Book Review: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Unraveling Isobel

by Eileen Cook

Genre:  Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult

Publication: January 3rd 2012 by Simon Pulse

Format: Hardcover, 304 pages

Author:  Website, Facebook, Twitter

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

I decided to read this one because I really like the cover and that I was looking for a good cute romance book. Isobel’s mother just married to a guy she met on the internet three months ago. Now she had to leave her life and best friend and move in to her new home which is located in a small island. Then Isobel started seeing ghost who she believed was her dead stepsister. Her parents (more like her step father) accused her of being mentally ill just like her father. Now Isobel need to find out what was going on and convinced people around her that she was not crazy.

I wasn’t sure what I feel about the book. I love the whole mystery behind the island and what really happen there. I was curious as to why Isobel started to see the ghosts. Isobel was an okay character. She was in her rebellious phase after she had to leave her social life to move in with her parents to this small island. I really like her and her witty remarks. But I think that the romance between Isobel and her stepbrother didn’t really work with me. It’s a little bit weird. I wish there were moments between Isobel and her father. I wish they had a conversation about his mental illness and what Isobel was experiencing.

Overall, I think Unraveling Isobel is an okay book. It was a light read with mystery, a bit romance and humorous moment.

#35 Teaser Tuesday: Delirium

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB 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!

My teaser this week:

It’s strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it’s taking forever to come. Then it happens and it’s over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed. – page 55, Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I'm reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver this week. I had this book on my shelf for a while but was afraid to read it. You see, I've heard lots of positive reviews from my friends that I was afraid that I might not like the book as they did (it happen to me sometimes). But I'm glad that delirium wasn't disappointing. I enjoyed reading the book so far.

Kick Butt Characters Hop

Welcome to the "Kick Butt Characters Hop" hosted by Good Choice Reading & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. I'm offering a chance to win a paperback version of your choice from my favorite book, featuring a kick butt characters! This giveaway will run from March 23rd to 28th.

Win yourself one of these books:

   

• To enter this giveaway, enter your contact details in the form below.
• You are not required to follow me but, it would be nice if you follow me via GFC/goodreads/twitter too :)
• This is an International giveaway as long as BookDepository.com ship them to your country.
• One entry per person.
• Winners will be notified via email.  Winners will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. 
• I'm not responsible for any lost package.
• Good luck & have fun!
• Be sure to check out the other giveaway stops on this blog hop

Blog Tour: Schoolgirl Cinderella by Priya Narendran - Review + Q&A

Priya Narendran is now on tour with CLP Blog Tour with her book, Schoolgirl Cinderella. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more blog stop.

Schoolgirl Cinderella
by Priya Narendran

Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: December 27th 2012 by amazon
Format: ebooks, 120 pages
Author:  Goodreads

Seventeen year old Briony Duke lives in a manor house with her guardian Mrs. Eyres and Eyres's daughter Lucy. Mrs. Eyres makes Briony sleep in the kitchen, cook, clean and do the laundry. One day Briony meets nineteen year old Tom Logan,the sixth richest man in the country. Tom is intelligent, articulate and incredibly attractive. The only problem is. Mrs. Eyres and Lucy have also set their sights on him.

I received a copy of read Schoolgirl Cinderella by Priya Narendran  from CLP Blog Tour as part of the blog tour. I was excited to read Schoolgirl Cinderella as I’m a fan of fairy tale retelling. It was always fun to see how any author would add in a little twist and turn it into a new version of fairy tale.

Schoolgirl Cinderella began when Briony Duke lost her parents in a car accident. Briony now live with Mrs. Eyres and Lucy, Mrs. Eyres daughter after Mrs. Eyres, Briony’s father ex-associate, took Briony in her care as her guardian until she turned 18. Mrs Eyres made Briony sleep in the kitchen, cook, clean and do other chores for her. Briony was allowed to go to school so that others wouldn’t think that Mrs. Eyres was a bad guardian. Then, Briony met Tom Logan, a rich boy who was going to be an heir to a biscuit company. They fell in love.

I think Priya Narendran writing style was a bit hard for me to get into it, but still, it was a fun read. Schoolgirl Cinderella is a short, light read full of fairy tale romance. You can read and find out how Briony was going to get her happy ending within 2 to 3 hours in one sitting. 

Q&A with Priya Narendran


How and why did you become a writer?
I’ve been writing for a long time and it’s something I’ve done for a number of years. I write because I enjoy the idea of creating stories and characters purely by imagination.

Who has most influenced your writing?
I suppose it’s my English teacher who always encouraged me to write from the heart.

What inspires you?
The world around me. I think it’s so diverse and there are so many good things and bad things it’s impossible not to be affected by it on some level.

How would you describe your books?
They are meant to give people a sense of hope as all my characters go through a lot of adversity and torment but there’s always a happy ending.

Why did you choose fairy tale retelling?
Like most people I love fairy tales, And I think any person young or old can relate to it in some way because the base material has been around for hundreds of years.

What is your favorite fairy tale as a kid? What about now?
Cinderella is my favourite from my childhood and also in my adult years. I love the theme of Prince Charming falling in love with a commoner and ending up marrying her.

What is your favorite fairy tale retelling book?
I quite like Beastly, Only because Beauty and the Beast is my second favourite fairy tale of all time.

What are you working on now?
I’m taking a break from writing for a few months and trying to find a good idea for my next book.

Anything you want to say to your reader?
I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

Author Bio: 

My name is Priya Narendran and I have been a fan of paranormal fiction and fairy tales for years. I started writing when I was 7 years old and haven’t stopped writing since. So far I have written mainly fairy tale themed stories but I hope to branch out into paranormal romance and fantasy in the near future. As well as writing I’m an avid film buff and my favourite films include My Fair Lady, Amadeus, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Shining. I tend to write mainly fairy tale re-tellings mainly because I find it fascinating to look at fairy tales through a modern lens. I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Book Review: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon
by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre:  Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Publication: February 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton
Format: Paperback, 261 pages
Author:  Website, Facebook, Twitter

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. Why did she leave her hometown so suddenly? Why did she vow never to return?

But in a place where unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight, where the wallpaper in your bedroom changes so suit your mood, and where a neighbour bakes hummingbird cakes in the hope of bringing back a lost love, Emily will find that the answers are not what she expects…

I’ve heard so much about Sarah Addison Allen’s book. I saw a few friends reading it, and decided to read her book to find out why they like it so much. I started with The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I was really glad that I decided to give Sarah Addison Allen’s book a try. I didn’t expect that I would like The Girl Who Chased the Moon so much, but I did.

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina to live with her grandfather after her mother died from an accident. She wondered why her mother didn’t tell her about her grandfather and the town she grew in. Then strange things started to happen around Emily. Magical things. She saw the Mullaby lights across the yard, her wallpaper started to change magically and soon, Emily now learn her mother’s secret – why her mother leave the town and choose not to come back.

Then, there was Julia. She left town sometimes ago and came back when her father’s died to manage his restaurant. Julia loves to bake. She loves baking for Sawyer. But things happened between Julia and Sawyer during high school and Sawyer broke her heart.

I’m in love with this book. It was really sweet, fluffy, magical and a bit mysterious. I love every character of the book, including Julia and Sawyer. I really enjoy reading how Emily was trying to fit in into town and then discovered her mother’s secret. And mostly, I love the romances. They are very cute!

I think I’m in love with Sarah Addison Allen’s way with word. It was magical. I can picture the town, the magic around it and the emotion the character was going through. I can’t wait to check out her other’s book.

Blog Tour: Love In Translation by Sara Palacios

Sara Palacios is now on tour with CLP Blog Tour with her book, Torn Together. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more blog stop.US residents will have a  chance to win Love in Translation prize package!

Love in Translation
by Sara Palacios

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance
Publication: February 2013
Format: ebook

Still reeling from an unexpected breakup, Emily nurses her broken heart by spending time with her best friends and taking one-too-many vodka shots. After one long night, she takes a hard look inside herself and doesn’t like what she sees. She realizes that she has sacrificed too much in her failed relationships from the past and vows to never settle for anything less than almost-perfect again. As she picks up the pieces and regains her confidence, a sexy Spanish chef moves in across the hall and knocks her off her feet. What ensues is an unexpected and tantalizing affair that opens her eyes – and her heart – to a whole new world and leaves her feeling sexier than she has ever felt. Emily finally sees how easy love is supposed to be. Is happily-ever-after actually possible? Just when she starts to think so, she realizes that sometimes life gets more complicated before it gets easier. And complicated is an understatement when Steven (her best and oldest friend in the world) confesses his love for her. Everything spirals out of control as Emily must make a choice between love and friendship, and in doing so, possibly risk it all.

LOVE IN TRANSLATION is a modern day love story about following your heart to unexpected places and taking chances in life … because sometimes you will find exactly what you are looking for.

I received a copy of Love In Translation by Sara Palacios from CLP Blog Tour as part of the blog tour.

I love the book from the first chapter. I was intrigued with the opening of the book. The heroine, Emily had just broken up with her boyfriend and she went stalking him to find out why. After a few too many drinks with her friends, Emily then realized that she always settled down for someone who didn’t really deserve her. She got herself in previous relationship because she was afraid of being alone so she settled for someone who didn’t love her the way she wanted to be loved. Then, Emily started to change a little bit – she grew up and vowed not to settle down for anything less than what she wanted ever again. Then she met Andre, this hot and sexy Spanish chef. And around the same time, her long time best friend, Steven confessed how he had been in love with her for a long time.

I was very excited to know what will happen to Emily and how she will get over her last relationship with David (although, I was slightly disappointed to see her drinking too much instead of doing something, well, crazy like I expect her to) and what will happen to Emily and who she was going to end up with between her best friend, Steven and Andre, that hot and sexy Spanish chef.

I am a big fan of romance and stalking. I thought that Love in Translation was going to be a crazy romantic comedy. But I thought wrong. It wasn’t that crazy at all. But still, Love in Translation was very engaging. Sara Palacios writing made it hard for me to put down the book once I started it. I love how Emily decided not to settle down for something less than what she deserved. I’ve seen lots of people around me who settled down because they’re afraid that they’re going to end up alone, and miss their chances. I think that that is wrong. Because settling for something less would made us unhappy.

Love in Translation in my opinion, was a sweet, tender romance which focused more on how Emily grew up and how she finally found what she was looking for in the most unexpected place. I would recommend this as this is a good read.

Author Bio:

Sara Palacios is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Advertising and a minor in English Literature. It was during her time in college that she really fell in love with the written word and ventured into writing her own stories. In addition to writing, Sara spends a majority of her time reading the works of other authors. She reads most genres – but thoroughly enjoys chick-lit, women’s and historical fiction.

When she isn’t busy reading or writing, Sara enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is happily married, the owner of two precious doggies and a new mom to a handsome baby boy. Sara is also an avid animal-lover, runner, yoga enthusiast, wannabe vegan, USA soccer fan, foodie and fashion blog-lover and Christian.

You can purchase LOVE IN TRANSLATION here:
Amazon: Print or eBook
Barnes and Noble: eBook
Kobo: eBook

#34 Teaser Tuesday: Blood Red Road

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB 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!

My teaser this week:

I might be a thief he says, I might not be. One thing's fer certain though. I ain't the one they call the Angel of Death. - page 284, Blood Red Road by Moira Young 

I'm reading Blood Red Road by Moira Young this week. I've heard so much about this one. Mostly positive.  The language is a bit weird at first, but I'm liking the heroine, Saba, so far.

What's your Teaser Tuesday?

On Tour: Torn Together by Emlyn Chand

Emlyn Chand is now on tour with CLP Blog Tour with her book, Torn Together. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more blog stop and enter a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

Torn Together
by Emlyn Chand

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance
Publication: August 2012 by Evolved Publishing
Format: ebook, 258 pages
Author: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+

Why does growing up have to be so difficult?

Daly English is having a harder time than most. Her future as an artist is unclear, her relationship with her mother is damaged beyond repair, and—to top it all off—her long-term boyfriend is having an affair. When Daly befriends two unlikely individuals—first a pregnant teen, and then a light-hearted charmer from India—her cynicism begins to melt away. Meghann provides insight into Daly's life and an endless stream of good advice, comforting Daly despite her own less fortunate position.

Kashi proves he cares too much about Daly to let her fade into the background of her own life. After a series of false starts, their quirky romance carries them to India, where Daly must win the approval of Kashi's family in order to seal their "forever."

I received a copy of Torn Together by Emlyn Chand from CLP Blog Tour as part of the blog tour.

Torn Together told a story of Daly, who was having a hard time—her relationship with her mother wasn’t really good, she wasn’t sure of her future as an artist, and on top of that, she just found out that her long-term boyfriend was having an affair. Her life began to change when her mother asked her to befriend with Meghann, a pregnant teen, and later, she met with Kashi, a sweet Indian guy who believe in destiny. 

The story, in my opinion began to attract me as Daly and Kashi went to India to visit Kashi’s family. I love Kashi’s his family and how they react once they’ve learnt that Kashi was in a relationship with Daly. It sounded real, like something that would really happen in Indian culture (I've watched lots of Indian movies in the past). My favorite part was that scene with Kashi and Daly in Taj Mahal. I love each of supporting characters in the book. My favorite is Meghann. I like how she cope with her life. She always appear so positive in my opinion, despite the difficulties she experienced in home and school. 

Torn Together is a story where I experienced a roller-coaster of emotions. There are times when I laugh and weep as I read it. I experienced joy and grief. I actually wasn’t sure of what to expect when I first read Torn Together by Emlyn Chand and I wasn’t sure that I was going to enjoy this book. Daly sounded a bit childish at the beginning. And I wasn’t really sure with Daly’s romance with Kashi, especially with that ‘destiny’ thing.  But as I continue to read the story, I began to like it a bit more. Torn Together was hard to put it down. I like it so much that I didn’t realized that I’ve read it to the last page. I would definitely recommend this book.

Author Bio: 

Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dabble in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or GoodReads. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!
  
Buy the Book! Get Torn Together on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, or iTunes (coming soon).

#33 Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB 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!

My teaser this week:

He met Ana's eyes. "Now, we call the police," he said. – page 27, The Fornarina Affair by Ellis Drake

I'm reading The Fornarina Affair by Ellis Drake this week and finished it. You can read my review here. It was an okay mystery read.

On Tour: The Fornarina Affair by Ellis Drake and Giveaway

Ellis Drake is now on tour with ABG Reads Book Tours with her book, The Fornarina Affair. There is a giveaway for each tour stop. Be sure to visit ABG Reads Book Tours for more. 

The Fornarina Affair
by Ellis Drake

Genre:  Adventure, Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Publication: Published 2012
Format: ebook, 100 pages
Author:  Blog, Goodreads, Twitter
Buy: Amazon

A recent art history graduate, Ana Moreno is thrilled when one of her former professors invites her to Rome to research a newly discovered painting by Raphael. But how does making an appointment to see a piece of art lead to murder? That's what Ana wonders when she discovers the dead body of a curator in the famous Borghese Gallery

Between glittering balls, sunny Rome, the archives of the Vatican, and romantic Florence, Ana not only has to solve the mystery of Raphael's greatest love affair, but also a murder--or she may never make it out of Rome alive.

I received a copy of The Fornarina Affair by Ellis Drake from ABG Reads Book Tours.

Ana Moreno was invited by her former professor to Rome for a research on a newly discovered piece by Raphael. Ana was thrilled especially when she was going to receive lots of money for the research. But things didn’t go really well when she found a dead body of a curator during her visit to a famous gallery. 

Fornarina Affair was a light read. It was a mystery book without much heavy things that makes you think too much. I love Ana’s adventure in finding out the truth about the painting. The book has a good plot but the ending was kind of sudden. I didn’t expect it to end so soon. I was hoping to see a lot more of Ana and her research. I really wish that it was a bit longer. I wish it had a little bit more details on the places Ana visited and whatever is it that Ana was experiencing. Perhaps a little bit more romance? 

Overall, Fornarina Affair in my opinion is a really quick read that you can finish within a few hours. I recommend this book to those who were looking for some quick, easy read.

GIVEAWAY!

Winner has the choice of the following ebook titles from the same author: Tweet The Police, Aspen House, Hanged To Death or The Fornarina Affair. Just fill in your details in the form for the chance to win one of the ebooks!

Tweet the Police

Rick thought being a sheriff's deputy in the small New Mexico town of Ultima would be a quiet job--but that was before he met Mrs. Pendergast, the local busybody who fancies herself an amateur sleuth. When Mrs. P sees a tweet asking for help on her new smartphone, she's determined to find out if the "tweep" is okay; and it's all Rick and her granddaughter, Sylvie, can do to keep up with her.

Hanged to Death

College intern Rachel finds out just how much of killer art and museum politics can be while setting up her first art exhibit.

The Aspen House

Immediately after graduating from college, Miranda Morton suffered a severe illness. Now she has 100 dollars in her bank account and is on the verge of homelessness. That’s why she accepts a job she’s totally not qualified for: personal chef to rock god Michael de Bracy at a remote mountain retreat. Although Miranda expects to face challenges in cooking for de Bracy and his five friends, her real problems turn out to be much more serious: three people are viciously murdered with an ax during a freak snowstorm, and no one sees or hears a thing.

Now Miranda finds herself stranded in the mountains with a killer. Even worse, she thinks the killer might be the man she’s fallen head over heels for, Michael de Bracy. Can Miranda protect herself and her heart until the police arrive

Book Review: Mom Con by K. Morris

Mom Con
by K. Morris

Genre:  Chick Lit, Contemporary
Publication: December 2nd 2012
Format: e-books

Meet Anita Henry, a hard-working, single mom trying to launch her own business after losing her job. The only problem is a nasty lawsuit charging her with stealing secrets from her ex-employer.

Corporate espionage? Please. Her single greatest offense was a high school fashion felony. But when a shady court ruling forces Anita to cease and desist, she’s determined to set things right.

Her plan involves launching the hippest night spot in town, but can she work her scheme while juggling her brother the musician, who likes her couch just a little too much; his manager, who’s prone to some sketchy accounting practices; an ex-husband who can’t seem to remember those child support payments; and an old flame who wouldn't mind heating things up again?

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Anita Henry was a single mom who lost her job. When her former employer, Evan charged her and her friends, Reneé and Chris stealing secret from the company, Anita wanted revenge. She wanted to set things right. Anita met with various people to help her with her revenge—Drake, her old flame, James, her brother and Fredrik, her brother’s manager who happened to be stealing from James. But things weren’t as easy as it seems. Anita had to deal with her daughter, Tam, who was mad when Anita started dating Chris, Tam’s teacher. Not to mention that her ex-husband was filing for their daughter custody.

I like Anita. She was smart and fun. And it was very hard not to like the other supporting characters as well (my favorite is definitely Fredrik). I think they complimented each other very well. I love the interaction and dialogue they had. There were lots of fun and interesting twists as Anita and her girlfriends plot their revenge to get their money back from Evan. I would definitely recommend Mom Con to those who were looking for a fun, light read about revenge.

Blogoversary Giveaway!

It has been a year since ‘Ai Love Books’ started. I published the blog somewhere in February to sell some of my book collection. It was in March when I started to publish my book review. I can’t believe it has been a year!

Anyway… to celebrate ‘Ai Love Books’ Blogiversary, I’m having a giveaway for my followers to thank you for being with me throughout this journey. You may either follow me via GFC, Goodreads or Twitter to enter a chance to win a book up to USD 10 from BookDepository.com

• This is an International giveaway. 
• Winners will be notified via email.  Winners will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. 
• I'm not responsible for any lost package.

a Rafflecopter giveaway