REVIEW: FALLEN IN LOVE by Lauren Kate

Fallen In Love (A Fallen Novel in Stories)

Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 24, 2012

Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.

And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories combine over the course of a romantic Valentine's Day in Medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they
least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding-and losing love. Arianne pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first -and last- time, Daniel and Luce
will spend a night together like none other.

Lauren Kate's FALLEN IN LOVE is filled with love stories . . . the ones everyone has been waiting for.

True love never says goodbye.

My Thoughts:

I love this series. I really do. I love all the characters, especially Miles and Cam. It took me a little while to pick up Fallen In Love because I wasn’t really sure where it fell in the series. I knew it was supposed to be Valentine’s Day related and focus on some of the smaller (but no less important) characters in the series. It was classified as “a novel in stories” and to me, this was unclear. I was curious to see where the events of this book took place in the grand scheme of things. Passion confused me. It was originally presented as a type of “prequel” to Fallen. Which, in a way it was; however, it was the present Luce (the one from Fallen) going back in time to see her past lives. So, to me, it wasn’t so much a prequel. And the ending of Passion left me considering where Fallen In Love could possibly be set. So, I actually picked up Fallen In Love rather reluctantly.

When I began reading, I was very happy to find that Miles and Shelby were the focus of the first story, and I quickly realized that these events were happening within the timeline of Passion. I enjoyed seeing Miles and Shelby on their own and learning more about Roland and Arianne’s past loves. The latter held a little more interest for me although I didn’t really feel like any of it was pertinent information for the series. Even the bit concerning Daniel and Luce, and the only Valentine’s Day they ever got to spend together, seemed unnecessary.

Don’t get me wrong. It was good. An interesting way to bridge the gap between the releases of Passion and Rapture. But in all honesty, if it hadn’t been part of the Fallen series I probably would have put it down. It was a fun, easy read. Something to fill the time. Unfortunately, my time doesn’t really need filling right now since I have TONS AND TONS of books to read and reviews to write, so I felt like I needed to plow through it quickly. Long story short, if you like the Fallen series, it’s worth a read and will shed light on Roland and Arianne especially. For all I know, the info gleaned from Fallen In Love  will play a role in Rapture. We shall see.

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REVIEW: CROSSROADS (Crossroads Saga #1) by Mary Ting

Crossroads (Crossroads Sage #1)
Author: Mary Ting
Publisher: World Castle
Published: April 6, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 315

Claudia Emerson has a good friend who shares the same first name and last name. That friend unfortunately dies in a tragic accident during homecoming dance. Claudia is distraught at the loss of her friend, but is even more disturbed by her dreams, which seem to take her to another place called Crossroads. Unknown to her, Crossroads is like a second heaven, a place between heaven and earth. It is where the souls of humans in comas or near death experiences may wander. Where, Claudia meets Michael, a nephilim, a half angel, half human, whom she often meets in her dreams. It turns out that this isn’t her first visit to Crossroads, which is an enigma for no human can ever travel there until Claudia.

Now the fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special and it is up to Michael and the other nephilims to protect her. Her dream becomes a nightmare as more secrets are revealed, about who she really is, and the true identities of the people she loves most. Can Michael fight his growing feelings for Claudia and protect her as a guardian angel should?

Review:

First, I want to say that I really enjoyed this book.  Forbidden love, fallen angels, dangerous battles; what’s not to love? There are a lot of angel stories out there these days that do not actually include church, faith, and God.  While this story does incorporate all those aspects, the story line and conflict Mary has developed are very unique. 

Claudia is a human that finds herself in the middle of a celestial conflict.  Michael is the oh-so-swoon-worthy half angle half human with his share of secrets.  When Claudia and Michael meet on one of her unexpected trips to Crossroads, sparks fly. Mainly from Michael’s rude, arrogant and just plain mean demeanor.  But all bad boys have a soft side, and when Michael is appointed as Claudia’s Guardian Angel, there is no stopping this budding romance. Or is there?

As the fallen, led by the powerful Aden, begin to attack Claudia, she’s not the only one in danger.  And not everyone will be safe. The secrets, betrayals, great characters, and a fight for Claudia’s affection won’t disappoint.  Definitely a good read.

Buy the book:
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Barnes & Noble
World Castle Publishing

Find Mary Ting Online
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Ratings

Everyone evaluates what they read in a different way. That being said, we thought it might be a good idea to explain the way we rate the books we review. We each use a number star system (i.e. 5 stars, 4 stars, etc.). We made the decision together that we will not post reviews that we rate below 3 stars. The reason for this decision is simple: we do not like negative reviews. This is a personal preference for us. If we were to assign 1 or 2 stars to a book, for us, that is not a book we would recommend. Therefore, we will not review it. Neither will we speak negatively about said book(s). We are here to support and share books we love, not tear down or speak negatively about those we do not love. Also, we will always (with the exception of one of us having a senior moment) include our name(s) at the end of each review, so that you know who's opinion you are reading. With that disclaimer, we give you the LIVING-FICTITIOUSLY starred rating system:

5 stars - Totally, absolutely, without-a-doubt loved it! Would pick it up again and re-read. Would recommend it to everyone.

4 stars - Love it! Would recommend it to almost everyone.

3 stars - A good read. Enjoyed it and would recommend to others.

EDIT TO ADD. >>>>> As of 4/5/2012, I (Kimberly) have come to the decision to no longer rate books. I simply feel that if I post a review on the blog, then that means the book was a very enjoyable read for me.
May a book be forever in your hands,
Kimberly

* NOTE: We will occasionally assign half star ratings to reviews. For example: 3.5 stars. These will most likely be rare; however, sometimes it will be a necessity in our eyes. The reasoning should be self-explanatory in the review, but you are always welcome to contact us with any questions at all.

Britney & Kimberly

REVIEW: HALO by Alexandra Adornetto

Synopsis:

An angel is sent to earth on a mission. But falling in love is not part of the plan.

Three angels --- Gabriel, the warrior; Ive, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human --- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angels' mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

My thoughts:

Let me start with the fact that I absolutely love this cover. The background colors are amazing and the silhouettes are striking. I usually do not like full-body shot covers, but it works so well here.

It took me a little while to get into this story. The first part of the book is very focused on the angels' adaptation and adjustment to human life. However, the descriptions of these adaptations, while drawn out, are excellent. Adornetto beautifully describes the newness of limbs, textures, colors, material things, even smiling.

Angel stories have become pretty popular recently, and Halo seemed like a fairly typical one to me. There are the good angels, doing good deeds, with a concern about falling from grace. Then enters the bad guy and chaos ensues. Good counteracts bad and eventually battles evil.

The love story is beautiful and is the main focus of the majority of the story. I wished that Bethany was a more independent character, although her innocence is an integral part of the book's development. And at times the "doting" from Xavier was a little heavy for my taste.

Overall, I did enjoy Halo, and I really look forward to seeing what becomes of the characters throughout the series.

3 stars

~ Britney

Review: REMEMBRANCE [Kindle edition] by Michelle Madow

Synopsis via Goodreads.

There's recently been a small surge in the amount of books I've read concerning reincarnation. With each new take on the subject, I seem to get more and more fascinated by the idea. What girl wouldn't want to believe in a love that can transcend time. And with that thought, Michelle Madow has taken one of my new favorite themes and woven it with an all-time favorite of mine; Pride and Prejudice.

Yes, I'm one of those girls that absolutely loves Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Remembrance is somewhat of a modern day P & P without all the politics and flowery language of the 1800s. Drew sure seems to channel Darcy throughout the book and Madow has done a nice job of incorporating parts of Austen's life and novel into the story. Even if you don't particularly like P & P, there's still appeal in Remembrance. There's love, secrets, betrayal, and reincarnation. There a lot of unanswered questions that leave me wondering, no hoping, for a sequel. Guess I'll just have to wait and see. Check out Michelle Madow's website.

3 stars

Britney

Review: LOCKDOWN: ESCAPE FROM FURNACE [Kindle Edition] by Alexander Gordon Smith

Synopsis via Goodreads

This is not a typical choice of reading material for me. I tend to like books with more girly themes; well, at least books that have the potential for some sort of love story and Lockdown is definitely not a love story! However, the idea of an underground prison just for juvenile offenders intrigued me.

It took some time for Alex to grow on me, but I soon got very attached to this little thief. Smith developed a character that, while I couldn't relate to or empathize with his situation, I certainly felt sympathy for him. Between Alex and his rag-tag team of friends, I was quickly enveloped in this gruesome story of survival, friendship, and the importance of hope.

There are some moments of really intense imagery accompanied by some truly horrific scenes. And the ending will leave you begging for the next book. If you don't like to be left hanging I suggest you have the second installment, Solitary, ready and waiting. A good read.

3 stars

Britney