was so slow that it made me want to pull my hair, but not so much that it made me lose interest. There were two key sex scenes and plenty of steamy ones. One of which is leaps and bounds better than the other, mostly because experimentation in sexual positions is something that more narratives should do. I applaud that and wonder what else is in store for these two to explore.
However, in lieu of the recent police activity parts of the narrative made me uncomfortable since it is central to the police. But all the central characters are traditionally virtuous so there are no scandals (as of yet, although that would be a lovely twist in the series). Coming from a military family, I could see the similarities in the sense of brotherhood within the boys in blue and would like to see that further explored.
My other problem with the narrative is that at times the author seems preachy when it comes to drug use. Perhaps it is a anecdotal mishap, but not everyone who uses drugs dies or becomes a psycho-crazy killer. Some of the commentary of the characters regarding drug-use made me uncomfortable since it was borderline preachy, but since it did not completely cross the line I forgave it. Now, I'm not advocating the glorification of substance abuse, but completely demonizing it isn't entirely productive either. As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in between. But I digress.
This is a good NA romance that sets up a series. There is a twist at the end that I wasn't entirely sure was going to happen I was on the fence 70/30 and lost (probably because life...). Take it up if you don't have a problem with cops and like compelling characters. They're worth your time.
Quickie Review:
This is a different type of vampire story. Forget all the traditional lore and the modern lore we're familiar with. These vampires don't sparkle and there's more to these mythical creatures than just blood sucking. If you're interested in paranormal romance give this book a shot.
In-Depth Review:
I was sent an ARC of this novel for an honest review and I have to say that I didn't love it. If I could I would give it 2.5 stars. The concept itself was interesting, especially with all the mystery surrounding the protagonist and her family, but everything moved so fast. I felt like a lot of the story could have been developed a little more. The two main characters fell for each other so fast in the beginning that I had a hard time buying into their love throughout the novel. Even the other characters agree! But I guess when people treat you poorly your whole life I guess you blindly fall in love with whoever treats moderately decent. Sometimes the narrative itself was a little choppy or the dialogue a little stiff, causing me to get out of the story.
The most redeemable part of the novel was the use of lore and mythology that kept me interested. I just had to know and if you're one of those types of people I guess you will plow through it too.
This is a different type of vampire story. Forget all the traditional lore and the modern lore we're familiar with. These vampires don't sparkle and there's more to these mythical creatures than just blood sucking. If you're interested in paranormal romance give this book a shot.
In-Depth Review:
I was sent an ARC of this novel for an honest review and I have to say that I didn't love it. If I could I would give it 2.5 stars. The concept itself was interesting, especially with all the mystery surrounding the protagonist and her family, but everything moved so fast. I felt like a lot of the story could have been developed a little more. The two main characters fell for each other so fast in the beginning that I had a hard time buying into their love throughout the novel. Even the other characters agree! But I guess when people treat you poorly your whole life I guess you blindly fall in love with whoever treats moderately decent. Sometimes the narrative itself was a little choppy or the dialogue a little stiff, causing me to get out of the story.
The most redeemable part of the novel was the use of lore and mythology that kept me interested. I just had to know and if you're one of those types of people I guess you will plow through it too.
Quickie review: This is a great paranormal read with unique creatures and characters that you'll fall in love with. The concept alone is reason enough to read this novel, but it also great steamy scenes between the two MCs.
In-depth review:
I was sent a copy of this book for an honest review and I have to say I LOVE it. I devoured it within a day and I wish I would have paced myself.
The story itself deals with dreams, prophets, and creatures able to manipulate nightmares. It is action packed, which can sometimes leave the reader confused with information overload. But a quarter way through the book, you'll be sold on the characters and the world.
What had to be the best part is the protagonist. Not only is she spunky, smart, and fierce despite her 5'2" frame, but she's a virgin AND that doesn't annoy me. I have been so tired of the virginal protagonists in the new adult world that I was honestly surprised that I didn't care until I figured out why. Her virginity didn't define her. Lils wasn't mousy or timid. She was always strong even if she was unsure or new to something. She's such a strong protagonist despite everything being against her favor which might make her on of my favorite characters.
The original premise and world will have you reeling from this actions driven plot that has its fair share of steamy scenes and a satisfying ending that is hopefully opening up the possibility for more installments.
In-depth review:
I was sent a copy of this book for an honest review and I have to say I LOVE it. I devoured it within a day and I wish I would have paced myself.
The story itself deals with dreams, prophets, and creatures able to manipulate nightmares. It is action packed, which can sometimes leave the reader confused with information overload. But a quarter way through the book, you'll be sold on the characters and the world.
What had to be the best part is the protagonist. Not only is she spunky, smart, and fierce despite her 5'2" frame, but she's a virgin AND that doesn't annoy me. I have been so tired of the virginal protagonists in the new adult world that I was honestly surprised that I didn't care until I figured out why. Her virginity didn't define her. Lils wasn't mousy or timid. She was always strong even if she was unsure or new to something. She's such a strong protagonist despite everything being against her favor which might make her on of my favorite characters.
The original premise and world will have you reeling from this actions driven plot that has its fair share of steamy scenes and a satisfying ending that is hopefully opening up the possibility for more installments.
Quickie Review:
If you love dystopians and Sci-Fi is your thing, give this book a chance. It's a solid book full of action and interesting creatures. The sneak peak of the world leaves one with many questions and have you ready for the next installment.
In-depth Review:
Joel Ohman was nice enough to contact me about his novel and send me a copy of it to review a month ago. With that said, I can go onto my review.
My favorite part of the novel has to be the minor characters. Grigor, Sandy, Chappy, Abigail and Charley's little brother were my favorites. They were written well and had a depth that I appreciated. Especially Abigail, I needed a female character who was smart and manipulative. For me, they were the foundation of the novel making it interesting and invested me with their problems.
Unfortunately, that couldn't be said for our protagonist Charley. Maybe it's because he's so rage inclined that I did not like his major flaw, but that certainly can be fixed with time. For someone so smart, his anger can force him to make rash decisions--but isn't that how it always goes?
This novel has a lot of action which keeps you going. Especially when you're half-way in the novel, you can get easily swept up and before you know it, it's over. At times you can tell it's written to set up another novel and perhaps even a series, which was distracting at times.
Other than the obvious structural choice, Ohman's book created a lot of intrigue that makes you want to know more about these huge beasts and who the real bad guy really is.
Unlike a lot of worlds I've come across, current dystopians seems to skim through what man's technological advances would do to the wildlife and how DNA/GMO experimentation would effect the wildlife. Even though some of Ohman's creatures stretch the imagination, it is fun to picture these grotesque beasts that our unknown antagonist (or maybe not, we don't know yet) created. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, so I loved this aspect of the book.
I was worried that this novel was going to rely too heavily on the Hunger Games franchise, but it surprisingly held its own with its world-building. It was a great read and I'll have to keep my eyes out for the sequel.
If you love dystopians and Sci-Fi is your thing, give this book a chance. It's a solid book full of action and interesting creatures. The sneak peak of the world leaves one with many questions and have you ready for the next installment.
In-depth Review:
Joel Ohman was nice enough to contact me about his novel and send me a copy of it to review a month ago. With that said, I can go onto my review.
My favorite part of the novel has to be the minor characters. Grigor, Sandy, Chappy, Abigail and Charley's little brother were my favorites. They were written well and had a depth that I appreciated. Especially Abigail, I needed a female character who was smart and manipulative. For me, they were the foundation of the novel making it interesting and invested me with their problems.
Unfortunately, that couldn't be said for our protagonist Charley. Maybe it's because he's so rage inclined that I did not like his major flaw, but that certainly can be fixed with time. For someone so smart, his anger can force him to make rash decisions--but isn't that how it always goes?
This novel has a lot of action which keeps you going. Especially when you're half-way in the novel, you can get easily swept up and before you know it, it's over. At times you can tell it's written to set up another novel and perhaps even a series, which was distracting at times.
Other than the obvious structural choice, Ohman's book created a lot of intrigue that makes you want to know more about these huge beasts and who the real bad guy really is.
Unlike a lot of worlds I've come across, current dystopians seems to skim through what man's technological advances would do to the wildlife and how DNA/GMO experimentation would effect the wildlife. Even though some of Ohman's creatures stretch the imagination, it is fun to picture these grotesque beasts that our unknown antagonist (or maybe not, we don't know yet) created. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, so I loved this aspect of the book.
I was worried that this novel was going to rely too heavily on the Hunger Games franchise, but it surprisingly held its own with its world-building. It was a great read and I'll have to keep my eyes out for the sequel.
Quickie Review:
I know this is the beginning of the year, but I think this is going to be my favorite book of 2015. This was beautifully written and tackled many different issues in a nuanced way, but the book is still fundamentally about two friends and their maturing friendship. If this book does not become a classic, it will be part of a cult phenomenon. Read it. Just read it. If it doesn't change your mind on a whole bunch of topics and views, then you have no heart and need you out of my life ASAP.
In-depth Review:
So, honestly, I don't know where to begin with this book. One of the booktubers I watch went on about this book, saying that this was her favorite. I didn't know what the fuss was about, but when I saw it sitting on a shelf at my local library one day I had to pick it up. That's when my life changed.
I did not expect this book to challenge the hispanic machismo that was unfortunately instilled into my baby brother. Both these characters challenged conventional norms in their own ways and I loved that.
Even though these were teenage boys, they had the same struggles I did. I growing up (and honestly, even now) I'm both Ari and Dante. I'm accepted by my Mexican brethren, but I am never Mexican enough--whether it be an inherent thing, because I cannot fluently speak the language but can read it, or because I'm half Asian. Either way, the struggle these boys went through with cultural identity was so real, so familiar that my heart broke for these characters. They were so real.
For the whole novel, everything felt so real. The emotions, the drama, the angst, the awkwardness. It felt like high school. The problem for a lot of YA books is that they try to imitate the feelings and they become diluted by our adult brains trying to process events that were dominated by hormonal responses and fresh eyes. Saenz did just that. It is amazing how he captured the angst of the adolescence without looking down on it. It is beautifully executed in all aspects.
It's a classic.
I know this is the beginning of the year, but I think this is going to be my favorite book of 2015. This was beautifully written and tackled many different issues in a nuanced way, but the book is still fundamentally about two friends and their maturing friendship. If this book does not become a classic, it will be part of a cult phenomenon. Read it. Just read it. If it doesn't change your mind on a whole bunch of topics and views, then you have no heart and need you out of my life ASAP.
In-depth Review:
So, honestly, I don't know where to begin with this book. One of the booktubers I watch went on about this book, saying that this was her favorite. I didn't know what the fuss was about, but when I saw it sitting on a shelf at my local library one day I had to pick it up. That's when my life changed.
I did not expect this book to challenge the hispanic machismo that was unfortunately instilled into my baby brother. Both these characters challenged conventional norms in their own ways and I loved that.
Even though these were teenage boys, they had the same struggles I did. I growing up (and honestly, even now) I'm both Ari and Dante. I'm accepted by my Mexican brethren, but I am never Mexican enough--whether it be an inherent thing, because I cannot fluently speak the language but can read it, or because I'm half Asian. Either way, the struggle these boys went through with cultural identity was so real, so familiar that my heart broke for these characters. They were so real.
For the whole novel, everything felt so real. The emotions, the drama, the angst, the awkwardness. It felt like high school. The problem for a lot of YA books is that they try to imitate the feelings and they become diluted by our adult brains trying to process events that were dominated by hormonal responses and fresh eyes. Saenz did just that. It is amazing how he captured the angst of the adolescence without looking down on it. It is beautifully executed in all aspects.
It's a classic.
