The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano

From Goodreads:

"When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family."

My Thoughts:

The Girl She Used To Be swept me up from the beginning of the novel and didn't let go until the end. This is a fast paced moving novel that focuses on what a lack of identity can do to an individual. Melody has been multiple names and faces throughout her lifetime but never the person that she wants to be which is Melody. She is caught up in the net that is the witness protection program and struggling to find herself amongst all of the lies. Melody was an interesting main character for me. I didn't always like her or her actions at times but I couldn't stop myself from caring about what happened to her...even when she didn't care herself. The main problem I had with this book was the believability issues. As a reader, I really had to stop myself from nitpicking and just enjoy the ride. Because it is a good ride and like I said before, I found myself caught up within the pages of this book. But it isn't realistic whatsoever which did cause a few problems for me especially at the beginning of the book. All in all, I liked this book and would definitely pick up more by this author in the future.

(I received this book from the lovely folks at Hatchette and unfortunately am just now getting around to reviewing it. )

Inside Out Girl by Tish Cohen

I recently realized that I was falling behind in my 2009 reviews while trying to catch up on the leftover books from 2008. Inside Out Girl had been sitting on my review pile for some time patiently waiting for me to read it. I'm so glad that I finally did pick this book up as I really enjoyed it.

Inside Out Girl introduces us to Olivia and her father Len. Olivia has NLD which is a nonverbal learning disorder. We are also introduced to Rachel, a single mother of two, owner of a parenting magazine, and a overly cautious parent. When Len and Rachel start dating, Rachel's children are furious as they go to school with Olivia whom they know as "inside out girl". Before anyone knows it, certain circumstances will change all of their lives forever.

Ms. Cohen really knows how to weave and tale and made me really care about Olivia and what happened to her. There are many different situations that the characters had to deal with throughout the story. I thought that this helped me as the reader see the characters grow and change in ways for the better. I really enjoyed this story and am so glad that I finally gave it a chance. A great way to start 2009 off on the right foot.

Ratings/Recommendations: 4 out of 5; Recommended to those who enjoy contemporary fiction or a good book :)

Challenges: New Author Challenge, 100+ Book Challenge, A-Z Challenge ("C" Author), Winter Reading Challenge

The Darcys & the Bingleys by Marsha Altman

From the back cover:

Three days before their double wedding, Charles Bingley is desperate to have a word with his dear friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, seeking advice of a most delicate nature. Bingley is shocked when Darcy gives him a copy of The Kama Sutra-but it does tell him everything he needs to know. Eventually, of course, Jane finds this remarkale volume and in utmost secrecy shows it to her dear sister Elizabeth, who goes searching for a copy in the Pemberley library...

What a fun book this was to read! Just that little excerpt gives you an idea about what the book is about but it also about so much more. The reader is drawn into the upcoming marriages and then the married life of both couples. I was enchanted with this book as I got to see how the relationships between Charles and Jane and Darcy and Elizabeth grow and mature. One thing that I liked about this book was their was so humor thrown into the story and I couldn't help but laugh at a few parts. Elizabeth had a dry sense of humor that I could relate to and I really liked her as a character. The book also encompassed Charles' sister Caroline and her possible marriage prospects. I honestly wasn't sure if I would like this book and was pleasantly suprised when it turned out to be a great read.
Now that I've written the basic review and my thoughts I have something to share: I've never read Pride and Prejudice. Aack! When I requested to review this book...well...I wasn't so sure about it for this reason, and now that I think about I'm not sure what I was thinking. But I had read a really good review on another book blog and it made me want to give it a try. Boy, I'm so glad I did. It has inspired me to read the original Pride and Prejudice just to see how this whole story started. I've been wanting to read Jane Austen (yes, I haven't read anything by her) for some time and this may be the key to me picking up this book. Who would of thought? Anyways, I really ended up enjoying the book and am glad that I gave it a chance!
My Rating: 4 out of 5
P.S.- This is another book that I read in 2008 but haven't had a chance to review. I will catch up eventually :)

Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

My first review of 2009 is going to be a book I read in 2008. LOL! I recently finished Perfect....On Paper and boy was it good! It starts with Waverly Bryson's fiancee breaking up with her just weeks before the wedding is about to occur. The book chronicles the aftermath of everything Waverly has to deal with to get over her fiancee and begin to love herself. Perfect On Paper is filled with Waverly's "misadventures" in getting back into the dating game. Add to that a so-so job that Waverly isn't too enthused about and two great best friends and you have a perfect combination for a fun read.
I really enjoyed reading about Waverly's life and her adventures back into dating. There were some laugh out louds moments in the book especially when it came to Waverly running into her ex. I was rooting for her from the beginning as I thought the author did a great job of portraying Waverly in a realistic fashion. She wasn't perfect...she did make some mistakes and that was part of the fun of reading this book. As a reader, I just couldn't help but really like her. The ending was good with enough of a twist that it didn't go exactly where I thought it would. All in all, I thought this was a fun read. Readers who enjoy chic lit. and romance or even those who are looking for a "fun, light" read will enjoy this book. Thanks so much to Tracee for sending me this book to review!
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell

Forever Lily is a memoir that begins with Beth Nonte Russell traveling with her friend Alex to China. Alex is going to China to bring home the daughter that she is adopting and asks to Beth to go along with her. Before and during the trip, Beth has vivid dreams of living in China in a past life. Unfortunately, once they have the baby Alex begins withdrawing from her and Beth begins caring for the baby instead. And then comes the time when Alex says she can't take the baby and has changed her mind. Beth has a decision to make and this book takes us through her journey as she realized that she cannot leave the baby behind.
Wow! I had strong feelings about this book but it pulled me into two different directions. The journey that Beth takes the reader on, that she actually experienced for herself is amazing. She shares the horrors of seeing the orphanage where the baby was living and hard it was to walk away from the children living there. It is easy to understand how and why she grows attached to the baby and to see the reasoning on why she doesn't want to leave the baby behind. Also the difficulties she faces with Alex are portrayed which was interesting to read about as well.
On the other hand, I had a hard time with this book at the beginning because of our different belief systems (I guess that is the best way to put it). The author obviously believes in past lives and believes that she was from China in a previous life. She shared her "dreams" that she was having and they were very vivid and detailed. I had a hard time reconciling this until I finally just let go. I decided to read the book with more of the opinion that this was her beliefs and even if I was skeptical to just read and enjoy. Once I did that I enjoyed the book much more and found the author's story much more satisfying.
All in all, I enjoyed this story especially as I am a mother myself. The ending of this memoir was immensely satisfying and I'm glad that I gave this book a try. Thanks to the author for sending me this one to review!
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young

I'm always up for a mystery so when this book came to me for review I was excited to get started on it. Young is a new author for me and writes a mix of mystery/legal thriller. The story begins with the death of a wealthy, prominent African-American man and takes off from there. Early on we are shown that he is having an affair with another man but is married to a woman hence the term "down low". Before you know it there are a few more deaths and one of the detectives on the case is starting to think that they have a serial killer. Mix that up with four friends that are mourning the loss of their close friend Maya. Maya died from aids that she contracted from her husband who was also having a gay affair. All of a sudden it looks like the serial killer theory is more than a theory and that the killer is targeting men on the down low.
This was an interesting read for me. It started off a bit slow but before I knew it I was sucked into the characters lives and trying to figure out who the killer might be. The author took on the difficult issue of aids and homosexuality. I thought the author did a good job providing a lot of information and some fair viewpoints on the issues at hand. The ending took me by suprise as I didn't have a clue to who the killer was. All in all, an interesting read and I'm thankful to the author for sending me this to review.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Challenges: A-Z Challenge ("Y" Author)

The Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary

I'm going to try a new format for this review as I was getting a bit bored and sometimes (scratch that all of the time) have a hard time writing a summary. I hate giving away spoilers but want to make what the book is about understandable. Hmmm...quite the dilemma. Anyways, I'm "borrowing" the summary from the back of the book. Here goes:

From Back Cover:
He was cursed with a "gift". Born with the clairvoyance known to the Irish as "The Sight." Donovan O'Shea fled to America to escape his visions. On a return trip to Ireland to see his ailing father, staggering family secrets threaten to turn his world upside down. And then beautiful, sensual Rylie Powell shows up, claiming to be his half-sister...
She's just looking for the family she never knew. After her mother's death, Rylie finds tantalizing clues that send her off to Ireland to find the man listed on her birth certificate as her father. She needs the truth-but how can she and Donovan be brother and sister when the chemistry between them is nearly irresistible?
Uncoverin the past leads them dangerously close to madness...

My Likes:
I liked the setting and the atmosphere that the author created with this book. She gave beautiful descriptions of Ireland and it is a place that I've wanted to visit for awhile now. The fens where a lot of the action takes place seemed mysterious and a bit scary. I wanted everything to work out for the two main characters which kept me reading until the end. I liked the paranormal aspects that were interspersed throughout the book. I especially found the visions that Donovan had interesting in the end of the novel.

My Gripes:
This is minor for sure but really how many times can all of the characters refer to Rylie as a "wee lass". I know stupid, right but after awhile it began to grate on my nerves. I know she is small already! Aack, but really if that is my only gripe then so be it.

All in all:
A good romance read with some paranormal aspects. I liked it but it didn't leave me saying WOW at the end. Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me this book to review! And to all of you, let me know what you think about this different format. I'm just test-driving it and will probably try something else with my next review but who knows :)

MY RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom

Can we just say that I am a series addict? Hex Appeal was my introduction into yet another series that I am most definitely going to be following. I should start off saying though that 50 Ways To Hex Your Lover is the 1st book in this series and one that I really want to get to now that I've finished this one. I received this book for review from Sourcebooks which is why I read them out of order.
The book features Jazz, a fiesty witch with lots of guts and flare, and her boyfriend Nick who is a vampire. Jazz and Nick are both experiencing nightmares that are pushing the couple apart and it seems like magic is involved. I love strongly developed characters along with good world building which is why I enjoyed this book so much. Jazz has a pair of bunny slippers that have been accused of murder, a ghost that lives in her garage, and a bunch of other bits of magic that make up her world and make this book so much fun to read. I really liked the relationship between Jazz and Nick and felt a connection to both of them from the beginning of the book. This book was a great combination of paranormal romance plus mystery and chick lit tossed into one. My only problem being that I wish I had read 50 Ways To Hex Your Lover first. It wasn't necessary and I didn't have a problem coming into the series without reading it but I can be anal that way sometimes. Now I'm dying to pick up the 1st book and see how it all started.
This author has created a unique series that was fun and interesting to read about. I'm looking forward to the next book and of course picking up the first book as well. I definitely recommend this! I think that I've turned into a paranormal/urban fantasy addict as well :)
Challenges: A-Z Challenge ("W" Author)
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Written In Blood by Sheila Lowe

Claudia is a forensic handwriting specialist who is back comparing handwriting in this 2nd book of the series. I was sent this book for review so I hadn't previously read the 1st book and I'm happy to say it didn't matter one bit. In this story, Claudia is asked to compare the handwriting of late Torg Sorensen to the signature on his will. The will that leaves basically his entire fortune to his young wife and little to nothing to his grown children. Before she knows it, Claudia is drawn deep down into the lies and mystery of this family along with the academy that they own.
I love a good mystery and this didn't disappoint. This book was fast paced and filled with intrigue and it was fun to just let the author lead me where she wanted to go. I liked that it didn't affect me any that I hadn't read the 1st book yet although after reading this I'm definitely going to remedy that. I also thought that forensic handwriting was a different and interesting point of view to help solve the mystery from. With so many mysteries out in the reader world, this was something unique and interesting to read about. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book that she writes.
Challenges:
My Rating: 4 out of 5