Savage Blue (The Vicious Deep # 2) by Zoraida Córdova Review

Name: Savage Blue (The Vicious Deep # 2)
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
 Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Format: E-Book
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416 pages

Summary: A storm is coming...

The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.

In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.

Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends' support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he's ever loved.

Goodreads

My Review:
After the ending of The Vicious Deep, I had to get my hands on the second book! Unfortunately we had to wait a whole year for this book to come out, so I was a little rusty on what happened in the first book when I picked this one up. Luckily I was only a little bit confused at the beginning, and overall I really enjoyed this book.

What I really liked about Savage Blue was the plot! It definitely was fast paced and it was nice seeing all of my favorite characters back together again. I also liked how Zoraida made everything so detailed, I could really imagine the different places that Tristan was going to, which made this book more enjoyable. 

One thing that I didn't love about this book was the ending. It wasn't that big of a cliffhanger but I finished this book feeling unhappy. I wish that there was some more action or romance at the end instead of what we were left with.

Overall, I really enjoyed Savage Blue! I thought it was a nice sequel to an awesome series and I can't wait for the next book and to see where Tristan and his friends end up. 

My Rating:

Just for Fins (Fins # 3) by Tera Lynn Childs Review

Name: Just for Fins (Fins # 3)
Author: Tera Lynn Childs  

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books  
Release Date: July 3rd, 2012
Format: Library Book
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272 pages

Summary:

When Lily Sanderson decided to remain Crown Princess Waterlily of the mermaid kingdom Thalassinia, she knew she couldn’t just coast along in the current. But since she’s spent the last couple of years on land—with gorgeous human Quince by her side—Lily’s not sure she has the fins to lead a kingdom. Even her maddeningly pretentious cousin Dosinia seems to know more about ruling than she does.

But Lily has to dive in deep to keep her promise to Tellin, her mer bond in name only, whose kingdom is suffering in the changing ocean climate. Lily knows this is a seven seas–sized problem: from sea animals dying to oil spills and threats to humans. They’ll need to create some serious waves to make the mer community aware and get it to join together to make things right. Even if that means facing one of the iciest queens in the mer kingdoms.

Just when Lily thinks her double life on land and sea can’t get any more complicated, an ancient mer law might separate Lily and Quince after all. It feels as if the pair is up against a solid tsunami wave!

In this third installment in the series that began with Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever, Lily will have to find a way to balance safety and justice for the mer people as well as for the humans she loves.

Goodreads

My Review:
I have really enjoyed all of Tera Lynn Childs' books, so when I heard about this series about a year ago I was SO excited to read it. Three books later, I'm still loving the captivating tale that the author spins with such fantastic characters!

What I really liked about this book (when compared to the other two), is that we really get to see Lily get involved with what's happening in her kingdom! While the author two books really focused on romance, I'm glad that we got to see a different side to Lily! Not saying that their isn't romance in this book..which I will get to later in this review! Anyways, I liked seeing Lily's progression throughout the book. At the beginning, she is unsure about her role as a leader, but as the book goes on, she still starts to get the hang of things and we start to see her figure herself, and how she wants to help her kingdom. I also loved seeing her relationship with her cousin, Doe grow! During the second book, the two kinda butt heads a lot, but in this book, you can see that they both really care for each other! Doe really is a great cousin and I liked seeing her character progression throughout the novel.

Lily's not only dealing with the impossible challenge of getting all of the kingdoms to work together, but she is also dealing with Quince having to take a test to prove his love to her so either she won't be banned from land and he the sea. While this aspect to the story was interesting, and seeing how much Quince was devoted to Lily, I did think that it was a little unnecessary, especially since I had a feeling we would know the end result! Other then that, I always have liked Lily's relationship with Quince..it's adorable!

Overall, Just for Fins is another great novel to an awesome mermaid series! Definitely try to pick this series up this summer..it's the perfect beach read!

My Rating:

Wake (Watersong # 1) by Amanda Hocking Review

Name: Wake (Watersong # 1)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Format: ARC Copy
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307 pages
Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for sending me a copy of this book to review!

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group. Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different. Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.-Goodreads

My Review:
I've been on a mermaid kick since the beginning of last week..they are great books to read at the beach! Wake definitely was a really great beach read..it has action, romance, suspense and mystery!

What I really loved about this book was the relationship between Gemma and her sister Harper. You can really see how strong their bond is throughout the novel-even when Gemma starts to become distant. Harper really cares about her sister and will do anything to protect her. While they both are complete opposites-Harper being a rule follower and very protective of her sister-and Gemma being more carefree and daring-they really do compliment each other and I loved seeing their relationship throughout this book! The romance in this book definitely was cute! Nothing too serious..but it was still nice to read about! I liked seeing how Gemma and Alex's relationship grew throughout the novel! Harper's relationship with Daniel was really sweet! It doesn't really progress to anything more in this book but I am hoping to see them together more in the next book!

The plot of this book was kind of predictable in my opinion..while it definitely had my favorite elements of a paranormal romance book, I was kind of disappointed when I felt like I knew what was going to happen next. Some parts where really predictable and I wish that there was a little bit more suspense to Wake! The siren mythology in this book definitely was interesting and I am hoping we can learn more about it in the next book! I also kinda wanted to learn a little bit more about Penn, Lexi, and Thea..we do get to see a glimpse in their past but I am also hoping for more in the next book!

Overall, I enjoyed reading Wake! It's the perfect Siren book to read at the beach this summer..make sure to check it out!!

My Rating: Three out of Five Stars

Evergreen (Mer Tales #2) by Brenda Pandos Review

Name: Evergreen
Author: Brenda Pandos
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Release Date: June 29th, 2012
Format: E-Book
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A kingdom on the brink of war. A king on the fringes of insanity. A family running for their lives. Ash and Fin’s only desire is to be together and dive into their happily ever after, though their conflicting worlds work to pull them apart. Neither is ready to convert to the other’s life: become a human or a mer. Little do they know that somewhere in Natatoria a secret holds the fine fabric of everyone’s lives together. If the truth is discovered, Ash and Fin will no longer have the luxury of waiting. They’ll be forced to choose. But will it be for loyalty or love? Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can’t decide? Enter the watery world of treachery, greed, and the binding mer kiss as the story continues with Evergreen, book two of Mer Tales.-Goodreads

My Review:
After the cliffhanger ending of Everblue (the first book in this series)..I couldn't wait to read Evergreen! This book definitely didn't disappoint and it made me like this series even more.

The romance between Ash and Fin is SO sweet! I was rooting for them to be together all throughout this book. Even though they were apart, you could just tell my by their phone conversations that they both truly love each other and would do anything to be together. They hit some bumps along the way..but in the end things work out and you can see how devoted they are to each other!

What I really loved about this book (and the series as a whole) is how Brenda Pandos is able to take mermaid mythology and make it her own. I loved learning more about the whole concept of "being promised" and what happens when someone becomes a mermaid. I really liked how she expanded a lot more on all of the details of the mermaid world! I was also surprised by the different curve balls that Brenda threw at us! There were many scenes that I really weren't expecting that really made this book stand out. I was definitely surprised by a couple things but they fit well in the plot and worked. I was a little sad to not see Ash's sister, Tatchi, who was in the first book. I'm hoping that she will be featured more in the next book in this series!


Overall, another great book to a fabulous series! I highly recommend reading this book this summer..and if you haven't read the first book you really should. Mermaid books are the best to read at the beach :D


My Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Dante's Girl (The Paradise Diaries, #1) by Courtney Cole Review

Name: Dante's Girl (The Paradise Diaries, #1)
Author: Courtney Cole
Publisher: Lakehouse Press
Release Date: June 24th, 2012
Format: E-Book
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356 pages

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring. Until this year. And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things: 1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes. 2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac. 3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish. 4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise. 5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them. Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference? But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl. My heart just might be crazy.-Goodreads

My Review:
What a really cute summer read! I was surfing through Amazon last week and I saw this book..so I decided to check it out and buy it. I am really glad that I did..definitely a nice summer contemporary book!

I'm a huge fan of books with international boys (especially because of the accents!) and the setting of this book was gorgeous! The plot of this book was too sweet and really was a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was definitely cheering for Dante and Reece the moment they met at the airport until the last scene of the book! At points it was a little cheesy..but it didn't matter because I was swept into the romance! This book definitely moved at the right pace..it wasn't too fast or slow! Some parts where a little predictable but I was surprised to find many unexpected scenes that I loved!

 I really loved the main character, Reece! She really stayed true to herself and didn't change just because of Dante. She and Dante really complimented each other and were so adorable together! At times Dante was a little bit annoying when he was a little bit shady in his past love life, but once the reader gets past that you can see that he and Reece are perfect! Dante definitely is a dapper and dashing man..and I can see why Reece fell for him.

Overall, I really enjoyed Dante's Girl and I am SO hoping that both characters make an appearance in the next book in the series! This book really is a cute summer romance book and I highly recommend checking it out..especially when you are at the beach.

My Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Belles by Jen Calonita Review

Name: Belles (Belles # 1)
Author: Jen Calonita
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: April 10th, 2012
Format: Library Book
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Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she’s ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn’t go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn’t thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates’ Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls’ lives forever.-Goodreads

My Review:
After reading a bunch of fantasy books..I definitely was in need of a good contemporary read! So when I saw this book at my library I knew that I had to read it..and I am so glad that I did! 

One of the best parts about this book was the story! At times it had it's cliche and predictable moments, but it was really fun to read about Izzie's transition from her old life to her new one in Emerald Cove! I also really liked how the book switched narration from each chapter to both Izzie and Mira. It was interesting to see both girls points of view and how each were coping with having a new person in their lives. I did think that the book felt kind of rushed at the beginning but overall I thought the pace of the book was good.

At first, I really didn't like Mira because she did some things that were horrible to Izzie and I wasn't sure how much she would change throughout the book. As the story went on, I was happy to see Mira turn herself around, and actually learn a few lessons from Izzie. I really liked Izzie as well. She isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in. I also loved how that even though she left her old home behind to one with a lot more privilege, she didn't let that change who she was and didn't gain a fake persona to try to fit in. I think that both girls definitely balance each other out and once they got to know each other better I could see them really getting along.   

Overall, I really enjoyed Belles! It was a quick, fun read and is the perfect book to read at the beach this summer! I really can't wait to read the next book (which is due to come out in the fall).
 
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson Review

Name: Flirting in Italian
Author: Lauren Henderson
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: June 12th, 2012
Format: E-book ARC
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Thank you Netgalley and Random House for sending me an ARC copy of this book!!

Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!-Goodreads

My Review:
When I first heard about Flirting in Italian, I knew that this would be right up my alley! It sounded like the perfect contemporary read with gorgeous foreign boys and an awesome setting! Sadly, this book didn't live up to my expectations and I found myself being disappointed in the end.

Overall, the main plot of this book was enjoyable! I liked the whole art history aspect to it (considering that I am studying it now!). I also really liked learning more about the Italian culture and how teenagers live in Italy. The romance in this book definitely is light and fun, and has a little bit of drama but overall is nice to read. The four girls (Violet, Kelly, Kendra and Page) each have their own personalities and are really fun to read about! At times they seemed a little bit cliche, but they are still nice! Violet, the main character, was a really fascinating character to read about! Violet seems pretty relatable to teenager girls out there, but at times I really wanted her to put herself out more-instead of just sitting back in the shadows I wanted her to act.

As I was nearing the end of this book, I was started to get frustrated because I really felt like their wasn't any solutions to the main conflict of the story. It really just seemed like the author kept dragging things out to make the story longer. Their definitely were a few scenes that didn't add anything special to the book. The whole reason why Violet goes to Italy is to try to figure out if she has any connection to a girl that she sees in a painting and looks just like her. I thought this conflict was somewhat unnecessary to the story, and it would have been better if the author focused more on the girls' adventures in Italy. The main issue I have is that the author never resolved this conflict and instead decided to made a second book to this series!

While at times this book definitely was really enjoyable to read, I was very disappointed by the ending. That being said, this book may or may not work for you and I recommend picking this book up from the library this summer and giving it a shot!

My Rating: Three out of Five Stars

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks Review

Name: Of Poseidon 
Author: Anna Banks
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Format: ARC Copy
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Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom 
. . . Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.-Goodreads

My Review:
This year definitely is a great year for awesome mermaid books and Of Poseidon is one of these books!

One of my favorite parts about Of Poseidon was the characters! I really thought Anna Banks did a great job of alternating chapters between Emma and Galen's POV so the reader could really understand what was going through both of their minds. I actually really like reading books from a males perspective especially Galen! He is such a swoon-worthy character! He has his sweet moments..but he also is a prince of Syrena so he can be a little bit stuffy at times. Since, Emma is such a feisty, and strong willed character, she and Galen really balance each other out! The cast of supporting characters as well really add to the story and make this book a fun read!

The plot of Of Poseidon really captivated me when I started reading. At first, I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book because sometimes some mermaid books really end up being very similar, but Anna Banks does a fabulous job of keeping the mythology really different! I liked learning about the Syrena mythology and also learning about what is "Of Poseidon." I will say that moments of this book are depressing, and there were definitely a few scenes that I didn't see coming. I guess the best type of story is one that you never expect!

Overall, I really enjoyed Of Poseidon..and I especially liked how Anna Banks creates a whole new type of mermaid mythology for us readers! I can't wait to read the second book in the series (of course the novel ends with a cliffhanger). I recommend checking this book out this summer..it really is the perfect beach read :)

My Rating: Four out of Five Stars