Blog Tour Book Review: Betrayal by Amber Garr

On tour with Bookshelf Confessions

Author: Amber Garr

Series: Syrenka #2
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: February 20th, 2012
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Life as a mermaid can be suffocating.

Eviana Dumahl has returned home as a clan leader, an orphan, and a heartbroken teenage girl. Her parents are dead and her boyfriend, Brendan, has decided that he needs some time away. While battling her inner turmoil, Eviana is forced into the war that Lucian Sutherland has incited amongst her own kind. With the help of Kain, her friend and formally betrothed, the two work together to prove that they deserve their birthrights as young merfolk leaders.

When the Council requests a demonstration of Eviana’s mermaid powers, she finds herself with an opportunity to win back Brendan’s heart. But her orders to train with a repulsive merman and the presence of an attractive new suitor challenges Eviana to embrace her leadership and resist temptation. Lucian is after her, and no one seems to understand why. Loyalties are tested as the casualties increase, showing Eviana that sometimes it is impossible to delineate between friends and enemies.


Betrayal is the second book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends as they navigate through the challenges of existing in a secret world.

If the first book in this series, Promises, was good, the second one was even better. I think it was an amazing continuation of Eviana's story.

In Betrayal we find a more mature Eviana, one that is trying to cope with everything that has happened to her. I admired her a lot in this book. Her parents are dead, she becomes clan leader and tries to stop a war, she's supposed to take care of her younger sister and her boyfriend left for God knows how long. I'd be terrified, angry. She was too, but she didn't let that fear and anger take over her. She found her strength in those feelings. What's not to admire? There was this moment where my heart broke for Eviana and I felt so much anger towards the people hurting her. I'm very curious how will she deal with those people in Arise, the final book in this trilogy.

I loved the pacing. There's always something happening, usually something surprising. I liked that a lot, the fact that I couldn't predict anything. I have to admit that I thought the traitor was someone else entirely. So I was very surprised when I saw how wrong I was. But I loved that. And I love that we get to meet some new creatures and learn more about the syrenkas and their world.

I love the cover (if you haven't noticed yet, this series has amazing covers!) and I think it's perfect for Betrayal.

I have to find out what happens next and how the story ends. If you haven't read this series yet, don't wait any longer. It's amazing!

Book Review: Differential Equations by Julian Iragorri & Lou Aronica

Authors: Julian Iragorri & Lou Aronica
Publisher: The Fiction Studio
Release Date: April 24th 2012
My Rating: 4 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

This evocative, moving, and gorgeously detailed novel is the story of Alex Soberano, a contemporary man in crisis. A tremendously successful New York businessman, Alex finds it difficult to embrace joy and accept love. When his life threatens to boil over, he escapes for a brief respite on the West Coast. What waits for him there is something he never could have imagined.

Intertwined with Alex’s story are the stories of three people from different times and places whose lives affect him in surprising ways:
• A woman from the South American city of Anhelo in 1928 that everyone knows as "Vidente." For decades, Vidente, has been one of Anhelo's most celebrated citizens because she has the ability to read colors that speak of a person's fate. However, during one such reading, she sees her own future – a future that includes her imminent death.• A man named Khaled who left his home in Bethlehem in 1920 to seek fortune in the South American town of Joya de la Costa. He has barely begun to gain a foothold when he learns that the wife and three children he left behind have been murdered. When a magical woman enters his life, he believes that destiny has smiled on him. However, destiny has only just begun to deal with Khaled.• A nineteen-year-old student named Dro who flies from the South American country of Legado to Boston in 1985 and immediately walks onto the campus of MIT expecting instant admission. Dro's skills at mastering complex, ever-changing differential equations intrigues the associate admissions director. However, the person he intrigues the most is the celebrated US ambassador from his country, and his relationship with her will define his life.
How the stories of these four people merge is the central mystery of this arresting work of imagination. Differential Equations is a story that will sweep you up in its magic, enrich you with its wisdom, and compel you with its deep humanity.

This book managed to surprise me in a lot of ways. In a good way. You have four people, four plots, for very different perspectives and no idea how or why they're connected.

Though there are four different plots, I didn't get confused about who was doing what and with whom and why. You know how it happens sometimes, that you get more than one plot and it's not very clear when the story changes and when the perspective shifts and you are left wondering "What the hell am I reading?". I didn't feel that with Differential Equations. And I didn't feel that the stories where lacking some details, or that they were thin. Even though you get four stories, they are so well written and so full of details, I felt like I was reading four books at the same time.

There are a lot of surprises. Each and every time I managed to think of a way these four people were connected, the following chapter would always prove me wrong. I think that's the one thing I loved most about this book, the fact that I wasn't able to foresee anything. There might have been little things that made sense to happen in a certain way, but the important things were a mystery to me until the very end of the book.

There were several scenes that made me very sad in this book. I guess they were a sort of lesson for the main  characters, but I still felt incredibly sad for them. That's another amazing thing about this book, the fact that I felt so connected with the characters. And it was one of those books where you can't stop reading.

It was an amazing read and I think you should give it a try.

Author Interview: Cat Lavoie

Please welcome Cat Lavoie to Ruby's Books. she stopped by to talk a little about her debut novel, Breaking the Rules (read my review here)

• Thank you for stopping by, Cat! Tell us a little about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me, Ruby!

Where do I begin? I live in Montreal, Canada with my cat, Abbie. I work as a claims analyst for an insurance company by day and I write chick lit. BREAKING THE RULES is my first novel.


• When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?

I've loved reading for as long as I can remember but I fell in love with writing when I was a teenager and tried to write a romance novel. From that moment on, I knew that writing was what I wanted to do.


• What's your favorite book/author?

That's a tough one. If I had to pick just one book, I'd say CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC by Sophie Kinsella. I knew I wanted to write chick lit after reading that novel and Sophie Kinsella remains one of my favorite authors to this day.


I loved that book too. I don't think Sophie Kinsella wrote a book that I didn't like.
• What are you doing when you're not reading or writing?
I'm usually either watching cooking and home improvement shows or trying to bake something without setting off the smoke alarm.


• What inspires you when you write?

I'm inspired by everything around me. I like to observe how people interact with each other and—on more than one occasion—I've overheard snippets of conversation from complete strangers on the bus or subway and integrated that into a story.


• What your favorite and your least favorite part of the writing process?

I love almost everything about the writing process—from the initial spark when you get an idea and run with it to editing and whipping your manuscript into shape. I guess my least favorite part is that it takes me a lot of time to complete a first draft. I wish I could write faster.


• Are you a plotter or a panster?

I'm definitely a plotter. I like to have a pretty detailed outline before I start writing.


• What projects do you have for the future?

I'm currently writing my second chick lit novel called ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN and I'm hoping to finish it by the end of the year.

I can't wait to read it! Thanks for stopping by!

Bio:

Cat Lavoie was born in the small town of Jonquière in Québec, Canada. At the age of nineteen, she packed up her things (mostly books) and moved to the big city of Montreal where she currently lives with her tempestuous cat Abbie—who is both adorable and quite possibly evil.

An incurable Anglophile since her university days where she studied English Literature, she can often be found daydreaming about her next trip to London. Since she’s an expert at the art of procrastination, Cat is easily distracted by cooking and home improvement shows—even though she’s not particularly good at either.

Cat grew up watching soap operas and legal dramas and—had she not decided to be a claims analyst by day and write chick lit by night—she would have probably become a designer suit-wearing lawyer. Or a character on All My Children (which is what she really wanted to be when she was twelve).

Cat is not sure whether she’s a geek or a nerd—and is afraid she might be both. Breaking the Rules is her first novel.

Cat blogs about the writing life and posts adorable pictures of Abbie over at the Catenabi Chronicles. Come say hello at: www.CatLavoie.com and follow @Catenabi on Twitter.

Links:

www.CatLavoie.com

http://www.facebook.com/CatLavoieAuthor?ref=stream

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6440914.Cat_Lavoie

https://twitter.com/Catenabi

Book Review: Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie

Author: Cat Lavoie
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Marching Ink LLC
Publishing Date: August 8th 2012
Source: review copy offered by author
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef.

While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about.

Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?

This is one of those books that remind me why I love a certain genre (in this case, chick lit). It has everything I could wish for, and then some: humor, drama, romance, family crisis, surprising twists and turns... Like I said, everything.

Roxy Rule is one of those impossible-not-to-love characters. She's funny, she's friendly, she has an amazing family and a hot best friend. I really loved Roxy. I was rooting for her the entire novel and I was wishing she'd end up with the love of her life, Ollie. Just when things get complicated and she starts to doubt everything in her life, from her job, to her boyfriend, her two sisters knock on her door, needing some time off from their own lives. Her younger sister is pregnant with an unknown man and her older sister just broke up with her  boyfriend. I liked how Roxy tries to protect her sisters and hide the fact that they moved in with her from her parents. And I liked that out of all the sisters, she was the least judgmental one, the one that just listens and waits for things to unfold, the one that doesn't try to pry.

Ollie is Roxy's best friend since infancy. I liked him, even though he gave me a big surprise near the end of the book. I don't know how I would've reacted if I were Roxy, but I liked the fact that in the end Ollie makes things right and he makes the right decision. He's been in love with Roxy for a long time, but he doesn't act on it. I liked that he doesn't force things, though I would've expected more resistance towards all the crap his girlfriend was throwing his way.

I think the subject of love between two best friends is a dangerous subject, but Cat Lavoie wrote a beautiful story and I had a lot of fun reading it. For me, it was one of those books that you start reading and the next thing you know, it's a few hours later and you are reading the last page.

If you love chick lit, you definitely need to read Breaking The Rules.

Cover Love (24)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

This is a pretty cover, isn't it? I'm just wondering if that burst of light in the corner of the jar means the butterfly will escape his prison or not. Like a crack in the wall, you know? Or at least that's how I see it. Anyway, it also looks a little creepy :P




Beautiful Disaster - Jamie McGuire








What about you? What's your pick this week?

Winners: Need by Sherri Hayes

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway to win one of the two ebook copies of Sherri Hayes' new release, Need.

The winners are:

• Nicola
• Kelly

Congratulations! I will send you an email as soon as possible. Please respond to my email in 72 hours (3 days) or I will choose another winner.