Verb Vixen

Game. Set. Match by Jennifer Iacopelli

Here’s a not so secret secret: I’m not into tennis. I find it boring to watch, all the back and forth, the quiet crowd— it’s just not my idea of a sporting event. When I was about ten my dad asked me if I wanted to learn to play tennis and I said no. And I have never regretted that decision until today when I finished Game. Set. Match.

And isn’t that the hallmark of great book? To convince you that the world you’re immersed in is the best of all possible worlds? To take something you seemingly have no interest in and make it fascinating? Well Game. Set. Match did just that. It made tennis compelling! I think that I’m tennis fan now, a feat I would have thought near impossible.

I reveled in this book. The characters are complex and nuanced.  The girls have grit and the boys have heart; it was effortless to fall in love with them. The plot is riveting, full of rivalries and competition. And who doesn’t love a good competition? While the romances are a part of the story, it’s not the only thing of interest. Game. Set. Match is also about dealing with pressure and pride, seeking to define who you are and who you want to be, forming friendships and of course, playing tennis. The end was phenomenal: a practical homage to underdog sport stories and the triumph of the human will/spirit. I WANT MORE!

There’s only one thing left to say: GO GET Game. Set. Match AND READ THIS BOOK RIGHT BLOODY NOW!

Overall: A+

Game. Set. Match is out now from Coliloquy. Get your copy here. 

e-copy provided gratis via Coliloquy

Chosen at Nightfall- C.C. Hunter

I love the Shadowfalls Series, don’t get me wrong, but Chosen at Nightfall felt just a little too saccharine for me. I love Kylie and the entire crew, I like the direction that the plot goes, I like the subplots and I like the threat of Mario that looms, but there wasn’t a single twist I didn’t see coming. While most of this review might seem negative, I don’t want that to take away from the series overall which is still delightful. Frankly, tons of people will LOVE this last book for precisely the reasons it annoyed me. 

The ending, which many will love, ties everything up in a nice happy bow. I’m not really a nice happy bow kind of girl. I’d like a hint of reality please. While I’m happy with the way Kylie deals with the problems facing her and the decisions she makes, it all seems to end just too perfectly. I also felt (and this is a big no no for me) preached at on certain subjects, like protected sex and pregnancy. I probably could have let it slide but it was repetitive and constant in a way that it hadn’t be in previous books and it just irked me. And lastly, there were points where I thought the writing was so basic it felt like a completely different author. There’s a place where she describes what Kylie and Lucas are wearing and it’s just that. It felt weird and awkward and strange and not at all like what the writing in the first 4 books was like. Bottom line: the series is great, the last book is just okay. Still worth the read though.

Overall: B

You can find Chosen at Nightfall here. 

Stolen Nights (A Vampire Queen Novel)- Rebecca Maizel

I have waited a long, long time for this book. I loved Infinite Days and this sequel has been years in the making. I was excited to pick up Stolen Nights especially considering the unbelievable ending of Infinite Days which was a cliffhanger to say the least. I love Lenah and Rhode and this book made me love them even more. It also made me love Vicken, like move to Scotland kind of love. The plot was good, nothing revolutionary as far as I’m concerned—I saw the twist coming. I had a minor problem with the portrayal of the Aeris but nothing that I couldn’t overlook. What I had a major problem with was the Epilogue. This book’s ending prior to the epilogue was perfect. It was heartbreaking and sweet, full of love and duty and sacrifice. But then the epilogue, which sets up for a next book I’m presuming, diluted that whole experience for me. I would have liked to linger a bit longer emotionally in the strength of her love and the sacrifice that she had made. I will say Infinite Days is a hard book to follow up, but Stolen Nights does a decent job and the end before the epilogue is quite powerful and moving. It’s worth reading just for that.

Overall: A-

Stolen Nights is out now. Get your copy here. 

Post Mortem (Parish Mail Series #2)- Kira Snyder

I love the Parish Mail Series. Post Mortem sealed that deal, like one of those letter Celia Jane gets in the books. Okay that was a stretch, but in all seriousness, a good old fashioned ghost story and some sleuth work make for damn good winter reading. There is something classic about the Parish Mail series, something of Nancy Drew and Goosebumps, something in the pleasure of being a bit scared, a bit nervous and bit curious when reading these books that delights in the signature way. Post Mortem picks up where Dead Letter Office ends and extends our motley, meddling crew further into the worlds of historical and present day murder and mystery. Now they are a team with a mission and more is revealed regarding the evil loosed on Halloween and the paranormal misbalance that needs to be rectified. Trust me, Parish Mail isn’t a series to be missed, particularly for fans of things that go bump in the night.

Overall: A 

Post Mortem is out now from Coliloquy. Get your copy here. 

e-Arc provided gratis by Coliloquy.

Poison Blog Tour

This blog tour is a little different from the rest, mainly because it’s a tribute to the author, Bridget, who unfortunately died before her book published. Rather than a typical review we were asked to write about “A First”. There’s a lot of firsts that happen in a person’s life, but I thought it might share the first book that ever made me cry.

The book was Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley, and it is basically a sequel to Gone with the Wind. I was in 4th grade and I was a Gone with the Wind junkie. I wanted to be Scarlett O’Hara and frankly I wasn’t far off in temper and stuborness, so Scarlett was a perfect read for me. That being said, in this book Mamie dies. If you know Gone with the Wind you will remember Mamie raised three generations of women in the book, she is strong and proud and compassionate and she gives Rhett a bit of hell. In short, she’s completely endearing. Well, when Mamie died, I cried. I cried and cried and cried. And it was the first time I felt truly bereft at the loss of a fictional character. Little did I know that fictional characters would make me cry lots in the future. In fact they make my cry more than anything else in this life. That next year I bawled my eyes out when Aslan was killed in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In years to come I would cry for countless of characters but Mamie’s death stays with me in ways others do not. And that’s the thing about firsts, for good or bad, they’re impossible to forget.

So tell me, what was the first book that made you cry? Post in comments, reblog with your answer or hit me on twitter @verbvixen with the hashtag #Poison. 

xoxo, 

V.V.

Poison by Bridget Zinn 

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Purchase your copy of Poison:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Bridget-Zinn/dp/1423139933/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361422901&sr=1-1&keywords=bridget+zinn

Barnes & Noble  < http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poison-bridget-zinn/1110606774?ean=9781423139935>

iTunes Bookstore <https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/poison/id586771278?mt=11>

Add Poison to your Goodreads pile! <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8113512-poison>

About Bridget Zinn

Bridget grew up in Wisconsin. She went to the county fair where she met the love of her life, Barrett Dowell. They got married right before she went in for exploratory surgery which revealed she had colon cancer. They christened that summer the “summer of love” and the two celebrated with several more weddings. Bridget continued to read and write until the day she died. Her last tweet was “Sunshine and a brand new book. Perfect.”

Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers’ copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.

Check out the rest of the Poison Blog Tour:

MARCH 12

E.M. Kokie

Nyrae Dawn

Julie “Manga Maniac Cafe”

Abby Niles

Pam “Bookalicious” van Hylckama

Jennifer McAndrews “Honestly YA”

MARCH 13

Martha Brockenbrough

Cameron Y. - What the Cat Read

Bobbie Gould

Molly “Wrapped Up in Books”

Eileen Li

MARCH 14

Ashley Walsh “The Quiet Concert” Jennifer Rummel

Tammy Hall

Laura Kaye

Melissa Simmons

Shelley Bunnell

Kate Bourne “The Book Monsters”

Taneesha “A Diary of a Book Addict”

MARCH 15

Caroline Starr Rose

Lindsey Loucks

Amy Alessio

Elyana Noreme

Rachel Patrick “Beauty and the Bookshelf”

Sonya “Sony the Book Lover” Elizabeth Seckman

MARCH 16

Sara Bennett Wealer

Amy Plum

Betty G. Birney

Elizabeth Otto

Ellen Faith

Celeste Holloway

MARCH 17

Janet Fox

Erica “The Book Cellarx”

Amy Stewart “Simple Love of Reading”

Libby Fischer Hellmann

Melody May

Rebekah Faubion

MARCH 18

Jon Goldhirsch

MaryAnn Oprea @ Chapter by Chapter

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Brenna from Esther’s Ever After Lauren Thoman “The Housework Can Wait”

Annabelle Hammond “Read Write and Read Some More

MARCH 19

Lucia “The Loyal Book” Jessica Miller “I Read to Relax”

Melissa de la Cruz Sara Hayet “The Page Sage”

Tara Hudson

Rebecca Lamb

MARCH 20

Johanna Wright Tara @ Shhh… Not While I’m Reading

Michelle “Much Loved Books”

Kristina Snyder Zoe Dawson

Peter Salomon

MARCH 21

Gwenyth Love “Rants n Scribbles”

Sarah Evans Robin Bielman Mundie Moms (Katie)

Cynthia Leitich Smith

MARCH 22

Lucy “The Reading Date”

Carrie Ardoin “Sweet Southern Home”

Tracy James Jones

Nikki Wang “Fiction Freak”

MARCH 23

Amy Thau “Tripping Over Books”

Ashley G. “Wholly-books”

jone “Maclibrary” Jaime @ Twisting the Lens

Crystal “Winterhaven Books”

Allison Kirk Jess “Book Rook Reviews”

MARCH 24

Lucy Softich “Adventures in Bookland”

Stephanie “Poetry to Prose” Caren Crane “Romance Bandits”

Beth Saxton DJ

MARCH 25

Michael Gettel-Gilmartin “Middle Grade Mafioso”

Ruth Tenzer Feldman “Blue Thread” Lynne Kelly

Hafsah “Icey Books”

Samanthe Beck

MARCH 26

Becca “I’m Lost in Books”

Brook Gideon “Dead Gideons”

Everybody Needs a Little Romance

Beth Revis

Damaris “Good Choice Reading”

MARCH 27

Amy G. (Kissed by Ink)

Stephanie Ruble

Angie Manfredi “Fat Girl Reading”

Rachel Coyne

Chris Miller

MARCH 28

Natalie J. Damschroder

Sara Shafer Audra “The Society”

Laura Hernandez “Reviews at mse”

Stephanie “Love Life Read”

Dead Letter Office (Parish Mail Series #1)- Kira Snyder

Do you like:
New Orleans? Ghost stories? History? Mysteries? Choose your own adventures? Stories set in high school? Magic? Swoon worthy boys? Girls with gumption?

If you replied yes to ANY of the above then you’re going to love Dead Letter Office!

The first book in the Parish Mail series throws you right in with a killer first line: The dead man smiles at me. WELL THEN why don’t we just get started, eh? Who doesn’t love a good old mystery or a ghost story. Great news: this is both! While certainly unsettling from ghosts to zombies, evil fiends to Voodoo, there is no shortage of the creepy, supernatural or paranormal here. However, I wasn’t scared out of my wits mainly because my curiosity for the mystery and my inner historian took over. We also have a leading lady who doesn’t wallow, who is recklessly brave, endearingly hopeful and most of shines with an inner strength and resolve that we often don’t see in heroines in contemporary YA these days. Add to that mix THREE boys from which to choose (no, literally it’s part of the choose your own adventure aspect) and an equally impressive best friend in Tilly. I’m hard pressed to find a reason NOT to read this series. 

And now time for a little fan girl rant: Snyder does an amazing job of capturing the setting—-New Orleans, where and I may be paraphrasing the past brushes up against the present and sometimes it pokes through. Having been a dedicated NOLA obsessee for years now, I can say with all honestly this book does the town justice. From the mansions of the garden district to the cities of the dead in the cemetery, every description takes you to the place itself. I can almost smell the moss and sweet tea.

Lastly, as a Coliloquy title, Dead Letter Office, features that hallmark choose your path points in the book where we as readers influence the story’s direction. This book however has many more of these points than other Coliloquy titles I’ve read and that’s a great thing. It felt quote like reading a Goosebump choose your own adventure and I loved that!

You don’t want to miss out on this series. And if you do, well then something is seriously wrong with you. 

Overall: A 

Dead Letter Office is out now from Coliloquy. Get your copy here (it’s a steal at $5!). 

Perfect Scoundrels- Ally Carter

Perfect is an apt title word, since it is the ideal word to describe this book. I die over Kat and Hale. I JUST DIE. And if you loved them before, this book is heartbreaking. Poor Hale! Poor Kat! SO MANY FEELS. Putting the relationship aside, the plot is phenomenal. Ally Carter has a true gift of clever heist plots. She is always a step ahead and her twists are unrivaled. I revel in her writing style, the simplicity of her prose yields to such complex storytelling. If you haven’t read the first two books in the Heist Society series you will want to pick them up before reading Perfect Scoundrels but run, don’t walk, to get these! Lastly, I’m going to throw in a plug for Double Crossed (A Spies and Thieves Novella) in which the Gallagher Girl and Heist Society worlds collide. I swooned so hard reading that one that I pulled something. For fans of both series, it is perfection itself. Frankly, I demand more crossovers. A spin-off series that involves both! You hear me Ally? PLEASE?!?! MOAR, we need MOAR!

Overall: A+

Snark and Circumstance- Stephanie Wardrop

I’m thrilled to be part of the Snark and Circumstance blog tour. Be sure to check our my exclusive interview with author Stephanie Wardrop below my review.

I love Jane Austen. I had all of her works by the time I was 16 and have been a constant fan ever since. When the chance to read Snark and Circumstance popped up, I knew it would be a good fit for me. I love Wardrop’s fresh take on Austen and while I was frustrated that I will have to wait a bit for the next installment, I actually do appreciate the series aspect. To explain—-the book is being released as a serial ala Jane Austen style. I love this return to the way these books were originally released. Now let’s get down to business: the story itself. I love the snark aspect- Georgia is a clever, witty, strong leading lady. The high school setting is a perfect modern translation to Austen’s world and Georgia and Michael while different from their Austen models hearken back to their predecessors just enough to keep the symmetry. Georgia feels more like an outsider than I think Elizabeth Bennett did but those changes make the story even more interesting. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and this is a series I am going to continue to read. My only complaint is that I want the next book sooner!

Overall: A

Snark and Circumstance is out from Swoon Romance now and is a wicked cheap bargain! Feed your e-reader at Amazon or B&N.

Also, be sure to check out Swoon’s site for more awesome YA and romance titles. 

Our Interview with Stephanie Wardrop:

1. What inspired your retelling of a Jane Austen classic? Why tackle such a beloved book?

You’d think it would be audacity, but it was really insecurity that motivated me.  After years of grad school and teaching, I wanted to get back to writing fiction and was really rusty.  What better model than Jane Austen? 

2. HS and suburbia seem to translate really well to the societal hierarchy and social commentary that Austen is known for. Tell us a little bit about how you make that setting work for you and what commentary on high school you’d like your reader to walk away thinking about.  

The biggest thing I want Georgia to learn is what the reader should consider, I guess.  We’re all human, we all have our perspectives on things, and if we take time to see someone else’s view, what motivates them, it usually benefits us.

 Wow.  That sounded so preachy!  Not my intention.  Maybe the lesson is if you’re going to laugh at others, you have to laugh at yourself first. And through Georgia I’m kind of laughing at myself.  And laughter is the key to surviving high school. 

3. Your leading lady, Georgia Barrett, is quite snarky, which I love, where did the idea for her come from and who do you see when you think of her?

I picture her as tall and thin, gangely even, with dark hair and eyes.  She came from my own discomfort at moving (as a grown up) to a preppie New England town quite unlike where I grew up and feeling that sooner or later someone was going to ask to see my membership card.  And I wouldn’t have one to produce.  Georgia keeps insecurity at bay through snark — I hid out and wrote a book :)

4. As far as modern Darcy like boys go, Michael Endicott is pretty close to perfect, but just like Darcy it’s hard to read his motivations. Can you give us a glimpse under the surface?  

Michael is not nearly as confident as he looks, though I have to say his parents did a good job with him.  He’s very well adjusted except for some minor OCD.  But impatient with people and he can appear cold and aloof when he just doesn’t know what to say.

5. What is your writing process like? Are  a (fly by your seat) Pantser or a (outline outline outline) Plotter? Do you have any requirements when you are writing? Snark was different be because I already had the structure , but in some ways that made it harder.  I had to give myself permission to jump off the P&P rails at some points.  Other times I just have an idea of a scene or a conversation between two people I don’t know yet and I just try to get it all down before I forget.  Then for two days I am ecstatic; two days later I read it and decide it sucks!  Then the work of fleshing it out and deciding what to do with it begins.  I think for every book any writer’s produced, they probably have at least another whole book’s worth of unusable material — at least I do.

6. If Snark and Circumstance had a theme song what would it be?  

Depends on the book, but Book Four is Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” and not just because he has serious vegan cred.

7. Snark and Circumstance is a series.  Did you approach writing it differently? What can we expect next and when?  

Book two comes out in May and I can’t tell you how happy I was when someone said “I can’t wait that long!”. Originally it was a standalone novel but Mandy at Swoon had the idea to turn it into a four novella series— which is so Jane Austen!  (Her books came out in threes or Tripledeckers”).  It’s been a challenge to make each installment work on its own but I’m learning a lot in the process.

8. Free share— tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.  This will freak out some people who know me but don’t know this. When I was in grad school, I had an acquaintance whose mom, unbeknownst to me, was a famous British psychic, apparently.  I met her at a party and we talked about Tess of the Durbervilles.  The next day someone told me that she asked her daughter if — I’m paraphrasing here — I knew I had it.  So some psychic thinks I am psychic.  I sometimes know things that are about to happen, unexpected things, but nothing useful yet, like picking Lotto numbers.  

Thank you to Stephanie Wardrop and Swoon Romance for the interview and the opportunity to review this awesome new book!

e-ARC provided gratis by Swoon Romance. 

Starling- Lesley Livingston

I love Lesley Livingston’s faerie series, Wonderous Strange, so when I heard there was going to be a spin-off focusing on the Fennrys Wolf, I was excited. Starling delivers with a stellar new heroine, Mason, who may not be a faerie princess but certainly is something equally as cool (no spoilers, I promise). The Norse mythology is fascinating and the intermingling of mythologies—the hints at the Wonderous Strange fae and the bits of Greek and Egyptian are smartly done. I was always a fan of Fennrys, but even more so here; it’s so nice to see him get a well deserved love interest after that whole self-sacrificing move of being escorted off by a Valkyrie previously. The end, well quite a bit happens and quite a bit is revealed but the cliffhanger will leave you screaming for the next book.

Overall: A

Starling is out now from Harper Teen. Get your copy here.