Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death
3 Stars

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club--in the depths of her own despair--Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for--no matter what it costs her.

I did like this book... but it took me a little time to get to the point where I felt that way. The beginning was pretty slow in my opinion and it took me a while to get connected with the main character, Araby. When I got through the stage of not really caring to much and not being hooked, I couldn't put it down and I ended up liking this book. The ending left me very shocked and I can't wait for the second one, The Dance of the Red Death, to come out on June 11th. I would say that you should at least try this one!

Happy Reading!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
4 1/2 Stars

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

This book was so different from any other book I have ever read and I loved it. The vision Josephine Angelini painted was so beautiful and vivid. The story contained humor and extreme page-turning intensity. Helen was so charming and relatable which made you love her. Lucas was brooding and lovable which also made you love him. Well, you well actually fall in love with all the beautiful characters and everything about this book. I loved and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Totally recommended!

Happy Reading!!

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson
5 Stars!

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Well this book was freaking awesome. Actually, it was flawless! Every character in this book was so well developed as was the story which made for a book that I couldn't put down. At all. I have always had a fascination for the Jack the Ripper murders and this story just put everything into a different light for me and I loved it. I'm so looking forward to reading the 2nd one and then reading them again... and again... and again.

Happy Reading!

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer Echols
3 Stars

She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines..
For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter. . . . except this story could come true.

This story sounded very interesting to me when I read the caption, and in the beginning of the story I was drawn in... but that soon changed. The story qucikly got cofusing and a little too much for me. In my opinion, the characters weren't well developed because the personalities kept changing. In the end, I thought it was overall okay because it came together for a good ending. The ending left me actually left me wanting more, but sadly there will be no sequel.

Happy Reading!