Review: Between by Cyndi Tefft

Book: Between by Cyndi Tefft
Pages: 246
Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult 
Buy A Copy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords 
Available Formats: Paperback / Ebook
Publication Date: April 21st, 2011
How Did I Get This Book:  From Author, For Review
Description: It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.

I thought that Between was incredible creative. Aiden and Lindsey move back and forth through time and space, travel to each other’s memories of their former lives. This way, we get to witness both of these characters experience a completely different setting and time that what they’ve known. This was truly an inspired idea, because as readers we get a better understanding of the characters through their memories, yet it’s not an “information dump.” The plot continues to move as we travel through these different memories – the scenes play out like movies and Aiden and Lindsey take on almost ghostly roles. They can interact with each other during these memories, but they cannot interact with their younger selves or anyone else present.

Besides these sort of memory replays, Lindsey and Aiden can both “cast” different locations they’d been to when they were living. This means that the setting is constantly changing and let me tell you, Tefft does an amazing job with each location. Through the book we travel to the Scottish countryside,  a ball at Versailles and  a French Chateau (through Aiden) and A tranquil cabin on a lake, to the Seattle Space Needle, An Aquarium and the Opera with Lindsey.  Each place is described in such vivid detail that you truly feel like you are right there with the characters.

The love connection between Aiden and Lindsey moved at lightning speed. I enjoyed their relationship, but I cannot help but feel like it was incredibly rushed. Lindsey also dealt with her own death better than one would expect. She did break down a few times, but not nearly as often as I would think. If your life was ripped out from underneath you at a tenderly young age, wouldn’t you be incredibly grief stricken? I think I would be a hot mess. She, however seems to be mostly concerned with Aiden. Although, I guess if I put it into perspective, I might be able to understand why they would have bonded so quickly. I mean, he’s been starved for true human interaction for 300 years and she just died. I guess it would be more prudent to focus on the hot Scotsmen than wallow about something you cannot change. I would probably get all clingy too. 

Let's talk about the storyline for a minute, because again, it is so wonderfully creative. When Lindsey dies in a car crash, Aiden appears to act as her transporter. It is his job to transport her to heaven.  As the two proceed to interact, they quickly fall in love, even though the fear of separation is always hanging over them. They both know that at some point Lindsey is going to have to move on and it puts a terribly romantic spin on everything.  Honestly, it’s such an incredible concept – forget about vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, faeries, mermaids or any other supernatural creature you’ve seen – let’s talk about an incredibly attractive, Scottish, kilt-wearing version of a Grim Reaper. I think we can all agree that we are treading on new territory with Between. 

I also want to say something about the religion in the book. I for one, usually don’t take to books that deal with religious overtones, because they can often come off as preachy. That really isn’t the case with Between. I never felt like Tefft was trying to sway my religious views or anything of the sort – I just saw a wonderfully creative and heartfelt story. 

One last thing - how about that lovely cover? I would like to give mad props to whoever designed that one, because I instantly wanted to read Between when I saw it. I know; it’s terribly wrong to judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. I would never, not read a book based on a cover, but there is just something so wonderful about a  cover that makes you go oh-la-la. 

Between by Cyndi Tefft was an intriguing story that kept me constantly entertained. I see that there is going to be a sequel, Hell Transporter,  but I do not know when it’s going to be released. I can tell you that I will be reading it. If you are a fan of paranormal romances or just romances in general than I could defiantly give Between a try.

Favorite Quotes:

"I couldn't help but stare at the strength of his movements - swift and fluid in one way, but filled with an underlying power, like a lion at rest."

"His smile was wreaking havoc on my insides, so I closed my eyes and took a breath to calm my nerves."

"And your green eyes are the color of the hills - the color of my home." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Aye, there's something about you, Lindsey Waters."

"Leather bound books lined one wall from floor to ceiling, their spines perfectly straight like soldiers in formation."

"I wasn't sure if he meant the horseback riding or the fact that i had been pressed against him, but the answer was an empathic 'yes' regardless."

"I kissed his temple and whispered words of comfort, wishing I could hold him tight enough to somehow make it right."

"Gracious woman, what kind of thoughts have you been thinking that you don't want me to know?"

"I love you," I whispered, my heart breaking into pieces."

"Well, no wonder you guys were always trying to kill each other. Life is hardly worth living without chocolate."

"I took him downstairs to the bathroom and explained the workings of the toilet. He was fascinated by the 'marvelous contraption,' which made me giggle."

Review: Every Last Kiss by Courtney Cole

Book: Every Last Kiss by Courtney Cole
Series: The Bloodstone Saga #1
Pages: 250
Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult / Historical
Buy A Copy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Available Formats: Paperback / Ebook
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2011
How Did I Get This Book:  From Author, For Review
Description: What would you do if you held Fate in your hands? 17-year old Macy Lockhart has the weight of the world on her shoulders. For thousands of years, she has been a Keeper in the ancient organization, the Order of the Moirae… and she literally holds fate in her hands. But this is something that she forgets because her memories are wiped clean in every life until it is time for her cycle to start again. For the last two thousand years, this has never been a problem. Until now. And now…Fate, the very thing that Macy was born to keep, is being challenged and she has only one choice: To return to a previous life to fix it; a life where she was Cleopatra’s handmaiden, Charmian. And that’s not all. Unless she interferes with the fabric of time, the very thing she has returned to repair, her soul mate will die leading Marc Antony’s forces against Rome. Can she really stand aside and allow the love of her life to die all over again?

Every Last Kiss by Courtney Cole is incredibly imaginative.  The story takes place in Ancient Egypt – a place that has captivated us for centuries. So much about this time period is still unknown and Cole does an incredible job crafting a compelling and exciting version of Alexandria.  The rich imagery she depicts within her writing is nothing short of breathtaking.  The lush, lavish descriptions of Alexandria will leave you mesmerized and desperately wanting more. 

The strength the characters possess is defiantly a highlight of the book. all of the main protagonists (Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Charmian and Hasani) have such will and determination – there are certainly no weaklings here. It is refreshing to see a complete cast of characters that have such perseverance.  They did what they had to do, no matter how much they hurt themselves in the process. That is true strength of character. Charmian may not be a kick butt Urban Fantasy heroine, but she certainly tough in her own way.

I did however, have  a hard time figuring out exactly how Macy and Charmian fit together. The concept just was a little lost on me. She was both Charmian and Macy, jet they were still separate. She possessed all of Charmian’s feelings and memories (as well as Macy’s), but she was suppose to be Macy’s spirit in Charmian’s body Am I confusing you yet? I am certainly confusing myself. I really cannot even hope to explain it to you, because I am still a bit lost myself. At times she seemed very much Macy – she would make a comment about modern girls or get embarrassed by a sketchy situation, but then at other times she was an Ancient Egyptian woman in every way. I think a lot of my character confusion had to do with the huge age gap between the two versions of Macy. Charmian was thirty-nine, while Macy was only seventeen.  This age gap is obviously going to make it difficult to blend the characters and hopefully when Macy takes on a new persona in the next book, they will be closer in age. 

Every Last Kiss certainly did a number on my emotional composure. If this book doesn’t get you to feel something, I am not really sure what will. I mean, the whole concept of the book is rather heart wrenching isn’t it? A girl who goes back in time to relive her own death as well as the deaths of those she loves the most.  I found myself constantly questioning what exactly I wanted out of the ending – I had no idea how I expected things to work out.  I mean, we are all aware of how the story of Cleopatra and Antony is supposed to end and it certainly isn’t pretty. Then, with the added addition of the ill-fated romance between Charmian and Hasani, Every Last Kiss defiantly had a desperate, dark and romantic vibe going on. Which, I, for one am always game for. Bring on the tears, I say. 

I don’t want to really get into detail about the ending, because I really would rather not spoil it for you. Let me just say that it isn’t all peaches and roses, but it isn’t all death and destruction either. Just as you trying to reign in your desperate (and slightly embarrassing) sobs, Cole throws you a lifeline. 

I just want to say one more thing. The beginning of the story (When Macy is still just Macy) has a completely different vibe than the rest of the book. if you aren’t exactly loving it from the get-go, please read on, at least until you get to the Ancient Egypt part. The book really takes off then and turns into something else entirely.

Every Last Kiss was in a word, beautiful. The setting and descriptions are incredible – honestly, you will feel like you’ve actually stepped into Ancient Egypt. The story itself was wonderfully enticing; you teeter  back and forth will speculation on the ending. The whole thing is very consuming and exhausting.  This is one of those books that you get wrapped up in and emotionally invested in.  Sure, there were issues with Every Last Kiss, but in the end, it is a captivating, enchanting, emotionally charged story with quality characters that will not only touch your heart, but run away with it as well.

 Favorite Quotes

"Staring at the pitiful piles of bad memories, I realized that I desperately wanted to set fire to it. But, obviously, that would be crazy. And probably against some sort of city ordinance. Plus it would also burn my house down. So I settled for pulling on a pair of boots and stomping on it instead... like an inane Italian woman making wine."

"He had broken my heart by impaling it with one of Tara Wilson's tacky stiletto heels."

"I had a much bigger problem than Derek hidden in my underwear drawer."

"Do you really think there is no plan to life? That things are meant to simply fall where they may? I think not. That would be utter chaos."

"His utter helplessness at the sight of my tears leaked through his confident voice. It was almost funny that such a great warrior as Hasani was reduced to panic at the sight of a stupid tear or two."

"He grinned lightly at me and I smiled back. Lord, I loved this man. His smile was as bright as the sun."

"You saved your own life, Charmian. You're quite the feisty hell-cat!"

"I nodded dejectedly. She was right. There wasn't a thing that we could do. But perhaps burn a few bunches of incense to Sekhmet. I would utter some frantic prayers to God, too, even though Christianity hadn't even been thought of yet. It wouldn't hurt to cover all of my bases."

"I grinned triumphantly at him. Who knew I could be such a bad-ass?"

"Like a wall made from cellulite, he blocked my escape - and from his devious bloody smile, I could tell that he knew it."

"God, I loved that man. Love flooded every cell in my body and I felt physically ill at the thought of never seeing him again."

"I breathed deeply, trying not to hyperventilate and look crazy."

 

Review: The Lady of Terras by J.M. Dain

Book: The Lady of Terras by J.M. Dain
Series: The Vayde Chronicles #1
Pages: 306
Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Available Formats: Paperback / Ebook
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2011
How Did I Get This Book:  From Author, For Review
Description: It is Massachusetts, 1692. The New World is plagued with Indian wars and witch hunts. But, something more treacherous is lurking in the woods of Terras. And seventeen year old Diana Vayde is at the center of it all.

Since she was six years old, Diana's uncle has governed the small village of Terras with an iron fist. His most recent decree is that all young women must marry before they turn eighteen, or he will choose a husband for them. With her eighteenth birthday drawing near, Diana must decide whether to marry her childhood friend or leave Terras. When she discovers information about her family heritage, Diana embarks on a journey that threatens everything her uncle has tried to accomplish.

With The Lady of Terras, J.M. Dain offers up a incredibly unique storyline with an intriguing setting and a gaggle of memorable characters. It takes a little while to get into the main storyline, which causes a bit of a focus problem.  I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going, whether or not there was really magic at play or not. Then, when we do get some information on the fantastic elements, the descriptions/explanations are sometimes too lengthy and it is difficult to remain focused. I understand why they are necessary, but I still found that my mind had a tendency to wander. 

That being said, I still enjoyed it in its entirety. Although the overall focus was not always clear and descriptions could be too long, I still enjoyed the story. When things would get rolling, the plot was incredibly exciting. I was also constantly captivated by the characters and their interactions amongst one another.

The characters are all charming and likable in their own way. I was particularly fond of the heroine, Diana. She was incredibly headstrong and fiercely independent – an absolute pistol (most of the time). Once she fell in love, her personality shifted a bit, but in the long run, she remains true to herself.  I will be honest; because of the personality change in the middle of the book, at times I found it difficult to stomach her. Thankfully, Dain returns Diana to her full glory by the last fourth of the book. she once again finds her backbone and once again begins to stand up for herself.

I have to say, Dain did a marvelous job crafting the so called “bad guys”. I cannot remember when I had stronger feelings about the villains than I did with The Lady of Terras. I do not want to give too much of the storyline away, because the identity of the villains are revealed throughout the entire story, but just let me say this – I hated one them from the word go. The particular person rubbed me wrong from the beginning and just made my inner feminist want to claw their eyes out. So, kudos to Dain for stirring up such a reaction in me. 

Speaking of reactions, I also had an incredibly strong one about the ending. I was enjoying myself beautifully, right up until the point when the author thought it would be prudent to kill off my favorite character. Now, I am sure that this particular plot twist will impact the story in some profound way, but I still had to console myself. I honestly did not see this coming and it forced me to leave the story with a rather grave feeling. After finishing the book, I really had to sit and contemplate how I felt about the story as a whole. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did it have a interesting plot? Yes. Did I like the characters? Yes, again. It’s just that the ending left me with such heartbreak that I had a hard time getting past it. I spent so much time investing in that particular character, that their death came as an incredible shock. But, once I forced myself to calm down and take everything into account, The Lady of Terras was a great book. I will be reading the sequel and secretly praying for the return of my favorite character. I know it is rather doubtful, but hey, a girl can hope.   

Favorite Quotes 

"The footsteps stopped and a man yelled back, "Who goes there?" "I goes there." Diana shouted back."

"When Mr. Onder was done rambling, they left the building quickly and darted across town to participate in their own drunken "heretical" reveling." 

"Yahmka was eighteen, a few months older than Diana, and like Diana had no interest in being a prissy husband-seeker."

"She decided that if she was going to give Toby a chance, the first thing she should do was give his rolls a chance."

"She wrapped her blanket tightly around her body and quietly left her room. She tip-toed across the hall to Finn's room and crept inside, closing the door silently behind her. When she reached the sdie of his bed, he held up his blanket for her without opening his eyes as if he was expecting her. Diana snuggled in next to him."

"Toby rolled his eyes. "You will one day. You will fall madly in love and get incredibly silly about it and you will get married."

"Oh yes. Aside from the crazy man running the village over yonder and killer bat-wolves invading the area, I find it rather like Eden."

Review: The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

Book: The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman
Series: The Verona Trilogy #1
Pages:  322
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian / Historical 

Buy A Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Available Formats: Ebook & Paperback 
Publication Date: March 16th, 2011

How Did I Get This Book: From Publisher, For Review

Preview Book: Read Excerpts  

Description: THERE'S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PAST?

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change histor

In The Lens and The Looker we have a combination of subplots going on that all weave together to form a remarkable story of love, friendship and responsibility. The book’s description states that there are three main characters; seventeen-year-old Hansum, who becomes Romero, fifteen-year-old Shamira (Carmella) and fourteen-year-old Lincoln (Maruccio). However, the storyline focuses more on Hansum than the others. You learn the most of him and he is the easiest to sympathize with. Plus he is the one with the love interest. 

Now, before I get into too much detail about the plot, I want to forewarn you that this isn’t a book purely driven by romance. While there is a romance found within, it doesn’t take center stage. If you go into reading The Lens and The Looker hoping for an over the top, historical teen romance, you are going to be disappointed. Now, again, this wasn’t an issue for me, I truly enjoyed what the book had to offer. But if you are solely seeking a romance, keep looking.

The majority of the book takes place in 14^th century Verona, not the 24^th century. It’s a time travel book, but the characters do not hop back and forth throughout history. It wasn’t an issue for me, I truly enjoyed reading about Verona. I have honestly never read a book about Italy during that time, or any other place really, well besides Romeo and Juliet. Although that doesn’t really count, it takes place nearly 200 years later.

The magic of this book lies with the wonderful, thoughtful take on 14^th Century Verona, and the sort of coming-of-age story of the three teens from the future. Like I stated earlier, I cannot remember ever reading a book that tackled this particular time period before and Kaufman approaches it with such care and gusto. He paints a truly vivid picture of the setting and colorful characters that come with it – He made me want to meet the lens maker, his kooky wife and beautiful daughter. I want to walk the bustling market streets and see the stunning church interiors. However, I could stand without smelling the horse poop and watching the butcher make a living. I much prefer to see the final product all wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. 

The reader is introduced to the time period and all of its quirks in a very unique and effective way. As the three teenagers are first coming to terms with their surroundings, so are the readers. They react in the same way that I would imagine we all would – which makes the experience and story really come to life.

I also found it immensely interesting to see how they struggle to fit into their new life and surroundings. It is exceeding difficult for them because they even have a different way of holding and presenting themselves - they act privileged for the time period. Those they meet certainly find them odd; not only do they speak their minds and boldly look you in the eye, they can read and write.

 
There  isn’t a great deal of action within the book, the progression is much more character-oriented. While the plot moves at a steady pace, the characters, their feelings and interactions are primarily what keeps you turning the pages. 

I only wish that we could have seen more of the story from Shamria's perspective. I thought she was one of the more interesting characters and unfortunately she sort of rides shotgun to the boys. I think her story would be incredibly interesting - a teenage girl going from the 24th century to the 14th. Think of all the status changes that would involve. You would go from being an independent, free-thinking equal to becoming nothing more than a pretty face who is to be seen and not heard. Although Sharmia isn't treated this way by the lensmaker and his family - I believe that was the general consensus at the time. Well, maybe not. I should really go do some research.  But you get my point, I would have loved to see her story.

Despite a few minor flaws, The Lens and The Looker is both captivating and intelligent. I was swept away with the story, especially with the idea of them rewriting history. I am incredibly eager to see what happens next!

Favorite Quotes

“These mechanistic rascals told their young possessors rude jokes, helped them cheat on school tests, aided in the playing of pranks and, in general,  endorsed and promoted bad behavior. What more could healthy, rebellious kids as for?” 

“Keep your tights on, man!” 

“God knows I’m grateful and God knows I’m hungry”

“A woman is a friend to a man as meat is to a meal.”

“it’s everyone’s world, Romero. But I can also be very beautiful. Father Aaron once told me that life is a dance. A dance where we live with one foot in Heaven and one foot in Hell. We dance back and forth between the two and are given a choice. Life is learning to always dance back into Heaven.”

“They stood in the middle of the road, hands clasped together for the first time, their eyes and lips close. Hansum couldn’t tell if it was the gravity of the moon shining in the sky or that of their young hearts, but he felt them being pulled together.” 

Hansum finally came up from his deep well of delicious drowning and looked into Guilietta’s eyes. He could now see in her that instant familiarity which each person instinctively craves.”