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Book Review, catspell, danyelle leafty

Book Review: Catspell by Danyelle Leafty

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Catspell
Author: Danyelle Leafty
Publisher: Danyelle Leafty
Release Date: October 2011
Pages: eBook only
Series: The Fairy Godmother Dilemma #1
Source: author
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

A head cold can muddle the clearest of heads, and fairy godmothers are no exception.

Which is why Nerissa finds herself agreeing to help Breena, a Damsel in Distress, even though she’d rather wrangle a whole posse of evil stepmothers than accept the job. To her credit, Breena, would rather kiss a hundred toads than work with a fairy godmother.

After an ill-fated attempt to get out of their contract, Breena now has whiskers, claws, and a tail. Finding a suitable prince for a small, white cat isn’t going to be easy, but that’s the least of Nerissa’s problems. The person who gave Breena the “cat” potion isn’t going to stop until she’s destroyed everything Nerissa stands for as a fairy godmother.

If she wants to save Breena, Nerissa is going to have figure out where the fairy tale went wrong and how she can bring a Happily Ever After to the only girl she’s ever failed.

My Thoughts:
For some reason my expectations were a bit low for this book, but I ended up happily surprised to really like it! Maybe it was the cover. I just thought it would be too cheesy, but it’s not! In case you’re curious there’s no white haired girl in the book. The main character has long red hair (until she’s a white cat), and the fairy godmother is old with gray hair.

The story was told from 4 different characters. In other books changing from character to character can be annoying, but with this book it worked really well. The POV changes were predictable, which was nice (Each chapter changed to the next character in the same rotating order). Do you ever get annoyed when reading other books and the POV changes? You’re yelling, “Wait! No! Go back!” Well that didn’t happen for me in this book. The author did a phenomenal job transitioning from voice to voice. 


Breena was a great character to cheer for. She didn’t always make the best choices. She learned from mistakes, and I liked her better for them. There was a prince in the story too of course. I love stories with Princes! This was an entertaining, fun read. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good fairy tale. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( blood from knife wound, pain )

I received the book from Danyelle Leafty. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

ironskin, tina connolly, waiting on wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday: Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Kathryn Cooper

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly post, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , where we spotlight a book we are anxiously waiting to be published.

Ironskin
By Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 2, 2012

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a “delicate situation”—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio…and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

I’ve seen this around the blogosphere and wanted to feature it myself. Isn’t the cover amazing? I love the silver dress and the smoke. I’ve never read Jane Eyre, but this sounds like it’s a kind of re-telling. Interesting.

What books are you “Waiting On” today?

Book Review, ronda gibb hinrichsen, trapped

Book Review: Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Trapped
Author: Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press
Release Date: April 2010
Pages: 293
Series: none
Source: publisher
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

When Emi Warrin wakes one night to find a thief in her mother’s house, she has no idea the intruder has planted a trap-a mysterious letter that will change her life forever. Lured to the Austrian Alps with Daniel, the man she loves, Emi is thrown into a perilous, mafia-like world of fueding families and a devastating curse that spans generations. As the Firstborn She, the only firstborn female in hundreds of years-only Emi can free her family from the curse that will soon afflict her as well. But for Emi to breake the curse, she must delve into her family’s dark past, and she must gain the trust of those who would use her for their own evil designs. As Emi struggles to understand her destiny as the Firstborn She, she learns that everything isn’t as it seems and that all choices have consequences. Can Emi break the curse before it’s too late?

My Thoughts:
This book was really fun. Don’t you love the cover too? Emi is 23 years old and trying to be more independent from her mom. The story starts off right into the excitement. The mafia elements were unique for me. I haven’t read many books with mafia type characters.

There were some occasional chapters from other points of view which added to the story. The love triangle was really interesting and exciting. Daniel had been her friend for many years then someone new comes around who was very charismatic. No, I won’t say anymore. I don’t want to give anything away!

Overall a great read. There was suspense, spying, sadness, action, crazy mafia, and romantic tension!

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: moderate ( blood, mafia, kidnapping, gun fighting, murder )

I received the book from Walnut Springs Press. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Adult Fiction

stacking the shelves

Stacking The Shelves (4)

Kathryn Cooper

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tygna’s Reviews, is a weekly post where bloggers list the books they recently acquired. The books can come from anywhere: publisher, author, giveaway, library, bought.

Click the book’s cover to view on Amazon and the title to add to your GoodReads.

FOR REVIEW:
A Lady By Any Other Name by Jennifer Kitchens (Do you know the Clean Romance Reviews blog? This is Jennifer from there! So excited for her.)

BOUGHT:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (on sale on Amazon for Kindle)

Thank You to Jennifer!

cinder, cover reveal, marissa meyer, scarlet

Cover Reveal: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Kathryn Cooper

As you know, I recently read Cinder and LOVED it! This is book 2 in the series, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I don’t think this cover is as stunning and unique as Cinder’s, but that would be difficult to achieve. Cinder was one of my fave covers of 2012! I do like it though. It’s very cool. I like how you can only see part of Scarlet with her awesome red cape flying behind her. It looks mysterious. I can’t wait to read this book!

Click HERE to read my review of Cinder.
Click HERE to read the USA Today cover reveal article.
Click HERE to read Marissa Meyer’s blog post about it with links to the first 2 chapters of Scarlet and ARC Giveaway!!

amber argyle, waiting on wednesday, witch born

Waiting On Wednesday: Witch Born by Amber Argyle

Kathryn Cooper

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly post, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , where we spotlight a book we are anxiously waiting to be published.

Witch Born (Witch Song #2)
By Amber Argyle
Publisher: Starling Publishing
Release Date: September 2012

Brusenna thought it was finished.

She defeated the Dark Witch, saving the Haven Witches from imprisonment and death. She found love and a place to belong.

She was wrong.

Haven is not the sanctuary it appears to be. Even love is in danger of slipping away like water through cupped hands.

Some things can’t be saved.

A new threat merges with the old as the Witches’ dark history begins to catch up with them. Only Brusenna knows the extent of the danger and how to stop it, though doing so might cost her everything.

Including her life.

Will Brusenna be required to make the ultimate sacrifice?

I actually haven’t read Witch Song yet! I’ve heard it’s great though. I bought it awhile back so I really need to read it, like pronto! So I’m not reading the summary for this one even though I just put it on my blog. 🙂 Have you read Witch Song? Don’t you love this cover?!

What books are you “Waiting On” today?

Book Review, insurgent, veronica roth

Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Kathryn Cooper

THIS IS BOOK 2 IN THE SERIES!
Book 1: Divergent ( MY REVIEW )

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 2012
Pages: 525
Series: Divergent #2
Source: Library
5 Stars: I LOVED IT!

One choice can transform you–or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves–and herself–while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable–and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

“New York Times” bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian “Divergent” series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My Thoughts:
Wow. This book made me so stressed. Talk about feeling attached to the characters! This book and series is great if you love adventure and sitting on the edge of your seat while biting your nails.

Insurgent started right where Divergent ended. I hadn’t read Divergent in awhile so I was a bit lost at first with all the names and references to what happened. I still think I should go back and re-read these books. They are so full of detail. I loved the world building. These people are in factions where their good attributes are starting to show flaws. Take the faction Dauntless for example. Bravery was great until some let it turn into recklessness. It’s so interesting to see how everyone reacts to the bad things happening.

Tris had been through a lot in book 1. Her behavior was now a bit unpredictable. Tris wasn’t the type of heroine who fights to live. She was very human and flawed and raw at this point. She was so real. That’s why I loved her character even more in this book.

There were some really funny parts though for it being such a suspenseful book. I seriously laughed out loud, surprised at the humor. It was a great read! I can’t wait for the next installment. The last words I wrote in my notes immediately after finishing the book were: Intense. Exciting. Heart Pounding.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild with 2 moderate scenes ( kissing in bed with girl just in pj shirt and underwear, the boy’s hand goes up her shirt to her back, then they sleep together in bed, no sex; another similar instance and some kissing )
Language: mild ( God- 14, h***-3, bast***-2 )
Violence: moderate/heavy ( fighting with fists, guns, and knives; blood; injuries; murder; execution; torture; lots of killing )

Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

blog award, fabulous blog ribbon

Fabulous Blog Ribbon

Kathryn Cooper

I was so excited to be nominated by Heather Ostler for the Fabulous Blog Ribbon. Thanks Heather! Unlike Clean Teen Fiction my adult book blog is fairly new so this award made me happy. 🙂 Heather Ostler is the author of the newly released Young Adult book The Shapeshifter’s Secret. Click HERE to add it to your GoodReads.

Rules for this award: 
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Name five of your most fabulous moments, either in real life or in the blogosphere.
3. Name five things you love.
4. Name five things you hate.
5. Pass the ribbon on to five other bloggers. (Leave them a comment to notify them of their win.)

5 of My Most Fabulous Moments
1. Marrying my wonderful husband.
2. When each of my 3 boys first smiled at me.
3. Graduating from college!
4. Meeting an author in person for the first time. It was Michelle Madow.
5. Getting a comment on my blog from the author of my favorite series, Lisa T. Bergren. It’s the River of Time series.

5 Things I Love
1. My family
2. Books
3. Writing
4. Texas
5. Swimming

5 Things I Hate
1. Cleaning up throw up (This has happened a lot this weekend with 3 sick boys.)
2. Folding laundry
3. 90+ degree weather
4. Droughts
5. Living far away from family

5 Bloggers I Award This Ribbon!
1. Inky @ Book Haven Extraordinaire
2. Jessica @ Books: A True Story
3. Jennifer @ Clean Romance Reviews
4. Abbi @ Christian Novels
5. Penelope @ The Reading Fever

Book Review, cecilia gray, fall for you

Book Review: Fall For You by Cecilia Gray

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Fall For You
Author: Cecilia Gray
Publisher: The Alpha Division
Release Date: February 2012
Pages: 128
Series: The Jane Austen Academy #1
Source: won
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to flirt with. Please. They need to stay focused on something that lasts much longer: an acceptance letter from an Ivy.

But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And it’s about to turn the Academy–and the lives of its students–totally upside down…
* * *
To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He’s a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She’s a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It’s obvious that Dante thinks he’s way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pushing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie’s quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets… Secrets Lizzie can’t seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries…

My Thoughts:
This was a really entertaining read. It was hilarious to see the behind the scenes of what happens when an all-girl school suddenly accepts boys. Most of the girls love the new additions, but Lizzie isn’t excited about the additional academic competition. She had dreams and goals and didn’t want boys to get in the way.

I was confused at first trying to figure out how all the additional characters fit into a Pride and Prejudice retelling then I realized there were other Jane Austen characters present. Some were from Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. That made the read all the more fun for me since I’ve read and loved all of Jane Austen’s books.

The romance was fun and at times sweet. Overall the book felt a bit rushed, probably because it was such a short read. I wanted more details of Lizzie’s background. I wanted so much more when the read was over so I’m really looking forward to reading the next book coming out this month!

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing, mention of teen pregnancy )
Language: 2 mild words ( God-2 )
Violence: none

Buy it!

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

stacking the shelves

Stacking The Shelves (3)

Kathryn Cooper

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tygna’s Reviews, is a weekly post where bloggers list the books they recently acquired. The books can come from anywhere: publisher, author, giveaway, library, bought.

Click the book’s cover to view on Amazon and the title to add to your GoodReads.




FOR REVIEW:
The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, from publisher via NetGalley
From Fame to Shame by Veronica Blade, from publisher

BOUGHT:
In Between: A Katie Parker Production by Jenny B. Jones (for free!)
Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn (for free!)

Thank You to Strange Chemistry and Crush Publishing!