Category: Romance
Starlet’s Run by Carla J. Hanna
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Hollywood actress Liana Marie Michael finds out that loving someone unconditionally, without losing who she is in the process, does not always have a convenient ending or an easy to memorize script.
As the path unfolds in front of her, Lia challenges the demons and destruction of her past, which had kept her like Alice in Wonderland, frozen in time and unable to escape the heavy web of expectation shrouding her heart. She needs more than the promise of true love to help her prevail. Exhausted from indecision, should she listen to what others think is best for her? What should she choose?
STARLET’S RUN is a triumphant story of Lia’s determination to step forward into a new and authentic life, taking on a role she has never before been given the chance to play–her self.
[Full disclosure: Carla Hanna sent me Starlet’s Run as part of a thank you for hosting a successful giveaway of her first two books. As always, this is still an honest review.]
I actually liked Starlet’s Run better than Starlet’s Web for various reasons. First was that we really got to see the destructive influence of Hollywood on Lia’s life and relationship with Manuel. Secondly, Lia developed far more as a character in the face of her medical problems and she really grew into her relationship with Manuel. Seeing the two of them struggle with her career, but eventually learn to strike a balance was satisfying. They’re not a picture perfect couple, but they do have a really strong bond and a healthy relationship despite outside factors. I don’t want to give anything away, but Lia’s relationships with other characters like her mother throughout Starlet’s Run also take interesting turns.
I wouldn’t call the plot fast-paced since this is a more character based novel, but it’s not like Carla J. Hanna drags the story on and on either. It’s somewhere in the middle, but mainly you should read it for the subtle messages and for the characters. You’ll want to cheer for Lia the whole time and you’ll love her even more as she grows as a character. Not only does she grow within her relationship with Manuel, she grows on her own. She has a life and friends outside of her relationship, unlike some YA heroines who have their partner and no one else.
One of the strengths of Carla Hanna’s writing is that she can get a message across without being obvious about it or preaching to her audience. She subtly criticizes the Hollywood lifestyle as well as the social expectations it places upon ordinary people, especially girls. Lia is also a very spiritual character without really being overly religious so she is also appealing to people from very different religious backgrounds.
Overall, I loved Starlet’s Run and with that awesome ending, I can’t wait to dive into the third book, Starlet’s Light.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
(Cover picture courtesy of Reading Revels.)
A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness forces her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is the gorgeous, elusive Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
Despite the amazing cover, when I read the blurb I was both full of hope and cringing at the same time. With a concept like forbidden love between predator and prey authors can either write a really awesome story or completely ruin it. So what was Firelight? Well, surprisingly, it was the former.
Sophie Jordan’s world of draki and Hunters is incredible! I love how she incorporated old dragon lore into her story and put her own twist on it, making the draki both human and dragon believably. You see, Jacinda is drawn to her draki heritage and has to control things like her manifestation (transformation into a dragon) when she’s angry or aroused and has to fully manifest regularly or she loses her ability completely. She has the temper of a dragon at times and has to control the fact that she’s a firebreather, a draki that can breathe fire. Did I mention she’s the first one in many generations to be able to do that? Kind of cliché, but minor compared to the fact Sophie Jordan actually used her imagination to create the draki.
Unlike most Insta-Love, you don’t have Jacinda or Will proclaiming it love at first sight, merely an interesting attraction. They’re drawn to each other for some odd reason and the excuse isn’t fate at the end, as we find out. There’s no prophecy hanging over their heads, but a reasonable explanation for why Will is both drawn to Jacinda and one of the best draki trackers out there. They have a stormy relationship as they both try to figure out their feelings, but by the end you get the feeling that it actually is love between them. With the threat from Cassian and Tamra’s dangerously reckless behavior, there’s even more added tension.
I love this new series! It’s unique, well-written and fast paced. What more could you really ask for in YA right now? With such a cliffhanger at the end of the novel, I can’t wait to read Vanish.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland
(Cover picture courtesy of Kingston WritersFest.)
Set against the magnificent decadence of Louis XIV’s Versailles, Mistress of the Sun is the extraordinary story of Louise de la Vallière, the beautiful young equestrienne who won the heart of France’s charismatic Sun King. The spirited child of minor nobility, unable to marry and too poor to join a convent, Louise grows up to become a consort of the King, capturing—and then tragically losing—his favour. A riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its heart, Mistress of the Sun illuminates both the power of true love and our reckless attempts to capture and tame it.
Historical romance isn’t something I often read, but when I do make an exception to my rule I’m almost always impressed. Sandra Gulland succeeded in sucking me in to the world of King Louis XIV and his tumultuous, backstabbing court. It’s not often that I really believe how authors set up romances between known historical characters, but the one between Louise and Louis was quite natural. It was gradual, but with an undeniable, mysterious attraction.
Of course this book focuses more on characters than on plot. That’s a good thing because Louise carries the story on her shoulders quite well. She’s not a heroine with modern sensibilities that you tend to see cropping up in historical fiction: she believes her love of Louis outside marriage is sinful and wrestles with the guilt that comes with it. Yes, she rides horses well and can be one of the boys, so to speak, but she actually has the perspective a woman of her time would have. Louis himself is an enigmatic character as well. Sometimes he acts like a King, other times a normal young man and still other times a cruel man. His character is complex but you can’t help but see why Louise falls in love with him.
Although Sandra Gulland chose to use composite characters to simplify the plot, the main players in the story are real. And although I can’t vouch completely for her accuracy, judging from the fact that she devoted an entire blog to talking about her research, I’d say Mistress of the Sun is pretty accurate. Since I don’t know much about the time the simplifications of plot and characters don’t annoy me, so I don’t think most people will mind. It’s just a great novel, through and through.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Elite by Kiera Cass
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
[Full disclosure: I received a free print ARC from HaperCollins Publishing in exchange for an honest review.]
I know there are some fans out there who are pretty irate at Maxon for what he did (or didn’t do) throughout the book, but I’m more annoyed at America than Maxon. Of course she has reasons for everything she does and they make sense at the time, but if I’m mad at anyone it’s her for her occasional stupidity. Well, I wouldn’t say mad so much as slightly disappointed.
At the end of The Selection it looked like America had finally decided to choose Prince Maxon, but in The Elite Kiera Cass turns things up a notch and throws and wrench into their easy going relationship. The funny thing is, it didn’t feel contrived because the catalyst was events pretty much outside their control. Mainly, the rebels and the king. Part of the reason why I loved The Elite was that we get to see a lot more of how Maxon deals with affairs of the state and how he gets along with his father, the king. It gives his character a little more depth and the explanation for some of his out-of-character behavior at the end of the book makes sense. There were little clues all throughout the two books, but Kiera Cass’ big reveal connects all those hints together perfectly.
Compared to The Selection, I actually enjoyed The Elite more because of the focus on the characters themselves rather than the excitement of the competition. Since it’s down to only six contestants, we actually get to know the finalists a lot more. America has also matured and is really starting to consider how her feelings for Maxon may trump the terrifying prospect of being queen. She does some idiotic things at the end of the book and although they’re annoying at the time, upon reflection I can think of times when I did similar things. People don’t think everything through, so why should characters in books?
I knew we’d be able to see more of these mysterious rebels but I didn’t know they’d play such a significant role in the book. They’re always in the background, a sort of omnipresent threat hanging over the heads of everyone in the palace. Although I can’t say much without spoiling the book, let me say that because of their actions at the end of The Elite I think they’ll play an even greater part in the final book in the trilogy, The One.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Once by Anna Carey
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
For the first time since escaping from her School, Eve can finally sleep soundly. She is living in Califia, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America in the year 2041. But she was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at Califia’s gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand. Trapped inside the city walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past and must confront the harsh reality of her future.
In this breathless sequel to Eve, Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.
It’s very, very rare for the second book in a trilogy to be better than the first, but Anna Carey pulled it off in Once, the sequel to Eve. There were some times throughout the novel where I had my doubts, yet things aren’t always what they seem.
In Eve, we have a protagonist who is *gasp* completely loyal to her love interest, with no confused feelings about another attractive man! And, most shocking of all, she has more political instincts than a lemming. That’s incredibly rare in YA, trust me. Especially since we find out who the King of The New America really is and what he really wants from Eve. What’s surprising for me in Once is Eve’s growth as a character as she becomes more mature and realizes that yes, she truly does love Caleb.
The whole forbidden love aspect is often overplayed in YA books, but it really doesn’t feel that way in Once. It’s more of a sweet, very passionate first love for both Eve and Caleb and it feels more genuine than a lot of romances you’ll encounter in YA literature. Being in the City of Sand, things get a lot more complicated for Eve and Caleb, but I like how their love remains strong and they seem to trust each other.
Aside from the decent romance, what I really liked was the glimpse of a rebellion against a tyrannical king and the rebuilding efforts after such a devastating plague. I found it hard to believe there were no rebels yet when I read the first book, so the introduction of rebels in Once was quite satisfying. The Eve Trilogy is dark in general, but it’s uplifting in that (although using slave labour) humanity is starting to rise and rebuild once more. It’s sort of a testament to the strength of the human will, even if it is the will of a dictator who wants to conquer more territory in his rebuilding efforts.
I give this book 4/5 stars.