White Surrounding My Reviews and Ratings

You may have noticed that some of my reviews have all or some of the text surrounded by white. I am unsure why this happens to some of my reviews and ratings and not others....If anybody knows why this is happening, please let me know! Thanks.

Vampire Kisses Omnibus (#1-3) by Ellen Schreiber

 

Series: Vampire Kisses

Author: Ellen Schreiber
Page Count: 562
Published: April 21st, 2009

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

  4 Stars ★★★★

In this omnibus containing the first three books of the Vampire Kisses series, the reader is introduced to Raven, a vampire-obsessed Goth, and Alexander, who happens to be a real vampire. Raven has always dreamed of becoming a vampire, and she thinks Alexander might be able to make her dreams come true.

But they face obstacles, including the citizens of "Dullsville", and Jagger and Luna. Will they be able to keep their secrets safe? Will they be able to stay together? Will Raven finally become a vampire?

I really enjoyed the short length of these books. My edition is only five-hundred and sixty pages long for three books, which makes for short, refreshing reads. The writing style is light-hearted and this is often displayed through Raven, who happens to be super sweet and rather friendly. She's a great character, and I like that while the author kept some of the Goth stereotypes, such as liking the paranormal, vampires, etc, she also discarded some of the stereotypes by making Raven such a nice, open person.

Alexander is a wonderful love interest. He is perfect for Raven and the reader can see that from the start. There is a bit of a love triangle but it's not too intense or obvious. 

The first-person narration was a good choice for this book, as it helped me to care about Raven through her thoughts and hopes and dreams. I found that she and I had a lot in common, including our gothic style and love for all things paranormal and, of course, vampires. Therefore, I remained interested in her story. I also found her very admirable because she was able to keep such a positive demeanor although she is an outcast.

While some people might find the narration and word choice a little bit childish, I thought it was, as I said, refreshing. It's nice to find a cute little book like this one, simple and cheery, yet with elements of the paranormal and serious situations. 

I recommend this omnibus to fans of YA, vampire lovers, and romance lovers. If you're looking for a cute, light-hearted read, this series is for you.

Find Vampire Kisses on Goodreads

Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

Series: The Twixt
Author: Dawn Metcalf
Page Count: 384
Published: July 30th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
 5 Stars ★★★★★

Joy is out with her friend when she notices the mysterious black-eyed figures. Strangely, nobody else seems to notice them, and when they approach her, one of them cuts her eye. After visiting the hospital and repairing her injured eye, she experiences strange flashes and sees disturbing things....things that break windows, frighten her to her core, and leave messages for a mysterious "Ink".

Soon she meets Ink, along with his 'sister' Inq, and they are revealed to be the black-eyed strangers responsible for her injury. It turns out Joy has been marked by Ink, he has given her his 'signatura' and she is now his 'lehman'; his companion or lover. 

Now Joy must play the part of 'lehman' and pretend to feel fondness towards Ink, and he must do the same towards her. If they're not convincing enough, they could get into a lot of trouble. However this actually turns out to be the least of their troubles as Joy is attacked by grotesque creatures and used against Ink by vengeful and power-hungry members of The Twixt. 

This book was SO unique. No love triangle, which I know some people may appreciate. No insta-love. Even the paranormal creatures of The Twixt were unique, they reminded me of the fae and of fantasy creatures associated with fae stories. Yet, they weren't outright labelled as faeries, or trolls, or goblins. 

Joy's world and the world of The Twixt were absolutely mesmerizing and I often found myself envious of Joy, while simultaneously cheering her on for the whole book. She was a very likeable character, I could relate to her well and I cared about what happened to her. Even if the world-building and creatures hadn't been as amazing as they actually were, I know I would've kept reading to see what happened to Joy. 

Then we have Ink. Ink is many things; a Scribe, a mysterious and ageless paranormal being, the source of Joy's confusion and enlightenment.....but above all he is a fantastic character. He stands out amongst all the other YA male main characters and love interests. I found myself quite envious of Ink as well, with his awesome powers and unique name and whatnot. 

As I mentioned earlier, there is no insta-love, the romance is very believable in regards to Joy's situation and the pacing is perfect. The evolution of Ink and Joy's relationship was equal parts exciting, sweet, and emotional.

As for emotions, this book played with mine so much! At first I kind of hated Ink, after all he was the one who injured Joy. But then I started to like him. By the end of the book I loved him! I also felt Joy's emotions like they were my own, I understood her fear and I shared in her sadness. As for the ending, I felt like I was reliving the whole book within those last pages. So many emotions were jam-packed into the end, I found myself putting the book down to process what was happening.

I have to mention my appreciation when it comes to the inclusion of an LGBTQ character. While this character isn't really a main one, they're still a part of Joy's life and are therefore of some importance. 

I can't wait to get my hands on book two, I MUST know what happens next. This has earned it's way into my favourites collection, and I am sure the second book will do just the same.

Overall, a fantastic book that I don't have any criticism or complaints about! I recommend this book to YA readers who enjoy fantasy and paranormal books, and to those looking for a unique romance. If you're looking for a 'breath of fresh air' within the young adult genre, this book is a must-read. 

Find Indelible on Goodreads

90s Movies Book Tag

I was nominated at Less Reality More Books to complete this tag! Here is my response.

Note that as usual with these sort of questions, I am often unable to pinpoint any one character or book as I love way too many of them!

1. She's All That - Name a book couple that are an odd pairing, but they still fit together perfectly.

Ink and Joy from Indelible are a very odd pairing but they fit perfectly and their story is phenomenal.

 2. 10 Things I Hate About You - a book or series that you have a love/hate relationship with.

Captive in the Dark by C.J Roberts. I am simultaneously appalled yet darkly intrigued by this book. (*Silently thankful for my ability to distinguish truth from fiction*)

 3. Clueless - A character that is totally clueless, but you love them anyway.

Monica from Indelible is super clueless when it comes to Joy and The Twixt. Also Vaurien Scapegrace from Skulduggery Pleasant is quite clueless to how he is perceived by others, and it is hilarious.

 4. Titanic - A book that made you cry.

I've said this in a previous post and I'll say it again.....MANY books have made me cry. The ones that stick out to me are Stolen, The Faceless Ones and The Breakaway.

 5. American Pie - A Book that made you laugh.

The Skulduggery Pleasant series never fails to make me laugh.

 6. Can't Hardly Wait - a book with a crazy party.

I haven't read many books with party scenes but I recently attempted to read Sweet Evil and there was a party scene.

 7. Cruel Intentions - name a character you can never fully trust.

There's Billy-Ray Sanguine from Skulduggery Pleasant. As much as I adore him, I never trust him 100%. I also don't trust Rosalie from Twilight very much.

 8. Name your favorite 'boy next door' or 'girl next door' couple.

Ethan and Emily from Vacant could qualify for this, or Silla and Nick from Blood Magic. I haven't read many books with the boy/girl next door trend.

 9. Scream - a book with a memorable villain.

Every villain from the Skulduggery Pleasant series fits the bill for this one. (Can you tell that I'm a die-hard Skulduggery Pleasant fangirl yet?) The villains from Eve are also very intense, and how could I ever forget Julian from The Forbidden Game....a misunderstood, ultra-sexy, pseudo-villain.

 10. The Craft - a book with witches

Book of Shadows has some witches with Wiccan leanings. Justyn from Phantom is Wiccan and a witch as well. Texas Gothic focuses on a non-religious based witch family


I am nominating those who run the following blogs:

The Reading Armchair

and

The Book Goddess


If you've completed this tag, leave me the link to your post in the comments!

Vacant by Evelyn R. Baldwin

Series: N/A

Author: Evelyn R. Baldwin
Page Count: 85
Published: February 23rd, 2013

Publisher: Mayhem Erotica

  5 Stars ★★★★★

Ethan has had a hard life. His father died when he was young and he had to spend some time in the foster care system. Now, he works at a grocery store and lives on a tight budget. When Emily moves in next door he becomes suspicious. She has no electricity, no running water, and no furniture.

He finds out that she is homeless and allows her to stay with him. This is the start of a journey of life, death and heartbreak, and of a blooming love.

This is a contemporary romance novella. It took me less than a day to finish but it made a big impact. A very emotional story, it detailed the ups and downs experienced by Ethan and Emily, and the beauty of love.

I read the adult version, which included erotic scenes. However there weren't many and they were sweet and realistic. 

As for the emotional parts of the story, I have to say that it was incredibly emotional from the beginning to the very end. There was not a single wasted word in this story, everything was there for a reason and the author succeeded in pulling at my feelings and making me care for the characters. 

While this can be considered a contemporary romance, it is so much more than that. It depicts what life can be like for the less fortunate, it details the journey of a raw and real love. There isn't any 'fluff' in this book, and while I enjoy fluffy romances, this was an interesting change. 

I recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and to those looking for a good novella. If you like books that depict the tougher parts of life, this is definitely for you. 

Find Vacant on Goodreads