Sarah's Review of Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella has done it yet again. She has written a witty, romantic comedy, full of whimsy. Wedding Night takes you on a roller coaster of emotions while keeping an upbeat demeanor. This book introduces you to an over the top romantic, star gazing type of girl named Lottie. She has this theatrical way of viewing her life and how things are going to happen. And Lottie is so certain that her boyfriend Richard is going to propose to her over lunch one day in a fancy London restaurant that she begins telling people before it has even happened. But when the "big" question isn't a proposal, but a trip to another country, Lottie is devastated and embarrassed. All that Lottie wants at this point in her life is to be married and start a family, so when she believes that Richard wants nothing of that, she leaves. Then, out of nowhere, her first love, Ben, calls her and while reminiscing he reminds her of their marriage pact if they both found themselves single at age 30. Being married is all that Lottie has on her mind, and Ben is just as attractive as when they were teenagers, so with that lust coursing through her she gladly accepts. But instead of having a big ceremony like she had always dreamed of, they opt for a quick walk down the aisle with a honeymoon on Ikonos, which is where they first met.
Lottie's older sister, and best friend, Fliss, is shocked. Lottie has done outrageous things in the past after a breakup, but never anything of this caliber. And Lorcan, Ben's workmate and friend, worries that Ben is rushing into this marriage way too quickly and sees it as a disaster for the business he just recently inherited. So Fliss decides to take matters into her own hands. After going through a brutal divorce herself involving child custody, the last thing she wants for her sister is for her to get pregnant only to regret the whole marriage later on and go through everything she is going through. So Fliss comes up with a crazy game plan to ruin their wedding night and honeymoon. Fliss and Lorcan are headed to Ikonos while Lottie and Ben are experiencing a honeymoon that they will soon not forget.

I have not yet read a book by Sophie Kinsella that I did not enjoy. She has this way of writing that just pulls you in and grips you. The plot line of Wedding Night is hilarious and things keep moving at just the right pace. Kinsella is great at throwing out unpredictable events so when you think you might know what's going to happen, you're thrown off, but in a good way. This particular story is such a comical romance. Lottie's idea of romance is very much rooted in fantasy, but as the story progresses we gain a better understanding of her character and are just hoping that everything is going to work out for her, whether it be with Ben or somebody else. All of the characters are well rounded, unique, individuals that are relatable. I love the twists and turns the story takes and the game plan that Fliss comes up with is priceless.

Wedding Night is a great combination of romance, comedy and drama. Kinsella's in depth descriptions allow you to put yourself right there in their shoes, and it's easy to find yourself empathizing with all of the characters. What an extravagant piece of writing! Another great novel from Sophie Kinsella.

Sarah's Review of Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don't Look Back is by far the best book I have read in a long time! Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing captivates you right from the first page and keeps you hooked until the very unpredictable, very shocking conclusion.
Don't Look Back is about a teenage girl, Samantha, who wakes up not knowing anything. She is quite literally a stranger in her own life. She has amnesia and absolutely no recollection of who she was, where she's from, who her friends and family are, etc. She quickly learns that she had been missing for quite a few days, along with her best friend Cassie, who has yet to be found. Sam learns that she had it all, she was popular, her family had a lot of money, and her boyfriend was one who all the other girls wanted, every girls dream. On the surface it seemed like the perfect life. Sam wants to remember, not only her life but also what happened to her and Cassie. As she is trying to piece everything together and begins to learn about her so called friends, she quickly realizes that she wants nothing to do with her old life. The old Sam was disrespectful and a mean girl, and her friendship with Cassie wasn't what it appeared. Apparently they were more like frenemies (best friends who were enemies with each other). Even though she wants to remember so she can help the police figure out what happened to Cassie, she feels as though losing her memory was the best thing to happen to her because she now has a second chance to be a better person all around and finds herself drawn to a boy who's not her boyfriend. Carson Ortiz has always been there for Sam, even when she would treat him terribly. She found herself falling for him hard.
What is even scarier than not remembering anything, is that while she is trying hard to remember, she finds that someone else, someone she can't remember, also knows what happened the night the two girls disappeared and that person may stop at nothing to keep Sam from remembering. Sam starts to wonder if not remembering is the only thing that is keeping her alive.
Armentrout explores the role of the subconscious is this book and how tragic events can trigger memory loss along with many other things. I love that the author tapped into the subconscious and such an intriguing aspect such as amnesia. The flashbacks and memories that Sam begins to have help unravel the story perfectly in just the right time frame. This book deals with what it truly means to be good, to have a good heart, what true friendship means, and how sometimes you just have to follow your heart. This book is also a good example of how people can change and why second chances are good and sometimes life changing.
Armentrout delivers it all within this book with shocking discoveries and twists you don't see coming. I am so glad I picked up this book. It has quickly become a favourite.

Sarah's Review of Eternity by Heather Terrell

Ellie is a typical high school student, at least she used to think so. In this second book of the Fallen Angel Series, Eternity, we find Ellie trying to come to grips with the reality that she is the Elect One. The one and only person who can save the country and humankind from devastating forces. Not only is she dealing with the business of being the Elect One, she finds her relationship with Michael is getting more tense. Then she meets Rafe, a mysterious new boy, who can make things even more complicated. Not only with Michael, but with her fate as the Elect One as well. While hoping she had more time to prepare, she finds that the time has run out and she has to stand up against the fallen angels who are trying to destroy the world. She tries to push her personal problems aside, but realizes that her heart and her destiny are intertwined and she needs to figure out what her relationship is with both Michael and Rafe. The end of days is quickly approaching and with it she needs to listen to her heart and decide who she truly trusts and loves.

This is the sequel to Fallen Angel, the first in her two book series. And while I hadn't read the first book, which I think I now want to, I was surprised at how quickly I could pick up what was going on. The plot and the climax of the book all happened so quickly though. In my opinion, I wish there would have been more conflict while they were battling the fallen angels. It almost seemed too easy to conquer all they had to, especially after taking quite a bit of time learning all they had to on how to destroy the fallen angels. I kept waiting for a big twist, especially with Rafe's character, but there was none. That being said, it was still a good book and focused on some major themes common in our society. The main theme being good versus evil. It just goes to show you that all things good should end up coming out on top and that honesty and truth are above all else, the fundamentals to our society. Evil forces are constantly trying to corrupt us and it is our duty to see through those false identities to the truth of the matter, before more harm comes to us. You need to trust your instincts above all else.

The character development is pretty phenomenal. Ellie's character shows so much growth and strength throughout the story. She overcomes her own fears and suspicions for the sake of others and seems to take on the personality and responsibilities of someone much older than she really is. But with the outcome of the world on your shoulders, she doesn't really have much of a choice. She learns how strong she can truly be. When everyone else is counting on you, you need to give it everything you've got. I just wish, with this being a paranormal romance, that there was more to the relationship with Ellie and Michael. They were hardly together at times and were so distant during much of the story. I know that their attitude towards one another does play an integral role in the outcome of the plot, I just wish there had been more elaboration on their relationship.

Sarah's Review of The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars is such a heartbreaking, dynamic novel. It is full of tragedy, but also humour and grace. John Green really capitalizes on the old saying "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The Fault In Our Stars is about a young teenage girl, Hazel Grace, who has been diagnosed with cancer, yet has gotten a few more years due to a new medical drug that is supposed to cause her tumor to shrink. It's a miracle drug, but Hazel still knows that her diagnosis is terminal. Upon her parents request, she attends a Cancer Kid Support Group in a church and it is here that she meets Augustus Waters. Everything Hazel thought she knew about her life and herself suddenly takes a huge turn as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him and falls in love.
This novel helps put things into perspective while living in such a fast paced career driven world. It shows us that those that we love, our family and friends, are the most important things in our world and we should cherish them and make them a priority. We need to step back and figure out what it is that we truly want to do, what we love to do, and then follow those dreams in order to be truly happy.
All of the characters in this novel are filled with rich descriptive and they all play an integral role in the development of the story. The story is well-written and unfolds naturally over the course of their lives. Even though we only see a glimpse into Hazel's life for a short period of time, it is easy to fall in love with her character and to truly empathize with her. It's a sad reality that most of us readers know somebody or has known or loved somebody in a similar situation as Hazel, being diagnosed with cancer is such widespread and unfortunately happens too often in our society. Cancer touches many lives, and this novel shows just how deeply others are impacted with one's diagnosis.
There is a lot of tragedy in this novel yet through it all we find that amongst the anguish, tragedy brings people together. We see this especially in Hazel's friendship with Isaac.
I think the most important thing that I got out of this novel is the message to do the things that make you happy and spend your time with people you love because you only get one life and whether it is a short life or a long life, you want to make it yours and you want it to be memorable. I don't give many books 5 stars, but this one deserves it.

Sarah's Review of Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

Wow! When I finally landed my hands on this book I was so excited to start reading it! I have read every other Shopaholic book Kinsella has written and she has never disappointed me so far. And once again she nailed it! In Shopaholic to the Stars, Becky's witty antics and frenzied inner dialogue keep you laughing and crying throughout the whole thing. If you've never read one of Sophie Kinsella's books, especially one in her Shopaholic series, then I suggest you go out and grab one right away. The character, Rebecca Brandon, nee Bloomwood, is one of the most unique, yet relatable characters I have ever met in the pages of books.

In this novel, we find Becky, Luke (her husband), and their daughter Minnie, living in Hollywood of all places! Luke has a client who is a movie star and Becky is what you would call star struck. Everywhere she goes she is hoping to catch a glimpse of somebody famous. And if only she could launch her fashion career as an A-list Hollywood stylist, she would have it made, or so she thinks. Luke's PR work is for the famous actress, Sage Seymour, and so Becky's secret desire is to become Sage's very own personal stylist, but Luke is not too keen on introducing the two of them. According to Becky, he just doesn't understand the whole Hollywood star thing. While waiting for an introduction to Sage, Becky's dream beings to come true when she gets the chance to style Sage's archrival. This makes things quite complicated in Becky's world. She is thrown into what she thought was the life she always dreamed of, red carpet premieres, tons of paparazzi competing for her attention, but after being thrown into this world she starts to wonder if it's all it's made out to be. Will she have to give up what she has in order to be famous? Is this the life she really wants?

Kinsella's writing style is remarkable once again. She has a way with words that keeps things flowing from beginning to end, truly a page turner. Everything is written from Becky's point of view, so along with all of the crazy and funny events happening, you also dive into Becky's inner monologue. To hear the inner workings of her mind, you find yourself connecting with her. Her ramblings and justifications of why she does the things she does is what makes this book a star itself.

We see through Becky's struggles that things aren't always as they seem. What we see on the surface of anyone's life is just that, the surface. We have no idea what is truly going on in their lives and why they do the things they do. No matter how well you think you know somebody, there's always something more to learn.

This book also brings to light how important family and true friends are and these are things we should never take for granted. These are the people who love us unconditionally and allow us to make mistakes, but are there for us through it all. We need to remember that just like they are there for us, we need to be there for them too, because you never know when they may need you. Those of us who have found unconditional love in family or a close friend should consider ourselves lucky and to always remember that even though the love is there, it is a two way street. So if they are there supporting you, you need to be that support right back to them, don't take them for granted.

Shopaholic to the Stars makes you laugh and cry, it shows us darkness and light, and love in a unique way that only Kinsella can do. Definitely worth a read.

Sarah's Review of Rapture by J.R. Ward

When I first picked up Rapture by J.R. Ward I had no idea what to expect. It is part of the series of books called The Fallen Angels and I hadn't read any of them before, but I was hoping I could pick it up and still know what was going on. Thankfully I could.

The story centres around a female reporter, Mels Carmichael, who writes for the Caldwell Courier Journal and a man named Matthias. Matthias comes into her life outside of the local cemetery. While driving home one night he just happens to limp out in front of her car. Without any time to react she hits the man and then crashes her car. While in the hospital she finds out he has amnesia and so she wants to help him recover his memories, not realizing just how scary those memories could be. While uncovering those memories they also find themselves falling passionately in love with each other, like they never had before. One thing that Matthias does remember from the start is the name of 'Jim Heron' on a gravestone, so their search begins there. Heron is a fallen angel who's job is to rescue souls from the seven deadly sins. Heron is in for a fight between good and evil once again when it comes to Matthias and we find that his soul is on the line. But from the memories he recovers, it's hard to see how one who has done so much wrong in his life could redeem himself enough to save his soul.

Of course, as you could tell from the description, we find the overwhelming theme here to be good versus evil. We have the fallen angel, Jim Heron, fighting against a demon, Devina, for the soul of Matthias. Each one wants his soul for their own reasons, and they are in a game against time to win this round and claim his soul as either good or evil. Matthias must come to a crossroads, which neither Heron nor Devina know what it will be, and will have to choose. This decision will ultimately decide who wins, Heron or Devina, good or evil. And Heron finds that it is his job to steer him to the side of good, but with his past he's not sure that is possible.

The theme of love is very prevalent throughout the whole story. And I would deem this as a paranormal romance due to the amount of description the author goes into during intimate love scenes. We find Mels and Matthias falling in love with each other despite all odds and wonder if true love can save a soul and ultimately change the course of someone's life.

J.R. Ward does a good job in explaining what is going on in each of the character's lives so much that I was able to dive into book #4 without having read the previous three and I still understood what was going on. But I am left wondering if the other novels deal only with Heron and Devina with other challenges, or if Matthias is a character throughout the novels. I also wonder if we will read more about him in the next book. My guess is we will follow the fallen angel and the demon through their game.

This book delivers a lot, from heartbreak and love, to humour and tragedy, romance and sex. I was truly captivated by both the character of Mels and the character of Matthias. As he was the main character in my opinion, I found his story fascinating. His soul was so corrupt one could not even fathom the idea of saving it, but somehow the author makes it so that you are rooting for him to make the right choice. During his amnesia you see a changed man, and even as his memories come flooding back, the decisions he makes are not reminiscent of the past, but of a new person, most likely due to the love he has found in Mels. His story is truly heartbreaking and uplifting.

Sarah's Review of A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks

So after reading my very first Nicholas Sparks book a few months ago, The Best of Me, I decided that I loved his writing style and picked up another one. Yes, I know, where have I been? Everyone asks me that, and as an avid reader I have no excuses, other than the fact that no one had ever recommended one of his books before. Crazy, I know! Anyways, the book I picked up was his book, A Bend in the Road. Quite a story about morals and love, what is right and wrong, and forgiveness.

The story begins with the story of a deputy sheriff and his son. Miles Ryan is a deputy sheriff in New Bern, North Carolina whose life was turned upside down two years prior after his wife, Missy, was killed in a hit and run accident which left Miles as a single parent to his son, Jonah. The case was never solved. They never found out who did it and Miles has poured over the case for two years trying to find the person who did it and bring them to justice.
Miles's son, Jonah, is in second grade and that is where we meet Sarah Andrews. She is her teacher, and she has just moved to New Bern to be closer to her parents while trying to heal from a devastating divorce. She reaches out to Miles after she notices that Jonah is falling behind his peers in class and quickly learns about their past. They end up becoming friends and while reaching for help from one another they quickly find themselves falling in love. Something neither of them thought was possible. Unfortunately fate has a way of intervening and weaving their lives together in a shocking way which leaves them to wonder if their love is strong enough to withstand this secret.

Sparks brings his characters to life with his rich descriptives and fluid story telling. We see how one small thing can irrevocably change the course of our lives. It's up to us as to whether we will be stronger from life's tragedies or if it will consume us.

Sparks takes the approach of writing from various different viewpoints, which helps the reader get a bigger grasp on each character's lives and the tragedies that they are dealing with individually. We even get a glimpse into the conscious mind of the person who caused the accident and with this we are able to sympathise with them. This story is a good example of how quick we are to judge others, based on just circumstantial evidence, without knowing the whole story. We need to remember that everyone else is dealing with things in their own world, and what we see on the outside isn't the whole truth. We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Sometimes we get so caught up in one thing that we fail to see what else is going on around us. For example, Miles is so caught up in his tragedy of losing his wife and trying to figure out what happened, that he fails to realize that he is distancing himself from his son as well, at a time where he needs him the most. Sometimes the hardest things to do is to let things go.

Sparks makes us really consider our own morality and what is right and wrong, not only in the law but in our own beliefs. Is forgiveness something we are able to give? Can we really let go of something that's been our driving force for two years? And is love strong enough to withstand even the greatest of obstacles? We are forced to look inside ourselves at our own values and upbringings and evaluate what we would do had we been forced into that situation.

A Bend in the Road is a great story that allows us to look deeper within our own lives from the comfort of our homes and to reflect and be thankful for all that we have.