I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Şaşkınlıklar içindeyim! Daha birkaç ay önce Pasaklı Tanrıça’yı yakılacaklar listeme almış, “böyle kitap olmaz olsun” demiştim ama I’ve Got Your Number’ın arc kopyası elime geçince şansımı denemeye karar verdim, iyi ki de kitabı bir kenara atmamışım.

Kısa bir özet geçmek gerekirse; kitap ana karakter Poppy’nin nişan yüzüğünü kaybetmesiyle başlıyor ve bu talihsiz gece telefonunu çaldırmasıyla devam ediyor. Çöpte bulduğu bir şirket telefonunu sahiplenip, yüzüğünü arayan herkese yeni bulduğu numarayı verdiği için de en azından yüzüğü bulana kadar telefonu rehin alma kararı alıyor. Şirketin yöneticisi de gelen mailleri kendisine göndermesi şartıyla bu anlaşmayı kabul ediyor. Ancak Poppy mailleri sahibine yönlendirmek yerine, sahibinin ağzından cevaplar da yazmaya başlayınca olaylar karışıyor...

Crazy for You (Life and Love on the Lam #2) by Juliet Rosetti

Crazy for You by Juliet Rosetti
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the tradition of Janet Evanovich and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Juliet Rosetti ups the ante in her laugh-out-loud funny Escape Diaries series, as Mazie Maguire must use any means necessary to keep her main squeeze out of the slammer.

Once you escape from prison and ride off into the sunset with the gorgeous guy who helped you nail a killer, you live happily ever after, right? Well, not exactly—not if you’re Mazie Maguire, and the flow chart of your life looks like a pinball machine. Mazie has broken up with her guy, Ben Labeck, she can’t pay her rent, her car is infested with mice, and she’s working at a coffee shop where the dress code is teddies, thongs, and toe-cleavage heels. Now Ben is the chief suspect in a murder investigation, and Mazie’s tapping into her fugitive wiles to keep him out of jail. Strictly as friends, she vows. No kissing, no touching, no romance. But how is Mazie supposed to keep her thoughts platonic when her “buddy” is giving her erotic back rubs, and a make-believe-we’re-newlyweds charade puts her in the mood for a wedding night?

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.

Mazie and Ben... Gaaah these two are cracking me up!

This book takes place 7 weeks after Mazie's big prison escape and 6 weeks after she and Ben's brake-up. Yeah, they had 5 passionate day and broke up. Now she works as a mystery shopper for a company. But her boss Rhonda (the Cougar) fire her because of her report and Mazie sees her with Ben -kissing- the same day. Yeah!

Anyway, same night Ben finds Rhonda dead and apparently he's the last person who saw her alive too, he becomes the main suspect of the murder. With this, Ben and Mazie once again trying to escape from the police. This time they have a Lieutenant behind their backs!

I loved the secondary characters in this book. Juju, Magenta, Dr. Dreamboat, Lieutenant Vincent Trumbull (okay I hated him a little) and of course Muffin! I like the way they involved with the story. The "real" murderer was easy to spot on but still I like the way the things turned out. Once again there was no unanswered questions at the end. So why I did gave it 3 stars? I really don't know.
Maybe I shouldn't read these books consecutively, I'm not sure about that but I know this book didn't grab me like The Escape Diaries. But I really enjoyed reading both Mrs. Rosetti's books. They're well written and I love the characters she creates. She's a great story teller and I know I will read everything she writes.


I received an e-galley from the publisher.

The Love of My (Other) Life by Traci L. Slatton

The Love of My (Other) Life by Traci L. Slatton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What worlds would you move to be with your soulmate?

Painter Tessa Barnum is struggling. Her husband left, she's broke, about to be evicted and has made some serious missteps in her career.
When scruffy Brian Tennyson explodes into her life, claiming to be from an alternate universe, Tessa thinks he's a crazy vagabond - albeit one with mysterious and undeniable appeal.

Then he informs her that in his world, they're married.

Tessa's universe is turned upside down as the truth of love and loss, victory and humiliation, and second chances comes back to her. She has to choose love over logic to reach that state of anticipation where miracles unfold. The secret to her own life was always in her heart.

 I have a confession to make. I've read fan-fiction. Not as much as it used to be but I still am. Most of them was erotica, and I liked them. But reading erotic fan-fictions made me loose my ability to read erotic novels. I don't know why but I can't stand reading steamy scenes in novels. So imagine my disappointment when I saw this cover and imagine my joy when I realized this book isn't an erotica. I shouldn’t have judge the book by its cover!

Tessa Barnum is a starving artist. Her husband left, she's broke and one day a homeless man approaches her and claims they are married. In an alternate universe, of course *d'uh* Tessa doesn't believe him and wants him out of her life but he has "five days, four hours, and twenty-two minutes left" and until then he has no interests in to go anywhere else...

I really enjoyed this book. Much better than I expected. The romance in the book is sweet and has a creative, geeky plot. I found the book well written and I read it quite quickly. Characters are captivating and the story is very intriguing. My only problem with this book is the story felt a little rushed. But I was surprised with the end, I didn't quite see it coming and I loved the little twists and turns. This is a good book that keeps you fascinated until the end. I will probably read more by this author.


I received a review copy from the publisher for an honest review.

Three Stages of Love: Lust by T.C. Anthony

Three Stages of Love: Lust by T.C. Anthony
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Evangeline Chase is standing at the edge of a crossroad. After choosing to be blissfully ignorant for far too long and willfully ignoring what her life has been lacking, fate is about to intervene. When Alexander Mason, a striking and powerful venture capitalist, is introduced as her new boss, Eva is overwhelmed by an intoxicating cocktail of hormones and lust that leaves her struggling to maintain her composure and more importantly, control of her life.

With an undeniable urge to dominate her new boss, her own lust-filled fantasies lead to a transformation that shakes her to her core. But when Alexander challenges Eva to satisfy her carnal urges, she is forced to choose between her career, her desires, and an unconventional and lustful relationship. Consumed by fear and forced to maintain control at all costs, Eva must decide if having it all is worth risking her career, her world, and possibly, love.

I really don't want to write a long review since I wouldn't recommend this book, so I'm just going to state a few reasons why...

I really wanted to like this book. Clearly I'm in the minority here. Most people seemed to adore this book, while I merely thought it was plain bad. While I loved the premise of the story, I did not like the book. Before I start my review I like to summarise the book first but I don't know how to do it with this book because there is no story. Eva is not a likable character. Her character took away my enthusiasm. I felt no connection between the main characters and their romance. It was too rushed. I can't believe the entire book takes place in only 2 weeks and the way Alexander fall in love with her that much within that time.



I received a review copy from the publisher.

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

 The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone and everyone allows it, because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.  

Kesinlikle 2012'de okuduğum en iyi kitaplardan biri The Sea of Tranquility.

Prologue
I hate my left hand. I hate to look at it. I hate it when it stutters and trembles and reminds me that my identity is gone. But I look at it anyway; because it also reminds me that I’m going to find the boy who took everything from me. I’m going to kill the boy who killed me, and when I kill him, I’m going to do it with my left hand.

Kısa bir özet geçmek gerekirse...
Nastya, 2 sene kadar evde eğitim gördükten sonra teyzesinin yanına taşınıyor ve liseye başlıyor. Ancak giriş bölümünde de söylediği gibi bazı sorunları var. Yüzünde dikiş izleri var, sol elinden defalarca ameliyat olmak zorunda kalmış, "artık" biraz daha el gibi görünür hale gelmiş. Ve konuşamıyor...
Josh ise, okulda pek kimsenin bulaşmak istemediği biri. Ailesi ölmüş ve artık adı ölümle eş anlamlı hale gelmiş. Kimse kendisiyle samimiyeti ilerletmek istemezken peşinden de ayrılmayan bir kişi var; Nastya...

Ben light, fluffy hikayelerden, konulu gözüksün diye etrafa serpiştirilen sahte dramalardan hiç hoşlanmam. Ama aynı şekilde pembe dizi gibi entrikalar, sürekli bitmek tükenmek bitmeyen dramlardan da pek haz ettiğim söylenemez. Genel olarak ciddi, dengeli ve gerçek hikayelerden hoşlanırım -ki The Sea of Tranquility'de tam olarak aradığımı buldum diyebilirim.

Young Adult kitaplarla da bazı sıkıntılarım var... YA kitaplardaki "Aşkından ölüyorum" arabeskliği beni geriyor. The Sea of Tranquility ile alakalı özellikle bu konu üzerinde durmak istiyorum. Herhalde daha evvel hiçbir YA kitap okumadım ki önce arkadaşlık, sonra romantik ilişki bu kadar dengeli anlatılmış olsun. Gerçekçi bulmadığım yerler oldu, ama yine de saçma bulduğum ya da "ne çabuk" dediğim bir şey de olmadı.

Natsya'nın hikayesi tahmin edilebilir olmasına rağmen oldukça vurucu anlatılmış.
Hikayede "bu da olmaz ki" denilebilecek bir açık bırakılmamış, zaten anlatımı sürükleyici, dengeli ve gerçek olduğundan da yukarıda bahsettim ancak kitapla ilgili hoşuma gitmeyen bir nokta da vardı. YA kitaplarda bu bir kural mı bilemiyorum ama artık görmekten sıkıldım.

Platonik olarak her gece aynı yatakta uyumak. Her gece sevişsinler, oooh sabahlar olmasın demiyorum, yanlış anlaşılmasın. Lise öğrencisi 2 kişinin her gece birinin evinde birlikte uyumaları bir tek bana saçma ve (artık o kadar çok okuduk ki) klişe geliyor olamaz.

Ama bu bahsettiğim küçük klişe dışında kitapta beğenmediğim hiçbir şey olmadı. Zaten bir oturuşta bitirdim, sonraki gün elime kitap alamadım, konsantre olmadım. Başka da hakkında ne söylemeli, bilmiyorum. Kesinlikle tavsiye ederim...


I received an e-galley from the publisher.
 

Shadow Woman by Linda Howard

Shadow Woman by Linda Howard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lizette Henry wakes up one morning and makes a terrifying discovery: She doesn’t recognize the face she sees in the mirror. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else’s. To add to the shock, two years seem to have disappeared from her life. Someone has gone to great and inexplicable lengths to keep those missing years hidden forever. But the past always finds a way to return.

Strange memories soon begin to surface and, along with them, some unusual skills and talents that Lizette hasn’t a clue about acquiring. Sensing that she’s being monitored, Lizette suddenly knows how to search for bugs in her house and tracking devices in her car. What’s more, she can elude surveillance—like a trained agent.

Enter a mysterious and seductive stranger named Xavier, who claims he wants to help—but who triggers disturbing images of an unspeakable crime of which Lizette may or may not be the perpetrator. With memories returning, she suddenly becomes a target of anonymous assassins. On the run with nowhere to hide, Lizette has no choice but to rely on Xavier, a strong and magnetic man she doesn’t trust, with a powerful attraction she cannot resist. As murky waters become clear, Lizette confronts a conspiracy that is treacherous and far-reaching and a truth that, once revealed, may silence her and Xavier once and for all.

I have a real love-hate relationship with Linda Howard and Shadow Woman definitely different than other LH books I've read.

Shadow Woman is about Lizette Henry, who has a little dull and normal life. When she wakes up one day and doesn't recognize herself in the mirror and she became aware of the missing 2 years of her memory. She had a feeling she was being watched and she discovers she has the capability to defend herself...

Shadow Women has really slow pacing. The slow beginning took away most of my enthusiasm and the romance in the book was way too shallow, I felt no connection with the characters at all. It was an okay read but I can't say I really liked it. I would recommend it for Linda Howard fans but I don't think it was a good romantic suspense.



I received an e-galley from the publisher.

Beneath the Shadows - Sara Foster

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Grace’s husband, Adam, inherits an isolated North Yorkshire cottage, they leave the bustle of London behind to try a new life. A week later, Adam vanishes without a trace, leaving their baby daughter, Millie, in her stroller on the doorstep. The following year, Grace returns to the tiny village on the untamed heath.  Everyone—the police, her parents, even her best friend and younger sister—is convinced that Adam left her. But Grace, unable to let go of her memories of their love and life together, cannot accept this explanation.  She is desperate for answers, but the slumbering, deeply superstitious hamlet is unwilling to give up its secrets. As Grace hunts through forgotten corners of the cottage searching for clues, and digs deeper into the lives of the locals, strange dreams begin to haunt her. Are the villagers hiding something, or is she becoming increasingly paranoid? Only as snowfall threatens to cut her and Millie off from the rest of the world does Grace make a terrible discovery. She has been looking in the wrong place for answers all along, and she and her daughter will be in terrible danger if she cannot get them away in time.

This story is about Grace, who leaves her city life behind and moves to North Yorkshire with her husband and baby daughter. After a week from their transportation, her husband vanishes without a trace and Grace leaves the North Yorkshire with her daughter... A year later, Grace decides to go back to the cottage once again and while she's trying to figure what she should do with the cottage, she's looking for some answers for the reason why her husband left too. And she's starting to hear some local ghost stories...

Despite the modern outlook, Beneath the Shadows has a gothic atmosphere. I liked the setting of the book (isolated English moors), characters were rich and nicely developed. The story itself was very intriguing. It was tense and eerie. But there are some things that really bother me with this book:

- There was so many unanswered questions.

- I was expecting to see stronger paranormal elements.

- The end was a bit unbelievable for me.

But I found this book to be very well written and almost impossible to put down. It was a good read but could have been much better. I enjoyed this book, and will probably read more by this author.


I received an e-galley from the publisher.