Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews (audio)

Annajane is anxious to get out of Pascoe, NJ and move on with her life. But first she wants to see her ex-husband, Mason, get married to achieve some closure. An unfortunate emergency involving Mason's daughter stops the wedding literally as the bride is walking down the isle. From there things spiral out of Annajane's control until she is wondering if maybe the reason she can't leave Mason and Pascoe behind is because she doesn't want to.

I think this is my third Mary Kay Andrews and as usual it was charming though I liked it less than Hissy Fit and The Fixer Upper. I think it was because Mason and Annajane divorced for a stupid reason and I have no patience for that. Plus the beginning of this book was pretty much all back story and flashback and it felt clumsy. But once that was out of the way and the plot moved on, it was golden. I enjoyed both Annajane and Mason's characters and I thought Pokey, Mason's sister/Annajane's BFF, was hilarious. Mason's daughter, Sophie, was sweet though she read a little younger than 5 to me. I will say that the "villains" of the story were pretty much nothing but caricatures of villains especially Celia, Mason's bride-to-be. She was such a stereotype that when she plays the pregnancy card I just rolled my eyes. Because of course she does. I don't feel like the nitty-gritty of what drove Celia was every really explored. But I guess we aren't suppose to care, just actively root against her.

The book ends up just where you'd expect but that's okay. It is a fun and flirty book, a great summer read that I enjoyed.

Kathleen Mcinerney is the narrator and I enjoyed listening to her. She had just the right kind of voice though she managed to make a few characters more Southern sounding than others despite the fact that they all grew up in the same town.

15 hours, 34 minutes

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

Brooke follow Scott Abrams, the boy she has been crushing on for two year, to New York after he moves there. 

So we go to Crumbs.  Sometimes in the midst of all your boy drama, you just need a cupcake.  p.185

Plot: It was very Felicity except in high school.  I didn't really like that show, or well, I lost interest in it.  But this book was alright.  There were some loose ends that I wish had been cleared up mostly the subplot involving her dad.  It's like all this anger she had and dropped on him and they never discussed it?  I don't know.  I wish it had been mentioned again.

Characters:  Brooke made me want to shake her.  She was very frustrating with her faux rebellion against the system and her anger/trust issues which seemed really deep.  She kept saying how this and that was another example of how people let you down, but I didn't really get the impression that many people had let her down.  Just her dad.  Sadie, the girl she meets in New York, was a sweet character and I liked that Brooke helped her.  It was a good example of character growth, something Brooke desperately needed.  Scott was a little bland.  I think he was intended as the kind of character a reader could mold into the perfect guy.  He certainly wasn't worth moving to New York for, but he wasn't a bad guy.  And John was very sweet and a good foil for Brooke's cynicism.  I'm glad that the book didn't get too lovely-dovely and I liked that the relationships were a bit ambiguous at the end.  It's nice not to see a character jumped from romance to romance.

Overall:  I liked it overall.  It was a good fun story despite the fact that Brooke was not my favorite character.  I'd say it is a good quick beach read.

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies

The Last Little Blue Envelope (e-book) by Maureen Johnson

*Some SPOILERS for 13 Little Blue Envelopes*
Ginny never thought she'd see the last blue envelope from her summer trip to Europe at her late aunt's behest.   Then suddenly it pops up in her e-mail, well a scan of the first page anyway, with a note from the finder that the last lettter has instructions for her to find another piece of her aunt's artwork.  So Ginny packs her bag and heads back to England to complete the task from the last little blue envelope.

I was happy to learn that there was going to be a sequel for 13 Little Blue Envelopes.  I wanted to know what was in that letter even if Ginny was okay with not knowing.  Or rather she thought she knew and was okay with it.  But I somehow don't think she really knew.  But then I don't think a sequel was planned after the first book ended.  ANYWAY,  I'm happy to know what was in the envelope and I think Ginny was too.

Once again, I found Ginny to be incredibly passive though she managed to show a little more backbone at the end of the story.  So I applaud her for that.  I wanted to see more of Keith because he is so funny in the first one, but right at the start, it was easy to see that that relationship was not going to go like Ginny wanted it too.  I was irritated through most of the book by Oliver, the finder of the letters, but toward the end I felt sorry for him which is a bit amazing considering how he started out.  I liked Ellis and I was glad she wasn't made into a villain.  And the quest itself was fun.  I always enjoy a good road trip and with a sort of scavenger hunt thrown in, it was really entertaining.  I think the ending worked perfectly and I'm glad to have a definite end to Ginny's story.

Provided by NetGalley
Publish date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Ginny received 13 blue envelopes from her deceased aunt with specific instructions on what to and what not to pack in her backpack and how to follow the instructions in one letter before opening another.  These letters lead Ginny on a trip around Europe and to the greatest adventure in her life so far.

She was standing in the airport of Copenhagen, staring at a doorway, trying to figure out if it was (a) a bathroom and (b) what kind of bathroom it was. The door merely said H.
Was she an H? Was H "hers"? It could just as easily be "his". Or "Helicopter Room: Not a Bathroom at All.

This is my second read.  I read this about when it came out around 2006 and had positive memories about it. The sequel is coming out this month and I decided to re-read this one in order to have a fresh memory about the main character and her travels. And, while I like this book and I like Ginny, it struck me on this read-through how passive Ginny is about the whole thing.  She doesn't question anything and doesn't seem to have much emotion about it.  She just goes along with whatever happens.  She does what the letters tell her to and anytime anyone suggests something, she goes along with it too.  I don't want to spoil the book, but the boy in Italy, anything Keith says, the family in Amsterdam, Ginny just goes along.  I wanted her to take some active interest in what was going on.  Maybe show a little emotion or something. 

It is a charming book and I enjoy Ginny's trips around Europe following her aunt's letters and trying to figure out her aunt's life and why she ran away from New York before she died.  The settings are beautifully written and it (kind of) makes me want to go out and visit Europe with just a backpack and a vague idea of what I'm doing.  There are some really funny scenes and a few touching moments as well.

Maureen Johnson is offering a free download for 13 Little Blue Envelopes from April 12 - April 25th.  Check the links here for your favorite e-reader version.
Kindle Edition
NookBook
Sony Reader Store
iBookStore


Hogwarts: Muggle Studies

Absolutely, Positively (e-book) by Heather Webber

Lucy Valentine has a lot of worries between her boyfriend's bad heart, her own fear of commitment, and her job finding lost loves.  Soon she is mixed up in a mystery involving a lost love with a criminal career and a missing neighbor.  Oh and a mysterious stranger literally throwing money around on the street.

There were 2 major mysteries and 1 minor going on in this book and, in the end, I had a bit of a Nancy Drew flashback because at least 2 out of 3 intersected in the end.  It's alright though.  I enjoy this little mysteries and it's fun seeing how Lucy can use her psychic finding objects abilities to find the answers.  There are some funny moments and I love Lucy and Sean together.  I'm glad these books didn't take too long for them to get together.  Sometimes I get tired of series taking forever to get the main characters together.  It's nice to see the characters moving forward and seeing some character growth.  Often, with cozy mysteries, everything is often left exactly the same.  And, with the introduction of new psychic healer character, I think that things are going to get even more interesting for Lucy Valentine.

Hogwarts: Hide and Seek Mini-challenge

The Fixer Upper (audio) by Mary Kay Andrews

After Dempsey Killebrew is implicated in a political scandal, she moves Guthrie, Georgia to Birdsong, a home her father has inherited.  Expecting to do some minor renovations while the scandal blows over, Dempsey is, instead, tasked with doing some major work on the old home.  But as Birdsong takes shape so does Dempsey's life, in an unexpected way.

When I started this book I kept thinking "What does this remind me of?" and then I remembered; Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews. It had a similar trope with the main character fixing up an old house.  I enjoyed Hissy Fit, just like I enjoyed The Fixer Upper.  Despite having one plot contrivance in common, the two books were different though, of course, the writing and flow in similar.  It is the same author after all.  I really like her tone and her sense of humor.

Dempsey is a very naive woman who gets mixed up in a political scandal involving bribery of a U.S. Congressman.  She heads down to Georgia to wait it out.  There, in Guthrie, she meets a cast of characters including Ella Kate, the cranky old squatter living at Birdsong and T. Carter Berryhill, the adorable attorney/newspaper editor and his father, also an attorney, both of whom take to Dempsey in very different ways.  The romance is so sweet and I liked T. Berryhill.  I think he is a good match for Dempsey.  I was frustrated by Ella Kate and how mean she is at first, but I like how her story pans out and I loved the ending.  Dempsey experiences a lot of character growth and it was nice to see her get hers in the end.

15 hours

Isabel Keating is the narrator of The Fixer Upper and I loved her voice.  Though there were a few places where she couldn't seem to get over her accent, she overall did a nice job with the Southern Georgia accent.  She did a good job of making everyone sound distinct and did really well the the male voices, something with which a lot of narrators seem to struggle.  The audio book was well done with the breaks in the right places.  I enjoyed this audio and look forward to listening to more by this author.

Hogwarts: Charms
ABC
Take a Chance
Cover Lover
Whisper in my Ear

Hero at Large (audio) by Janet Evanovich

Chris Nelson has an unexpected house guest.  After breaking Ken Callahan's arm and then his toe, he moves in with her and her great-aunt and daughter in this romantic comedy.

This is the first Evanovich that I've read that didn't have anything to do with Stephanie Plum.  And this is her first published book if I am not mistaken and it is pure romance so the ending is inevitable.  But it was really fun and I liked all the characters.  The only irritating part was the "problem" that came up between the two main characters that got in the way of their happily ever after.  It was fairly obvious and I thought Chris overreacted way too much when she learned Ken's identity.  It was her own fault for not listening in the first place.  I liked the whole ice skating aspect with Chris as a ice skating coach and how facts about the sport are fitted in.  And I liked that it was a romance without any explicit sex scenes though they were there and the chemistry between Chris and Ken was hot.

7 hours 25 minutes

C.J. Critt actually narrated a few of the Stephanie Plum books that I listened to so I am familiar with her style.  I really like her as a narrator and was glad to listened to her again.  She does an excellent job of adding humor and exasperation to the story and making it more believable. 

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies
Whisper in my Ear
What's in a Name

Bright Young Things (e-book) by Anna Godbersen

It's the era of bathtub gin and speakeasies and for Cordelia and Letty it's the beginning of the rest of their lives.  After escaping from their small town in Ohio and moving to New York City each purses a dream of her own.  Cordelia seeks out the dad she never know and Letty wants to be a star.  But both find that sometimes life doesn't always go according to plan.

It was possible, but doubtful, that Cordelia fully absorbed the lesson of this moment - that when girls use the brightness of their eyes or the softness of their skin, they have an uncommon advantage in getting what they want.  (p. 57 e-book)

I am a big fan of The Luxe series, just like I am a fan of the Gossip Girl books.  Sometimes there is nothing better than a fun, light read.  So I was delighted to learn that Anna Godbersen was going to do a series in the 1920's, one of my favorite eras.  It was a great setting and I enjoyed this book.  It wasn't a retread of The Luxe, something I was afraid would happen and the characters were distinct and different.  I liked Cordelia the best since she was much stronger and more able.  I thought Letty was a bit too helpless though rightfully so.  It ended on a good cliffhanger so now I am wondering what is going to happen next. 

Hogwarts:Charms
E-book
350 Page

Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber

Lucy Valentine is back.  Using her psychic ability to find lost things, she is now in the business of finding lost loves.  But public knowledge of her abilities also comes with some threatening letters.  Along with that, it looks like her boyfriend's ex-flame is trying to win him back and something is up with her best friend's fiance. 

At a big-box office-supplies store, I picked up a clipboard, and quickly drew up a phony petition letter, a blundering paragraph on rezoning.  Maybe Marisol wasn't the only one who used Magnum, PI tactics.  But what worked, worked.  And my plan had to work.  p.224

Lucy Valentine is back and cuter than ever!  I liked these little mysteries with their blend of paranormal abilities and good old fashioned mysteries.  There are some heartwarming moments and quite a few surprises in this book.  Really I think I rate this right up there with the Stephanie Plum series.  It has significantly less cursing (none) and less violence and that is just fine.  Lucy is such a sweet girl though she worries too much.  And Sean, phew, hot.  Their relationship is awesome and I like seeing them together.  I'm curious to see where this is all going but I like how Lucy is able to figure things out using not only her abilities, but good old mind power.  Very nice.

Hogwarts:  Divination
Off the Shelf

Forgive My Fins

Lily is a mermaid living on land.  She has a huge crush on a boy in her school while she does nothing but fight with her next door neighbor, Quince.  But when a mistake lands Lily and Quince in deep water, she must figure out what really lies within her heart.

It goes against every instinct and mer law I've been taught since birth - to keep our secret from humans at any expense - but I really don't have a choice.  That kiss made this moment inevitable.  p.76 ARC

This is a fun summer read.  It is super fun and fluffy and light and would be a great beach read.  I'm not saying any of that to degrade it, but because that is simply what it is.  It's Meg Cabot with fins and I love Meg Cabot.  The main character, Lily, is the typical "too stupid to see the truth even when it is shoved down her throat" teenage girl that often shows up in these books.  I will say she is very funny and I liked the fishy terminology she throws around.  But she is very obtuse, only seeing what she wants to see.  I wanted to shake her.  But Quince, phew, that's a guy.  Am I right?  Man, he is a great love interest for her and I admire his patience and fortitude. 

I really like the mermaid aspect.  I'm a big mermaid fan.  And the mythology created is very good with some very nice details thrown in.  Lily has some great friends both under and over the water and that was a nice aspect of this book.  All in all, I'd say this is a great book if you are looking for something fun and frothy to read at the beach or by the pool.

ARC from Traveling ARC Tours
Hogwarts: Care of Magical Creatures
YA

This Lullaby (e-book)

Remy doesn't believe in love after watching her mother marry five different times.  She has rules about how relationships should go and in what order.  Now she is getting ready to leave for college and she doesn't want to have any attachments before she goes.  That is until she meets clumsy, adorable Dexter and she wonders if she might have been wrong all along.

I had no illusions about love anymore.  It came, it went, it left causalities or it didn't.  People weren't meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say.  p.48 e-book

I feel really bad.  I liked This Lullaby, but I didn't love it.  It was okay.  It was good, not great; it was sweet, but not affecting.  I think I'm too old for this book.  I don't say that a lot about YA, but I think I would have loved this book when I was 16.  It was a sweet book, very predictable.  There was nothing surprising about it for me.   I wish that it had expounded more on some of Remy's real issues like what happened to her at that party and the fact that her mother never really explained her father to her.  I think it was missing a few key plotlines.  For me, it was like listening to a teen conversation and wanting to say "No. No.  This is how it works,"  but you can't because they have to find out for themselves.  There was a distinct lack of adults in Remy's world to help her which is the source of her problems.

But like I said, I liked it, but I didn't love it.  16 years ago though, I would have thought it was brilliant.

Hogwarts: Muggle Studies
What's in a Name
Library
YA

Scarlett Fever

 After a very odd and heartbreaking summer, it's time for Scarlett to go back to school.  But complications arise with Mrs. Amberson's new client and her older brother Scarlett is assigned to watch.  Adding to that is Spencer's new job and Lola's personal life, all of which is stressing Scarlett out.

New start or not, there was a line to be drawn, and that line was singing musicals to yourself as serious psychological motivation.  p. 13

While this was a thoroughly enjoyable and very Maureen Johnson book, let me say upfront that I don't care for either Max or Eric and I hope that Scarlett doesn't end up with either.  Much like the love triangle from The Hunger Games is unnecessary so is the one set up for Scarlett.  Maybe that is just me, but I don't like either one of the boys and Scarlett has no real reason to either.  But then she's a teenager.  Crazy things happen when you are a teenager.

Beyond that, I liked this sequel to Suite Scarlett.  It was sweet and funny and I always like the family dynamic among the Martins.  They are a great, very real family.  Spencer is, of course, my favorite sibling of Scarlett's.  He is just so awesome and he and Scarlett are a great team.  I was glad there was less Marlene and more Lola though.  And there was just the right amount of Mrs. Amberson.  She still reminds me of Auntie Mame though.

I'm not entirely sure of where the storyline of this series is going.  The first one dealt with Scarlett meeting Eric and Hamlet and all.  Scarlett Fever had more to do with Scarlett at school and working with Mrs. Amberson and moving the characters around.  But I have no idea where any of this is going.  Hopefully somewhere interesting.


Hogwarts: Muggle Studies
Library
YA

Truly, Madly

Lucy Valentine is stuck with the family matchmaking business when her father goes on holiday to avoid a scandal.  The only problem is that Lucy does not possess the same matchmaker skills as her father and is scared of messing up.  Add to that a potential murder mystery and the hot private detective in her building and Lucy might be in over her head.

My type of ESP related only to lost objects, and that certainly didn't pertain to what I'd seen in the images of me with Sean.  Not even close. p.44

I'll be honest.  I wasn't expecting much from this book.  It looked like a little throwaway chick lit.  But I was pleasently surprised by how fun and compelling it was.  I enjoyed the paranormal aspect of it and I liked the mystery part.  It was a really fun book and the romance is pretty sizzling.  I loved Sean and I loved Lucy.  I think they will make a cute couple.  They reminded me of Heather Wells and Cooper and a little of Stephanie Plum and Morelli, a cute, sweet romance with a little bit of danger.  Just like this book.  I will definitely be recommending this series to mystery lovers.

*won from Library Thing's Early Reviewers*

Just a note to say Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!  I hope you have a lovely day regardless of if you plan to celebrate it or not.

Splendor: A Luxe Novel

Jacket:
A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.
Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.
In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

*spoilers*

The sun faded from the sky and the light around them grew purple and soft, and she began to feel that they might go on, just as they were, for a very long time. p. 386

I really enjoyed this entire series.  Thankfully, someone knew it was a good idea to stop at four.  If it had kept going then it would have become tedious.  But Godbersen found the perfect ending for all her characters.  And while some got the happy ending you'd expect, some got the ending they deserved and I was happy to see that.  All to often, the direction of the plot is turned in order to let everyone have a happy ending.  But that's not what happens in real life and certainly not in this book.  So I was glad for that.  I think Penelope and Henry, who have more and more reminded me of a Rhett and Scarlett, deserve each other for all the chaos they have inflicted on each other and everyone else.  I'm glad Elizabeth finally got the right man who will love her forever and that Diana had the sense to get out when she did.  And so I would say that this series was definitely worth reading and worth my time.

Envy: A Luxe Novel

The saga of Manhattan's elite at the turn of the 20th century continues.  The Holland sisters are each bereaved in their own ways, each for extremely different reasons.  Penelope Hayes is feeling triumphant as is Carolina Broud.  But each girl will have to deal with a dramatic turn in her life and, as always, society watches their every move.

She was unsteady at first, but she kept on bravely and didn't look back. p.260

*spoilers*
This series is compared a lot to Gossip Girl and for good reason, but it reminds me, in ways, of Dangerous Liasions and the like.  There are a lot of manipulations on the part of Penelope and she is really the one who sets everything in motion.  After having blackmailed Henry into marrying her, she is desperate to keep him so she concots many plots to dispute Diana Holland, the girl Henry really loves, and make herself look better.  Really Penelope would have been better off leaving Henry alone.  Why she felt she had to marry him, I don't know.  I understood why she had to keep him though.  At that time, a divorce would have been such a scandle and Penelope traps herself into her own situation.  I was getting such a Scarlett/Rhett vibe from Penelope and Henry in this book, it was a little weird.

The Hollands were less interesting in this book especially Elizabeth.  I expected such a great showing from her especially at how Rumors ended, but she fell flat.  Although I do hope she marries Teddy somehow.  She should have married him in the first place, because the whole Will plot was stupid in the end.  And Diana was ridiculous trying to somehow keep Henry and never really getting it.  He is trapped and he will never be better than who he is (like Nate in GG).  So I'm hoping for something more interesting in Splendor, the last book.

As an aside, I did find some of the historical trivia thrown in very interesting.  For example, women had to wear stocking with the swimsuits on the beach and couldn't show any flesh.  And I love the description of all the clothes.  It seems so beautiful if stifling.

Enthusiasm (audio)

Julie's best friend, Ashleigh, is an enthusiast. She falls in love with something and it becomes her obsession. Julie usually just goes along with Ashleigh. But when Ashleigh decides that Pride and Prejudice is her new thing, Julie is horrified. Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen is her thing. But it's when Ashleigh decides that Julie's secret crush is her Mr. Darcy, that Julie begins to see the trouble of dealing with an enthusiast.

I picked this one hoping it would be like a YA Pride and Prejudice, but it wasn't. This isn't a bad thing, but it was different than I expected. The book is told in a very Austen-like manner and the influence was definitely there. The beginning was very P&P, the middle was more A Midsummer Night's Dream, and then back to P&P.

*highlight white areas for spoilers

Julie is a very good friend and puts up with her friend Ashleigh's notions and in general just goes along with her. Ashleigh is one of those people that decided they love something and jumped all the way in. Now she's decided she loves Jane Austen and wants to dress, talk, and behave the same way as the characters in Pride and Prejudice. Julie is not happy about this but goes along with her since Ashleigh can't be talk out of anything. In the course of this, Julie and Ashleigh end up at a dance for the boys school in their town and meet C. Grandison Parr and his friend Ned. Parr happens to be the boy that Julie has had several chance run-ins with in town and on whom she harbors a secret crush. Ashleigh decides that Parr is her Mr. Darcy and Ned is Julie's Bingley and nothing Julie says will convince her otherwise. Consequently I want to shake them both. I literally turned the book off at several points and shouted (in my car) at Julie for being stupid and at Ashleigh for not listening. Julie, in particular, was very obtuse and couldn't see the signs that Parr liked her even if they were written in neon. But then I thought back to when I was 16 and realized that I was that stupid at times too. I can think of at least 2 boys that liked me back then and I didn't realize it at all and looking back it is clear as day. But I was so sure that it couldn't be possible that I convinced myself it wasn't possible and I was too self-conscious to realize it. I could smack 16 year old me sometimes (because, frankly, you should have seen one of those boys, phew). Just like I wanted to smack Julie for being dumb and Ashleigh for not being a listener.

There were some very nice themes of loyalty and friendship between the girls and that was refreshing for a YA book. It seems lately there are a lot with back biting and meanness and this was a nice return to a classic friendship theme. It was also nice to see a romance develop that was given some time to blossom. That was refreshing too. It was obvious how it was going to end given the Austen-influence but it was a sweet book so that was okay.

I listened to it on CD and I liked the narrator, Jennifer Ikeda. She sounded very Austen-like. Her tone and pacing was very good.

Rumors: A Luxe Novel

The second installment of the Luxe novels finds New York society still mourning the loss of Elizabeth Holland, its former jewel. But rumors abound that Elizabeth is still alive as her body was never recovered from the river. Her younger sister, Diana is still fervently in love with Elizabeth's one-time fiance despite the fact that society would never allow them to marry. Henry returns her feelings but has no idea how to be with Diana without flying in the face of everyone. And Penelope Hayes has set her sights on marrying Henry and is willing to destroy anyone in her way. Who will survive the heiress' plots or is the bigger question who won't survive?

*trying to avoid spoilers if you haven't read the first one, highlight white areas to see them

Rumors was even better than The Luxe. At the end I was wishing for the next book. I NEED to know what happens next, NEED, I say. Anyway, the story moved along quickly and there was very little rehash of the first plot and it was subtly done when there was, which is nice in a sequel. I hate being bashed over the head with a summary of the first book in a series. (Remember Babysitter's Club & Sweet Valley anything where the summary of characters was almost verbatim book to book. I hate that.) I'm really liking Diana and Henry and poor Elizabeth. Their characters are developing nicely and I feel so bad for all of them. The ending was surprising and shocking. I really didn't see it coming, but I have a feeling that the next book, Envy, is going to be so great. I have a feeling that Elizabeth is going to be a force to be reckon with now that she is back. This series is so much better than Gossip Girl, the series it is most compared with and that it exceeds in most ways.

Saving Juliet

This one I'm reading for the Take a Chance Challenge. The challenge is to pick out a book based SOLELY on the cover. First, write about what you expect the book to be about based on the cover art. Then read the book and write about how the book was different from and/or similar to what the cover art led you to expect.

I'm writing the summary before I read the book but I'm posting this after I've read it.
So I picked Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors. I liked the cover since it reminded me of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty and The Luxe by Anna Godberson. Covers like this, with half the girl's face cut off and just a torso or upper body shot are popular for some reason right now. But I like the old fashioned dress. Only since the girl is blowing a bubble with her gum and has sunglasses hanging from her dress, I'm guessing this just isn't a period piece, maybe some kind of time travel is involved or a play (most likely Shakespearean) and the girl is the lead character.

Mimi is playing Juliet at her family's renowned theater, The Wallingford Theatre though she is suffering from stage fright. She's been acting ever since she was 3 so this sudden onset of stage fright is causing her big problems. Also causing her problems is her mother who wants to control Mimi's life and dictate where Mimi should go to college. On the night of the final performance of Romeo & Juliet, Mimi is magically transported, with her gorgeous co-star Troy Summers, to Verona, Italy and into the story of Romeo & Juliet. But her presence is changing the story and she doesn't know how to get back to her life. Can Mimi save Juliet and save herself?

So I was right about my guess based on the cover. Only I said time travel or a play and I got both. It was a very cute book, a little contrived, but cute nonetheless. It didn't take much time to read. I understood Mimi's problems and her mother was so overbearing that it was ridiculous. Lady Capulet was the same way. The author tried very hard to parallel Mimi's problems with Juliet's, but sometimes it was a little forced. And I wasn't really crazy about Troy. He just bothered me. It was cute how Mimi changed the story of Romeo & Juliet and it all ended up alright. It was fun seeing the characters of the classic play reacting to life outside of that story. All in all, it was a cute, fun book.

The Real Deal: Unscripted

Claire has an opportunity to do a reality TV show about her big break into Broadway, but she learns that life on the stage and life on the screen are hard work and can create a lot of problems. Adding to this is her new relationship with her long-lost sister and her attraction to her co-star.

I read this as my random book for the Take a Chance Challenge. I had originally picked the 1st bay, 2nd shelf, 8th book, but those turned out to be all Meg Cabot books so I moved over bays and this was it. Normally I wouldn't have picked it up since it looks like a little "throwaway" paperback (and it is), but I committed so I read it. I enjoyed it for the most part. It turned out to be a sequel, but you didn't need to read the 1st book to know what was going on. It would have provided a little character background though. Clarie is a relateable teenager and she experiences her new TV show and Broadway show with the kind of excitement that seem real enough. The romance with her co-star is cute and predictable as is a lot of the plot. But it was fun and quick and a good summer read.

The Luxe

Elizabeth Holland is society's sweetheart in this Gossip Girl-like novel set during the turn of the 19th century. She is thought to be the perfect debutante, sweet, proper, yielding. But Elizabeth has secrets and passion of her own. She is compelled to do the right things, however, and marry Henry Schoonmaker, a rich playboy, who has his sights set on someone else. Elizabeth's sister, Diana, as well as her friend, Penelope, have stakes set into who marries Henry Schoonmaker and Penelope is not going to let him marry Elizabeth without a fight.

Let me say that I'm a fan of the Gossip Girl books. Some of them are tedious and, frankly, there are too many of them, but they are a good read and fun and easy. So I went into this book knowing it was suppose to be Gossip Girl, only historical. And it was. Elizabeth was much like Sabrina, only better and Penelope was much like Blair, only slier. Henry was a Nate character, but less stoned and more aware and Diana was a Jenny. What made this different was the society and the history involved. Also Elizabeth was much more caged in by what she could do or who she should love. The ending was not unexpected but was a nice turn-around and I'm looking forward to the next book.