Journey with Words: 2014

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Review: Her Mad Hatter by Marie Hall

Title: Her Mad Hatter
Series: Kingdom, Book 1
Author: Marie Hall
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 137 Pages Approx.
Publication Date: December 2, 2013
Available Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Goodreads

Book Description:

Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.

The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

Two nights ago I was lying on my bed, at the wee hours of the morning, browsing through Amazon on my cellphone, because sleeping seemed impossible at the time. That's how I stumbled into Her Mad Hatter, I was looking for a quick read and both the title and the description drew me in. Little did I know that I would end up enjoying the story so much.

Danika, a fairy godmother for the "bad boys" must find Hatter's true love before a year passes or the madness will fully consume and destroy him. Finally she finds the right Alice, a 24-year-old, cupcake shop owner and lover of all things Wonderland (and Hatter). Unfortunately, there has been quite a parade of "Alices" before including our leading lady's own great-grandmother. So much so that Hatter is not interested in going through with the whole thing all over again. Our Alice has just three days to convince Hatter that not only she is the real deal, but that she loves him with all her heart.

Her Mad Hatter is a re-imagining of, yup, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The story is very reminiscent to the Lewis Carroll's masterpiece in its whimsical and nonsensical quality that at the same time speaks volumes. It is also a beautiful, if short, love story.

It really surprised me because I was expecting a quick read, not to fall in love with the characters. I will be definitively continue on with the series, I'm curious about what else can the author do with our favorite villains. Regardless that is a re-telling of a children story, this book is for adult audiences.

The story, the first in a series, is currently free on Amazon. If you like Paranormal Romance you will enjoy this book.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Review: Howling For You by Chloe Neill

Title: Howling For You
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, Book 8.5
Author: Chloe Neill
Publisher: New American Library (NAL)
Length: Approx. 88 Pages
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Available Format: Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★½☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Goodreads

Book Description:

Jeff Christopher is a shapeshifter and ally of Chicago’s Cadogan House of vampires—he’s also a tech whiz and mostly-legal hacker. And the only protective shields he’s never been able to find a way around are those of the powerful Keene Family.

For a long time, Jeff has only had eyes for the beautiful Fallon Keene. Unfortunately, she is the only sister of the lethal North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene. The intricate balances of power and politics make it all but impossible for Fallon to trust her feelings.

But fate takes a hand when the Pack’s totem is stolen—threatening the Keene family’s rule—and Fallon enlists Jeff’s help to retrieve it before the Pack is thrown into chaos. Can she and Jeff find the totem, and restore order, before it’s too late? And will Jeff finally be able to prove himself to the only person he truly loves?

First off, the short story comes with a two-chapter preview of the next Chicagoland Vampires, Wild Things, which comes out on February 4, 2014. Honestly, I love that sneak peak, I can't wait to read another Merrit and Ethan story.

Now the review...

I have mix feelings about this short story. On one side I love the chance to learn more about the shifters in the Chicagoland Vampire series, on the other I had a small problem with part of the resolution.

In the end I liked the story, I wish it was longer. Is very sweet and straight to the point. I'm curious to see how this particular plot line develops in the next books on the series.

MAJOR SPOILER COMING, READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

You've been officially warned.

Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

Title: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Series: Harry Potter Companion Books, 1
Author: Newt Scamander (J.K. Rowling)
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Length: 42 Pages
Publication Date: November 1, 2001
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Source: Confiscated it from my sisters book collection
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Book Description: A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.
-Albus Dumbledore

The book Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them is a common wizarding household item. Meaning that wizards all over the world find the information written on these pages to be very valuable and helpful with a great many magical creature related problems. Now, thanks to the amazing persuasive abilities of the one and only Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, muggles all around the globe have a chance to acquire a copy of this book. But not just any new edition, muggles will be able to purchase a copy with handwritten notes at random and irregular intervals on the pages of this book. And whose notes are these? Why, no less than those of The Boy Who Lived and his best friends Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger. These side-notes add an amusing touch to this already wonderful book. And, as if that wasn’t enough, twenty percent of the sales of this book will go to Comic Relief U. K., an organization set on helping children who live in poverty all around the world.

Now thought, in all seriousness this book is a wonderful addition to all PotterHeads out there. It’s funny and easy to read. I loved it from page one (seriously the first page had me in a fit of giggles) till the very end. It has many, many creatures identified in it, from dragons and unicorns all the way to fwoopers and acromantulas.

I truly loved this book J.K. Rowling has a wonderful gift through which she charms the reader and allows you to get lost inside the wonderful world of witches and wizards that she created. This book adds magic and expands the already big world of the infamous Harry Potter. In all honesty Rowlings could publish twenty books more just to expand on the history of Harrys world and I would more than happily read them all. I hope that someday she publishes Hogwarts Through the Ages. That would truly make my life complete, or as close as it will get xD

Comic Relief U.K.: