Waiting For Wentworth

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It's a great way to showcase books that you have gotten throughout the week, whether they are bought, borrowed or gifts!

Dead To You by Lisa McMann Won from Owl Read It

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter Won a signed copy from Kristina's World of Books

ARC of Starters by Lissa Price Courtesy of Random House.

ARC of Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris courtesy of Balzer & Bray / Harper Collins.

eARC from NetGalley: I Am (Not) the Walrus by Ed Briant
eARC from NetGalley: Narc by Crissa-Jean Chappell

Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Page Count: 292
Published by: Walker Childrens
Source: Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

I really loved reading Scarlet. It was easy to get involved in the storyline and the characters are wonderful and fresh. It was extremely entertaining and at times I almost forgot I was reading about Robin Hood.

I still picture Christian Slater as Will Scarlet from the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, so I loved the creativity it took to imagine Will Scarlet as a female. I enjoyed the character Scarlet so much. She was very feisty, brave, and tough as nails. She was fiercely loyal and independent, to her own detriment at times.

Scarlet is alone and a thief when she crosses paths with Robin in London. She is also skilled and deadly with her knives. Robin takes her in and gives her a place in his small band. It's just Robin, John Little, and Much at this point in time, and they are the only ones who know that Scarlet is a girl. Together they attempt to stand up to the crooked Sheriff of Nottingham. They work to help the citizens acquire the money needed to pay the taxes that are coming due. When the Sheriff hires Guy of Gisbourne to hunt down and kill Robin Hood and his men, Robin realizes that Scarlet is hiding more secrets from her past. What will happen when these truths come to light and put the entire band in danger?

I felt that Scarlet stayed pretty true to the legend of Robin Hood. It is a very believable version and I love the idea of Scarlet being a girl. I enjoyed the action, the never ending danger, and even the romance in Scarlet. I definitely recommend this if you are a fan of Robin Hood or if you are looking to read about a kick ass heroine.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Follow Friday is a weekly feature hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. It's a great way to discover new blogs and get new followers. I follow you, you follow me.

Q: Have you ever looked at book's cover and thought, This is going to be horrible? But was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.

Major Crush by Jennifer Echols
Goofy, goofy cover. But a really cute read. Jennifer Echols has a way with humor and romance in her books. She seems to follow the same general formula with all of her books, but they are so enjoyable! Going Too Far is my favorite Jennifer Echols book. She has a new book, Such A Rush, that is coming out in July.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is

Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie

352 pages
Expected publication: September 11th 2012 by Candlewick Press

Synopsis From Goodreads:
Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, seventeen-year-old Matt Foster feels like he’s been sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, and the worst part is, there’s nothing left of him to hold on to. Matt can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on T.J.’s stuff from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. He wasn’t expecting T.J.’s personal effects to raise even more questions about his life.

Now, even if it means pushing his dad over the edge …

even if it means losing his best friend …

even if it means getting expelled from school …

Matt will do whatever it takes to find out the truth about his brother’s past.

Illuminated by Erica Orloff

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finished reading Illuminated only because I wanted to find out what happened with the Book of Hours. I wasn't fond of the writing, I didn't feel any connection to the characters, and the story was really flat.

When Calliope first meets August, they automatically like each other. For no reason other than her uncle introduced them, and thought they were perfect for each other. Insta-love is one thing I am not a fan of, but this was the fastest relationship ever. After the first day they can't sleep at night for thinking of the other, and texting with 'I miss you' messages. It's just not believable that you can feel so much for someone when you have only spent 5 minutes with them.

Calliope and August are helping to track down the origins of an old book that is believed to have ties to Heloise and Abelard - the greatest love story ever told. Because, obviously, we all know the story of Heloise and Abelard. I have vague memories of hearing the story before, but by no means are they as well known as we are led to believe in Illuminated.

Almost from the beginning, Calliope and August decide that they are like Heloise and Abelard - fated to be together forever and soulmates and just maybe reincarnated from Heloise and Abelard. You can't decide you are soulmates and then start acting like you have the greatest love ever. What bothered me the most about Calliope and August's relationship is that it is told to us, and not shown. I really wanted and needed to see and experience their relationship firsthand, and that didn't happen.

The mystery surrounding the old book fell really flat. There was a dangerous 'mystery person' who was steals books called the Tomb Raider who was briefly mentioned - but the person never materialized. And Calliope and August's 'search' for the origins of the book was too easy. They ended up running off to Paris to find answers, and there they were visited in their dreams by Heloise and Abelard. Sounds believable, right?

I finished reading this book, but just barely. Sadly, I didn't understand the ending (the origins of the book). Maybe it was just me, but I don't get it. I started reading Illuminated with an open mind, and from the synopsis it sounded really good. Overall, I was very disappointed with every aspect of this book - the story itself, the insta-love, the search, and the mystery surrounding the Book of Hours.
View all my reviews

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen
Hardcover, 292 pages
Published February 14th 2012 by Walker Childrens

"I love you John, but I don't want to be kissed by you none. And you only want to kiss me because you saw my bits in a dress." - Pg. 228

Until Next Time (The Angel Chronicles #1) by Amy Lignor
ebook, 255 pages
Published February 1st 2012 by Tribute Books
Source: eArc provided in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

I had no idea what to expect when I decided to read this book. I don't have too much experience with books about angels. Amy's wonderful writing brought to life a very imaginative Heaven. (I really enjoyed the Archangels in Heaven.) Overall the plot was pretty good. It did occasionally feel preachy and too religious for me. I'm sure this wouldn't be a problem for someone who is more religious than I am.

I was confused several times during this book. Okay, a lot of the time I was confused. There were a lot of back and forth between Heaven and Earth and I had a hard time keeping the story straight. That's why this review is so hard to write. I kept forgetting that Emily was Liz and that Matt was Daniel.

Sadly, I did not feel any real connection to any of the characters. I don't know what it was that kept me from being completely invested in the storyline. The characters had depth, but sometimes their actions were not what I expected. I did enjoy Liz and Faith's friendship, and I would have loved to know Matt better. Maybe we will get Matt's side of things as the series continues.

Until Next Time is not a perfect read, but it certainly is a memorable one. If you are interested in reading a totally different approach to angels, this book should interest you. And while I am slightly confused by this book and it's ending, I am looking forward to the next book and finding out what happens to Emily and Matt.

My Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

The Angel Chronicles web site
The Angel Chronicles Facebook page
Until Next Time GoodReads page
Amy Lignor's Website
Amy Lignor's Blog
Tribute Books website

Buy For Kindle
Buy For Nook
Buy On Smashwords

Thank you to everyone who participated in my 200 Followers Giveaway.

Congratulations to Lisa (aka Rottweiler Lover)!

She has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Pages

In My Mailbox (5)

Review: Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Follow Friday (14)

Waiting On Wednesday (16) Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie

Review: Illuminated by Erica Orloff

Teaser Tuesday (3) Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Review: Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1 by Amy Lignor

Winner! 200 Followers Giveaway