Review: The Secret Year

The Secret Year

Jennifer R. Hubbard

Young Adult Contemporary

Viking/January 2010

Library book

From the author's website ~

Seventeen-year-old Colt has been sneaking out at night to meet Julia, a girl from an upper-class neighborhood unlike his own. They’ve never told anyone else about their relationship: not their family or friends, and especially not Julia’s boyfriend. When Julia dies suddenly, Colt tries to cope with her death while pretending that he never even knew her. He discovers a journal Julia left behind. But Colt is not prepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship, nor to pay the price for the secrets he’s kept.

This little book really surprised me, in a good way. The premise is in the style of West Side story but the twist is that the heroine is dead when the book begins. We get to know her through her own words, written in her journal, and through the memories of the hero, Colt. We get to see how he deals with her death in secret, just like their relationship. For a teen to have to lose someone they care about is hard but to have to grieve in quiet solitude must be even harder, causing pain and confusion.

I think part of the reason I liked this book so much and was able to connect with it so quickly was because of Colt. It's told in his POV. I liked his dark, dry humor and found myself laughing at some of the strangest times. He tells it like it is, and doesn't go easy on himself. What we get is his guilt over Julia's death and his questions about what role he played in her death. Colt doesn't do a whole lot of "why me" which was refreshing. He knew where he was from, the flats as it's called. The blue collar neighborhood where his mother works as a waitress and his father drinks, a lot. And Julia was a kid from Black Mountain Road where the mansions and money are. Completely different worlds.

Colt and Julia meet along the river bank. They strike up a peculiar relationship, meeting in secret, mostly by the river. Julia is afraid of being caught but she also gets a secret thrill from "almost" being caught. Colt is a laid back guy and seems to get swept up in her. Completely overpowered by her personality is a good way to describe what happens to him. She's so different than what he's encountered in his very limited experience with the opposite sex.

The aftermath of Julia's death leaves Colt at odds with his group of friends. He needs to talk to someone about Julia and their relationship but he can't. Then her journal falls into his hands and he gets to find out what she thought of their relationship. He gets to relive their year together through her eyes. While he is doing that he is also caught up in the middle of the rivalry of the kids from the flats and the kids from Black Mountain. Colt has some issues with Austin Chadwick, one of the Black Mountain guys. Austin was Julia's boyfriend and Colt can't stand him. The dissension between the two groups emphasizes how the high school society would have viewed Julia and Colt's relationship.

The one real problem I had with the story was the teen angst. Too heavy for my liking but remember, I'm not a teen so of course this is totally from my older perspective. Would I have thought the same when I was a teen? Maybe. I don't think it would have irritated me as much. I do think Hubbard did a good job with the characterizations. Some even reminded me of people I knew when I went to high school. lol

The Secret Year is an interesting and different story. I think by having it begin with Julia already dead, the focus could be on Colt. Had she still been alive, I have a feeling her presence would have overpowered his and we would have missed out on the unique perspective of the teen male. The Secret Year, Hubbard's debut novel, is a quick read at just under 200 page, but it packs a solid punch. Dealing with forbidden love, social class conflicts, secrets and loyalty.

Rating: B+

Review: Breath of Fire

Breath of Fire

Tammy Kane

Fantasy Romance

Dragonfold Series*/Book 1

Dorchester Publishing/July 2009

Library book

From the back cover ~

When the dragon came to claim him, Karl knew his great plan had gone horribly wrong. If he had known the creature was real, he wouldn’t have scoffed at the villagers… and he certainly wouldn’t have been so quick to let them chain him to a rock. Mattaen Initiates trained as warriors, but no man could defeat a dragon.

"My name is Elera, daughter of Shane. And you, Initiate, are my virgin prize.”

She had vanquished the beast and named her price: one night with the virgin sacrifice she’d saved. He’d taken a vow of chastity, but Karl still had a man’s needs—and Elera’s sultry curves made him ache to taste his first woman. With one scorching kiss she shattered his defenses… and led him into a world of deception and seduction, where he’d be forced to choose between the brotherhood that had raised him and the woman whose courage set his heart on fire.

What starts out as the old story of villagers sacrificing a virgin takes a drastic change when a man (Karl) questions their beliefs. Our hero Karl then agrees to trade places with the virgin and he can because... he's a virgin too! But Karl is in for a surprise when it turns out the villagers were right - dragons are real!

The dragons in Kane's book are not shape-shifters but actual dragons. One male dragon with a harem of females. Kane gives the reader the feeling that these dragons have unique personalities and are more than the monsters humans think them to be. I became enchanted with these creatures and felt that by making them more than just props for the humans, they were an essential part of the story.

Elena is an alpha heroine who starts off saving the hero and demanding an interesting payment in return. She wants Karl to spend the night with her. I liked her from the very beginning. There was a bump in the road early on but after that I found her to be an intriguing character. She was smart, loyal, brave and funny with a sarcastic wit that she used well on Karl.

Karl is the hero and he is truly heroic in his beliefs. He has trained for many years as a warrior and as a member of the Mattaen Initiates. I liked Karl and his need for knowledge and his curiosity when it came to Elena and her world. He's only a few days from taking his final vow when he finds himself part of Elena's reward for saving him and the village from the dragon. When he agrees to spend the night with Elena he makes it clear that he has no intention of having sex with her. Elena makes it clear that she will try to change his mind. She doesn't sleep around but she does enjoy sex and has a number of reasons for wanting Karl.

Here's where I had the problem. Elena uses her body to try and change Karl's mind about the no sex and then she uses magic and his virginity becomes a thing of the past. I understand why Elena did it, she even tells him she had no choice, but I still thought it was a dirty thing to do. Karl had explained to her about his vow and his celibacy. His body may have wanted her but in his mind he had every intention of remaining celibate and taking his vow.

So once Karl got past that hurdle the story continued with Karl discovering more about Elena, her land and why she rescued him and needed to spend the night with him. I enjoyed the journey Karl had to take to get to Elena and find the answers he searched for. He was a sponge when it came to learning, always wanting to know more and know why. His knowledge wasn't just books, he was a warrior, a skilled fighter. That knowledge came in very handy in Elena's world.

The fight scenes with the humans and the dragons were exciting, filled with action and tension. I liked the secondary characters, they were developed enough without overwhelming the story or the hero and heroine. Elena's good friend, Tem, played an important role, helping Elena and Karl take on the task of leading Elena's people during a challenging time. Tem is the hero of the second book and I look forward to reading his story.

Tammy Kane has created an intricate world of heroines, heroes and dragons. The twists and turns in Breath of Fire were well plotted and for the most part, held my interest. The story was entertaining and left me wanting to read more of this world. Breath of Fire proved to be a captivating start to a new series. The next book, Fires of Faith, is one I'm looking forward to. No word yet on it's release but I'm hoping for this summer.

Rating: B+

*You can go to TGTBTU to read an interview with Tammy Kane where she talks about writing and the direction the series is heading. There are some mild spoilers. That's were I got the unofficial series name of Dragonfold.

YotC Review: Baby Makes Three

Title: Baby Makes Three
Author: Molly O'Keefe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Mitchells of Riverview Inn/Book 1
Published: Harlequin/
December 2007
Source: Library/ebook

Year of the Category Challenge

From the author's website ~

Alice Mitchell has seen better days. But that was before the heartbreak of infertility, divorce and losing her trendy New York restaurant. Then, after five long years, her ex-husband reappears in her life. Gabe needs a chef. Alice needs a job. The attraction between them is still undeniable—and just as impossible. Even if sparks fly again, she can't give him what they once wanted more than anything: a baby.

Creating a family, however, doesn't always mean creating a child… Sometimes it just means allowing love to survive. But will they realize that before it's too late—a second time?

While this may be the last book for the Year of the Category Challenge, it certainly won't be the last category I'll read. Going into the challenge I had thought I would read some of the earlier works of authors whose full length books I've enjoyed - Suzanne Brockmann, Nalini Singh and Jessica Bird to name a few. But what happened is that I tried some new to me authors who write category romances and found them quickly added to my "need to read" list. I really never thought I would enjoy the shorter format as much as I do. It was truly a pleasant surprise! Thank you KMont for hosting the challenge and giving me some wonderful reads and more to look forward to!

The cover ~ I think it's a pretty cover. I like the colors and thankfully there's no baby in the clouds, grinning down at them or something. You know how silly some of the Harlequin covers can be. :)

Molly O'Keefe is a new author to me who writes complex characters with real life problems. Baby Makes Three was not a light, easy read. It was a quick read because I had a hard time putting it down, or in this case, closing the laptop.

This is an emotional story dealing with loss, grief and alcoholism. The pain Alice feels comes off the page and hits you right in the face. She's such a mess both emotionally and physically. Alice has fallen off into the deep end and grabs hold of the life preserver Gabe throws her. I just wasn't sure if she could hang on. Her drinking I thought was realistic in that many people turn to alcohol or drugs for the temporary escape they offer. Alice is set in her less than stellar job and drinking herself into oblivion. It's what she wants because if she dares to want more she believes it will only lead to more pain and disappointment.

Gabe has been trying to get his life back on track ever since his divorce five years ago. He has undertaken the enormous task of opening an inn, complete with a restaurant and wedding facilities. His father and brother are there to help him but he is having a hard time finding a chef. All roads lead home or in Gabe's case back to Alice. He finds her working at a chain restaurant and coming off a hangover. Not a pretty sight. Gabe needs a chef and he is desperate enough to offer the job to Alice. He is also stubborn in his determination that he will keep their relationship professional. As far as he's concerned it will be strictly boss and employee. And believe me, Gabe can be very stubborn! There were times when I wished he had given in a bit quicker to his feelings for Alice, had a little bit more compassion towards her.

When Alice sees Gabe again she wants nothing to do with him. Seeing him makes all the pain and loss fresh. But she's desperate and decides to take Gabe up on his offer of becoming the chef for the inn. It's only temporary and Alice figures she can handle being around Gabe for a couple of months. Plus, she doesn't have much choice, she has to work or she'll lose her home.

What surprised me about this book is how much I got into it. Into the characters' emotions and actions. It's not a happy/light book. There were some funny and light moments, mostly between the men. I got some of that smart ass male banter that I enjoy but overall the story dealt with some serious issues.

The one problem I did have is that Alice is portrayed as having what I would consider a serious drinking problem when Gabe finds her. She basically works and then drinks until she's blind drunk. Then gets up and goes to work hung over. The impression I got was that the drinking was part of her daily life, you could say she practically scheduled it in. Once she gets to the inn she is still drinking and this causes problems. Then she stops. And that's it. There's mention of some cravings for alcohol but it's minimal. And it's not like there isn't booze around, it's a restaurant and the guys drink beer so Alice certainly had access. Maybe it was the short format and the author didn't have enough pages to devote to a more in depth look at the effects of stopping cold. Whatever the reason, I was expecting the alcohol to play a larger role in Alice's relationship with Gabe.

So while this wasn't a light read or a holiday one for that matter, I found myself enjoying getting to know these flawed people. There is a sub-plot with Gabe's brother Max. He was shot and is still recovery from it emotionally. And that's about all we know. He's likable enough but distant. His story is in the second book, A Man Worth Keeping. I know I'll be reading more from Molly O'Keefe. You can find out about her books on her website.

Rating: A-

When You Least Expect It...

Last night my oldest had marching band practice at 5. So I dropped her off and then headed to the library. Just a quick stop before picking up the pizza for dinner.

In the lobby is where The Friends of the Library have set up their bookcases with the books for sale. These are donated books and sell for .50 to 2.00. There are mass market and trade paperbacks as well as hardcovers.

I first search through the trade fiction. I've gotten lucky here a few times and picked up some Ellora's Cave and Aphrodisia's that were like new. No luck this time so I head over to the romance shelves. I spy an old Mary Balogh, Deceived, that I don't have. It's worn but still, it's Balogh. I see a few books that have been here awhile and then my eyes light on a familiar cover. I've never actually see the book, only pictures of the cover around blogland. But I would recognize it anywhere. The elusive book that readers seem to either love it, hate it or simply can't finish it.

The Windflower.

That's Cuddles with the famous (or infamous) book. It's been a while since he's had his picture taken. I think it was way back last year when I got Broken Wing. I was very surprised to find The Windflower. I've been on the lookout for it but never really expected to come across it.

I have no idea when I'll find time to read it. It's definitely a long book, the font is tiny! Will I be a reader that loves it or will the prose drive me mad? Or maybe some of both. :)

What book have you been looking for in what seems like forever and finally found it? Did it feel like you found lost treasure or was the hunt more exciting than the find? Or are you still hunting for that elusive novel?

*The reason why I'm just now posting this? I couldn't find the damn cord for the camera. I think I found every cord we own: cell phone cords, mp3 player cords, other camera cords, cords for things we don't even own anymore. I did try another camera but the pictures came out terrible. I would love to have a universal USB cord.*

Library Haul and a Date with a Rat...

It's spring break here and you know what that means... the kids are home driving me crazy! I've been feeling a little guilty since we didn't travel anywhere this year but stayed home instead. So I offered to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Yes, I actually said, "Who wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese? " It was like I was possessed! The boys were all for going and wanted to know when we were leaving. Teenage daughter had a look of horror on her face. I could have made her go but being the cool mom that I sometimes am, I let her stay home. : )

Before lunching with the famous rat we made a stop at the city library. (Did you really think this post wouldn't be book related?) I had two holds to pick up, Lora Leigh's Only Pleasure and Sydney Croft's Unleashing the Storm. I also wanted to see what new releases they had. While the boys were over in the children's section checking out the latest Captain Underpants and Star Wars books I found a few more books to take home.

*Zack by Cheyenne McCray

*The Courtesan's Wager by Claudia Dane

*Shattered by JoAnn Ross

*Darkness Revealed by Alexandra Ivy

*Crash Into Me by Jill Sorenson

All are new authors to me except for Alexandra Ivy. I've read the first three books in this series. The McCray and Dane books I liked the cover and the blurb. JoAnn Ross I've heard goods things about her writing and liked the blurb. And Jill Sorenson's is about surfing, the FBI and takes place in San Diego, La Jolla specifically. I miss San Diego bunches! Lived there for 15 years and even though we still go back in the summer it's just not the same.

I've got the first Sydney Croft book and the Lora Leigh I think have the first 3 or 4 books in this series but haven't read them yet. Don't know when I'll get to these since I still have quite a few already in my TBR pile.

The Chuck E. Cheese experience wasn't too bad. Not very crowded, like on the weekends *shudders*. And I got some reading done. The county library is holding Bone Crossed for me but I've got to get Iron Kissed read first. It was interesting to read while listening to the various kids songs playing (loudly) in the background. Not exactly my music of choice but I was still able to get into Mercy's book. All in all a pretty good day. The boys were good and had a ton of fun. They did get cotton candy and forgot to share with me. :( My favorite "fair foods" are cotton candy and funnel cakes. Love those to pieces. I'm always tempted to get one of those funnel cake mix packs at Christmas. Maybe this year.

Hope everyone has a fantastic reading weekend. I plan to get lots of reading done and some reviews written this weekend along with the usual cleaning, errands and hanging with the kids.