Review- Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin

Goodreads Summary:

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after. 

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile. 

And now I’m going back. 

After ten years. 

I hope I can explain that after all this time. 

I still want her to be my forever girl.

REVIEW:

I was super duper excited about Forever My Girl the moment I saw the cover reveal post on the blog, The Readiacs, of which author Heidi McLaughlin is one of the writers. 
The beautiful title, absolutely gorgeous cover and the lovely summary, particularly the four  words- rockstar, football, sweetheart and music- were more than enough for me to be completely intrigued by the book. Come 27^th December 2012 and I set aside all my current reads to get to this one. I was so absorbed in the story that it got over in no time. 

I love sports. I love high school sweethearts. I love music. I love bands. I love past. I love lost love. I love things unsaid. I love things undone. I love messed up. And I loved Forever My Girl because it had everything I love. 
It was the perfect read for a contemporary romance lover like me.

After an expected and life-changing meeting with his grandmother, Liam Westbury decides to leave everything behind to follow his dreams of making music in the grand city of Los Angeles. Without even giving an explanation to his family, friends and even his girlfriend, Liam just leaves Beaumont, his hometown and comes back ten years later to attend his best friend's funeral and he is now keen on making things right. And that's what he does in a soothing, sexy and stunning manner. Liam was outstanding. He was simply adorable and in spite of all the shit that he did and the mess that he made, it was hard to dislike him even the slightest bit. I loved him and I loved how he put things back on track and how his love for his high school sweetheart Josie was strong, pure and eternal.

Josie has her all-American dream life all planned out and is terribly heartbroken when her high school sweetheart Liam leaves her behind without even saying why. She is now mother to her and Liam's ten year old son, Noah and in a sturdy relationship with Nick. Things take a complete turn when Liam returns to Beaumont. Her undying love for Liam was hard to miss and easy to understand especially since she was willing to forgive Liam and start a new life. Josie was great. Her grief made me sympathise with her. She was a strong woman, a great mother and a beautiful girlfriend.

Josie and Liam's story was simply stunning. A perfect high school relationship, dreams of a perfect future home and family, sudden heartbreak and heartache, a long period of separation and sorrow, a slow come back of forgiveness and affection and pure, eternal and undying love make Forever My Girl an adorable and smashing read. 
It was so easy to fall in love with this book. Forever My Girl has a  cozy set up in Beaumont. The pages literally sizzled with Liam’s hotness and were sweetened by Josie's graceful demeanor. All the torture and depression just added immense volume to an already deep story. 
Loyal and true friendship, family, hope, dreams, love, trust and happiness make the story believable. 
Author Heidi McLaughlin has written an absolutely beautiful story with beautiful characters and a beautiful reunion of true love- it is a beautiful debut and I know that the books to come from the author will be just as good. 

The more I love a book, the more I talk about it. Save for a few editorial mistakes here and there, it a great book. I loved Forever My Girl. but it has left me stunned and impressed and words aren't enough to portray how much I loved it. All my high expectations were met and my excitement was totally worth the wait. Forever My Girl was the first book in the Beaumont series and I am extremely excited to read the stories of Liam's fellow band mates in the books to come. I’m happy I could conclude the year with such a beautiful read. 

RATING:

X 4.5

Sarika

Review- The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

Summary-

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. 

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. 

Review-

I had read a lot of great reviews about The Secret of Ella and Micha so I was really looking forward to reading it. Its a new adult contemporary romance which falls under my favorite genre. It was a book which turned out better than what I expected it to be. It was a good book.

Ella and Micha have been friends since they were kids. They are neighbours and have always been there for each other through the up and downs. Their friendship was the only thing they could hold on to and trust and rely on in difficult times. But one tragic night shatters it all.

Ella used to be a rule breaking goth who didn't care what people thought of her. With her outspoken attitude and openness she wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. Micha had always been a player flirting and hooking up with girls as they came. But Ella was the only one who held his heart. She was the only one who could always see through him.But after that one night Ella leaves everything behind and goes to college.

 Now she's back because its summer and she has nowhere else to go. But she's transformed into a completely different person now. When she left, she left behind the outspoken Ella with her fiery attitude too. She's a girl transformed. Micha has been searching for Ella since the past eight months when she left everything including him behind. He's been pining after her. When Ella returns to town Micha is determined to bring down her facade and get his old Ella back.

Micha is the only one who could get under Ella's skin and try as she may she can't help opening up to Micha. The romance between them was sweet. Ella and Micha had chemistry and you could see how they were made for each other. We also get to meet Lila and Ethan who together make for a great cast of characters. The ending was nice but not completely satisfying. I am looking forward to The Forever of Ella and Micha where I hope they get their happily ever after.

 X 4

Janhvi

Review- For Darkness Shows The Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Goodreads Summary:

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's persuasion, "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

REVIEW:

When you put two of the most stunning words  from the English dictionary together, it gives you an absolutely impeccable title. For Darkness Shows The Stars is, firstly, the most mesmerising title ever. 
When the book first came out, I wasn't the least bit interested in reading it in spite of it being the centre of attraction. Then suddenly, I was so curious about it. I couldn't get the book and title out of my head and found myself writing the title down on spare pages.  I wanted to read the book so bad and I am glad I did. 
Honestly, I have no idea how to write this review. I'm going to have to skip writing my own summary of the book as I found myself asking 'What the hell is going on?' so many times. Really, I had no idea what was going on in the book. At all. Nonetheless there was something so attractive and captivating about For Darkness Shows The Stars that I had to read it and read it I did. I just could not put the book down for some insane reason, and it seemed to just work in spite of me not getting it at all. Damn, how the hell is that even possible? But that's how it was. It is the kind of insane-and-I-don't-know-what-the-fuck-is-happening that makes you feel better, not worse. 
There are plenty of characters in For Darkness Shows The Stars and each one plays a vital role and is well portrayed and unique. The two protagonists, Elliot and Kai, however, obviously are the most important. The book is inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion. Since I haven't read Persuasion, I don't consider the comparison aspect to affect me in any way. I am extremely fond of Jane Austen and just because I really liked For Darkness Shows The Stars, I hope to read Persuasion someday and understand For Darkness Shows The Stars better. 
It is essential to know that the world explained in the book is completely different. It's a whole new world altogether. The Reduction has made the world a new place composed of the Luddites, the Reductionists and the Posts which are divisions seen among the people. 
Elliot, a Luddite, was an enthralling protagonist. I loved how she picked her family over love and did all she thought was necessary to help her people and give them a life in the most excellent manner possible. She was brave and I admired her courage. To better the current conditions, she works extremely hard to produce whatever will satisfy all. Kai, on the other hand, is a Post and is genetically transformed into a newer, more invigorating version of himself, Captian Malakai Wentforth. 
When it came to the two as a couple, they did see a lot ups and downs. The letters that both Elliot and Kai exchanged as kids were really adorable and intellectual. No specific pattern was followed with letters dating back to 6 years, 4 years, 8 years and they were put in between. When Elliot refuses Kai's proposal to go away with him, they are both reunited later and that's when the plot gets heated. Yes, Kai did seem like a jerk when he ignored Elliot and hurt her, but he had his reasons for doing so which made him all the more strong and loving. Though predominantly a love story, an epic one at that, the entire plot is really gripping with a lot of stuff happening at once that makes you curious and keeps you intrigued. Besides, the aspect of being something totally different and out of this universe, adds a sort of an entangling touch to everything. 
Author Diana Peterfreund's writing is crisp and spot on and I'd really like to know what she was thinking when she decided to write the book. Yes, that's how fucking curious I am. I mean, how do these insanely gripping ideas even come and from where do they come? And  how do they leave you confused and intrigued? All at once? There is something so stunning about it, that even when there is a big question mark as to what exactly is happening, it still makes you want to read further, know more and keep exploring. 
I apologise for my confused review, for my use of a few bad words here and there and for my exessive use of the title throughout  but that's how the book was for me. It was insanely stupefying and confusingly great. My rating is somewhere between 4 and 5 stars, but I think I'm going to settle for a solid 4 as I would have loved a detailed explanation of how the world became whatever it became after the Reduction. 

The idea of clubbing Science Fiction and Dystopian is captivating and For Darkness Shows The Stars is, in the truest sense of the term, an impressive novel that takes you completely into a whole new world which is fascinating and entrancing. 

RATING:

X 4

Sarika

Feature & Follow Friday #19

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 

Today's question is:

Q: WHAT BOOK DO YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ? IF YOU COULD GIFT THE ENTIRE POPULATION WITH ONE BOOK?

My answer:

I keep telling people how they should read J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series because it is simply magical and truly extraordinary. 

But, the whole population? 

Honestly, I'm no expert at recommendations and I still have a long way to go with reading! 

But I think everyone should read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. These book are raw, uncut and speak volumes about humanity. They make you think, contemplate and feel many things at once. 

What book would you want the whole population to read?

Follow us and we'll follow you back! 

2012 is coming to an end and we hope you've had a lovely year and the years to come are filled with happiness and peace and books of course! ♥ 

Happy reading! 

Sarika

Review- The Mayfair Moon by J.A.Redmerski

 Summary-

  After a nightmarish encounter with a werewolf, seventeen-year-old Adria Dawson loses her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious young man and his legendary family.

Strange and tragic things begin to happen in the small town of Hallowell, Maine: residents come down with an unexplainable ‘illness’ and some disappear. In the midst of everything, Isaac Mayfair is adamant about keeping Adria safe, even from her sister whom he has warned her to stay away from.

As unspeakable secrets unfold all around Adria, impossible choices become hers to bear. Ultimately, no matter what path she takes, her life and the lives of those she loves will be in peril. As she learns about the werewolf world she also learns why her place in it will change the destinies of many.

Review-

The Mayfair Moon was a book which interested me because of its gorgeous cover. The summary was intriguing and I read some really great reviews of it on Goodreads. This was a paranormal book and it had been some time since I read one. It definitely did not have any cliches and managed to keep me interested till the very end.

Adria and Alex are two sisters who live in an awful home with their abusive step father. Things quickly move along as the two sisters are violently attacked by a vicious creature leaving them battered and bruised. And so the social services send them to live with their Uncle and his wife. Adria soon realizes that the attack has left her sister scarred inside and try as she may she can't get over it. Something has changed.

The Mayfair Moon is told completely from Adria's point of view. I loved Adria as a character. She was fierce and loyal. I admired her protectiveness towards Alex and her mother. She wasn't whiny or annoying. She worked with what she had and was just trying to figure out things to the best of her abilities while keeping her life in balance.

Isaac, the love interest, was simply amazing. I loved his quiet strength since the first moment we met him and how he had to work through his feelings for Adria. The attraction between them was palpable but it never seemed forced or rushed. Things flowed how they were meant to. We get to meet the whole Mayfair family in this book. I loved Adria's loyal best friend Harry.

J.A.Redmerski's writing style is smooth and steady. The book is well paced with lots of action so you don't get bored. I never once felt that the werewolf plot line was over used. It had the right amount of romance and action blended by quick and witty dialogue. The book didn't exactly end on a cliffhanger but more things were hinted at and some left incomplete. I will definitely be picking up the next book, Kindred in this series.

 X 4

Janhvi

                                                                                            

Review- Rogue Powers by Phil Stern

Goodreads Summary: 

Two young lovers must hide their deepest abilities, while fighting to remain together in a society determined to pull them apart.

Within the Kingdom, the royal family can legally display any paranormal talents they choose. But commoners revealing even the slightest of powers face arrest and execution.

Anson is one of the few surviving telepaths living in secrecy among the population. However, an unusually powerful, rebellious young princess finds herself irresistibly drawn to the commoner youth. Defying all convention, Anson and Lydia quickly form a close, illicit bond.

Managing to remain one step ahead of the King's empowered operatives, Anson and Lydia make plans to escape the Kingdom entirely. But once the monarch announces Lydia is to marry another royal telepath against her will, Anson and Lydia must immediately battle for their own future, reshaping their entire society in the process.

REVIEW:

Rogue Powers was an absolutely interesting read. A great storyline, coupled with exoticism and charm, the book is definitely a must read. Basically, the whole concept of Rogue Powers is so different compared to so many other popular Science Fiction and Fantasy books. It somehow reminded me of movies. The experience of reading the book was like watching a movie. The length of the book was just about right; not too long, not too short. The story of Anson of Hylen and Princess Lydia, Rogue Powers is based on the notion of psychic communication or telepathy. The Anson- Lydia romance was also really nice and added a sort of an emotional touch to the story. The whole set- up or the environment portrayed was very much like a historical romance, it somehow took me back to the Victorian age. 
What I really like about the book was the fact that it was very enchanting. Once you start, it is hard to stop. The beginning of the story was so pure and innocent and later, when facts are exposed and secrets revealed, it becomes so gripping and hard to put down. Somehow, everything just works right. All you have to do is just see through it. 
With this whole olden day romance mixed with thought transference and fights between the elites and commoners and those between the betrothed and true love, I had made up an ending in my head, which actually seems pretty easy for anyone to predict. However, the ending- which was completely enthralling- was very much contrary to what I had initially anticipated. It was by far, one of the most interesting finish line. 
Overall, a very interesting read and a great book and again, Phil Stern proves that something different and out of the way always works! 

RATING:

X 3

Sarika

Waiting On Wednesday #19

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

May 28 2013

Summary-

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.

2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.

3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.

4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.

5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.

2. He says he has her stuff.

3. What stuff? Her stuff.

4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—

5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—

6. You pick up a pen.

7. You scribble down the address.

8. You get on your bike and go.

9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*

*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

This book sounds amazingly cool and different! Hope it is just as good as it looks :)

What are you waiting on?

Janhvi

2013 Indian Quills Reading Challenge!

I will be taking part in the Indian Quills Reading Challenge 2013. The challenge is hosted by Reshmy @ The Tales Pensieve and Random House India. 

THE TALES PENSIEVE & Present:

Unfortunately, Janhvi won't be taking up this challenge, but I am definitely going to steal, I mean borrow, Indian writing from her shelf. ;) 

I've had quite a few Indian literature books lying on my shelf and this challenge will be a great way to finally get to them. 

The books that I plan on reading are: 

Benign Flame by B.S. Murty

Frantured Legend by Kranthi Askani

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani

Monsoon Wedding Fever by Shoma Narayanan

No Deadline For Love by Manasi Vaidya

What Young India Wants by Chetan Bhagat

The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed

I also have the Urban Shots Collection. I've read two and I still have two to go. Being anthologies, I plan on reading them as and when I feel like it. 

Urban Shots: Crossroads by Ahmed Faiyaz

Urban Shots: Bright Lights by Paritosh Uttam

Phew! That sure is a long list, but then again, that's the purpose of a challenge- challenge yourself! 

I really hope and pray that I am able to read ALL these books in the year to come.

Good luck to all the participants and happy reading! :) 

Sarika

Review- A Family For Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor

Goodreads Summary:

A heartwarming tale for Christmas.

A lonely career woman stranded in a blizzard, a disillusioned man who has cut himself off from women. When he rescues her from the snow and takes her into his home, the spirit of Christmas and his little girl's love work their magic.

REVIEW:

I have read and loved Helen Scott Taylor's contemporary romances Unbreak My Heart (review) and Oceans Between Us (review). When the author very kindly gifted me a copy of A Family For Christmas for reviewing her books (yes, she is super kind!), I knew I'd love this one too and guess what? No surprises there, I totally loved it! 

Helen Scott Taylor's romances have a way of making your heart feel warm and safe. They make you believe that love exists and it happens. A Family For Christmas is a short story about workaholic Eve, who is mourning the loss of her parents, finds her car get stuck in the snow and she is rescued by the very adorable banker/farmer/dad, Tom who has a lovely daughter and a not so smart ex-wife. Eve develops a very intimate relationship with Tom's daughter, Polly. Polly was such a innocent and cuddly little girl. All of  Helen Scott Taylor's characters are extremely lovable and genuinely kind people. Eve and Tom are no different. 

A Family For Christmas is an absolutely adorable story filled with happiness, joy, smiles and all things Christmas. It's the kind of story that makes you feel cuddly and keeps you warm, the perfect Christmas read. Actually, the perfect read no matter what time of the year it is! The story is full of warmth and niceness. I loved reading it and the epilogue made me go all 'Aww!'. 

RATING:

X 4.5

Sarika

Teaser Tuesday #19

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser-

"I feel strange. I'm happy, inside and out. It's a feeling I haven't had in a very long time. And it's real- every bit of it. If only I could have it for keeps."

-Almost by Anne Elliot

Summary-

At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life. 

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from Sarika and me! :)

What's your teaser tuesday?

Janhvi

2013 New Adult Challenge!

Janhvi and I are taking part in the 2013 New Adult Challenge hosted by Barbara and Cait @ Basia's Bookshelf, Danya @ A Tapestry Of Words, Tara @ Tater's Tall Tails and Victoria @ Confessions Of A Twenty Something Fiction Writer. 

The rules for the challenge are:

• The book must feature a protagonist who is past the average age for graduation from high school (18 in most places) and under 30. If they’re exactly 18, you can make the judgment call based on content. (If the majority of it is set in high school, it’s probably YA.)
• They don’t have to be contemporaries! Fantasy, dystopian and paranormal fans rejoice, your books count too. As long as the characters fall into the comparative age group on whatever planet or in whatever world, it works.
• You don’t have to have a blog to participate, but you must post your reviews somewhere accessible online (like Goodreads).

The levels for this challenge are:

• Just Graduated: Read a minimum of 5 New Adult books
• Moving Out: Read a minimum of 10 New Adult books
• Living On Your Own: Read a minimum of 20 New Adult books
• Fully Independent: Read a minimum of 30 New Adult books

Janhvi and I are taking up FULLY INDEPENDENT level. Yes, it is huge, but it is a challenge! We'd love to push ourselves and New Adult is a genre we both love reading, so we'll definitely manage. *fingers crossed* :)

Some of the books/series we plan on reading are:  

All The Right Moves by Ever Leigh

Beautiful by Jamie McGuire

Crash by Nicole Williams

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

The Coincidence by Jessica Sorensen

The Secret by Jessica Sorensen

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Watersong by Amanda Hocking

And plenty more! 

All the best to all the participants and let's hope we achieve our goals! 

Happy reading! 

Sarika

Review- Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Goodreads Summary:

Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, fighting fate isn't going to be easy. 

REVIEW:

Honestly, I have no idea what I felt about reading Michelle Madow's Remembrance. The entire storyline of Remembrance is purely spellbinding and you can see how Michelle Madow was inspired by Taylor Swift's Love Story to write the book. The coupling of a lovely contemporary set up with the mesmerising England during Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice period makes Remembrance an interesting read. Overall, however, I found the book to be extremely interesting but quite mediocre.  
Remembrance is the story of Lizzie Davenport, whose life is like that of any ordinary girl. Jeremy, the co-captain of her school's sports team is her boyfriend and Chelsea, a friendly and nice enough girl is her best friend. Lizzie's life seems absolutely fine until the arrival of Drew Carmichael. It so happens that Lizzie and Drew have been reincarnated and given a second chance to be together. Even though I haven't read Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice, I know and respect both the author and all her works and I know enough to conclude that I absolutely loved how Lizzie and Drew are reincarnates of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Lizzie and Drew feel an instant connection but keep their feelings hidden and ignored until keeping it all bottled up inside gets too suffocating. Thought not a thorough time travel book, the scenes that went back to 18th century England were amusing. 
The only problem I had while reading Remembrance was the characters. It is understandable why they act in a particular way and I'm not even an ardent cheating hater (though Remembrance has not much cheating in the literal sense of the term), but I just couldn't relate to any of the characters. I found them slipping in and out, like they weren't sure of themselves. Lizzie was a great girl, but she seemed a little confused to me. Chelsea, on the other hand, was not what I expected. Jeremy was a really jerky yet kind guy and Drew was completely average. I hate to say that I just couldn't relate to any of the characters, the way they behaved and the way they kept pushing stuff away. They build a sort of a whirlwind circle around themselves which got a little frustrating. They were all ordinary guys , and honestly, I'm not looking for extraordinary, but there should be some sort of connection or liking you can feel towards the characters with whom you are journeying. It didn't happen with Remembrance.
It's not that I didn't like the story of Remembrance, because really, I did. I wanted to love the book, but my liking didn't go as far as love, but whatever it was, it was great. It was just the characters that didn't sit quite well with me, and as captivating a plot as the book had, it really gets a little hard when you can't seem to get along with the characters. 
Author Michelle Madow has written a rather mesmerising book. Her writing has a lovely, simple and very genuine flow which was easy to comprehend. I really admire Michelle because from what I've seen, read and heard, she is a super kind author and she has truly written a great book.
Like I've said before, just because the characters didn't sit quite well with me doesn't mean the plot didn't and just because the end was really fine doesn't mean there isn't more and because I hate leaving a series halfway, I'd definitely like to continue with the different and mildly captivating Transcend Time Saga. 

RATING:

X 2.5

Sarika

2013 TBR Pile Challenge Sign Up!

Sarika and I have decided to take part in this time's 2013 TBR Pile Challenge. We have a ton of books on our TBR pile which we didn't really get around to reading for some reason or the other and this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to read them all!

This challenge is hosted by Evie Bookish and you can find out all the details regarding the challenge here.

For our goal we're both gonna go for Married With Children which is 41-50 books. Yes, we're aiming high! Its gonna be fun and challenging to reach our goal and we just hope for the best :)

Here's what we're planning to read for the challenge:

Divergent, Insurgent by Veronica Roth

The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

The Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy

The Unearthly Series by Cynthia Hand

The Crossfire Trilogy by Sylvia Day

The Souls Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent

Slammed, Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

And many many more!